How to Build a Roman Arch for a Middle School Project

A series of arches was used to create the Colosseum.

Roman arches were a central part of the architecture of the time. These arches made it possible to support larger buildings or make practical measures, such as aqueducts, possible. As a middle school student, you can very easily make a Roman arch using materials found in your own home. Your arch can be held together without mortar (or glue), so long as you use a keystone for the center of the arch.

Things You'll Need

• 1-foot by 1-foot flat wooden board
• 9 sugar cubes or rectangular 1-inch by 1-inch wooden blocks
• Wedge shaped sugar cube or wooden block
• Glue (optional)
• Knife (kitchen knife or craft knift, depending on materials used)
• Ruler
• Small saw (optional)

Instructions

1. Set your wooden board on a flat surface.

2. Cut your sugar cubes in half with a knife so that they make rectangles.

3. Arrange your sugar cubes or rectangular wooden blocks in an arch shape, beginning with the base. If you want to make your arch a bit smaller, you may not need to use all of your blocks or sugar cubes. Four to eight rectangles on either side works well, but remember to keep the numbers of rectangles the same on either side.

4. Continue arranging your blocks and cubes until you leave a wedge-like space at the top.

5. Measure the wedge-like space and cut a sugar cube into a wedge accordingly. The wedge should be the same size as the rectangles on either side, but you will need to measure from where the rectangles meet to where the top of the wedge should go in order to get an accurate keystone piece, which will hold your structure together. If you have used a premade wooden block set, your trapezoid piece should fit as the keystone. If not, measure the opening with a ruler (specifically where the rectangles meet and to what will be the top of the wedge) and cut a block with a small saw or craft knife into a wedge shape in order to fit inside.

6. Stand up your arch by tipping the wooden surface you arranged the arch on until it's vertical. See if you can take it away and allow the arch to stand on its own. If your arch has trouble standing on its own, disassemble it and place glue between each rectangle and the keystone for "mortar." You should, however, try to make it stand without the glue, as many Roman arches were made without mortar.

References

• Technology Student; Typical Roman Stone Arch Construction; V. Ryan; 2009
• Penn State University; Architecture: Roman Arches; Nancy Funk; 2001
• History for Kids; Roman Arch Project; Building an Arch; Dr. Karen Carr; 2011