It is difficult to fathom a time before engineering entered our daily lives. Whether we are aware of it or not, we depend on engineering every day. But things weren’t always like this. In actuality, engineering is a modern profession that has only recently established itself in society. Here is an overview of the history of engineering and how it developed into the crucial profession that it is today. The Latin term for “ingenuity” is where the word “engineer” originates. Roman military engineers were the first engineers, and they created siege machines like catapults and trebuchets. The success of the Roman army depended on these highly skilled professionals, who were known as engineers. As artists and architects started incorporating mathematical and scientific ideas into their designs, engineering experienced a comeback during the Renaissance. Engineers started working on tasks like building canals and bridges about this time. However, engineering didn’t start to become a distinct profession until the 17th century. The Industrial Revolution played a significant role in this, no doubt. In order to design and construct these new machines, there was a demand as companies started to spring up all over Europe. Engineering as a profession was thus established.
The Giza Pyramids
Perhaps the most famous instances of engineering in history are the pyramids of Giza. These enormous constructions, which were created more than 4,500 years ago, are still visible today as proof of the force of human effort. The pyramids were built with chunks of limestone that may weigh up to 70 tonnes each. Engineers created a system of pulleys and levers to move these enormous blocks. Once in position, a mortar composed of water and gypsum plaster was used to hold the blocks together. The construction of the pyramids seem highly unachievable even in today’s standards and technological advancement. This engineering feat is an early glimpse of the incredible potential of our human capabilities.
Rome’s Aqueducts
The Roman aqueducts are another magnificent engineering achievement. To transport water from distant sources into cities and towns, the Romans built aqueducts throughout their Republic and their Empire. Water from aqueducts served mining operations, milling, farms, gardens, public baths, latrines, fountains, and private residences. In conduits made of stone, brick, concrete, or lead, aqueducts carried water by gravity alone at a slight general downward gradient; the higher the gradient, the faster the flow. Fresh water was brought into towns and cities from springs and rivers via these man-made channels. The aqueducts could move up to 75,000 gallons of water each day and were gravity-fed. The Aqua Claudia, the largest aqueduct, was nearly 60 miles long!
The Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge was the world’s longest suspension bridge when it was finished in 1883. It connects Manhattan and Brooklyn by crossing the East River at a distance of 1,595 feet. John Augustus Roebling, who passed away during construction, designed the bridge. SInce Roebling’s appointment as the project’s principal engineer, he had delivered a master plan by September 1867. It stated that the bridge will be taller and longer than any suspension bridge that had previously been constructed. It would include roads and elevated rail tracks, whose tolls and charges would be used to cover the cost of building the bridge. A raised deck that functioned as a calm pathway would also be included. Both towns enthusiastically embraced the idea, and locals forecast that the construction of the New York and Brooklyn Bridge would have an impact comparable to that of the Suez Canal, the first transatlantic telegraph line, or the first transcontinental railroad. People began to protest the project in early 1869, claiming the bridge was too expensive or too difficult.
The use of engineering to address issues is the application of scientific knowledge. It is a creative process that involves coming up with and using original concepts, ideas, theories, procedures, or goods. Over the course of history, a wide variety of people, occasions, and discoveries have influenced the evolution of engineering. A crucial part of human civilization is engineering. Engineers have been developing novel solutions to issues and easing our lives for thousands of years. The world as we know it today was shaped by engineering, from the Giza Pyramids to the Brooklyn Bridge. In the centuries to come, who knows what engineering achievements will be made? Today, practically every element of our life depends on engineering. Every invention, from smartphones to skyscrapers, can be attributed to engineers. Engineers will undoubtedly be there to assist us in overcoming the challenges of the future as our world changes and develops. Engineering is a crucial field that aids in problem solving and overcoming obstacles. The next time you cross a bridge or use a piece of technology, keep in mind that an engineer made it possible!