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posted by n1 on Wednesday July 05 2017, @08:21AM   Printer-friendly
from the hard-as-nails dept.

Researchers have unlocked the chemistry of Roman concrete which has resisted the elements for thousands of years.

Ancient sea walls built by the Romans used a concrete made from lime and volcanic ash to bind with rocks.

Now scientists have discovered that elements within the volcanic material reacted with sea water to strengthen the construction.

[...] This new study says the scientists found significant amounts of tobermorite growing through the fabric of the concrete, with a related, porous mineral called phillipsite.

The researchers say that the long-term exposure to sea water helped these crystals to keep on growing over time, reinforcing the concrete and preventing cracks from developing.

Source: BBC News

American Mineralogist DOI: 10.2138/am-2017-5993CCBY


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  • (Score: 2) by kaszz on Thursday July 06 2017, @12:38AM

    by kaszz (4211) on Thursday July 06 2017, @12:38AM (#535475) Journal

    The solution is likely some material that won't serve as a conduit for moisture. Maybe some Teflon impregnated carbon fiber will do it?

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