Construction

7. CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR THE GREAT PYRAMID

It is believe by many that the Egyptian mathematic and Geometry were very limited, or not existing at the pyramid's construction time. So, they believe the math and geometry were not necessary to erect such a Monument. For these people, I can tell that, yes... it is possible to construct a building without using math. It all depends on what we are referring as a construction work. There are many animals that construct their houses, even bridges, without math, let’s say by instinct. By the other way, primitive man constructs their buildings using logs, stone, etc., using only his common sense. But anyway, to build a hasty rudimentary construction, or wooden log cabin is a simple matter, the dimensions accuracy is not of importance. Weight of material, stresses, forces to applied, are not significant.

However, as the building requirements, or specifications for its construction are more elaborate, all these factors acquire more importance. In order to interlace all of them, we need math. Math is the glue that fixed the construction parts, if I can say that. As the building to be constructed increases in height and building requirements, more math is necessary. Therefore, a meticulous plan has to be prepared to handle all of the requirements. Therefore, the engineers develop plans and specifications for their building construction. Before any work is done, the plans have to be designed and the specifications set. Every space has to be accounted for: up, down, to the sides. Depending on the materials used, any elongation, displacement, external and internal forces have to be considered and evaluated. The designer does not want his finished job to fall down. All of this is possible only using math.

The Great Pyramid

Descending and ascending corridor designs

To design a spaceship to go around the Earth Globe, requires much more and complicated math. However, at this time, you can still construct log cabins without the use of math, but always with limited requirements and specifications, or no specifications at all. If you want a beautiful, well-finished, safe, cabin, you will need math, both for the design and for the construction.

The plans for the larger handwork constructed structure of the World, would take a long time for planning and calculations.

This is my table of important facts to consider and investigate before the pyramid plans are initiated:

1. The site foundation
2. The available labor forces
3. The quarries available (to complete all the job)
4. The transportation for the materials
5. Communication between all places, quarries, the job site, etc.
6. Quantities of materials
7. Roads or routes for transportation
8. Engineers, architects and surveyors available
9. Instrumentation available to handle materials and jobs
10. Labor supplies of food, clothing, and medicines
11. Necessary stations to handle injured people
12. Light supply for obscure places work
13. Time estimate of the work
14. Ramps needed, materials, and space available for them
15. Hours and days of work
16. Effect of sandstorms, rainstorms to the job
17. Specifications from the Pharaoh regarding his property
18. Degree of tolerance to use in the construction work
19. Requirements and specifications of the Priests to meet religious dogmas
20. A place: for plans and records safeguard and keeping (Plans needed for all the job construction).
21. Copies of plans for quarries, and supervisors
22. The chain of command for the job supervision and chain of authorities
23. Rate for Supply of materials
24. Meetings for follow up the work
25. Materials and supplies required from other countries, availability
26. Instrumentation available to handle surveying, testing, and checking the engineering work
27. Boats available and their handling capacity
28. Estimate of sledges and their load capacities

No, no, this was not the method used by the Egyptians to build the Great Pyramid.

All of the above-mentioned have to be considered, before the plans are prepared. Notice that all require the use of math.

To prepared the final construction plans, it will be required:

1. A material for the design, papyrus, or what they have available. These plans have to be available at all times during the construction of the work (20 or 30 years). They need a special chamber to safeguard them for a long time.

2. They needed draftsmen for the drawing and engineers for doing calculations.

3. The complete job, as visualized had to be considered.

4. Probably a center of operations was established (with engineer staff, surveyors, job directors, supervisors).

5. They could set up test sites, to check the work before done.

6. A timetable of the job, materials supplies, ramp works.

They have to choose a design (let’s say pyramidal plans):

1. They will design the whole pyramid, to meet the requirements of the owner. Number of entrances, corridors, Chambers, etc.

2. It will be divided in phases, so to check the work performed at different times.

3. All dimensions will be included for corridors, chambers, and structural elements.

4. Check points for measurements will be establish, as well, as control points for the work.

5. The strength of materials and their support will be considered in those important points as chambers, galleries and corridors.

6. Proper ventilation, light provisions, movement of labors at the interior corridors, should be specified in the plans.

After these, and other missing items, the job can be initiated.

All these jobs, depending on the technical people available to work in the planning, in my opinion could take about a year of planning. Depending on the designers available, the plans could have taken about six to 12 months to be completed. Therefore, in about one and a half year of complete planning, they were ready to set the necessary control points for its base. They will have to make thousands of calculations before the first stone is placed. Remember, this is the larger handwork structure of the World, with the highest standards in specifications. This would take a long time of planning and calculations. So, I cannot explain how to make all this calculations with the primitive math attributed to the Egyptians engineers base on the math- found papyrus. However, they prepared very good plans, as we can ascertain with the finished job.

My argument is that they did know Geometry very well. Geometrical figures could solved many problems for them, which were too difficult to calculate mathematically, besides they could increase accuracy. If they followed my ideas and theory for the geometrical design of the monument, the required math for the field layout and construction would had been easier to perform and facilitate the Pyramid's construction.

This is my point as an engineer. However, I know that others, engineers or not, could have different ideas that could be as valid as mine. The real fact is that neither I, nor others, are going to prove the GP existence by building a clone building with or without math, to prove it.

Anyway, if you want a good construction for your house, be sure that good and accurate math is applied to design and construction, or otherwise, it might not be as economic, safe or pleasant to your eyes, as you wish.

RETURN TO ADVANCED CONTENT SECTION PAGE