<
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/10/19/science/concrete-roman-construction.html?unlocked_article_code=1.UE4.txce.q4n_VQ6QyaeX>
"In June, the Italian Ministry of Culture announced the excavation of a new
room, not yet open to the public, in the ruins of Pompeii. A few weeks later, a
group of archaeologists gathered to marvel at it: walls covered with bright
blue paint — an expensive pigment reserved for special rooms — and detailed
frescoes of agricultural images remarkably well preserved after almost 2,000
years.
Admir Masic, a chemist at M.I.T., was more captivated by what appeared, to an
unschooled guest, like an unremarkable pile of sandy dirt at the edge of the
room. The material, light tan and granular, had been a critical component of
the Roman Empire, he said: the precursor to concrete, a mainstay of Roman
infrastructure, including the aqueducts that brought fresh water to cities like
Pompeii.
“They managed to bring water to the city, and with water came hygiene,” Dr.
Masic said. “That technological advance allowed them to, first of all, build
Rome as it is, but also replicate this anywhere they would go.” He spread his
arms as if circumscribing the entire Roman world.
Modern concrete, based on a material known as Portland cement, was developed in
England in the 19th century and is the world’s most popular building material
by far. It is cheap, strong and standardized, providing engineers everywhere
with an easy material for building apartments, dams, skyscrapers and more. But
it is much less resilient than the concrete used in Roman times; over the
course of decades, it develops cracks that, by letting water in, can eventually
destroy the material.
Moreover, the manufacture of concrete is a major driver of climate change,
producing 8 percent of carbon dioxide emissions worldwide. By learning the
secrets of Roman concrete, researchers like Dr. Masic are trying to devise
greener, more durable modern options.
“Roman marine concretes have survived in one of the most aggressive
environments on Earth with no maintenance at all,” said Marie Jackson, a
geologist at the University of Utah."
Via
Fix the News:
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Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
