this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2023
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Why Roman concrete is still stronger than RAAC (and other modern concretes) (www.chemistryworld.com)
submitted 1 year ago by Bobo@lemm.ee to c/science@beehaw.org
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The concrete dome of the Pantheon in Rome remains stable enough for visitors to walk beneath, and some Roman harbours have underwater concrete elements that have not been repaired for two millennia – even though they are in regions often shaken by earthquakes.

Whence this remarkable resilience of Roman concrete architecture? It’s all down to the chemistry.

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[–] Bobo@lemm.ee 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago) (1 children)

Yeah, I think people got rubbed the wrong way only from the title. I don't think they bothered to read it. I don't think the article in any way emphasised that Roman concrete is better than modern; rather it talked about findings of certain researchers. It was the chemistry which I found interesting.

[–] CanadaPlus@lemmy.sdf.org 1 points 1 year ago* (last edited 1 year ago)

Agreed. The article doesn't really make Roman concrete sound great, it even mentions how limited in availability the volcanic ash they used was.

If we wanted to build to last longer, I imagine not using iron-based reinforcement would get us most of the way there, especially where ice isn't a concern.