Questions tagged [construction]
Questions regarding the history of constructing any type of installations or infrastructure.
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How did medieval architects determine sizes and numbers of pillars, buttresses etc?
While looking at some magnificent gothic cathedrals, I began to wonder how these buildings were designed. (I hope that this site it the right place to ask, rather than the engineering one?)
For ...
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Is there evidence of a pagan temple on the site of the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem that predated the Jewish Temple?
Is there any evidence of a pagan temple having preceded Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem on that same site? I have seen this argument made, but I wanted to know more about the reasons behind this ...
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When did swamp/wetland conversion first begin, and what were the early methods for doing so?
I have been trying to do some research into the early history of humans using wetlands, but haven't had much luck. As I understand it so far, there are a number of methods of "wetland conversion&...
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When a wattle-and-daub construction was demolished, how did they recycle or dispose of the materials?
In the medieval age, when a wattle-and-daub building had to be demolished, did they recycle the materials? Especially the logs of the frames, these seem to be prime targets for reuse.
This article ...
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What are some examples that show medieval stone construction on top of older foundations?
Are there any more blatant examples that show new construction or repairs on older construction? Buildings like castles or walls With visible differences between the two construction eras? For example ...
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What is the purpose of the iron structures seen on the sides of many WW2 flak towers?
I was researching World War 2 flak towers, and was unable to find the purpose of these iron(?) structures seen underneath the main walkway of many flak towers.
My first thought was that it would ...
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Why was 6 WTC not included in the plans to rebuild the World Trade Center?
In reading the Wikipedia article about the new World Trade Center, 6 WTC is conspicuously absent. It doesn't show up in the navigation sidebar:
And there's no mention of it in the list of planned or ...
user53175
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Along side Roman roads, where did the drainage ditches lead? [closed]
Reading about how Roman roads were built, it seems they built drainage ditches on both sides. I've found various sites talking about this, such as this one.
This leads to a question that will sound ...
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When during their construction did Bible-era Jewish temples become "holy"?
As is well documented in the Bible and elsewhere, in Bible times, the innermost area of a temple (often referred to as the Holy of Holies) was only permitted to be occupied by the head priest, and ...
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Do we know how much the Aurelian Wall would have cost to build?
I've been reading about the Aurelian Wall and it's very fascinating, though I wonder how much, in denarii, sestercii, or other, it would have cost the Romans. Is there any way we could possibly ...
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Why didn't pre-Norman English kings build stone town walls?
This question is about defensive city walls, not longer walls such as the Great Wall of China or Hadrian's wall.
After the Norman conquest, many defensive city walls were built by Norman kings in ...
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Are there examples of African/European/American hunter-gatherer's constructions?
Often people think about hunter-gatherers as primitives. "Dark Emu" book is a great example of popular history book that refutes those beliefs. Aboriginal constructions could be quite ...
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What was the purpose of rounded sills in Medieval castles?
At the Saranta Kolones Castle, or Forty Columns Castle, in Paphos, Cyprus, there are several door (gate?) sills which are rounded in the direction of travel, i.e. the edges of the sill that are ...
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What specific Medieval Rus waterway engineering examples are there?
I've been investigating a statement (cited below) made in Nicolle's 'Lake Peipus 1242' which describes waterway engineering by Medieval Russian princes but doesn't bring any specific examples. Which ...
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Are there other examples of naval bases being deliberately situated in shallow-water harbours post-1801?
The generic tendency in naval history has been that deeper ports are better as they allow larger ships to dock at the port. The importance of deeper water ports increased rapidly in the 19th century ...
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How was the first carpenter's square made?
A "square" is a tool, typically L or triangle shaped, that gives a craftsperson a quick and accurate 90° angle to use as a baseline in many important trades.
It's easy to find a right angle if you ...
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Why did the UK use hewn stone cubes for homes far more often than France?
Why did the UK use hewn stone cubes (ashlar masonry) for homes far more often than France in the previous centuries?
It would be rare to find this kind of rustic stone (rubble masonry ) in the UK, ...
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How long would it take to build 30 miles of Roman road?
Say there's a route of 30 miles length in need of a road. Assume ready availability of stone and lime and possibly other materials. Some gentle slopes, no particularly adverse terrain or flora/fauna.
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Why does Japan use the same type of AC power outlet as the US?
Does it have something to do with the US taking part in aiding reconstruction of the country after WWII? I've tried googling around for an answer, but every site I find simply states the outlet style, ...
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Why are most of the world's oldest buildings in Europe and not in the Fertile Crescent?
Looking at the list of the world's ten oldest surviving human constructed buildings, many are in Europe while the oldest building in what (with a generous interpretation of the concept) could be ...
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What are good predictors of the construction year of residential buildings? [closed]
I follow a suggestion from a question on meta stackexchange to ask about actual, physical architecture here. I hope that is acceptable.
I am interested in the information and features which a ...
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Is a wheel older than a wall?
I caught a snippet from the president’s remarks. He was talking about the wheel and how it is older than the wall.
Is there historical fact to back such a statement? Or the other way around?
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When did *wooden* 'nails' (pegs) for clay roof tiles go out of fashion?
Judging by Google searches, wooden 'nails' for fixing roof tiles are definitely a thing of the past. However almost all the searches I have attempted (in an area I don't know my way around) have only ...
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Did New York skyscrapers construction workers take any industrial action over safety concerns?
This video talks about the construction of New York's skyscrapers such as the Chrysler Building and Empire State by the 'roughnecks', a specialized set of construction workers who worked high in the ...
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What is the oldest road tunnel in the world?
At the Furlo Pass in the Apennines, the Via Flaminia passes through a tunnel built in 76 - 77 AD during the time of Emperor Vespasian, replacing an earlier tunnel.
The tunnel built during the time of ...
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Did the Romans use any other materials to reinforce their concrete?
I have been reading about Roman concrete (300BC-300AD) and how it has greater strength than current concrete mixtures. So far, my research has shown that they did not use re-bar in their structures. ...
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How many people were needed to build a country house?
After visiting the Wimpole Estate in England, I'm wondering how many people would have been needed to make such a project viable.
The country house on the site today started construction in 1640, ...
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What was a cistern to the Babylonians?
I am working with Babylonian math and some word problems mention an object called a cistern. I looked this up and it seems it can be any tank of water. Some are cylindrical, others rectangular, and ...
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Did anyone ever try to beat the Great Wall of China by digging secret tunnels under it?
I know the Great Wall was useful to defend against enemies on land, but is there any record that people ever tried to beat the Great Wall by digging tunnels under it? If not, why didn't it happen?
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Why are so many metros underground? Isn't that more expensive than an elevated system?
Starting with the London Underground in 1863, why are so many metros/subways built underground (as opposed to en elevated metro)? This requires a lot of digging and excavation, which to me seems a lot ...
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