Aqueduct (bridge)

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Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 40-60 CE. It is one of France's top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site. Pont du Gard BLS.jpg
Pont du Gard, France, a Roman aqueduct built circa 40–60 CE. It is one of France's top tourist attractions and a World Heritage Site.
Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, Italy, built by Luigi Vanvitelli. It is a World Heritage Site. Vanvitelli aqueduct.jpg
Aqueduct of Vanvitelli, Italy, built by Luigi Vanvitelli. It is a World Heritage Site.

Aqueducts are bridges constructed to convey watercourses across gaps such as valleys or ravines. The term aqueduct may also be used to refer to the entire watercourse, as well as the bridge. [1] Large navigable aqueducts are used as transport links for boats or ships. Aqueducts must span a crossing at the same level as the watercourses on each end. The word is derived from the Latin aqua ("water") and ducere ("to lead"), [2] therefore meaning "to lead water". A modern version of an aqueduct is a pipeline bridge. They may take the form of tunnels, networks of surface channels and canals, covered clay pipes or monumental bridges.

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Ancient bridges for water

Mathur Aqueduct, India Mathur Hanging Trough Bridge.JPG
Mathur Aqueduct, India

Although particularly associated with the Romans, aqueducts were likely first used by the Minoans around 2000 BCE. The Minoans had developed what was then an extremely advanced irrigation system, including several aqueducts. [3]

In the seventh century BCE, the Assyrians built an 80 km long limestone aqueduct, which included a 10 m high section to cross a 300 m wide valley, to carry water to their capital city, Nineveh. [4]

Roman Empire

Bridges were a distinctive feature of Roman aqueducts, which were built in all parts of the Roman Empire, from Germany to Africa, and especially in the city of Rome, where they supplied water to public baths and for drinking. Roman aqueducts set a standard of engineering that was not surpassed for more than a thousand years.[ citation needed ]

Ancient Indian aqueduct in Hampi Hampi aqueduct.JPG
Ancient Indian aqueduct in Hampi

Modern aqueducts

Navigable aqueducts, also called water bridges, are water-filled bridges to allow vessels on a waterway to cross ravines or valleys. During the Industrial Revolution of the 18th century, navigable aqueducts were constructed as part of the boom in canal-building. A notable revolving aqueduct has been made on the Bridgewater Canal. This allowed vessels to cross at high and low levels while conserving water that would be lost in the operation of locks.

Notable aqueducts

Roman aqueducts

Aqueduct of Segovia Aqueduct of Segovia 02.jpg
Aqueduct of Segovia
The colonial Aqueduct, Tepotzotlan, State of Mexico Acueducto, Arcos del Sitio, Tepotzotlan.jpg
The colonial Aqueduct, Tepotzotlán, State of Mexico

Other aqueducts

An Aqueduct in Vila do Conde, Portugal Vila do Conde 3.jpg
An Aqueduct in Vila do Conde, Portugal
The Aqueduto dos Pegoes in Tomar, Portugal Tomar December 2008-4.jpg
The Aqueduto dos Pegões in Tomar, Portugal
Kavala aqueduct, Greece Aquadukt Kavala GREECE.jpg
Kavala aqueduct, Greece

See also

Notes

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pont du Gard</span> Ancient Roman aqueduct bridge

The Pont du Gard is an ancient Roman aqueduct bridge built in the first century AD to carry water over 50 km (31 mi) to the Roman colony of Nemausus (Nîmes). It crosses the river Gardon near the town of Vers-Pont-du-Gard in southern France. The Pont du Gard is one of the best preserved Roman aqueduct bridges. It was added to UNESCO's list of World Heritage sites in 1985 because of its exceptional preservation, historical importance, and architectural ingenuity.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Navigable aqueduct</span> Man-made channel for water and transport

Navigable aqueducts are bridge structures that carry navigable waterway canals over other rivers, valleys, railways or roads. They are primarily distinguished by their size, carrying a larger cross-section of water than most water-supply aqueducts. Roman aqueducts were used to transport water and were created in Ancient Rome. The 662-metre (2,172 ft) long steel Briare aqueduct carrying the Canal latéral à la Loire over the River Loire was built in 1896. It was ranked as the longest navigable aqueduct in the world for more than a century, until the Magdeburg Water Bridge in Germany took the title in the early 21st century.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman aqueduct</span> Type of aqueduct built in ancient Rome

The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported mining operations, milling, farms, and gardens.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqua Anio Novus</span> Ancient Roman aqueduct in Italy

Aqua Anio Novus was an ancient Roman aqueduct supplying the city of Rome. Like the Aqua Claudia, it was begun by emperor Caligula in 38 AD and completed in 52 AD by Claudius, who dedicated them both on August 1.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqua Claudia</span> Ancient Roman aqueduct in Italy

Aqua Claudia was an ancient Roman aqueduct that, like the Aqua Anio Novus, was begun by Emperor Caligula in 38 AD and finished by Emperor Claudius in 52 AD.

