Science Reveals the Secret to Ancient Rome's Indestructible Concrete

❝Roman concrete is famous for its durability, lasting for thousands of years and seemingly stronger with each passing year. New research has uncovered the chemical processes responsible for the sturdiness of this ancient building material—a finding that could inspire modern engineers to revive this forgotten technique.

If this news about ancient Roman concrete sounds familiar, it’s probably because you’re remembering work done by the same researchers a few years ago. Back in 2014, a research team led by Marie D. Jackson of the University of California at Berkeley showed how the recipe for Roman concrete—a mixture of volcanic ash, lime, and seawater combined with a volcanic rock aggregate—produced a chemical reaction that resulted in super-strong concrete. Trouble is, Jackson’s team wasn’t entirely sure how the Romans managed to facilitate this complex reaction.

In a follow-up study, published this week in American Mineralogist, the researchers have learned that it wasn’t the Romans who facilitated this chemical reaction—at least not directly. Rather, the strengthening process was caused by the steady filtering of corrosive seawater through the concrete over time, which triggered the growth of rare, interlocking minerals that made the material even tougher.❞
     — George Dvorsky

Tags: skimmed + George Dvorsky + Romans + concrete + engineers + Marie D. Jackson + University of California at Berkeley + volcanic ash + lime + seawater + volcanic rock aggregate