Today modern architecture is still
influenced by the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. These incredible man-made structures
represent the marvels of early engineering and are remarkable feats of
construction. Three of the ancient
wonders, the Lighthouse of Alexandria, the Colossus of Rhodes and the Mausoleum
at Halicarnassus were all destroyed by earthquakes.
The Colossus of Rhodes, which was almost
as tall as our Statue of Liberty, was also erected in celebration of freedom
and bears a resemblance to it. Depicting
the Greek titan-god of the sun Helios, the Colossus of Rhodes was the largest
statue ever built in the Hellenistic period.
Constructed in 292–280 BC on the island of Rhodes, Greece, the statue
toppled over during the Rhodes Earthquake of 226 BC.
We have an account of what the statue
looked like from several early Greek historians. It is believed that the marble base pedestal
was approximately 60 feet in diameter and circular or octagonal in shape and 49
ft. high. The statue itself, which was
98 ft. high, had a skin created out of iron tie bars with brass plates affixed
to them and fortified with iron and stone framework. The Ancient Origins website quotes the book of
Pilon of Byzantium that notes, “15
tons of bronze was used, along with 9 tons of iron.” However modern architects feel the numbers
are too low to be accurate.
The structure’s interior was filled
with stone blocks. As the statue grew
higher, it is written that workers piled mounds of dirt to create a ramp in
order to reach the upper portions. The Colossus
of Rhodes took a total of 12 years to build.
At The Conco Companies we have had the opportunity
to be a part of several modern day architectural wonders such as when we set
the world record for the largest continuous mat pour for the new Wilshire Grand
in L.A. The skyscraper will be the
tallest building in the U.S. west of the Mississippi upon completion.
At Conco, our goal is to
be the best provider of concrete services for the Western United States. We
have built our reputation on superior concrete formwork, reinforcing, place and
finish, shotcrete and other ancillary services that benefit from our vast
experience. Currently we serve Northern
and Southern California, Colorado, Oregon, Washington, and Nevada.
Sources:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colossus_of_Rhodes
ancient-origins.net/ancient-places-europe/colossus-rhodes-ancient-greek-mega-statue-003249
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