The Temple Of Zeus (Athens)

The Temple of Olympian Zeus, also known as the Olympieion, is an Greco-Roman temple in the center of Athens, southeast of the Acropolis. Begun in the 6th century BC, it was not completed until the reign of the Emperor Hadrian in the 2nd century AD. In was at that time the largest temple in Greece.  

Located in southern Athens, between the Acropolis and the Ilissos river, the Olympieion was the sanctuary of Olympian Zeus.

The site of the Olympieion was a place of worship of chthonic deities and of ancient Athenian heroes Athens since prehistory. Peisistratus the Young initiated the construction of a monumental temple in 515 BC, but failed to complete his project because of the fall of tyranny. The temple remained unfinished for approximately 400 years, until Antiochus IV Epiphanes resumed its construction in 174 BC. It was completed in AD 124/125 by Emperor Hadrian, who associated himself with Zeus and adopted the title of Olympios.

During the years of Greek democracy, the temple was left unfinished, apparently because the Greeks of the classical period thought it anti-democratic to build on such a scale.

Work resumed in the 3rd century BC, during the period of Macedonian domination of Greece, under the patronage of the Hellenistic king Antiochus IV of Syria. Antiochus hired the Roman architect Cossutius to design the largest temple in the known world, but when Antoichus died in 164 BC the work was delayed again.In 86 BC, after Greek cities were brought under Roman rule, the general Sulla took two columns from the unfinished temple to Rome to adorn the Temple of Jupiter on the Capitoline Hill. These columns influenced the development of the Corinthian style in Rome.

     In the 2nd century AD, the temple was taken up again by Hadrian, a great admirer of Greek culture, who finally brought it to completion in 129 or 131.The temple is made of fine marble brought from Mount Pentelus and originally measured 96 meters long and 40 meters wide.

    There were originally 104 Corinthian columns, each 17 meters high; 48 of these stood in triple rows under the pediments and 56 in double rows at the sides. Only 15 columns remain standing today, with lovely Corinthian capitals still in place. A 16th column blew over in 1852 and is still lying where it fell. In A Classical and Topographical Tour Through Greece (1819), Dodwell relates that four charges of gunpowder had to be set before the column fell. Tzistarakis was fined 8500 piastres "for having destroyed those venerable remains," dismissed and later poisoned. Another column was blown over in a storm in 1852, its scattered drums still to be seen stacked on the ground. Now only fifteen columns of the original peristyle remain standing. ​

PANTHEON

The building was built entirely without steel reinforcing rods to resist tensile cracking, so necessary in concrete members, and for this concrete dome with a long span to last centuries. It is the largest dome in Europe with its domes diameter and height is 43.3 meters’ special concrete was used in construction of building. The stone in the rotunda is primarily volcanic or shaped concrete, honeycombed with hidden arches to add strength to the entire structure. 

The dome is heavier and thicker at the bottom than at the top, and the center of the dome has an 8-meter-wide opening called an oculus. Its structure is further lightened at the top by using more lightweight volcanic rock in the concrete aggregate, with heavier granite-based concrete aggregate used toward the dome's base. Arches are used throughout the structure to add strength without adding too much weight to the foundation. The 8.3-meter oculus forms a structural balance with the surrounding circumference, which helps both to enter the light inside and to carry the weight of the dome. Pantheon is carried in pink-gray color with 16 original granite columns. Interior spaces were covered with red, yellow color antique marble and other marbles. The insertion of a large round room attached to the portico of a classical temple is an innovation in Roman architecture. The model circular space covered by a vault had already been used in large thermal rooms, but it was a novelty to a temple.

References:

http://italyagezi.com/pantheon-tapinagi-pantheon-kilisesi-65/   

https://www.reference.com/art-literature/materials-were-used-build-pantheon-f7469fcedaed2f5d#

Balloon frame and Platform frame

Before the utilization of the wood light frame system, severe building was built of heavy timbers, masonry wall.  Balloon frame and platform frame are included light-frame construction. Balloon frame is composed thin, closely spaced, vertical wood components and roof components. The connection between members were made simple nail. Additionally, moving the timber, measuring, cutting with saw and composed the whole members are not need skillfulness. Balloon framing constructed an all side studs which run continuously from top to bottom of a building. This means people use continuous wood for all floor and this studs expensive than other short wood. For this reason, build high rise building with balloon frame is nearly impossible. Moreover; erected a frame is need a lot of man work. In addition, in slabs that constructed with balloon frame method there are some gaps. These gaps allow the passing of voice and air between the floors. These voice cause of the voice pollution and disturb the other people who are dwell other floor of home. Additionally, transition of air hinders the isolation. This event cause to increased energy utilization, hence higher costs. Additionally, the long framing components utilized in construction rises construction costs. Moreover; more labor, skill and specialized equipment is required to lift these walls. It uses long continuous framing members (studs) that run from the sill plate to the top plate, with intermediate floor structures let into and nailed to them.

