1Historyof
CivilEngineeringand
Architecture
EdwardMcAdams,JohariRhettandMiguelMazo
Introduction
CanyounameanyoftheSevenWondersoftheAncientWorld?Eachwasafeatofcivil
engineeringandarchitecture.Whatcausesstructuressuchasthesetofilluswithaweeven
today?Whatisitthatmakesthemseemmorewondrousinourtimeofmodernization?These
structureshavepavedthewayformanynewadvancesinthedesignofthestructuresyousee
today.
Inthisactivityyouwilllearnaboutthehistoryofcivilengineeringandarchitecture.Youwillsee
differencesbetweenthetwoprofessionsandlearnoftheirbeginnings.
Equipment
HistoryofCivilEngineeringandArchitecturepresentation
Procedure
Inthisactivityyouwillinvestigatethehistoryofcivilengineeringandarchitecture.Youwillsee
differencesbetweenthetwoprofessionsandlearnoftheirbeginnings.
1. Definecivilengineering.
Youmakeconstructionstofillpublicneed,focusedonfunctionoveraesthetics.
2. Definearchitecture.
Constructionmadeformoney,focusedonaestheticsoverfunctionality
3. Describetheoriginationoftheconceptofarchitecture?
Itwasoriginallycreatedtomaketoolstogetfoodandinearlycavedesign.
4.Inancienttimeshowwerebuildingmaterialschosen?
Theywerechosenbysolidityandabundance
5.Givetwoexamplesofvernaculararchitecture.
Farmsusingwoodtomakebarns
Romeusingtherocksthatsurroundedthem
6. Nameanddescribethetypeofsystemusedtocreatemanyearlybuildings.
Thepantheon,usedadomesysteminitscreation
7. WhatwasthepurposeoftheEgyptianpyramids?Mexicanpyramids?
Mexicanpyramidswereforastronomicalworkandrippingpeoplesheartsoutinreligious
ceremonies.Egyptianpyramidsweremadetohousethepharaohs.
8. WhatkindofconstructionmethodwasusedtobuildtheParthenon?Madeasimple
sketchtoillustrate.
Postandlintelconstruction
9. Whatprobleminarchitectureledtothisformofconstruction?
Manypeoplewonderedhowcandoorandwindowopeningsbeprovidedinbearingwalls
withoutsacrificingsupport.
10.Explainhowanarchiscreated.
Abunchofvoussoirheldtogetherbyakeystone
11.Howisthevaultusedincivilengineering?
Bridges,walkways,andotherpassages.
12.Giveanexampleofanarchanddomesystem.
Thepantheon
13.Giveanexampleofamodernmaterialwehavethatwasnotavailabletotheancients.How
didthisrestrictconstructioninancienttimes?
Therewasnotanabubndanceofironthatinhibeteditsuseinconstruction.Becauseofthisthey
couldnotbuildtallandlightstructures.Thisgaveaverylowhightlimitforbuildingsinthose
times.
14.WhatwasthepurposeoftheRomanaqueducts?
Totransportwatertothecityofrome
15.CompareancientGreekroadstoancientRomanroads.
Whilegreekroadswhererutsintheground,Romanroadswereelaboratestoneconstructions.
16.DescribeanancientRomanbridge.
Theywerebuiltwitharchesmadeofstoneandconcrete
17.HowdidbuildingmaterialsandmethodschangeaftertheRomans?
AlthoughconstructiondidnotchangeforalongtimeafterthefalloftheRomanEmpire,during
the1800s,ironcametoreplacestoneasalighteralternative.
Conclusion
1. Giveanexampleofamodernpyramidnotshowninthepresentation.Howdoesits
functiondifferfromthatoftheEgyptianpyramids?Whatdoyouthinkaccountsforthis
difference?Pyramidsinmoderndayarebuiltforasteticsratherthanworshipofthegods.
2. Giveanexampleofamodernstructurethatusesanarchanddomesystem.
Thehouseofrepresentativeshasalargedomeontopandarchessurroundingtheoutsides
3. Whatisthemainpurposeofmodernroads?Howisthecostofmodernroadways
defrayed?Byfocusingondesignratherthanaesthetics.