Download Roman Construction, Chapter VII

Architecture 155
Rome: Economy of Construction
Helpful terms:
Shuttering=old term for concrete formwork, made of wood into which the concrete is poured and then the formwork is
removed.
Purchase=a surface upon which the stucco or mortar can grab onto.
Chapter VII: Economy of Construction
1. How do we know how the Roman builders made their buildings? Where does the evidence come
from?
2. Who did the rough and unskilled work on the construction sites? Provide several sentences of
quotations from Statius.
3. Define the following:
a. Fabri
b. Fabri aerarii
c.
Fabri ferarii
d. Fabri tignarii (tignuarii)
e. Figuli
f.
Marmorarii
g. Pavimentarii
h. Sectores serrarii
i.
Vectuarii
j.
Collegium subrutorum
4. According to the example, out of 170 men what were the ratios of the work force in terms of
aliens, slaves and laborers such as masons and carpenters?
Architecture 155
Rome: Economy of Construction
5. What were piers, walls and vaults made of? Where was brick used? How was wood and stone
used?
6. Discuss metal in roman architecture. Where was it used and what were common metals utilized?
Be sure to discuss spikes, clamps, rods, studs and other devices used in assembly.
7. Why were the brick facings studded with mails and spikes? If this was done would you see the
brick? Draw a cross section of the wall illustrating the layers of assembled materials and the
spikes.
8. Was it important to conserve labor on the job site?
9. What was the role of wood? How was it used for vaults and walls?
10. How do we know the dimensions of roman lumber? After the lower part of the wall was poured,
what was done with the formwork?
11. Define the following:
a. Caesores, quadratarii
b. Politores
c.
Characterarii
Architecture 155
Rome: Economy of Construction
12. How much marble was used for Trajans forum? How much travertine and other materials were
used for the Flavian Amphitheater?
13. Why is aggregate important to concrete? What did the Romans use? How was the aggregate
placed?
14. Discuss the process of creating decorative elements out of terracotta.
15. What were the dimension of a Roman brick or tile before firing for a bipedale and a
sesquipedale?
16. What are the colors of Roman bricks and tile, and where do they come from?
17. What does Vitruvius say about making mortar?
Architecture 155
Rome: Economy of Construction
18. What is the “ultimate synthetic product of Roman experiments with mortars”?
19. What were some of the advantages of concrete construction?
20. Discuss the characteristics of Roman architectural forms using concrete.