Posted on 04/09/2023 11:30:54 AM PDT by Texas Fossil
Concrete is an incredibly useful and versatile building material on which not only today’s societies, but also the ancient Roman Empire was built. To this day Roman concrete structures can be found in mundane locations such as harbors, but also the Pantheon in Rome, which to this day forms the largest unreinforced concrete dome in existence at 43.3 meters diameter, and is in excellent condition despite being being nearly 1,900 years old.
Even as the Roman Empire fell and receded into what became the Byzantine – also known as the Eastern Roman – Empire and the world around these last remnants of Roman architecture changed and changed again, all of these concrete structures remained despite knowledge of how to construct structures like them being lost to the ages. Perhaps the most astounding thing is that even today our concrete isn’t nearly as durable, despite modern inventions such as reinforcing with rebar.
Reverse-engineering ancient Roman concrete has for decades now been the source of intense study and debate, with a recent paper by Linda M. Seymour and colleagues adding an important clue to the puzzle. Could so-called ‘hot mixing’, with pockets of reactive lime clasts inside the cured concrete provide self-healing properties?
Some of our ancestors were incredibly smart, in spite of little "scientific knowledge".
I found this a very interesting article. Found it researching modern science (SDR radio).
So much for *ignorant* ancient peoples.
they put us to shame continually what with what they were able to do without the technology and heavy equipment we depend on so highly.
Yeah.
Yep
Did the Roman concrete makers do this on purpose, or was it a fortunate result of imperfect manufacturing methods? it’s remarkable either way.
I know someone into that who Ancient Alien thing. Seeing the old stone structures, Pyramids, etc. they conclude people back then could not have done it.
I keep telling them they cannot fathom how intelligent and ingenious they were.
It’s an insult to those peoples to conclude that a flying saucer must have showed up and done it for them.
It only takes one smart person and one wealthy person to make a major impact. The pyramids: pulley system. Easy as pie.
No, they did not “engineer” it.
They used all available ingredients and over time figured out what worked and what did not work.
That said, there have always been some people who were better builder than others. Throughout history.
We are not all alike and never will be.
The idiots now bowing to the great computer in the sky, will fail in the end.
God is in charge, not a stupid machine.
Tells us they were smarter than us
Yes. Gifts are given.
I had an ancestor who was an inventor. He patented a washing machine, sold the patent and bought land in a remote new area. He spent his life playing with mechanical things. He and his son in law did well.
One can only imagine some “woke” engineering school concrete...it would dissolve completely by the time it reached outside temperature. But the remaining grain would be multi-colored.
Some were much smarter than many brainwashed people today.
That is a set of tracks. smile
Honestly?
That is pretty accurate.
Go Woke, Go Broke. is Valid.
We must remember to factor in the existential threat of “CLIMAGEDDON” when talking about concrete. Well, when talking about anything. You know, like the existential threat facing the transcomms. 😲😂
Exactly
The Romans could also teach us a lot about the adverse impact of moral deviancy.
Their collapse should even today be a benchmark warning to the END.
I have always found concrete to be one of the wonders of the world because of its properties:
If it is poured as dry as possible, it gets harder. However, if it is kept damp while curing, it gets even harder.
There are different ‘slumps’ in the mixture which can change the properties somewhat.
It can cure in 7 days but does not cure fully when it can get it hardest, that time is 28 days. It is time-related and nothing more. Those who say that there is still uncured concrete in the Hoover Dam are full of hooey.
All of its properties are kind of contrary to logic, aren’t they? Concrete is, indeed, curious, to say the least. ;-)
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