Roads and Bridges of the Roman Empire

As a civil engineer with leading German construction companies, Horst Barow has built highways and bridges in many parts of the world. He was aware of the importance infrastructure has for the development of a region, and he knew how important efficient administration is to achieve public works. During vacations he and his wife liked to visit the Mediterranean countries, and they were amazed by the vestiges of the Roman Empire, not the least of them being roads and bridges. In many cases they still carry modern traffic after 2000 years. Thus Barow decided to make the study of Roman roads and bridges his special interest, and through many years he systematically collected material and surveyed bridges on the spot. Having retired, he studied history, with emphasis on the Roman period. His untimely death in 2010 left his wife with a great work in progress, and it is thanks to the publisher that this book has been realised. Friedrich Ragette, an architect who taught history of architecture and engineering for many years, was entrusted with editing the material and translating it from German into English. The book covers all aspects of road and bridge construction in the Roman Empire, from commissioning, planning and design to contracting and execution. Technical details include surveying, materials, tools, and implements. The Roman road network is shown with Latin place names; principles and types of construction are explained. The core of the work deals with bridge construction: design criteria, structural systems, foundations and abutments are dealt with in detail. Particularly attractive are five dozens of case studies, presenting individual bridges, which were reviewed by the author on site. Countless illustrations, mostly in colour, enliven the book. Bibliography and glossary complete the work.