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Scientist Believes She’s Found The Recipe For Ancient Roman Concrete

maximus otter

maximus otter

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Scientists have long puzzled over the elusive recipe for ancient Roman concrete, which has withstood the test of time better than any of the concrete that’s been poured in the 20th century. Now, Maria Jackson from the University of Utah claims to have unravelled the mystery, and furthermore believes that the ancient Roman process could influence modern-day construction.

Jackson’s findings, published in American Mineralogist, claim the unbreakable strength of ancient Roman concrete is due to a rare chemical reaction that takes place when the mineral aluminium tobermorite is exposed to sea water. The reaction strengthens the mortar and prevents cracks from forming or widening.

The longer the concrete is submerged in sea water, the stronger it becomes, as a mineral mixture of silica oxides and lime grows between the volcanic rock aggregate, which in turns hardens all the components into a single, unyielding piece. Jackson explained how this is different from our current concrete to Time:

“Contrary to the principles of modern cement-based concrete, the Romans created a rock-like concrete that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater.” She said, adding, “It’s a very rare occurrence in the Earth.”​
​
This may explain the ancient observation of the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, who wrote in 79 AD that the concrete, “as soon as it comes into contact with the waves of the sea and is submerged, becomes a single stone mass, impregnable to the waves and every day stronger.”

The Pantheon in Rome, still in use over 2,000 years after it was built, is a testament to the strength of ancient Roman concrete.

Jackson said she is currently experimenting with several substances that could act as a substitute for volcanic ash in the concoction, which would also require lime, sea water, and aluminium tobermorite. She has also proposed that the construction of a planned tidal lagoon in the United Kingdom utilize the ancient Roman concrete in place of steel.

https://aleteia.org/2019/07/16/scie...r-ancient-roman-concrete-used-2000-years-ago/

Wikipedia article on opus caementicium, AKA Roman concrete.

maximus otter
 
maximus otter said:
Scientists have long puzzled over the elusive recipe for ancient Roman concrete, which has withstood the test of time better than any of the concrete that’s been poured in the 20th century. Now, Maria Jackson from the University of Utah claims to have unravelled the mystery, and furthermore believes that the ancient Roman process could influence modern-day construction.

Jackson’s findings, published in American Mineralogist, claim the unbreakable strength of ancient Roman concrete is due to a rare chemical reaction that takes place when the mineral aluminium tobermorite is exposed to sea water. The reaction strengthens the mortar and prevents cracks from forming or widening.

The longer the concrete is submerged in sea water, the stronger it becomes, as a mineral mixture of silica oxides and lime grows between the volcanic rock aggregate, which in turns hardens all the components into a single, unyielding piece. Jackson explained how this is different from our current concrete to Time:

“Contrary to the principles of modern cement-based concrete, the Romans created a rock-like concrete that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater.” She said, adding, “It’s a very rare occurrence in the Earth.”​
​
This may explain the ancient observation of the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, who wrote in 79 AD that the concrete, “as soon as it comes into contact with the waves of the sea and is submerged, becomes a single stone mass, impregnable to the waves and every day stronger.”

The Pantheon in Rome, still in use over 2,000 years after it was built, is a testament to the strength of ancient Roman concrete.

Jackson said she is currently experimenting with several substances that could act as a substitute for volcanic ash in the concoction, which would also require lime, sea water, and aluminium tobermorite. She has also proposed that the construction of a planned tidal lagoon in the United Kingdom utilize the ancient Roman concrete in place of steel.

https://aleteia.org/2019/07/16/scie...r-ancient-roman-concrete-used-2000-years-ago/

Wikipedia article on opus caementicium, AKA Roman concrete.

maximus otter
Click to expand...
I'm sure I read this some time ago (possibly in FT, actually), only when I read it is was just that the concrete was made using sea water in the mix rather than prolonged exposure.
 
Having stood in wonder in the Pantheon, I can only marvel at the ingenuity the Romans showed.
They must have had some kind of scientific process to determine, assess and perfect their recipe.
One can only imagine what would have happened if they had been able to apply it to other areas of technology.
'Triffic race, the Romans. 'Triffic.
 
maximus otter said:
Scientists have long puzzled over the elusive recipe for ancient Roman concrete, which has withstood the test of time better than any of the concrete that’s been poured in the 20th century. Now, Maria Jackson from the University of Utah claims to have unravelled the mystery, and furthermore believes that the ancient Roman process could influence modern-day construction.

Jackson’s findings, published in American Mineralogist, claim the unbreakable strength of ancient Roman concrete is due to a rare chemical reaction that takes place when the mineral aluminium tobermorite is exposed to sea water. The reaction strengthens the mortar and prevents cracks from forming or widening.

The longer the concrete is submerged in sea water, the stronger it becomes, as a mineral mixture of silica oxides and lime grows between the volcanic rock aggregate, which in turns hardens all the components into a single, unyielding piece. Jackson explained how this is different from our current concrete to Time:

“Contrary to the principles of modern cement-based concrete, the Romans created a rock-like concrete that thrives in open chemical exchange with seawater.” She said, adding, “It’s a very rare occurrence in the Earth.”​
​
This may explain the ancient observation of the Roman scientist Pliny the Elder, who wrote in 79 AD that the concrete, “as soon as it comes into contact with the waves of the sea and is submerged, becomes a single stone mass, impregnable to the waves and every day stronger.”

