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Discuss the development of both concrete and the arch in Rome
Architecture today with greek and roman influence
Architecture today with greek and roman influence
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Importance of Concrete and Arch in the life of Rome HIST 1421 University of the People Ancient Rome was rich in its architecture. Palaces of emperors, Greek temples, and villas of wealthy Romans are examples of her extraordinary architecture. An architecture on the outside wall of their villas was also to show their social persona. In this essay, I have attempted to explain the importance of Concrete and arch in the life of Rome and the results of their use. Before Roman concrete was developed, Roman builders used mortar as a building material which was a combination of sand, lime, and water proportionally. This mixture was strong to build smaller structures but was not reliable for the large structures. So, a large structure would require a lot of beams …show more content…
Pont du Gard, an ancient Roman aqueduct in Nîmes, France. © Karel Gallas/Shutterstock.com Concrete allowed Roams to build arches, domes, and vaults with greater distance. Also, since concrete could set underwater, Romans used it in the construction of harbor structure. Concrete also made it possible for Romans to build several aqueducts which, as explained by the author in The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, helped Rome to supply water to cities and agricultural lands (2016). To conclude, the concrete and arches were an essential part of the Roman architecture. Without invention or concrete, huge arches would not have been possible, and the architecture of the Roman would not have been as attractive throughout the world. Although Roman originally adopted architecture from Greeks, their architectural revolution made Romans great innovators. References Ambler, J., Dr. (n.d.). Roman architecture (article) | Roman. Retrieved January 01, 2018, from https://www.khanacademy.org/humanities/ancient-art-civilizations/roman/beginners-guide-rome/a/roman-architecture Carlwright, M. (2013, October 05). Roman Architecture. Retrieved January 01, 2018, from
University, C. (2014). HSC Online - Fall. [online] Hsc.csu.edu.au. Available at: http://hsc.csu.edu.au/ancient_history/historical_periods/rome/2536/Rome78_28BC.html [Accessed 3 May. 2014].
The Pantheon was a Roman concrete structure. Roman concrete is a mixture of lime and volcanic ash (pozzolana, found near modern-day town Pozzouli). Roman concrete is also called hydraulic cement-based concrete. It is known for curing relatively rapidly, even in damp condition, thus it could be used for massive construction. The most daring thing about the use of Roman concrete in the Pantheon is that Portland cement needs steel reinforcement due to tendency of cracking caused by tension forces, meanwhile the Pantheon did not. The Pantheon still stands today is because of its special structure.
...y report I was a bit behind and couldn’t clearly find much information while I was due in to hand in my research. I couldn’t rely much on some sites as they could have been edited and stated information that wasn’t relevant to what I was focusing on. Overall I learnt a lot while doing this research and I have better understanding of the Roman buildings and how the Roman society was in that time.
At first the Romans did not realize the superior ability of concrete. They began by using it as a fill. They would also cover up the concrete with decorated stones. The concrete they used did not look pleasing because they had mixed it with any arrogate they had available. Later, once they discovered how useful concrete could be, they used it for everything they could. They built their houses, roads government offices, theaters, temples, and everything else they could out of concrete. Concrete was far superior in strength to stone and mortar, and it was easier to make than marble was to quarry and assemble.
The Romans discovered many things that would aid the construction of their great civilization. The Romans discovered that a particular mixture of volcanic rock rubble and water could be used to create very strong structures; their concrete mixture could even be used in underwater applications. The Romans used concrete to make foundations for large buildings as well as bridges. They also used concrete as mortar to hold together the stones that made up roads, walls, and bridges. The Romans discovery of concrete allowed them to build very large structures that have survived many centuries.
