Wikinventia — Atlas of discoveries and inventions · Civilization Birth

Long-span concrete dome — Pantheon of Rome

~125 AD · Transmission: Global
EngineeringMaterialsInventionRoman

Hadrian's Pantheon holds the largest unreinforced concrete dome ever built: 43.3 m diameter. It uses opus caementicium of variable density — lighter toward the top — and an 8.8 m central oculus that removes closure and reduces weight. Direct structural reference for all later great domes, including Hagia Sophia (537), which surpasses its geometric concept with pendentives for a square plan.

Historical regionRome, Italy (Roman Empire)
Primary sourceMacDonald, W.L. — The Pantheon (1976)
Secondary sourceMark, R. & Hutchinson, P. (1986)
Original languageEnglish
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