Improvements to Modern Concrete From the Roman Empire

Research into 2000 year old construction methods and materials could mean a major improvement in modern ones.

What are you talking about?

Take a look at some of the concrete around you.  Is it cracked, pitted, or worn away?

I tend to watch a lot of travel and history shows, and because of that, I hear about the Roman Empire and their concrete quite a bit.  And every time I do, the same thought runs through my mind.  "Why is it that concrete 2000 years old is still holding together but the modern stuff that's a fraction of that age is giving up the ghost so quickly?"

Guess they just don't make it like they used to.

Cliché saying aside, it appears that is exactly what's going on.  I came across a recent article in Scientific American talking about how researchers at MIT had proposed that Roman concrete was so resilient because of the different ingredients and manufacturing methods used to make it compared to modern concrete.

Roman concrete was made using quicklime and volcanic ash, which was then mixed with water.  What the researchers found was that the resulting chemical reaction creates a very porous mortar.  Normally, that's something you don't want in concrete, but in this case, it allows minerals like calcium to pass through and harden, filling in any cracks.

The researchers hope that the 'self-healing' feature of Roman concrete can be applied to modern materials, improving the durability and longevity of modern concrete.