Engineering · Roman Empire Daily
The Pantheon in Rome still holds the record as the world's largest unreinforced concrete dome.
Deep dive
Completed under Hadrian around 125 AD, its coffered dome spans about 43 meters and uses progressively lighter aggregate toward the top to reduce weight. An open oculus crowns the center. It has stood for nearly 1,900 years without steel reinforcement.
Source: MacDonald, 'The Pantheon: Design, Meaning, and Progeny,' 1976; standard architectural histories.
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