Australian Politics Forum - How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ?

Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 40693 Gender:	How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:31am I have been pondering this question for weeks. Can someone post a pic of it here please ? How did they construct huge stone arches that are 50M above ground level? Over 2000 years ago. Each stone block would weigh a few ton. Pretend you have elephants, horses, many slaves, ropes, pulleys, stands, tripods. Good luck.
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John Smith Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 74220 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #1 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:33am
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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #2 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:35am It would have all been done before sprint. Engineering was already well developed in antiquity before the Romans even got there.
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John Smith

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Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ?
Reply #3 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:37am

It was constructed entirely without the use of mortar. The aqueduct's stones – some of which weigh up to 6 tons – were precisely cut to fit perfectly together eliminating the need for mortar. The masonry was lifted into place by block and tackle with a massive human-powered treadmill providing the power for the winch. A complex scaffold was erected to support the aqueduct as it was being built. The face of the aqueduct still bears the mark of its construction, in the form of protruding scaffolding supports and ridges on the piers which supported the semicircular wooden frames on which the arches were constructed. It is believed to have taken about three years to build, employing between 800 and 1,000 workers.

https://www.ancient.eu/image/125/

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John Smith

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Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ?
Reply #4 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:38am

bogarde73 wrote on Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:35am:

It would have all been done before sprint. Engineering was already well developed in antiquity before the Romans even got there.

The Pont du Gard is an aqueduct in the South of France constructed by the Roman Empire, and located in Vers-Pont-du-Gard near Remoulins, in the Gard département.

It has long been thought that the Pont du Gard was built by Augustus' son-in-law and aide, Marcus Vipsanius Agrippa, around the year 19 BC. Newer excavations, however, suggest the construction may have taken place in the middle of the first century A.D, consequently, opinion is now somewhat divided on the matter.

the same site I already provided a link from

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bogarde73 Gold Member Offline Anti-Global & Contra Mundum Posts: 18443 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #5 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:43am I didn't mean that bridge was built before, I meant the knowledge was there.
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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 40693 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #6 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:44am Thanks. So the complex scaffold made to build it was larger than the Pont itself ? I can see a human powered treadmill to lift a block. How did they hold most of the blocks of an archway in place till the final one is perfectly in position?
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Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ?
Reply #7 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:47am

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:44am:

Thanks.

So the complex scaffold made to build it was larger than the Pont itself ?

I can see a human powered treadmill to lift a block.
How did they hold most of the blocks of an archway in place till the final one is perfectly in position?

I understand that they use timber scaffolding to temporarily brace it. Once the cap stone is in place it locks everything together and the bracing can be removed. Similar to what bricklayers do today but on a much larger scale.

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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 40693 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #8 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:50am That is one BIG human powered treadmill. Must have used leverage. Have the slaves walking onthe inside, turning a shaft. The rope is fixed on a smaller diameter wheel on the shaft. What sort of rope can lift 4 ton of rock ?
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Sprintcyclist Gold Member Offline OzPolitic Posts: 40693 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #9 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:52am That is one BIG human powered treadmill. Must have used leverage. Have the slaves walking onthe inside, turning a shaft. The rope is fixed on a smaller diameter wheel on the shaft. What sort of rope can lift 4 ton of rock ?
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Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ?
Reply #10 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:54am

John Smith wrote on Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:47am:

Sprintcyclist wrote on Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:44am:

Thanks.

So the complex scaffold made to build it was larger than the Pont itself ?

I can see a human powered treadmill to lift a block.
How did they hold most of the blocks of an archway in place till the final one is perfectly in position?

I understand that they use timber scaffolding to temporarily brace it. Once the cap stone is in place it locks everything together and the bracing can be removed. Similar to what bricklayers do today but on a much larger scale.

I thinking that too.
It is a LOT of weight up a long way.

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Brian Ross Gold Member Offline Representative of me Posts: 40863	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #11 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 6:33pm
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John Smith Gold Member Online Australian Politics Posts: 74220 Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #12 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 6:57pm cool. Interesting diagrams . Thanks Brian.
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freediver Gold Member Offline www.ozpolitic.com Posts: 48833 At my desk.	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #13 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:51pm Their level of wealth was not surpassed until well into the industrial revolution. You can see a spike in certain gasses contained in ice cores that was caused by Roman mining.
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Gordon Gold Member Offline Australian Politics Posts: 20483 Gordon Gender:	Re: How did the Romans build The Pont de Gard ? Reply #14 - Oct 17^th, 2017 at 9:56pm I once listened to a ranger in an Australian National Park tell me aboriginal water management rivaled the Romans. Ohh maw gawd!
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