How Ancient Builders Selected Their Materials?

The history of construction traces the evolution of building tools, methods, techniques, and systems used in the field of construction. It covers several fields including structural engineering, civil engineering, and the use of essential ancient construction materials such as stone, mud, wood, and metal. Some ancient construction materials have lasted thousands of years of weathering and use, yet structures still stand today.

Brick and concrete were used when speed and repeatability of construction were critical. Stone is the most common and logically used material at a basic level. This chapter focuses on the materials and techniques of architecture in ancient Greece and ancient Rome, beginning with considering the sources of evidence on the impact of ancient cultures on modern life.

In ancient times, building materials were chosen based on availability, as it was difficult to move building materials over land. Ancient peoples used wood, grass, dirt, and nearby stones to build most of their structures. Stones like granite, limestone, and sandstone were commonly employed to build structures such as pyramids, temples, and fortifications.

Ancient civilizations grew, and stone and brick were chosen for various applications based on their properties and availability. As civilizations grew, stone and brick became more common, and they were chosen for various applications based on their abundance and ease of use.

In conclusion, the history of construction demonstrates the evolution of human civilizations, from prehistoric to modern eras, and the importance of selecting building materials based on their availability, durability, and function.

Why did we stop building with stone?

Stone constructions have been known in Central Europe since the Early Iron Age, but they were primarily used for city walls due to their limited availability. A central power, specialized workers, a transportation network, and a stable food supply were required for the coordination of different working stages. Only in well-organized cultures like Rome or Babylon could stone buildings be built on a larger scale. In prehistoric times, people had to work on their farmsteads, which limited their time, organization, and money to gather workers and materials.

Wood, on the other hand, was available almost everywhere and at any time. Wood has the advantage of growing again when cut down and is easier to work with than stone, making building a wooden house easier, faster, and cheaper. In well-organized cultures like Rome or Babylon, the administrative structure reached a level that allowed for a wider basis of stone construction. In contrast, wood has the advantage of growing again and being easier to work with, making it simpler, faster, and cheaper to build a house from wood.

How are building materials chosen?

In the construction industry, architects, engineers, and project owners are responsible for selecting appropriate materials for building projects. They consider a range of factors, including design, structural requirements, compliance with building codes, sustainability, cost, and client preferences.

Where did the Romans get their building materials?

Roman builders employed a variety of stone types for their durability, strength, and aesthetic appeal. These stones were gathered locally and quarried depending on availability, serving as a fundamental construction material for the Roman Empire.

Who chooses building materials?

Architects and specifiers choose materials for construction projects through a meticulous process that considers various factors to ensure they meet the project’s aesthetic, functional, and structural requirements. This process begins with understanding the project’s specific needs, goals, and constraints, such as the building’s purpose, location, and client’s vision and budget. Architects consider the visual impact of materials, such as color, texture, finish, and overall style, to align with the desired architectural design.

Durability and performance are crucial, considering resistance to weather, wear, and tear. Sustainability and environmental impact are also important, considering energy efficiency, recyclability, and sourcing of materials. Cost and budget constraints are a significant factor, balancing cost with quality while ensuring the project’s integrity. Building codes and regulations must be followed, and technical specifications and performance data are relying on to ensure materials perform as required.

Supplier and manufacturer reputation is also considered to ensure quality and consistency in the materials supplied. Maintenance and lifecycle costs are evaluated, including the cost of repairs, replacements, and upkeep over time. Innovation and technology are explored to find innovative solutions that enhance the project’s value and functionality. Client preferences and feedback are also taken into account.

Architects often review samples or create mock-ups before finalizing materials to better understand their appearance and performance in the project. By carefully considering these factors, architects and specifiers can select materials that not only meet the project’s requirements but also contribute to the creation of functional, sustainable, and aesthetically pleasing architectural designs.

What is the oldest known building material?

Timber construction has a long history dating back to the Stone Age, with the earliest signs of woodworking by human hands dating back around 1. 5 million years. The first known uses of timber were for tools like handaxes, which helped humans become better hunters in harsh environments. As the abundance of timber increased, it became key to human survival and development, providing easy-to-workable building materials for shelters and food. Ancient civilizations like the Egyptians, Greeks, and Romans used timber for various purposes, including home construction and larger buildings.

The timber used was not always locally sourced, as evidenced by a 2, 000-year-old Roman villa with 24 Oak timber planks from France. This long journey for high-quality timber paid off for thousands of years of use.