Wilson, R.J.A. “Roman Art and Architecture.” Oxford Illustrated History. Oxford U. Press, 1988. pp. 361-399
If the ancient Roman innovation of concrete, were to not have been significant, it would not have continued to be used across the globe. In fact, ancient Roman hydraulic cement-based concrete was so notable that modern day scientists are trying to, “replicate the exact formula for which ancient Roman concrete was made.” This is due to ancient Roman concrete being so sturdy and strong that aspects of it have lasted over 2000 years without deterioration. Without the innovation of Roman concrete, many of the modern world’s infrastructure would not be stable, causing havoc across the globe. Also, advancements in construction, health, and even safety areas would not be possible, as almost every piece of infrastructure, from sewerage and water pipes, to building and security walls, would not be able to remain as safe to use. This is because the modern world relies so heavily on concrete, with around five billion tonnes of concrete being used around the world each year,becoming the single most widely used material in the construction industry. In fact, around 76% of all first-world infrastructure is reinforced with concrete. Without this substance, much of the modern-world's infrastructure would not be as tall or sturdy as what it currently is, as it would simply deteriorate or break. Hydraulic cement-based concrete is certainly the most significant Roman
Later on, in the first century AD, the Romans began to use concrete in greater use. The architects of Rome used this concrete to make many structures including domes, arches, and vaults. They added bricks to these structures to improve the strength of the building. After adding the bricks, they put on an extra layer of marble for decoration.
The Romans also excelled in the highly practical art, architecture. The Romans were the first people in antiquity to use concrete on a massive scale. By using concrete in their new architectural designs, the Romans were able to construct huge buildings, bigger than the Greeks ever could have dreamed of.
As my wise professor has stated, “The Romans were incredibly innovative architects and their architecture has influenced the world.” (Johnson) The best three architectural elements the Romans created where the arch, vault, and concrete. Not only did these three elements together look great together, but it added strength and stability while still being not too heavy. The greatest Roman contribution to architecture was Roman concrete. It wasn't just any concrete it had cement composed of water, lime, & volcanic ash sand. Another great contribution was the way they applied it and the tools they used. Using all their innovations they created many beautiful pieces of architecture that I
“Many European cities still bear reminders of the power of ancient Rome, and throughout the western world the influence of Roman power is still manifest.” “As the Roman Empire expanded Roman architects struggled to achieve two overriding aims: to demonstrate the grandeur and power of Rome, while also improving the life of their fellow citizens.” They held the Greeks in high regard for both their sculpture and architecture, learned stonework and pyramid architecture from the Egyptians, and absorbed important techniques from the Etruscans. To that end, the Romans perfected three architectural elements: concrete, the arch, and the vault. These three elements helped lighten the load carried by Roman structures while maintaining overall durability.
The Romans played a huge role in the history of Architecture; a lot of the roman architectural monuments still stand and are highly appreciated by today’s communities and cultures. Their architecture as thoroughly studied and taught in today’s architecture departments worldwide, as well as encourages students to study and understand it, historically, conceptually and structurally. The Colosseum, in my opinion, is one of the most beautiful roman architecture, or even worldwide, my analysis of it revealed its beauty structurally and historically along side its aesthetic beauty that initially drove me to talk about it.
The Romans created many things when they were building the structures of their time period. One of the most important things they created was the arch. The arch was a sort of curvature structure that allowed for the weight of an object above it to be dispersed evenly throughout it. The arch was able to be built because of the discovery of the keystone. The keystone was the piece that was put at the very top of the arch and supported all of the weight that was put on it by the arch. This dispersion allowed for much heavier and complex structures than had ever been built before in the history of humanity. They used it in building one of the largest building ever dedicated to the gods, the Pantheon. The usage of the arch led into the creation of the dome, which is basically a se...
The great feats of the ancient Greek and Roman civilizations are fact and still stand today after a long stretch of time. The term “ ‘classical’ essentially means ‘perfect’ or ‘complete’ ” (Pothorn 26). This relates to ancient Greek culture, art, literature or regarded as representing an exemplary standard or a traditional long-standing form or style. The Greek and Roman art of architecture has certainly held it’s style for “the formulas they invented as early as the sixth century B.C. have influenced the architecture of the past two millennia” (Architecture). The Greeks were brilliant in many things, but Rome 's brilliant architectural, organizational and engineering feats that make them stand out among the ancient peoples (10 Cool), advancing
This class has examined the various accomplishments of ancient Rome, many that have been carried on throughout time and influenced numerous cultures around the world. Amongst those accomplishments were the development of concrete and the utilization of arches. This paper will examine the Roman development of both concrete and the infamous concrete arch that is utilized in many modern day structures today.