Civil Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
it appears more “probable” an alternative to installing cranes in elevated, coni ned
and insecure positions. In addition to the above arrangements, without doubt
there were some
dikōlos
cranes on the site—maids of all work performing various
tasks. Also it is likely that on occasion a two legger crane was used in conjunc-
tion with standing
tetrakōlos
units as recorded for heavy construction work at the
Didymaion (v
supra
, p. 81).
h e subject of the works organisation and installations at the Colosseum is so
extensive and involved that cursory observations are derisory. h e structural form
of an amphitheatre imposes dii culties. In section it is triangular, a sheer wall face
on one side and “rooi ng” inclined at 30° to the horizontal on the other. h e colos-
sal size of the Flavian amphitheatre augments the dii culties. All told it is likely
that the structure was built up in horizontal stages, l oor by l oor, corresponding
to the vertical divisions in the seating (the
maeniana
)—as would be expected. It is
doubtful that the heavy ashlar walling was all constructed by use of the two legger
cranes. It seems likely that a very great amount of standing scaf olding was used
for a combination of purposes. To what degree the circulation arrangements of
the structure itself could have been used for access of materials is a basic question
dii cult to answer. Probably the materials for concreting were carried or wheeled
up the ramped pasageways wherever possible.
At all events the Colosseum works organisation was a major achievement of
ancient building (perhaps to be compared with the Great Pyramid). It can only
be dealt with at length, in a monograph by an experienced building construction
engineer.
h e Col-
osseum
3.
h e Pantheon ca 125 AD
In some ways the Pantheon forms an excellent counterpart to the Colosseum in
considering site development and works organisation. h e Colosseum in structure
and in the incorporated building construction is traditional—ashlar piers and round
headed arches, concrete walls and (barrel) vaults of restricted span, rooi ng, cor-
ridors and stairways. However the organisation of the works to build very rapidly
intricately designed interpenetrating units coni ned in breadth and ascending to a
great height is a wonder. h e Pantheon on the other hand has a simple spacious
plan favorable to building work, but its form and incorporated construction are
very advanced—a concrete rotunda with one of the widest span domes ever built
(cf R. Taylor, pp. 191-211; L.C. Lancaster,
Concrete Vaulted Construction in Impe-
rial Rome,
pass
). It is not the building procedure that is of principal interest here
but rather the forms and nature of the construction. Accordingly the following
remarks are brief and the subject will be discussed subsequently in more detail in
the chapter on Concrete Construction.