The Pantheon in Rome, still in use over 2,000 years after it was built, is a testament to the strength of ancient Roman concrete.

Jackson said she is currently experimenting with several substances that could act as a substitute for volcanic ash in the concoction, which would also require lime, sea water, and aluminium tobermorite. She has also proposed that the construction of a planned tidal lagoon in the United Kingdom utilize the ancient Roman concrete in place of steel.

https://aleteia.org/2019/07/16/scie...r-ancient-roman-concrete-used-2000-years-ago/

Wikipedia article on opus caementicium, AKA Roman concrete.

maximus otter
Click to expand...
Excellent find MA :hoff:
 
James_H said:
I'm sure I read this some time ago (possibly in FT, actually), only when I read it is was just that the concrete was made using sea water in the mix rather than prolonged exposure.
Click to expand...

Yes I assumed the secret of Roman concrete was now common knowledge. Alexandra Armstrong in Rome's Invisible City (BBC 1 Jan 2017) first looked at a series of sink holes appearing in the suburbs of Rome and then went down one to explore the cause - caverns carved out by slaves for the volcanic ash (pozzolan ?) used in Roman concrete. The reason the concrete that hardened with exposure to water (cue demonstration) had not been exploited by non-Romans was simply because that particular volcanic ash was only found under Rome.
 
Hmmm. I thought it had been found a while back, and it was really down to a particular type of sand with jagged edges.
 
pantheon.jpg

A Holy beam from Heaven hardens the Pantheon every year, to absolve it from its Pagan past. I captured it a couple of years ago! :nun:
 
Great find MO, any idea where this tidal lagoon will be?
 
I thought that one of the reasons that Roman concrete was more long lived than modern was that it was not reinforced - the steel inside the contemporary variety eventually deteriorates and then damages concrete itself?
 
Maybe it was quicklime?

The ancient Roman Empire still makes its presence felt throughout Europe. Bathhouses, aqueducts, and seawalls built more than 2000 years ago are still standing—thanks to a special type of concrete that has proved far more durable than its modern counterpart. Now, researchers say they have figured out why Roman concrete remains so resilient: Quicklime used in the mix may have given the material self-healing properties.

The work could help engineers improve the performance of modern concrete, says Marie Jackson, a geologist who studies ancient Roman concrete at the University of Utah, but who was not involved with the research.

The Romans were not the first to invent concrete, but they were the first to employ it on a mass scale. By 200 B.C.E., concrete was used in the majority of their construction projects. Roman concrete consisted of a mixture of a white powder known as slaked lime, small particles and rock fragments called tephra ejected by volcanic eruptions, and water. ...

https://www.science.org/content/art...nt-behind-ancient-romes-self-healing-concrete
 
Ascalon said:
Having stood in wonder in the Pantheon, I can only marvel at the ingenuity the Romans showed.
They must have had some kind of scientific process to determine, assess and perfect their recipe.
One can only imagine what would have happened if they had been able to apply it to other areas of technology.
'Triffic race, the Romans. 'Triffic.
Click to expand...
Yes. And don't forget the skill of the joiners/carpenters who made all the formwork, often decorative (to make the concrete decorative when it's removed) that holds the concrete until it sets.
 
Yes agree- the Pantheon is an incredible building, and my favourite in Rome- to stand in it and absorb the atmosphere inside should be on most bucket lists imho ...amazing what they could do - isn’t the dome made from 16 foot thick concrete?
And besides the ahem, lack of Health and Safety legislation back then, I believe there’s no evidence the Romans had the wheelbarrow, or equivalent?
 
What Tyler said:
Yes agree- the Pantheon is an incredible building, and my favourite in Rome- to stand in it and absorb the atmosphere inside should be on most bucket lists imho ...amazing what they could do - isn’t the dome made from 16 foot thick concrete?
And besides the ahem, lack of Health and Safety legislation back then, I believe there’s no evidence the Romans had the wheelbarrow, or equivalent?
Click to expand...
According to Wikipedia, there is slight documentary evidence that the ancient Greeks might have had the wheelbarrow by 400 BC for use on construction sites, not a huge stretch to imagine it might have been used by the Romans, but no evidence has survived if they did.
 
There was another story on this recently:

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2023/01/230106144441.htm

Riddle solved: Why was Roman concrete so durable?​

"Masic wondered: "Was it possible that the Romans might have actually directly used lime in its more reactive form, known as quicklime?"

Studying samples of this ancient concrete, he and his team determined that the white inclusions were, indeed, made out of various forms of calcium carbonate. And spectroscopic examination provided clues that these had been formed at extreme temperatures, as would be expected from the exothermic reaction produced by using quicklime instead of, or in addition to, the slaked lime in the mixture. Hot mixing, the team has now concluded, was actually the key to the super-durable nature."
Click to expand...

To prove that this was indeed the mechanism responsible for the durability of the Roman concrete, the team produced samples of hot-mixed concrete that incorporated both ancient and modern formulations, deliberately cracked them, and then ran water through the cracks. Sure enough: Within two weeks the cracks had completely healed and the water could no longer flow. An identical chunk of concrete made without quicklime never healed, and the water just kept flowing through the sample. As a result of these successful tests, the team is working to commercialize this modified cement material.
Click to expand...

They might have it.
 
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