Hit the Concrete

Focus At the end of this presentation

you will be able to identify: The importance of the arch, vault and concrete Types of Concrete Types of Columns Distinctive Roman buildings and structures The special elements of each building/structure Why the Pantheon is the ultimate example of

Roman architecture.

Roman Architecture

We briefly discussed some of Roman architecture as it related to theaters, amphitheaters and the circus. We also discussed some of the marvels in the Circus Maximus and the Colosseum or the Flavian Amphitheater. There are 2 things that made those fantastic structures so amazing then and what makes them still amazing 200 years later.

Concrete and the VaultThe Romans may not have

invented the vault or concrete, but they made them better. They used them almost to perfection and the combination of the 2 made all of their super structures. The concrete was lighter weight than just stone masonry and the vault in its various forms enabled the Romans to build stronger, sturdier walls; an important development in the earthquake prone Italy.

Opus caementiciumConcrete was popular because it

could be used in molds or poured around timber frames which could then be removed. The Roman recipe included water, lime and/or volcanic sand and rubble.

The favorite volcanic sand seems to have been Pozzolana which came from Pozzuoli. The aggregate or rubble used as a filler varied from pebbles to chips of brick and/or tiles.

Types of ConcreteThe concrete was normally faced with brick or stone

and occasionally marble, but could stand alone. opus incertum = facing with small stones in an irregular pattern opus recticulatum = facing with square stones in a diagonal pattern opus quasi reticulatum = facing with irregular stones in a diagonal

pattern opus testaceum = facing with bricks opus signinum = waterproof cement made with crushed tiles, brick or

pottery

Incertum Recticulatum Testaceum

The Arch Concrete made the arch something for the Romans to master. The arch lead to bigger and better buildings because it bore the weight of the building on its piers without additional supports, such as pillars.

The Romans realized that if they put a bunch of arches together side by side, they could use it as a roof and thus the vault resulted. Later the dome came from putting arches at different angles. They also realized that columns could help them cross vaults at perpendicular angles.

The Big DealAll of these various forms of arches and vaults created

many opportunities for Romans. For instance, The Romans could build a circus, amphitheater or theater wherever they wanted since the structure would be supported by the arches and vaults and did not have to be supported by earth, like a hillside. The vaults and domes were especially useful in the baths houses and courthouses. It was the combination of concrete and vaults/arches that made architecture Roman.

AedificiaWe have already discussed some of the buildings

of the Romans: dwellings, bath houses, theaters, amphitheaters and circuses. They also built temples and basilicas and these spectacular buildings were often around the forum. Since the forum was open to the elements, it was common to seek shelter in the porticos surrounding the forum. A portico was simply a covered entrance or walkway that was also colonnaded (surrounded by columns).

ColumnsThere were several types of columns that were

used in Roman architecture. The Romans adapted the 3 Greek forms to invent 2 of their own. The Tuscan was the most plain and like the Doric but without the ‘ridges’ (flutes). The Composite had the ‘scroll’ of the Ionic on top of the leaves of the Corinthian. The Romans also would use more than one type or order of column on the same building.

Doric CorinthianIonicTuscan Composite

A TemplumTemples were built not as a place for worshippers

to gather for regular services, but rather as a home for the statue of the deity and any offerings people might make. Temples were entered from the front via stairs because they were built on a raised surface called a podium. The statue and perhaps a small altar would be inside the cella, or an interior room.

TemplaThe temple of course would be colonnaded on all

four sides, generally with a double row of columns in front. The pediment, triangular area above the columns, often contained an inscription dedicating the temple as well as sculptures. The altar on which the sacrifices

(animal not human) were made was outside of the temple, generally in front of the stairs. Temples could be found in the forum, near theaters, near bath complexes or even on villas.

A Courthouse and so moreA Roman basilica is generally referred to

as a courthouse, but it was more than that. While legal cases were heard, but it was also a place for business. Even in good weather, deals went down inside. But in bad weather, any business that would normally have taken place outside moved into the basilica.

BasilicaWhat distinguished a building as a basilica were

the rows of columns that created aisles. The center aisle, called a nave, was slightly elevated because it had windows. These large meeting halls were later adopted as churches by Christians, likely because they could hold a lot of people.

Other Engineering MarvelsThe Romans did not merely

construct spectacular buildings, but other incredible structures too. Most notably aqueducts and roads. The aqueducts were a series of arches when they were above ground. An aqueduct is just a means of delivering water, so underground tunnels were utilized in addition to the structures with which we now know.

AqueductsThe aqueducts

delivered water to Rome and then fed into tanks called castellum. From the tanks the water fed into cisterns and then into the pipes which took it

to the public fountains, public baths and then private homes. Smaller pipes were used for private homes and had the name of the ‘buyer’ stamped into it to avoid unauthorized water use.

All Roads Lead to Rome

built by the soldiers and sometimes private engineers. The center of the road was raised so that the water would run off.

The Romans constructed roads in order to deliver troops and commerce to even the most remote parts of the empire as quickly as possible. Roads were often

Milliarum AureumThe arch and concrete made it possible to build

bridges. The Romans mastered a system of building the arches directly in the water, using simple cranes as needed. Augustus is said to have placed the milliarum aureum (Golden Milestone) in the forum. This was actually a

marble post that recorded distances from Rome to prominent towns in the Empire, so all roads really did lead back to Rome.

PantheonThe Pantheon is the

culmination of Roman architecture and engineering. It utilizes concrete, the arch and vault to create a massive dome. This dome has decreasing amounts of concrete as it goes up so that it does not collapse under its own weight. The dome is capped by an oculus, an opening to the sky which illuminates the interior.

PantheonThis temple was dedicated to 12 Roman deities and

there are niches in the dome for statues of each. The rotunda for which the massive dome is the roof, is as tall as the dome’s diameter. This created not only a perfect sphere inside the building but also the largest ever dome made of masonry. It is still in use today and is nearly perfectly restored.

AssignmentNow you need to complete the

Roman Architecture Today assignment. From the assignment page, submit a photo of a building in your town that contains elements of Roman architecture and at least one well written paragraph that fully explains the Roman influence. Please remember to use proper English, including spelling, grammar and punctuation.

**Nota Bene: an element could be as simple as a column or an arch.**