Aqueduct may refer to:

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Águas Livres Aqueduct</span>

The Águas Livres Aqueduct is a historic aqueduct in the city of Lisbon, Portugal. It is one of the most remarkable examples of 18th-century Portuguese engineering. The main course of the aqueduct covers 18 km, but the whole network of canals reaches nearly 58 km.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Santa Clara Aqueduct</span> Aqueduct in Vila do Conde, Portugal

The Aqueduct of Santa Clara is the second largest Portuguese aqueduct system. Built between 1626 and 1714, it includes 999 arches stretching for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi) from the spring of Terroso in the municipality of Póvoa de Varzim to the Convent of Santa Clara in the municipality of Vila do Conde.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carioca Aqueduct</span> Aqueduct in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The Carioca Aqueduct, also known as Arcos da Lapa, is an aqueduct in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The aqueduct was built in the middle of the 18th century to bring fresh water from the Carioca River to the population of the city. It is a typical example of colonial architecture and engineering.

De aquaeductu is a two-book official report given to the emperor Nerva or Trajan on the state of the aqueducts of Rome, and was written by Sextus Julius Frontinus at the end of the 1st century AD. It is also known as De Aquis or De Aqueductibus Urbis Romae. It is the earliest official report of an investigation made by a distinguished citizen on Roman engineering works to have survived. Frontinus had been appointed Water Commissioner by the emperor Nerva in AD 96.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Chapultepec aqueduct</span>

The Chapultepec aqueduct was built to provide potable water to Tenochtitlan, now known as Mexico City. Tenochtitlan was the capital of the Triple Aztec Alliance empire. This fresh water was transported from the Chapultepec springs. Two aqueducts following the same route from the springs were built by the Aztecs during the 15th century, the first destroyed by flooding and the second by the Spanish. After the Spanish conquest a colonial aqueduct was built, the ruins of which are located near Metro Sevilla.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pont de Bornègre</span> Former Roman aqueduct

The Pont de Bornègre is an ancient bridge of the Roman aqueduct to Nîmes, which also includes the famous Pont du Gard, between the communes of Saint-Maximin, and Argilliers. It is located at the upper reaches of the approximately 50 km long aqueduct, 6,745 m downstream of the Eure source and 9,061 m upstream of the Pont du Gard. The structure bridges an intermittent torrent, the Bordnègre, with a catchment area of 0.6–0.8 km2 and, according to modern estimates, a maximum flood flow of 5 m3/s water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqua Marcia</span> Ancient Roman aqueduct, built 144–140 BC

The Aqua Marcia is one of the longest of the eleven aqueducts that supplied the city of Rome. The aqueduct was built between 144–140 BC, during the Roman Republic. The still-functioning Acqua Felice from 1586 runs on long stretches along the route of the Aqua Marcia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Roman Dam of Belas</span> Dam in Queluz e Belas, Lisbon

The Roman Dam of Belas is a 3rd-century Roman barrier constructed to serve the city of Olisipo, located in civil parish of Queluz e Belas, municipality of Sintra.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqueduct (water supply)</span> Structure constructed to convey water

An aqueduct is a watercourse constructed to carry water from a source to a distribution point far away. In modern engineering, the term aqueduct is used for any system of pipes, ditches, canals, tunnels, and other structures used for this purpose. The term aqueduct also often refers specifically to a bridge carrying an artificial watercourse. Aqueducts were used in ancient Greece, ancient Near East, and ancient Rome. The simplest aqueducts are small ditches cut into the earth. Much larger channels may be used in modern aqueducts. Aqueducts sometimes run for some or all of their path through tunnels constructed underground. Modern aqueducts may also use pipelines. Historically, agricultural societies have constructed aqueducts to irrigate crops and supply large cities with drinking water.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Aqua Anio Vetus</span> Archeological site in Italy

The Aqua Anio Vetus was an ancient Roman aqueduct, and the second oldest after the Aqua Appia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Óbidos Aqueduct</span> 16th-century aqueduct in Óbidos, Portugal

The Óbidos Aqueduct is a 16th-century aqueduct that spans the Portuguese municipality of Óbidos.

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