THE SOLIDITY OF CONSTRUCTIONS

Very often we can read in the news section about disputes concerning construction works executed using poor materials, unsuitable for the required use; for example, marbles with a big capacity of absorption should not be used in external walls, as through the slow humidity absorption they will start falling apart after a few years. Yet the Ancient Roman realized with competence almost 3 millions buildings and lots of them are still to admire.

A Campagna Landscape with Fishermen and the Ruins of Aqua Claudia – Franz Knebel

Let’s mention for example the “Aqua Claudia”, one of the most important aqueducts of the Ancient Rome, that at its peak counted more than a million citizens, it was built under the Empire to meet the increasing demand for water. It was almost seventy kilometres long, ten of which were build on an arch structure, or multi level arches to grant a constant slope for the easy downflow of water with a capacity of 200.000 cubic meters per day.

Aqueduct blank drawing

Worth remembering is that further to marbles, for its constructions have been used travertines, peperino stones and huge quantities of bricks.

Even today, various parts of this gigantic building are visible and in good condition in spite of the robberies made by the men over the centuries to use the various parts, like the already shaped stones of the structure, for other purposes.

Roman aqueduct “Aqua Claudia”

Roman aqueduct “Aqua Claudia”

We are talking about an arches building that is 2,000 years old and survived earthquakes, wars, the human devastation, and all kinds of mayhem.

Often only human’s foolishness, negligence, incompetence and avarice are the principle causes of destructions caused by an earthquake.

Editor’s note.

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