Le pont du Gard | An exceptional Aqueduct


	An exceptional Aqueduct

	Roman engineering skills

	Signs of the times

	Technicals aspects


	Nîmes was one of the greatest cities in Gaul when it became a colony under Roman law in 45 B.C. The population grew rapidly to reach some 20,000 inhabitants under the dynamic influence of the Roman civilisation.

» 1st century

The city's water requirements had previously been met by the Nemausus spring but construction of an aqueduct enabled Nîmes to flourish around a prestigious urban development including fountains, spas, sewage networks, monuments and thus acquire much sought after prestige.

Nîmes aqueduct was a major construction operation that took some 15 years to build between 40 and 60 A.D., under the empires of Claude and Nero.

The sole objective for the aqueduct was to carry a section of the channels and pipes that in total stretched over 50km from the abundant spring waters of the Eure to the water tower (Castellum) in Nîmes.

» A 50km trip

The route chosen for the water had to take into account the physical obstacles thrown up by the lie of the land.

Between the departure and arrival point of the water, the height difference is just 12m so the engineers carried out an incredible technical feat in calculating a path to enable the water to flow all the way just based on gravity.

The waterway was buried underground for most of the way, the channel was a stone lined, vaulted ditch covered with earth.

Local stones were used to line the channels and were coated with mortar and lime to reduce water infiltration, parasites and root invasion.

» Other civil engineering feats

Wherever the 50km aqueduct met with a geological or topological obstacle the channel is progressively brought onto the surface and continues on a support wall, arcades or over a bridge.

Many structures and bridges line the path of the aqueduct between Uzès and Nîmes, the most imposing and impressive unquestionably being the Pont du Gard.