Inverted Siphon

  • The Inverted Syphon was a technique for getting an Roman Aqueduct to cross a valley without using a bridge.

Aqueduct du Gier

  • The Aqueduct du Gier, was a Roman Aqueduct in Gallia Lugdunensis, which brought water 26 miles (42 km) to Lyon.
  • It used four Inverted Siphons and eleven tunnels and was completed in c. 50 CE.
  • Instead of building bridges across the river valleys, the aqueduct used four inverted siphons to cross the valleys of the rivers Dureze, Garon, Yzeron and Trion.
  • The water would enter a water tank in a sunken Castellum or tower before flowing through pipelines that descended to the valley floor.
  • The pipes then crossed over the river on arches and rose up the other side to another water tower that was slightly lower than the first tank.
  • This avoided having to build vast bridges such as the Pont du Gard Roman Aqueduct.

 

Aqueduc du Gier, France

50 CE
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