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posted by martyb on Tuesday October 17 2017, @09:31AM   Printer-friendly
from the Roman-concrete-lasts-2000-years...-why-not-our-roads? dept.

The story of concrete is so ancient that we don't even know when and where it begins. It is a story of discovery, experimentation, and mystery. Emperors and kings became legends for erecting great concrete structures, some of which are still a mystery to engineers today. Many of history's most skilled architects found inspiration in slabs of the gray building material. Common bricklayers advanced the technology, and a con man played a crucial role in the development of concrete recipes.

Today, the world is literally filled with concrete, from roads and sidewalks to bridges and dams. The word itself has become a synonym for something that is real and tangible. Press your handprints into the sidewalk and sign your name to history. This is the story of concrete.

[...] Let's get this out of the way right here: cement and concrete are not the same thing. Cement, a mixture of powdered limestone and clay, is an ingredient in concrete along with water, sand, and gravel.

So ubiquitous and fundamental, that nobody thinks about it. Its inventor is unknown, but that person changed history.

Related: Volcanic Rocks Resembling Roman Concrete Explain Record Uplift in Italian Caldera
Roman Concrete Explained


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  • (Score: 2) by rylyeh on Wednesday October 18 2017, @12:08AM

    by rylyeh (6726) <{kadath} {at} {gmail.com}> on Wednesday October 18 2017, @12:08AM (#583736)

    "Hey - I know that guy..."

    --
    "a vast crenulate shell wherein rode the grey and awful form of primal Nodens, Lord of the Great Abyss."
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