People use currently most common method of light-frame construction for houses in small commercial buildings is platform framing. In balloon frame, whole frame constructed united piece of frame. However, platform frame constructed floor by floor. That’s means every floor unique piece of whole homes. The technique involved also makes it a quicker method of construction. In the platform frame the subfloor at the first-floor level is concluded later than laying of floor juncture at that level. This subfloor supply a platform for workers to stand on. Additionally, smaller pieces of wood can be used on the wall frames.  Platform frame augment the safety of the workers because they could utilize the floor platform as the scaffold for constructing the subsequent floor. In addition, it became possible to build structures with more than two stories. The technique also requires less labor. With the balloon frame, practical height restriction of the building was two stories because studs longer than two stories were easily available. Platform framing utilizes less wood. This helps to keep construction costs within reasonable limits. No fire stopping is necessary because the stud spaces are enclosed by the floor platforms. In platform frame, between the floors there are platform and it provide isolation both air and sound.

References:

http://www.doityourself.com/stry/platform-framing-vs-balloon-framing

Building Construction; principles, materials, and system, Metha, M. Scarborough, W. Armpriest, D., 2013

Alternative Enery and Nuclear Energy

Renewable energy is energy that collected from natural sources. Solar power, wind power and wave energy are examples of the renewable energy sources which run out of in future. Nowadays, several countries are generating their energy from renewable energy sources. Because other energy sources which are fossil fuels, natural gas, are harmful for environment. There is wide range of controversy about renewable energy sources. However, using renewable energy could be beneficial. There are several reason some of them are; effect of environment, external dependency of the country and energy sources depend of environment.

   One of the greatest points to renewable energy sources is effect of environment. Using electricity rates are increasing day by day. The governments of the countries try to satisfy demand. Majority of these governments provide the electricity of the county from nuclear energy. Opponents of alternative energy defend that alternative energy plants covered giant space than nuclear energy power plants. People cut trees for this place. However, nuclear energy power plants have several dangerous for environment and people. So, these types of structures have to build in rural area and this event cause of deforestation. People slaughter the thousands of threes. These trees generate oxygen for us. At the same time trees host millions of animals. Alternative energy sources covered smaller place than nuclear energy power plant. For instance, according to Priesnitz (2010) “ a Philadelphia company, SRS Energy, has even developed a dark blue roof tile made from a high-performance polymer used in car bumpers that gas flexible solar technology embedded inside. The tiles are lightweight, unbreakable and recyclable… Additionally, a number of companies are introducing flexible, thin-film solar PV cells and modules that can be attached, via foil, directly rooftops.” (p. 28-32).  It provides acquisition of place and reduces the rates of deforestation

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Opponents of alternative energy claim that alternative energy sources do not annihilate dependency on other countries. Some countries do not have any fossil fuel sources or nuclear energy plant. These countries have to meet their electricity requirement from other countries. It makes some countries dependent on other countries. Moreover, renewable energy sources do not provide generates adequate energy for country. In addition, install the solar panel or wind turbines are so expensive and it need to maintenance and repair at regular intervals.  However, technology is developing and alternative energy sources can be improved. For instance, Utility-scale wind turbines can be over 120 meters height. In normal circumstances this turbines can generate around 15.000 kWh per year. This energy adequate for small office ( Priesnitz, 2010). These types of wind turbines or solar energy panel can improve and used homes or shopping center. Moreover, if countries can supply electricity for other countries, it could be more beneficial for countries’ economies.

Opponents also maintain that energy sources depend on weather conditions. Countries do not have sunlight or wind every day, but people need to electric every moment. So, alternative energy sources are not useful. However, if electricity is not needed, the electricity can storable. The electricity can be saved for use another time when electricity demand is high. In this way country can meet their electricity need when sunlight or wind is not enough for create electricity. In addition, fossil fuels will be used up in future. People will start search new energy sources. If countries can improve themselves adequate, they can provide their electricity need from renewable energy sources.

The foregoing discussion has attempted to renewable energy sources are beneficial for environment, annihilate the dependency of the countries on other countries and energy sources is not depend on environment completely. Alternative energy sources have several benefits for environment and people. People will have to provide their requirement from nature. For this reason, people have to try improving renewable energy sources.

References:

Priesnitz, W. (2010, September/October). Rooftop power. Natural Life, 135, 28-32