Roman Aqueducts An Engineering Brilliance

A detailed Summary of Roman Aqueducts An Engineering Brilliance

Roman Aqueducts: An Engineering Brilliance

Transportation of water is a very important obstacle the world has taken on. Water is a necessity to live; therefore control of water in and out of towns has been going on for thousands of years. Many different ways of moving water from one spot to another have been tried over the years. One example is the building of dams, not only to generate electricity, but also to create an abundance of water that can be transported to farmers to water their crops. The water from the dam is sent through underground conduits, aqueducts, to its final destination. Aqueducts were used by Greeks, Assyrians, Babylonians, Persians and Egyptians for water transportation. These early civilizations provided the vision for the Roman Empire to perfect the use of the aqueduct.

In 97 AD, Sextus Julius Frontinus, the city official in charge of the water supply, is recorded as saying:

"I ask you! Just compare this vast array of indispensable structures carrying so much water with the idle Pyramids or the world-famous but useless monuments of the Greeks." ( )

In 97 AD, 300 gallons of water per person a day flowed into Rome through nine aqueducts. The Romans had succeeded in their vision of

Work on the aqueduct would begin concurrently at various points along the route. Once a channel had been dug, a chorobate would be lowered into the trench to check the slope. The chorobate was a ten-foot long wooden trough with a long grove running down its middle where water was poured; the water indicated when something was level. Once the route was the right gradient the water channel was lined with concrete or a pipe was put into the ground. Underground aqueducts made up about 90% of the 313 total miles of aqueduct into Rome.

Myron. "Supplying Fresh Water to Roman Cities." San Jose St. University. http://myron.sjsu.edu/romeweb/engineer/art5a.htm

Construction of the Roman Aqueduct started with finding a suitable source of water fairly close to the town that needed the water. This source usually came from underground springs for which the Romans had to search. After water was found, the aqueduct was commissioned to be built and a surveyor was hired to find the most practical route. The aqueduct's gradient was usually around one foot drop per two hundred feet in length. By choosing the gradient and maintaining it along the entire length of the aqueduct, the water could be made to flow fast enough to ensure a good supply, yet not so fast that the force of the rushing water washed out the aqueducts and pipes (Myron). Getting this precise gradient required measurements by the surveyor. After the surveyor calculated the length of the aqueduct, and the overall fall, construction could then start.

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Approximate Word count = 1391
Approximate Pages = 6 (250 words per page double spaced)

Category: Science