The History of Infrastructure: Six Historical Facts
Infrastructure is (almost) as old as humanity itself. My grandmother once told me about the day electricity came to her town. Today, I rely on energy and water as much as my daily bread. I want to move, along with my Amazon package, at the speed of light and stay in touch with friends on other continents as if they were next door.
It seems to me that our demands on infrastructure increase with every passing day of human history. We expect it to be ever more modern and powerful than ever before. We want it to be free of cost and environmentally inconspicuous. In the future, it should emit no noise, light, or pollution. And most importantly, I don’t want to be bothered by construction or maintenance work. Infrastructure has always faced high expectations. How did our ancestors respond to the accelerated change of their times? Here are half a dozen facts to shed some light:
1. The Longest Man-Made Canal Has Been in Operation for 2,400 Years
China’s Emperor Yangdi likely wasn’t thinking of the public good when he commissioned the Grand Canal. Instead, he wanted to transport his troops quickly. Nonetheless, the canal led to an economic boom in China, as food and consumer goods could be transported over thousands of kilometers. The 1,800-kilometer waterway was essential for transporting wood to build the Forbidden City. It’s likely that Yangdi’s workers did not volunteer or get paid well, and complaints from citizens in ancient Chinese planning procedures were not considered.
2. The Roman Road Network Was Denser Than Modern America’s
The Romans are famous for their road-building. They built about 200,000 kilometers of roads across their empire, averaging 24 meters per square kilometer. In contrast, the U.S. has only 76,000 kilometers of highways, or 8 meters per square kilometer. Sandals, it turns out, beat cowboy boots. Road funding came from the local population’s income—no tolls, no vehicle taxes. Additionally, every male resident was required to work five days a year on road repairs. A model we might learn from today.
3. In 1835, a Signal Could Be Sent Over 600 Kilometers in Just 7 Minutes
The Prussian telegraph system transmitted information via optical signals across 62 stations from Berlin to Koblenz (or vice versa) at a speed equivalent to 1/25200 bits per second. Imagine how long a Facebook post would take at that rate! An iPhone’s battery likely wouldn’t last through the upload. Contrary to what one might think, the Prussian telegraph wasn’t only for military use; it also transmitted time announcements and stock prices. Business, like war, can be fierce.
4. In 1990, Germany Ended the 80-Year Battle Between Candle and Lightbulb
Candle makers were certainly no fans of Thomas Edison. The development of electric infrastructure put them under significant pressure, as lightbulbs were not only fashionable but practical. Much like today, the German tax authority supported the disadvantaged back in 1909 by taxing light sources and filaments.
Yet candles as the primary light source eventually faded, and the rest is history. The tax was abolished in 1990. Infrastructure expansion speeds up structural change—even when the government steps into the competitive fray. Nonetheless, OSRAM, based in Munich, went on to light up the world. Today, electric infrastructure expansion is accelerating the shift to green energy.
5. Alligators in New York’s Underground Aren’t White
No, they don’t exist—really. The sewers of New York, and elsewhere, are quite free of albino alligators and crocodiles. Granted, in the 1930s, a 2.25-meter-long alligator was found in a New York manhole, but that was purely by chance. Still, the myth of crocodiles in the sewers has persisted for ages. But this myth isn’t the reason that most sewer inspections are now conducted by robots instead of people.
Despite modern maintenance techniques, New York’s sewer system—and the water systems of many other major cities—is on the brink of collapse and is in dire need of renewal. The maintenance of fresh and wastewater networks is one of infrastructure’s biggest and most important challenges.
6. The U.S. Has Been “Online” Since 1866
On July 28 of that year, telegraph communication between the U.S. and Europe began. Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg were only an inevitable consequence. The first transatlantic phone line went live in 1956, allowing 36 calls to take place simultaneously.
Clearly, it was a scalable business model. Today, global data traffic has virtually no technical bottlenecks. Despite satellites, cable infrastructure remains indispensable. The TAT-14, the most recent cable, went online in 2001. It is 15,000 kilometers long, 50 millimeters thick, and has a capacity of 64 x 10 Gbit/s. It cost a mere $1.3 billion, a profitable investment for the 50 telecom companies involved.
Innovations in infrastructure have brought vast change. Initially serving military purposes, they now largely benefit the public. The value of accessible energy, clean water, and global communication is undeniable. We must pay closer attention to what we expect from infrastructure—stakeholder values, as they’re now called, and a cornerstone of asset management. Since 2011, my company, Meliorate, has supported infrastructure owners and operators with these and other essential questions.
Author: Oliver Förster