ENGR1300 Great Wall of China Engineering Sucsess

Disciplines

Many engineering disciplines played a role in the creation of the Great Wall of China. Engineering wasn't as developed back then, however, simillar strategies that can be compared to modern engineering were used in the time period that we can use to determine which categories of engineering were responsible for building the Great Wall of China

BEFORE

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers were most likely responsible for the layout and planning of the great wall, prioritizing millitary needs and the formation of natural design to come up with the design

Materials Engineering/Materials Engineering Technology

Material engineers decided what material the Great Wall of China would be built with. Many of the materials used were local, to avoid the time and costs of transporting materials. They would use regular soil as the main material, paired with sand and rice mortar which was found to be incredibly durable and water resistant.

DURING

Mechanical Engineering Technology

Whilst building the Great Wall of China, many different tools were used to help speed of the process. We can assume this was the responsibility of mechanical engineers. Builders would utilize pulley systems and ramps to move around materials across the wall for placement, rather than manual hauling as often as possible.

Construction Engineering Technology

Construction engineering played a vital role to the construction of the wall. There was a multitude of techniques used to build the was a sturdy as we know today. Under material engineering, it was mentioned that soil was the main resource used for building the wall. This was thanks to the "rammed earth" technique builders would use. It meant to tightly pack soil in wooden frames to create a solid material which resemble the shape of brick.

AFTER

Structural Engineering

To keep the wall from collapsing under pressure, structural engineers were required for the job. They would assess weak points of the wall and reinforce them to be on par with the rest.

Environmental Engineering/Environmental Engineering Technology

Over time, the wall degrades due to natural causes. It is the job of environmental engineers to take note of that and plan accordingly. They must make sure to check that the rainwater has been properly drained to prevent softening in the foundation. Environmental engineers also take account of erosion, especially near the walls drier regions to ensure structural stability

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