How are materials selected?

Material selection is crucial in product design and development, requiring materials that meet efficiency, performance, reliability, non-degradability, and recyclability. ScienceDirect uses cookies and cookies are used by the site. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B. V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies. Creative Commons licensing terms apply for open access content.

How did the Romans build such tall buildings?

Ancient Roman architecture, which adopted the external language of classical ancient Greek architecture, was a new architectural style that flourished in the Roman Republic and to an even greater extent under the Empire. It used new materials, particularly Roman concrete, and technologies such as the arch and dome to create strong and well-engineered buildings. Roman architecture covers the period from the establishment of the Roman Republic in 509 BC to about the 4th century AD, after which it becomes reclassified as Late Antique or Byzantine architecture. Roman architectural style continued to influence building in the former empire for many centuries, with the style used in Western Europe beginning around 1000 called Romanesque architecture.

The Romans only began to achieve significant originality in architecture around the beginning of the Imperial period, after combining aspects of their originally Etruscan architecture with others taken from Greece, including most elements of the style we now call classical architecture. They moved from trabeated construction based on columns and lintels to one based on massive walls, punctuated by arches and later domes, both of which greatly developed under the Romans. Stylistic developments included the Tuscan and Composite orders, which were shortened, simplified variants of the Doric order and tall orders with floral decoration and scrolls.

How were buildings built in ancient times?

Pre-historic men used various materials for tools, including bone, ivory, antler, hide, stone, wood, grass, metals, and animal fibers. They used tools for cutting, scraping, pounding, piercing, rolling, pulling, and levering. Building materials included bones, hide, stone, metal, bark, bamboo, and animal dung. Bricks and lime plaster were also used as building materials. Mud bricks and clay mortar, dated to 9000 BC, were found in Jericho.

Despite the absence of metal tools, it was possible to build elaborate stone structures using dry stone walling techniques. Skara Brae in Scotland, Europe’s most complete Neolithic village, is an example of a settlement built using T-shaped limestone pillars carved out using flint points and other rock-cut architecture methods. The corbelled roof of Newgrange (c. 3, 200 BC) shows that corbel archs were used since the neolithic age.

One of the largest structures of this period was the Neolithic long house, a long, narrow timber dwelling built by the first farmers in Europe as early as 5000 to 6000 BC. However, only the very lowest parts of the walls and post holes are unearthed in archaeological excavations, making reconstruction of the upper parts of these buildings largely conjectural.

What is the formula for Roman concrete?

Vitruvius, in his Ten Books on Architecture, recommended the use of pozzolana, a volcanic sand from the Pozzuoli beds, for the preparation of lime mortars. He specified a ratio of 1 part lime to 3 parts pozzolana for building mortar and a 1:2 ratio for underwater work. The Romans first used hydraulic concrete in coastal underwater structures, likely in the harbors around Baiae before the end of the 2nd century BC. The harbor of Caesarea was an example of large-scale underwater Roman concrete technology, importing large quantities of pozzolana from Puteoli.

After a 64 AD fire, Nero’s new building code called for brick-faced concrete, which encouraged the development of the brick and concrete industries. Roman concrete consists of an aggregate and hydraulic mortar, a binder mixed with water that hardens over time. The aggregate composition varied, including rock, ceramic tile, lime clasts, and brick rubble from demolished buildings.

How were ancient building materials chosen?

In the past, the materials used for construction were limited to those that were readily available and could be transported overland with minimal difficulty. Wood, grass, dirt, and nearby stones were among the most commonly used building materials due to their abundance and ease of transport.

What materials were used in ancient buildings?

Historical buildings are typically built with pressure principles and masonry structures, consisting of bearing walls, columns, buttresses, vaults, and domes. These structures are made of natural stone, cut stone, rubble stone brick, brick-dust, and mortar with binding features. Over time, problems have occurred in these materials and structures, necessitating the use of various applications for building repair and strengthening. This study examined the restoration of historic buildings and the control of the adequacy of bearing systems as a crucial part of the structure.

A static analysis of the Edirne-Merkez Demirtaş mosque in Edirne was conducted to test the structure’s stability. The structure was modelled using the finite element model of the sap2000 package program, and the forces generated under various loads and stresses were investigated. The maximum compressive stress at the construction was calculated to be 1. 1 MPa. This article is open access and distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License 4. 0.