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karmabot@lemmy.world

How did people in ancient times build multi story buildings without them collapsing? (lemmy.world)

submitted 1 month ago by x4740N@lemmy.world to c/askhistorians@lemmy.world

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I'm wondering how they figured out how to prevent buildings from collapsing before structural engineering became widespread and default in the building process

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[–] HootinNHollerin@lemmy.dbzer0.com 11 points 1 month ago* (last edited 1 month ago) (1 children)

I recall watching a Mary Beard documentary about multistory housing in Rome on YouTube. She showed basically a 4 story apartment building made of brick. Thick walls, small rooms, no windows, arches. The richer folks lived on the ground floor iirc.

[–] LifeInMultipleChoice@lemmy.world 10 points 1 month ago (1 children)

Yeah I think it was pretty universal that the rich lived on the lower floors till elevators and air conditioning got decent.

[–] LowtierComputer@lemmy.world 2 points 1 month ago

Though the middle income folks lived on upper floors as the then standard in many places for getting rid of waste was to throw it out the window.