2.1ancient Engineering: List of 5 Greatest Feats of Roman Engineering
2.1ancient Engineering: List of 5 Greatest Feats of Roman Engineering
2.1ancient Engineering: List of 5 Greatest Feats of Roman Engineering
2.1Ancient engineering
List of 5 Greatest Feats of Roman Engineering
The Romans have built one of the greatest empires in history. Their success
was a result of multiple factors ranging from military might and unifying socio-
political organization to things such as values and beliefs. But they also owe
much of their success to highly advanced technology and above all,
engineering accomplishments - in terms of both invention and improvement of
the existing solutions. Some of the greatest feats of Roman engineering
include:
Aqueducts
Roman aqueducts supplied water to the cities, public baths, forums and even
private households. Using solely gravity to transport water, most aqueducts
ran underground but in some places, bridge structures were built to maintain
an interrupted flow. Like many other achievements of ancient Rome, the
Roman aqueduct system collapsed with the fall of the (Western) Empire. But
the surviving sections, especially those running above-ground stand as proof of
Roman engineering brilliance to this day. Some of the most spectacular
examples include the Pont du Gard in south France and the Aqueduct of
Segovia in the Spanish city of Segovia.
Roads
To effectively rule over their vast empire, the Romans relied heavily on their
extensive system of roads which provided connection to even the most remote
provinces. In addition to enabling fast movement of the armies and
administration, the Roman road system also played a key role in the Roman
economy, trade and communication. Built to withstand the harshest
environments, some sections of the Roman road system continue to be used
to this day. At the height of its territorial extent, the Roman Empire was
interconnected by over 250,000 miles of roads.
Bridges
The use of the arch made the Roman bridges incredibly strong and durable; so
strong and durable that they remained in use for centuries and in some cases,
for millennia. The Romans were not the first to use the arch in architecture but
they were the first to understand and utilize its advantages in bridge
construction. They built mostly semicircular arch bridges but they also
pioneered the so-called segmental arch bridges. A fine example is the Trajan’s
Bridge over lower Danube at the Iron Gates on the boundary between today’s
Serbia and Romania. But unfortunately, only fragments of mason pillars
survive.
Domes
Just like the arch, the dome has been around long before the rise of ancient
Rome. But again, it was the Romans who successfully introduced the dome in
architecture. The most famous and the most spectacular is without a doubt the
massive dome of the Pantheon in Rome but the Romans also used this
architectural element in other buildings including temples, baths, palaces, villas
and mausoleums. Many Roman domes featured a central opening or the
oculus to provide ventilation and light.
Concrete
If there weren’t for Roman concrete or opus caementicium as the Romans
called it, many of the above mentioned feats of Roman engineering would not
be possible. The unique mixture used by the Romans to make the opus
caementicium enabled them to build all sorts of structures in terms of both
shape and dimension. But it also enabled them to build structures that can
withstand the test of time. Thanks to the exceptional quality of the Roman
concrete, we can still admire architectural masterpieces such as the Pantheon
and Colosseum.
The Eram Garden in Shiraz is an 18th-century building and a legacy of the Zand Dynasty.
Overall, the traditional architecture of the Iranian lands throughout the ages
can be categorized into the six following classes or styles("sabk"):
Zoroastrian:
The Parsian style (up until the third century BCE) including:
Pre-Parsian style (up until the eighth century BCE) e.g. Chogha
Zanbil,
Median style (from the eighth to the sixth century BCE),
The Azari style (from the late 13th century to the appearance of the
Safavid Dynasty in the 16th century), e.g. Soltaniyeh, Arg-i
Alishah, Jameh Mosque of Varamin,Goharshad Mosque, Bibi Khanum
mosque in Samarqand, tomb of Abdas-Samad, Gur-e Amir, Jameh
mosque of Yazd
The Isfahani style spanning through the Safavid, Afsharid, Zand,
and Qajarid dynasties starting from the 16th century onward,
e.g. Chehelsotoon, Ali Qapu, Agha Bozorg Mosque, Kashan, Shah
Mosque, Sheikh Lotf Allah Mosque in Naqsh-i Jahan Square.
Materials
The columned porch, or talar, seen in the rock-cut tombs near Persepolis,
reappear in Sassanid temples, and in late Islamic times it was used as the
portico of a palace or mosque, and adapted even to the architecture of
roadside tea-houses. Similarly, the gonbad on four arches, so characteristic of
Sassanid times, is a still to be found in many cemeteries
and Imamzadehs across Iran today. The notion of earthly towers reaching up
toward the sky to mingle with the divine towers of heaven lasted into the 19th
century, while the interior court and pool, the angled entrance and extensive
decoration are ancient, but still common, features of Iranian architecture.
