Ancient Romans became famous for technical achievements, including the construction of water pipes and creating extremely powerful concrete structures. Monuments like a Pantheon with its two thousand dome -Y are still surprised.
For many years, scientists have fought on the clarification of the secret of Roman concrete. The main hypothesis is considered to use Putzzolan – volcanic ash – combined with gashny lime. However, a revolutionary study of the international group under the auspices of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) revealed a more complex technology of ancient builders.
Previously, the white burial in the structure of the material was considered as a result of the careless blend of the components. Professor Mit Admir Masik challenged this version. If the Romans are very careful to approach the creation of construction materials, why do they allow poor mixing? Obviously there was something else here, he said.
The analysis of samples from the ancient Roman city shows that: lime is used not only in Gashny, but also in sound form (calcium oxide). Perhaps, it is connected to Putzzolan and water at high temperatures – a method called a hot mix. The results of the work are published in Scientific progress.
This approach not only increases hardness, but also provides concrete with automatic repair. In the formation of cracks, water interact with lime, producing calcium carbonate, filling with disabilities. Laboratory tests have confirmed: The concrete according to the Roman formula has been completely restored in 14 days, while the similar damage is modern.
Scientists believe that the introduction of ancient technology will create strong and environmentally friendly construction materials.