CIVIL ENGINEERING IN ANCIENT GREECE

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CIVIL ENGINEERING IN ANCIENT GREECE T.P. Tassios

Transcript of CIVIL ENGINEERING IN ANCIENT GREECE

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CIVIL ENGINEERING

IN ANCIENTGREECE

T.P. Tassios

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• The Greeks-technomaniacs:

– Gods-Engineers (Hēphaistos)

– Salvation of Humankind, thanks to the godly donation of «Έντεχνος Σοφία»(Technicl Knowledge)

– From the Mycēnian large land-reclamation works up to the first Analog Computer (the Antikythēra Mechanism)

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Civil Engineering: The oldest Profession,

after hunting.

After the abandonment of caves, humans had:

– to invent artificial shelters

– to defend themselves against waters

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Civil Engineering in Ancient Greece

I. Technology of Buildings

II. Bridges by Greek Engineers

III. Geotechnical Engineering

IV. Harbour Engineering

V. Water Technology

VI. Design and Construction

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I. TECHNOLOGY of BUILDINGS

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BINDERS and MORTARS

a. Clay mortar (Fig. 1, Fig. 2)

b. Plaster (gypsum) [Theophrastos]

c. Lime (and mixed w. ceramic fragments)

d. Pozzuolanas [5th c.BCE, Zea, Hephaesteion,

Dikaiarchia]

e. Metallic binders (Fig. 3)

+ Fig. 4

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Fig.1. The West-House at Akrotēri, Thēra, [Palyvou, archives of the Akrotiri excavations]

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Fig.3. Large water-tight cistern at Lavrion, [Konophagos]

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Fig.4. Chemical composition of various ancient mortars, [Author]

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CONCRETE

• Lime-concrete floors, 1500 BCE (Fig. 5)

• Hellenistic villas at Rhodes (Fig. 6)

• Krēnē of Theagenēs, Megara (6th c. BCE), (Fig. 7)

• Water-tank of Kameiros (4th c. BCE) Strength 13,0 MPa, (Fig. 9)

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Fig.6. Rhodos: Thick, strong concrete pavement in a private villa, [Author]Micro-concrete strong covering of the walls of the Theagenēs Krēnē, Megara, [Author]

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Fig.9. The concrete-covered water-tank of Kameiros, Rhodos, (4th c. BCE), [Author]

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BRICKS

a) Mud-bricks

• Akrotēri, 3-floor building

• Fortifications, (Fig. 11)

b) Baked bricks

• Inventors Euryalos + Hyperbios

• Brick kilns (fig. 12)

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Fig.11. Mud-bricks were also used in building the fortification walls of Athens, (Orlandos)

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TIMBER

• Theophrastos: Wood categories, properties, origins, manufacturing

• Roofs, (Fig. 14a)

• Masonry reinforcement, (Fig. 15)

• Aseismic hybrid system, Akrotēri (Fig. 17)

• Arsenal (Piraeus, 4th c. BCE), (Fig. 21)

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Fig.15. Spread timber reinforcement of rubble masonry, Mycenean Thēbes, (Martin)

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Fig.17. Complete timber frames combined with masonry, Acrotēri, (see also Fig. 16), (Palyvou)

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STONES

a) Quarries

– Detailed petrographic terminology

– Ancient technical literature: Theophrastos,

Diodoros, Strabon, Pausanias, Plutarch

– Penteli quarries (Fig. 24)

– Extraction (Fig. 25)

– Transportation (Fig. 26)

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Fig.26. Sliding down of a ready-made building element from the Penteli quarries, (Korres).

