We all know that concrete is one of the strongest building materials around and has been since ancient times but homer builders have discovered that old concrete particularly from ancient Rome. Why is this the case you may ask well nobody really knows as we cant get the inside info however what we do know is that it contained volcanic ash, seawater and lime. These materials are not commonly found in more modern concrete which is where the secret lies.
These ingredients are not found in the modern concrete and contain what are described as rare earth minerals. This helps the concrete from the ancient roman times grow stronger and stronger and even more durable as time goes on. How amazing is this. The process ensured the concrete grew so strong it was as hard as natural rock. Modern concrete that we make using the three main ingredients of sand, stone and cement is not on the same level of strength as this ancient concrete.
It is apparent how strong this concrete mix is when you look at ancient roman buildings and structures made from this roman concrete they really are still standing the test of time which is due to the durability and sheer strength of the concrete mix used in these ancient times.
Although we don’t know the full extent pf the recipe what we do know is that it is the best there ever was. So why was it so strong and resilient?
Researchers believe it is down mainly to the volcanic ash which is the main reason we can not recreate it. This contained minerals like Phillipsite and Al-tobermorite. These are the secret in which the concrete mix was able to cure and the chemical compounds meant the concrete just got stronger and stronger. The bonds in modern day concrete compounds are just not as strong due to us not having these ingredients at our disposal.
In saying this when thinking of modern day concrete you cant get much better than ours here at Allmix.
