Researchers have turned to an ancient Roman concrete recipe to develop more durable concrete that lasts for centuries and can potentially reduce the carbon impact of the built environment.
To construct architectural marvels that still stand today, ancient Romans combined lime, volcanic ash, and aggregates with water to create concrete. A key difference from how modern concrete is processed is temperature.
Today, we use cold mixing—a process conducted under ambient temperatures—but Romans used hot mixing, heating the mixture to 180 degrees Fahrenheit. This resulted in a key change in the lime that provides concrete with the ability to self-heal.
“Due to hot mixing and creation of these tiny granules of lime due to hot mixing, eventually you create a mechanism that just naturally goes and fills the crack with the material and prevents water to flow and propagation of the crack,” an MIT professor told National Public Radio. If modern manufacturers can emulate the ancient method, the result would be longer lasting structures that in the long run will result in using less concrete which will correspond to less emissions.
Listen to the NPR Weekend Edition segment:
Related Stories
Sponsored | Concrete | Mar 2, 2018
English inspired church built with insulated concrete forms
The challenge was to mirror the style of a historic place of worship while using modern technologies which comply with today's codes of practice.
Concrete | Jul 13, 2017
LF Driscoll and Balfour Beatty recently wrapped the largest concrete pour in Philadelphia’s history
The pour created the foundation for the Foster + Partners-designed Pavilion on Penn Medicine’s Campus.
Concrete | Jul 7, 2017
The secrets held within Ancient Roman concrete could improve future building practices
Not only has the concrete stood the test of time, but it has actually become stronger.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: Next-gen materials for the built environment, Blaine Brownell, Transmaterial
Architect and materials guru Blaine Brownell reveals emerging trends and applications that are transforming the technological capacity, environmental performance, and design potential of architecture.
| Jun 13, 2017
Accelerate Live! talk: A case for Big Data in construction, Graham Cranston, Simpson Gumpertz & Heger
Graham Cranston shares SGH’s efforts to take hold of its project data using mathematical optimization techniques and information-rich interactive visual graphics.
Sponsored | Concrete | May 31, 2017
Fabcon helps bring new life to brownfield sites
With brownsites, the real trouble lies in the unseen: namely the hazardous substances, pollutants or contaminants that remain in the soil.
Multifamily Housing | May 17, 2017
Swedish Tower’s 15th floor is reserved for a panoramic garden
C.F. Møller’s design was selected as the winner of a competition organized by Riksbyggen in Västerås.
Mixed-Use | Apr 25, 2017
Dutch building incorporates 22 emojis into its façade
The emoji building is part of a larger mixed-use development built around a 150-year-old oak tree.
Concrete | Apr 7, 2017
‘Cool’ pavement creates ice rink aesthetic outside NHL practice facility
The concrete contains unique colors, aggregates, and textures.