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b) Semi-carved and rubble masonry

– Beneficial “isodomon”, (Fig. 28)

– “Polygonial”, against shear sliding, (Fig. 29)

– Construction procedures, (Fig. 30)

– Rubble, (Fig. 31)

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c) Orthogonal stones (dry joints)

(Monumental)

– Systems, (Fig. 32)

– Stone-to-stone connections, (Fig. 35)

– Robust corner connections, (Fig. 33)

– Economical “pseudo-isodomic”, (Fig. 36)

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Fig.32. Completely sculptured orthogonal stones were the basic material of the monumental classical buildings, (Korres)

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Fig.35. Systematic connections of consecutive blocks, and water tightness achieved by means of infused melted lead, (Orlandos)

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d) Columns

– Monolithic, (Fig. 27)

– Drum-columns, (Fig. 37)

– Shear poles, corrosion protected, (Fig. 38)

– Stone beams, (Fig. 39)

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Fig.27. In situ shaped and abandoned columns in the quarries of Karystos, (Kokkorou et al.)

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Fig.37. Cross section of the Tholos of Epidavros, (Martin)

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Fig.38. Column drums connected with iron poles (Penrose, in [5])

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e) Three-leaf masonry

– Cross section, (Fig. 40)

– Stronger version, (Fig. 42)

– Comparative thicknesses, (Fig. 43)

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Fig.43. Comparative thicknesses of walls, (Orlandos)

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f) Apses and Domes

– Pre-Roman true vaults

– Dēmocritos (460-370 BCE) studied the significance of key-stone in apses

– Oiniadae (5th c. BCE), semicircular apse with key-stone, (Fig. 45)

– Assos, fortification gate, keyed apse (beg. 3rd c. BCE), (Fig. 46)

– Oracle of Acheron, 4th c. BCE, (Fig. 46a)

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Fig.46. Vaulted gate of the fortifications of Assos, (Clarke, in [5])

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h) Lifting devices

Coupled pulleys and a windlass, mounted on top of one, two, three or four timber beams

(Fig. 56, 57, 58, 59)

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Fig.58. Triple hoist, (Martin)

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6. METALS

a) Connectors

– Nails

– Cramps or double-te, (Fig. 62)

– Dowels of column drums (Fig. 38)

b) Reinforcements

– Foundations, (Fig. 63)

– Beams, (Fig. 64)

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Fig.62. Double “T” metal connectors, Dēlos and Delphi, (Martin)

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Fig.63. Iron bars reinforcing foundation beams, Delphi, Thēbeans Treasure, (Dinsmoor, in [5])

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Fig.64. Iron bars reinforcing the epistyles of the Propylaea of the Acropolis of Athens, (Orlandos)

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II. BRIDGESby GREEK ENGINEERS

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1. Mycēnean period (~ 13th c. BCE)

Small span stone-bridges

– Lykotroupi, (Fig. 1)

– Kazarma, (Fig. 2)

– Galoussi, (Fig. 3)

(Note the real “key stones” combined to the corbelling system)

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Fig.3. The mycenean bridge at Galoussi; a key-stone is also observed (Bougia, σ.8, εικ.3).

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2. Classical period

• Timber decks

on masonry or timber piers

(almost completely lost today)

• Small shallow stone-passages remain

• Pontoon bridges

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Fig.5. Bridge near Artemis Temple in Vravron (middle 5th cent. BCE), (Karapa, σ.21, εικ.3).

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Fig.9. Close view of the timber piles of the Amphipolis bridge, (Lazarides, p.37, fig.18).

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Chalkis mobile bridges (411 BCE)

– Filling-in the Euripos Straits

– Leaving a narrow navigable passage of 18 attic feet

(Fig. 11)

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• Assos (coastal Asia Minor)

– piers: masonry

– stone beams!

4th c. BCE, (Fig. 12)

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• Eleutherna (Crete)

(400-350 BCE)

– Corbelling

– Daresome 43o inclination

(Fig. 13)

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Pontoon bridge at Dēlos(Nikias, end 5th c. BCE)

– Festal procession to the island

– Avoiding debarkation in confustion

– Building a short pontoon-bridge connecting an islet to the harbour of Dēlos (Fig. 7)

– Prefabricated decks and rigs

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