Engineering with the Elements

Abstract

The engineers of the Inka Empire had a unique consciousness of nature—the elements that strike brute mischief on man’s structures—because the foundation of their engineering knowledge was agriculture. These engineers, with a tradition of observing nature, succeeded in building their Andean road network because they learned to work with nature instead of trying to control it by domination. Close examination and reverse engineering of the past accomplishments of these ancient engineers can lead to thoughtful solutions to current engineering challenges, particularly the effort to construct sustainable infrastructure.