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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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