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They don't mention concrete except to contrast with modern steel-and-concrete architecture, but in fact concrete was essential to Roman architecture. Especiall
by Isamu 11y ago
They don't mention concrete except to contrast with modern steel-and-concrete architecture, but in fact concrete was essential to Roman architecture.
Especially Roman vaults and domes were concrete. The Parthenon is still the largest concrete dome without steel reinforcing. My pet theory is that that concrete allowed the Romans to construct giant projects relatively quickly with large, mostly unskilled labor pools.
- yareally 11y ago> My pet theory is that that concrete allowed the Romans to construct giant projects relatively quickly with large, mostly unskilled labor pools. I wouldn't really call it a theory, that's really why they used it much of the time over other building materials. No need to have professional masons cutting stone or coordinate hauling massive blocks of stone great distances. Also, their concrete was able to be poured underwater, so made building harbors and bridges far easier. http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2810.htm http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi2810.htm
- deleted 11y ago[deleted]
- frik 11y agoI thought the Pantheon was built of stone. But you are be right, it's called "Roman concrete": http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_concrete About the article and videos, great that some architects value the old buildings. We have already enough of the Modernism/Bauhaus style full-concrete buildings. Tourists usually come to visit Rome, Vienna, Venice, ... because of the beautiful old buildings. They used (rusty) steel/iron-beams to hold together the Colosseum in Rome, the steel looks very out-of-place. The Pantheon is indeed one of most inspiring buildings and one of the oldest that is still almost completely intact.
- agumonkey 11y agoI can't recall where, but it said something like a lot of recent technology was known at the time. Electricity for instance, but wasn't seen as interesting or useful relatively to the need and knowledge to make it so.