What is a battering ram (aries)?
A battering ram — known in Dutch as ‘ariaan’ and in Latin as ‘aries’ — is the historical name for a heavy ramming device used to drive piles into the ground or to break through walls. The Latin name ‘aries’ (ram) refers to the ram’s-head fitting on the device.
Historical context
The battering ram had two main uses:
Military use
- Siege ram — a heavy timber beam with a metal head, suspended from a frame
- Purpose — breaching city walls and gates during sieges
- Period — used by the Romans and throughout the Middle Ages
Construction use
- Drop weight — a heavy block (stone, iron or timber) dropped repeatedly onto a pile
- Forerunner of the pile driver — the principle of the battering ram is the basis of the later pile-driving rig
- Application — driving timber foundation piles into soft ground
From hand-ramming to modern piling
The development followed these broad stages:
- Manual — a team of workers lifts the drop weight with ropes and lets it fall
- Pile frame — a timber or steel frame with a hoisting mechanism
- Diesel hammer — a motor-driven drop weight
- Vibratory driver — modern piles are often vibrated into the ground rather than struck
Related terms
- Pile
- Pile driver
- Foundation
- Pile foundation
- Drop weight
Want to learn more about construction terms? Visit our knowledge base at fredsdiyplans.com.