Technological Advances In Large-Scale Roman Concrete Buildings During The 2nd And 1st Centuries Bc

Abstract

How were the Romans able to build monuments which are still standing after 2,000 years? Skills to achieve this were clearly not developed overnight. A multidisciplinary team from the University of Melbourne has identified the 1st century BC as a time of tremendous technological change in Roman architecture. Was it that the Romans used a technologically advanced type of concerete? Was it that they had perfected the structural design of vaults and domes? Was it simply their organisational ability or the enormous wealth which flowed from their vast Empire? A team of experienced archaeologists,architects and engineers seeks to answer these questions by survey and material analysis of a number of..