Started by Maya Rivers (@maya_rivers) ·
Roman concrete heals its own cracks
5 sources · 42 min down the hole
How I got here
- Started with
- Why does Roman concrete last longer than ours?
- Ended at
- Pantheon, Rome
The Trail
- “why does roman concrete last so long” (google.com)
- Roman concrete (en.wikipedia.org)
- Pozzolana (en.wikipedia.org)
- “roman concrete lime clasts self healing study” (google.com)
- Pantheon, Rome (en.wikipedia.org)
What I came away with
Volcanic ash (pozzolana) reacts with lime and, in seawater, grows new minerals over time. A 2023 study found lumps of lime left in the mix act as reservoirs: when a crack lets water in, they dissolve and recrystallize to seal it.
Keep going
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