The Indus Valley Civilization (IVC) was a Bronze Age civilization (3300–1700 BC;
mature period 2600–1900 BC) that was located in the northwestern region of
the Indian subcontinent, consisting of what is now mainly modern-day Pakistan
and northwest India.
The Indus Valley is one of the world's earliest urban civilizations, along with its
contemporaries, Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. noted for its cities built of
brick, roadside drainage system, and multistoried houses. The baths and toilets
system the cities had is acknowledged as one of the most advanced in the
ancient world.
The mature phase of this civilization is called the Harappan Civilization, as the
first of its cities to be unearthed was located at Harappa, excavated in the
1920s in what was at the time the Punjab province of British India (now in
Pakistan). Excavation of Harappan sites have been ongoing since 1920, with
important breakthroughs occurring as recently as 1999. To date, over 1,052
cities and settlements have been found, mainly in the general region of the
Ghaggar-Hakra river and its tributaries. Among the settlements were the major
urban centres of Harappa, Lothal, Mohenjo-daro (UNESCO World Heritage
Site), Dholavira, Kalibanga, and Rakhigarhi.
The Great Stupa at Sanchi (4th–1st century BC). The dome shaped stupa was used in India as a
commemorative monument associated with storing sacred relics.
Mughal tombs of sandstone and marble show Persian influence. The Red
Fort at Agra (1565–74) and the walled city of Fatehpur Sikri (1569–74) are
among the architectural achievements of this time—as is the Taj Mahal, built
as a tomb for Queen Mumtaz Mahal by Shah Jahan (1628–58).[ Employing the
double dome, the recessed archway, white marble and parks while stressing
on symmetry and detail was visible during the reign of Shah Jahan. Quranic
verses were described on the walls of the buildings. The Taj Mahal does
contain tilework of plant ornamentsThearchitecture during the Mughal Period,
with its rulers being of Turco-Mongol origin, has shown a notable blend of
Indian style combined with the Islamic.
Taj Mahal in Agra, India is one of the wonders of the world. Taj Mahal is a
symbol of love for some, and barbaric brutality to others due to the treatment
meted out to the artisans who built it.
3.CIVIL ENGG. EDUCATION & CAREER
Engineering courses are available at two levels. There are the degree
and postgraduate degree courses offered by the engineering colleges
and Institutes of Technology (IITs), and, the diploma courses available at
polytechnics. There is also the Associate Membership Examination of the
Institute of Engineers (AMIE), which enables working people in the
private and public sector, or diploma holders to acquire a Bachelor's
engineering degree through distance education. IIT Chennai and
Institute Of Post Graduate Studies And Research, Hyderabad give s MS
courses in civil Engineering, through distance education, the basic
qualification of which is BE/ B tech in engineering.
CAREER
You have many options once you complete civil engineering in India can place
you in a better position.
1. GATE :
3. PSU : If you are technically strong, you can apply for PSU's. Nowadays they
are mainly dependent on GATE score. So, prepare hard for GATE.
5. Jobs @ Construction giants like L & T, Tata Projects, SPCL, HCC etc. : Attend
their interviews. Go to their respective websites, search for CAREERS option,
speak to HR persons or mail them your resume.
If you wish to shift to management after Civil engineering, You can as well give
a thought on Construction Management/Project Management programmes
offered all over India.
You get a white collar job with a decent pay after completion of these
programmes.
Some colleges are listed below where you can pursue Construction/Project
Management.
Construction Technology and Management course -IIT Delhi gives more weight
on Technical Aspects of Construction.
Programmes offered from Pune, Hyderabad, Goa and Indore. Visit their
website for more details.
Page on nicmar.ac.in
south Africa
Americas[edit]
Canada[edit]
USA
India
United Kingdom[edit]
In the United Kingdom, the Engineering Council is the regulatory body for the
engineering profession. The Engineering Council was incorporated by Royal
Charter in 1981 and controls the award of Chartered Engineer, Incorporated
Engineer, Engineering Technician and Information and Communications
Technology Technician titles, through licences issued to thirty six recognised
Institutions. There are also 19 Professional Affiliate Institutions, not licensed,
but with close associations to the Engineering Council.
The Royal Academy of Engineering is the national academy for engineering,
analogous to the Royal Society in science and the British Academy in arts and
humanities.