AQUEDUCTSWhat are Aqueducts? Situated throughout France, Italy and Spain, Aqueducts are above-ground pipelines that are able to carry water from a watercourse to a diversity of destinations, some being cities, farms, mills or industries. The persistent flow of water also supplied public baths, fountains, latrines (communal toilets) and private/rich households with fresh and clean H20. These revolutionary and graceful designs can be seen in an assortment of environments consisting of hillsides, beaches, plains, ridges and even across valleys.How did the Roman Aqueducts Influence our Modern Society? Isn’t it purely remarkable that after 1,253 years, quite a few Aqueducts are still standing and being used? Since formerly undergoing several reconstruction processes, the Trevi Fountain (located in Rome) is currently being equipped with the same water that once nourished Aqua Virgo. Aqua Vergine is a well-known existing Aqueduct that presently sends uncontaminated water to Rome.
During the endurance of the Roman Empire and the development of the Aqueducts, the Ancient Roman builders fabricated many advanced designs that inspired our modern-day engineering such as tunnels, pipes, canals and arches. Construction: Establishing an Aqueduct was a very expensive procedure with a payment that could range from approximately 350,000-475,000,000 Sesterces (Ancient Roman Currency). Examples of costly Aqueducts are the Aqua Appia (roughly 375,000,000 Sesterces), Aqua Claudia (around 250,000,000 Sesterces) and the Aqua Marcia (almost 410,000,000 Sesterces). A total of eleven Aqueducts were manufactured throughout over the period of the Roman Empire, and all eleven had sponsors. Sponsors were usually people of power (Emperors and Senators), or those whom were awfully rich and payed for the Aqueduct to be developed, generally getting it names after them.
For instance, Censor Appia Claudius sponsored the production of Aqua Appia and urban Praetor Quintus Marcius Rex promoted the birth of Aqua Marcia. Each Aqueduct had a creation timespan of around 2-6 years, however, the duration of the production would vary depending on the length; the typical radius Aqueducts covered ranged from 45-92km.How did the Aqueducts Work? Created with brick and marble, the Ancient Romans erected their Aqueducts to access a city on a creeping slope that diminished by only 12-17cm every 30 meters. Due to the protracted lengths of the Aqueducts, the incline had to be calculated in order to proceed with the method of gifting water to Rome. To maintain the water’s particular flow through high districts, the Ancient Roman engineers dug flawlessly angles tunnel through them, and when the waterworks encountered low valleys, they were elevated on stone walls, supported by strong arches.
Many believe the Aqueducts were the most innovative architectural designs built during the life of the Roman Empire as a result of the marvellous use of gravity.Aqueduct Timeline (All 11)Conclusion: Originally inspired by the Ancient Greeks and Etruscans, Aqueducts are pipelines built with brick and marble that transferred natural water to Ancient Rome’s many cities. Averaging to a maximum of 92km long, the Roman Aqueducts have influenced current society with tunnels, arches, pipes and canals. Every Aqueduct used the unbeatable strength of gravity to keep the water momentum consistent throughout the intense distances between landform and city.
