Concrete.TV presents the second in a series of some of mankind’s greatest engineering achievements, this time focusing on Ancient Monuments.
2.3 million stone blocks were needed to complete Egypt’s famous Great Pyramid of Giza in 2504 BC. Until this day experts have never worked out how the individual blocks consisting of a total of 5.5 million tons of limestone, 8,000 tons of granite and 500,000 tons of mortar, were moved into place.
The Great Wall of China was constructed over a period of 2,000 years and completed in its final form in the year 204 BC. Mortar made from rice flour was used to build this 8,850 kilometers long frontier which was supposed to protect China from invading Huns.
In the pre-Columbian Americas, Teotihuacan in Mexico was the largest city, originally covering an area of about 20 square kilometres. Around the year 100 BC, 2,200 structures were built with stone and lime plaster. One of them is the famous Pyramid of the Sun, the third-tallest pyramid in the world with a height of 224 meters.
The Aqueduct of Segovia in Spain was completed Anno Domini 50. It consists of 24,000 granite blocks which were constructed without the use of mortar. Each of its 167 arches is more than nine meters high and still carries water from the Frío river to the town of Segovia.
In the year 80 AD, the largest amphitheater built by the Roman empire, was finally completed. The outer wall of the Colosseum in Rome, Italy is 189 meters long and 156 meters wide. The original was supposedly built using 100,000 cubic meters of travertine stone and could accommodate 50,000 excited spectators.
CNN Travel
25 of mankind’s greatest engineering achievements
By Tamara Hinson, for CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/04/travel/engineering-feats/
This could also interest you:
Mankind’s greatest engineering achievements: Bridges
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQJFqoBL2so
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www.Concrete.TV – produced by Anna Sacco, with permission from CNN Travel (25 of mankind’s greatest engineering achievements. By Tamara Hinson, for CNN
http://edition.cnn.com/2013/07/04/travel/engineering-feats/
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[Mankind’s greatest engineering achievements: Ancient Monuments [construction]]
[http://youtu.be/HXjMdQExBHc]
