How Ancient Romans ChangedConstruction Forever

Interior of the concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome, Italy. Photo from Wikimedia.

The Romans are known for their remarkable engineering. They built roads, bridges, tunnels

and aqueducts. Many of their constructions are still standing today.

These projects made Rome rich. They improved the daily lives of Romans and helped the

empire hold onto its power for hundreds of years.

By Ancient History Encyclopedia, adapted by Newsela staff on 07.21.17

Word Count 906

Level 830L

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Aqueducts

The Romans didn't invent aqueducts, but they perfected them.

Aqueducts were tunnels and pipelines that transported water from springs and mountains into

cities and towns. Roman aqueducts were built with a downward slope, so gravity could keep

the water flowing.

Some aqueducts, like the Aqua Marcia, were over 60 miles long. Aqueducts were linked,

creating a large huge network that crisscrossed the empire.

Bridges

The Romans also mastered the construction of stone bridges. Compared to older bridges,

many Roman bridges were stronger and sturdier, thanks to Roman concrete.

Roman builders were also the first to fully understand the advantages of an arch. Arches were

made out of specially shaped stones called voussoirs. These fit together in a way that evenly

spread the weight of the bridge.

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Arches made bridges stronger, which meant they could be longer. For example, the Alcántara

bridge was 597 feet long with arches 95 feet wide. It is still standing today.

Tunnels

The Romans dug tunnels for aqueducts and roads whenever they hit obstacles. Tunnel

construction was challenging; the digging could take years.

The Romans developed a method called counter-excavation to dig through mountains. Teams

of builders tunneled from both sides and met in the middle. It required careful planning and

advanced math.

When rock was too hard to dig through, Romans used a method called fire-quenching. They

heated the rock with fire, and then suddenly cooled it with cold water. As a result, the rock

would crack.

Tunnels could take years, if not decades, to be built. For example, a tunnel to drain the Fucine

Lake took 11 years to build and used about 30,000 workers.

Roads

The Romans had a large road network stretching from northern England to southern Egypt.

Altogether, they built more than 74,500 miles of road.

Roman roads were made for travel, trade and to maintain control over the empire’s vast

territories. Most roads connected two cities, like the Via Appia, which linked Rome to the city

of Capua 118 miles away.

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Builders began by setting the curb stones and digging a long pit between them and then

covering it with rocks or gravel. The layer of gravel was then pressed down and a layer of finer

gravel was added. The road was then paved with large rock slabs. The design kept the roads

from freezing or flooding.

Concrete

One of the most important Roman breakthroughs was the invention of concrete. About 2,200

years ago, builders added volcanic dust to a mixture of rock and water. It created a chemical

reaction that strengthened the mixture.

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Rome soon began using concrete in many new construction projects. They developed one

kind of concrete that was water resistant. They even came up with a kind of concrete that

could be used underwater. This allowed for the construction of harbors such as the one in the

city of Caesarea.

Believe it or not, Roman concrete was better than the modern concrete in use today.

Mills

The Romans used mills to grind grain. This allowed them to make flour.

Early mills were powered by humans or animals turning wheels. Then, the Romans invented

the watermill about 2,200 years ago. Watermills used power from rivers, reservoirs and

aqueducts. Wheels were put in water streams. When the water hit them, it caused the wheels

to turn. The turning wheels then powered the mill.

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Watermills were a huge step forward. For example, a Roman watermill at Barbegal turned out

about 3 tons of grain per hour. It made enough flour for up to 40,000 people per day.

Mining

The Romans were the first to use advanced technology in mines. One method was called fire-

quenching. Rocks were quickly heated and then cooled. This made them crack, letting miners

break through them.

Another method was called hushing. Builders unleashed large quantities of water to wash

away earth to find valuable mineral rocks below. Hushing, like fire-quenching, helped the

Romans mine more material with less effort.

Weapons

Weapons provide another example of brilliant Roman design. Roman weaponry gave them an

advantage on the battlefield.

For example, the Romans used a crossbow called the ballista. Soldiers could load it with lead

darts or heavy stones. Roman engineers improved the ballista’s design by making it lighter,

more accurate and powerful. Their ballistas could easily pierce a soldier’s body armor and kill

him instantly.

Romans also used catapults. They could launch heavier stones through the air. The stones

were often set on fire. Wherever they landed, they caused great damage and caused fires.

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Quiz

1 Read the section "Tunnels."

Select the paragraph from the section that shows the Romans used their knowledge of science to

make their work easier.

2 Read the section titled "Bridges."

Which sentence from the section shows WHY arches were important?

(A) The Romans also mastered the construction of stone bridges.

(B) Roman builders were also the first to fully understand the advantages of an

arch.

(C) Arches made bridges stronger, which meant they could be longer.

(D) For example, the Alcántara bridge was 597 feet long with arches 95 feet wide.

3 Examine the image in the section "Mills" and read the selection below.

Watermills used power from rivers, reservoirs and aqueducts. Wheelswere put in water streams. When the water hit them, it caused thewheels to turn. The turning wheels then powered the mill.

HOW does the image support the information in the selection above?

(A) by showing the design that allowed water to create power

(B) by showing how much power was created from water

(C) by showing the streams the wheels were put in to get the most power

(D) by showing how quickly water could make a wheel turn

4 Use the first two photographs and information from the article to select the TRUE statement.

(A) Many Roman mining methods were used to create designs in stone buildings.

(B) Many Roman structures only survived because they were protected

underground.

(C) Roman stone bridges were not as strong as older bridges and buildings.

(D) Roman arches and concrete allowed them to build structures that still exist.

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