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Ancient Roman Concrete Is About To Revolutionize Modern Architecture
schwit1 sends this news from Businesweek:
"After 2,000 years, a long-lost secret behind the creation of one of the world's most durable man-made creations ever — Roman concrete — has finally been discovered by an international team of scientists, and it may have a significant impact on how we build cities of the future. Researchers have analyzed 11 harbors in the Mediterranean basin where, in many cases, 2,000-year-old (and sometimes older) headwaters constructed out of Roman concrete stand perfectly intact despite constant pounding by the sea. The most common blend of modern concrete, known as Portland cement, a formulation in use for nearly 200 years, can't come close to matching that track record. In seawater, it has a service life of less than 50 years. After that, it begins to erode. The secret to Roman concrete lies in its unique mineral formulation and production technique. As the researchers explain in a press release outlining their findings, 'The Romans made concrete by mixing lime and volcanic rock. For underwater structures, lime and volcanic ash were mixed to form mortar, and this mortar and volcanic tuff were packed into wooden forms. The seawater instantly triggered a hot chemical reaction. The lime was hydrated — incorporating water molecules into its structure — and reacted with the ash to cement the whole mixture together.'"
Digitus impudicus ad hodierna effercio. MM anni? Mirum dictu!
Those who can make you believe absurdities can make you commit atrocities. - Voltaire
I plan to build my next structure with Roman Concrete and Rearden Steel...
All right, but apart from the sanitation, medicine, education, wine, public order, irrigation, roads, the fresh water system and public health, what have the Romans ever done for us?
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The secret to Roman concrete lies in its unique mineral formulation and production technique.
Oh? Really? Its not becuase the Romans made sacrifices to Jupiter? They didn't make their concrete with a recipe given to them by ancients astronauts? The secret lies with thier recipe and technique? Who knew?
Python: 'And then suddenly you have a language which says "we're all stuck with whatever the whiniest coder wants".'
Didn't Vitruvius describe it in his De Architectura, written about 15 BC?
According to the terms of the Mickius Mousius copyright extension act, that means it'll soon enter the public domain.
It also goes back to the lack of elevators. Think about walking up to your office on the 42nd floor in the morning . . .
The invention of the modern safety elevator revolutionized construction in the major cities of the world. Prior to them becoming affordable almost no buildings in New York City were higher than six stories, and the top floors were always the cheapest. It made no financial sense to build higher, no one wanted to carry groceries up to the 27th floor.
"Think about how stupid the average person is. Now, realise that half of them are dumber than that." - George Carlin
In regards to rebar necessity, it is in order to achieve sufficient tensile strength in lesser thicknesses of concrete pours. It is absolutely possible to build a bridge with no rebar, just make the bridge one big slab that extends from the road to the river bed.
Ummm, I believe that would be called a dam.