Activity1.1.

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.