Roman Concrete

[Dave Z]

Roman Concrete Durability Solved

Roman engineers used a concrete mix vastly more durable than those achieved by modern approaches, with extant, functional structures as old as 2000 years.

A team has a working solution to the lost art, as reported here:

https://news.mit.edu/2023/roman-concret ... casts-0106

The secret lies in using quicklime (rather than slaked lime) to generate with high heat mixing. This leaves minute limestone clasts (particles) in the mix and activates beneficial chemical reactions, enabling faster cure times among other benefits. Should cracks occur, they tend to pass through these relatively weak spots where PSI is dissapated (slowing further cracking), and providing a conduit for water intrusion. On contact with water, the limestone spreads into the crack, calcifying and bonding the crack closed.

In short, the Roman recipe is significantly self-repairing and anti-fragile!

This could allow the construction of much longer-term structures for shelter, rebuild infrastructure and materials/tech/Knowledge preservation, before or after cataclysm. Examples might include seed banks, fully waterproof libraries, warehouses, 'cave dwellings', watermills, dams and breakwaters, etc..

The recipes used by the re-engineering team are not given in the article, and patents are pending. However, the principle sounds very accessible to DIY tinkerers.

Dave Z

[tahanson43206]

Best wishes for success with this interesting new topic.

If there are other members still active in monitoring this forum, here is an opportunity to contribute to the accumulation of knowledge about an important part of infrastructure in human built environment.

(th)