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   news
   Rome wasn't built in a day, but its concrete has lasted centuries

Social Sharing

   [116]Technology & Science

Rome wasn't built in a day, but its concrete has lasted centuries

   The way the ancient Romans made concrete could be the answer to
   stronger, longer-lasting structures in the modern world.

Social Sharing

Romans purposely made concrete that became stronger in seawater

   [117]Nicole Riva · CBC News · Posted: Jul 06, 2017 3:50 PM ET | Last
   Updated: July 7, 2017
   ROMACONS drilling at a marine structure in Portus Cosanus, Tuscany in
   2003. ROMACONS helped provide information on ancient concrete for Marie
   Jackson's research. (J. P. Oleson)

   A modern concrete structure built in or near seawater is expected to
   decay and crumble within a few decades, but if you travel to the
   Mediterranean you'll see concrete structures in water that are standing
   strong after thousands of years.

   Ever wonder why?

   The simple answer is because ancient Romans used a different mixture to
   make their concrete — one designed to get stronger as its chemical
   structure changed.

   The more complex answer, explained Marie Jackson, a research associate
   professor in the department of geology and geophysics at the University
   of Utah, is because of a unique and rare mineral called aluminous
   tobermorite. The Romans were able to create aluminous tobermorite by
   using volcanic ash and lime (calcium oxide) in their concrete mixture.

   When the ancient concrete comes in contact with seawater the aluminous
   tobermorite crystallizes and creates an even stronger substance,
   Jackson told CBC News.

   "It's a rather remarkable discovery because it means that this is a
   concrete that continues to react and change over time in a very good
   way," she said, referring to her findings published earlier this week
   in [118]American Mineralogist.
   This microscopic image shows the lumpy
   calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) binder material that forms
   when volcanic ash, lime and seawater mix. (Courtesy Marie Jackson)

   The Romans didn't stumble upon this substance haphazardly, she
   said. They studied how rocks reacted when in contact with water before
   devising the solution for concrete made up of the ash and lime.

   "It's an excellent foundation for the durability of the concrete,"
   Jackson said.

   Modern concrete isn't designed with the same durability in mind.

   "It's an inexpensive material that can be mixed and installed very
   quickly and [has] a great deal of versatility and high compressive
   strength," Jackson said.

   However, modern concrete is not designed to interact with large
   quantities of water because there are negative effects, she said.

   To learn more about how ancient Romans made this concrete, Jackson's
   team has worked with Canadian researcher John Oleson of the University
   of Victoria. Oleson is a classics scholar who has done extensive
   research on ancient engineering and co-authored a book with Jackson
   called [119]Building for Eternity: The History and Technology of Roman
   Concrete Engineering in the Sea.

   The book details Oleson's project to recreate Roman concrete and build
   an underwater of a reproduction of a Roman pier as part of the
   [120]Roman Maritime Concrete Study (ROMACONS).

   IFRAME: [121]https://www.youtube.com/embed/ikH6Vmb0pog

   Jackson said Oleson has the ratios for the ancient concrete mixture
   that can create aluminous tobermorite, which isn't commonly found in
   nature.

   "We're trying to recreate this very special mineral that has some very
   important societal benefits," she said.

   Because aluminous tobermorite creates stronger structures, Jackson sees
   the potential to use it to build waste repositories for hazardous
   materials.

   "The Romans are teaching us how to reproduce very important minerals in
   ways that we would have never considered before," she said. "Having the
   mineral in the concrete with longevity would be very valuable."

   Jackson's latest discovery builds off previous research published in
   [122]2013.
   [123]CBC's Journalistic Standards and Practices|[124]About CBC News
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External Links

     * [125]Water-rock reactions in Roman marine concrete
     * [126]Unlocking the secrets of Al-tobermorite in Roman seawater
       concrete

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