Roman Empire: The Development Of Concrete

The Etruscans were skilled builders and constructed impressive structures, such as temples, tombs, and underground tunnels (Bonfante, 2006). The Romans adopted the Etruscan architectural style, incorporating elements such as the use of arches and vaults (Beard et al., 2015). The influence of Etruscan architecture can be seen in iconic Roman structures like the Colosseum and the aqueducts (Scullard,

Many American architects in the 18th and 19th centuries looked to classical Roman architecture as a source of inspiration for their own designs. The White House and U.S. Capitol share similar architectural styles to that of Roman buildings like the Coliseum which has been standing for nearly 2000 years, and the Pantheon. “More recently, many official buildings built in the US are very strongly influenced by Roman architecture. The most obvious is the White House, which displays Roman influences in the arches and columns on the exterior” The Romans were skilled engineers and builders. They used advanced construction techniques such as arches, domes, and vaults to distribute weight and stress evenly throughout a building, which helped to prevent collapse.

Ancient Rome’s art consisted of many buildings with concrete-domed roofs. Roman pride and moralism are interestingly combined in their approach toward architecture. For instance, historians emphasize the size and grandeur of Rome's architecture and describe it as conquering the globe.5 This shows how impressive the architecture of Rome was. These buildings were especially hard to make because at the time it would take hundreds of Romans three months to complete one piece of architecture.

The colosseum is an ancient building in Rome. The colosseum was a large outdoor stadium that could set 50000 people. In the colosseum they had gladiator games,mock battles and chariot racing .Aqueduct was a long channels that is built to carry water. The water was used for drinking,baths and sewers. Baalbek is a grand temple in Rome to worship the God of heaven.

As the empire reached its peak, it covered a large area of land. And around this time Romans started to use concrete for their infrastructure. They used concrete to build a huge transportation system with roads that made trade easier and more efficient. They also used this concrete to create buildings, and other supporting structures. Along with roads, entertainment centers were built such as arenas and amphitheaters.

During the time of ancient Rome, many great accomplishments were achieved and these accomplishments did influence a number of cultures. Various Governments have indeed adopted elements of the Roman Law, including the United States Government. The Aenid, which is one of Roman Literature, is still being read to this day. In this paper, I will discuss the development of both concrete and the arch. In addition, I will include the importance of each in the life of Rome and the results of their use.

There was a time when buildings were just that buildings. They had no depth or meaning. Then Pont du Gard and centuries later came Fallingwater. Pont du Gard and Fallingwater revolutionized the world of Architecture by overcoming time, antiquity and surpassing its intended use by transcending into the world of art. Two thousand years ago the romans built an aqueduct/bridge that has out lasted their civilization and many others.

More than 50,000 miles of roads connected Rome with the frontiers of the empire. The Romans built their roads with layers of stone, sand and gravel." (Roman legacy reading). This quote shows that Romans were able to build and design a new way of transportation that helped civilizations all over the world. This made life easier for the people so they could not only travel but trade too.

Arches were used to create a stronger and sturdier building, but also add some architectural beauty to it. The Roman used the concrete to make roads and

Document 6, written by a high official of Rome, emphasizes the brilliance it took a man to construct roads that had “grace and beauty” (Doc 6). This document summarizes how the Romans viewed technology like roads with practical uses, but they cared more about the beautiful architecture of it and how it enhanced the character of Rome. Another piece technology that the Romans valued was the aqueducts as shown by document 8. A Roman general, governor, and water commissioner reports the use of their aqueducts and marvels in the water production compared to other civilizations. The Romans are rarely interested in the improvement of technology unless it benefits and brings pleasure to the entire society, or mainly the upper class.

The sewer system, running water system, and indoor plumbing system reduced the chance of diseases from affecting the population. The roman adequates were an amazing demonstration of their ability to engineer amazing things. They would transport the water to the city, and if you were a patrician then it would go right to your house. Whenever a new city was added they would be a brand new road from the city to Rome. The Roman roads had milestones which are like signs that we use today.

The bath houses used arches, domes and vaults to make them both aesthetically beautiful and to work as functional spaces. The Romans also made spectacular private homes for those who could afford them, and designed and built innovative apartment type buildings for those who couldn’t afford a private residence. As with the Greeks, the Temples of Rome were a great architectural achievement. These temples are a significant source of their architectural history and still today are some of the most visible remains from their culture. Unlike the Greeks who believed in having an equal emphasis in their design on all sides of their temples, the Romans put the emphasis on the front of their buildings.

Its name derives for the use of roman semicircular arches use in most doors and windows. The architects encountered a construction problem since they wanted to use masonry for the ceiling instead of wood. It made it more complicated since they now needed a stronger support for the ceiling. In order to find a practical solution, most of its buildings rely on the mass of the walls to support the heavy ceiling. Also, the use of arches tunnels for the roof made it more secure preventing it to fall which created what is called a vault.

The use of concrete in Roman architecture was pivotal in the construction of many magnificent buildings that represent the roman era. The Roman city of Pompeii was discovered in the late 1590s, but excavation did not begin until 1738. Pompeii has been used ever since as an example of Roman culture, however because of the city’s destruction and history, horrible initial excavations and modern humanity’s stupidity, Pompeii cannot be considered a prime example for understanding the Roman World.

Concrete has been used as building material for very long time ago. About 3000 B.C, the Egyptians were blended mud and straw to form blocks and utilized gypsum and lime to make mortars. In 300 B.C, the Ancient Roman improved that combination and gave it a name (Steiger, 1995). "Concrete" originates from the Latin “concretus”, which means developed together or intensified. The new material helped them on building a lot of structures, which could endure the attack by elements and their enemies.