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Why Roman concrete is still stronger than RAAC (and other modern concretes)
(www.chemistryworld.com)
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this post was submitted on 11 Sep 2023
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Is it that we don't know how to make concrete of equal/greater resilience? Or that modern concrete optimizes for something else (I'm guessing cost)? I didn't RTFA.
They are comparing roman concrete to portland cement, the most common formula. The kind of strength being emphasized is durability, because roman concrete has unique chemistry that allows small cracks to fill themselves. Modern special-purpose concrete blends can outperform roman concrete in other measures of strength, however.
Thats right. I remember the engineering dept. of my university would hold "concrete boat" competitions to highlight this point exactly. Concrete is a mixture, and different mistures are used for different purposes. Im not a civil engineer, but I wonder how well would roman concrete perform in 100+ floor buildings or expansive multi-floor complexes. Even if it performs "well", is it cost effective? I doubt it will be better than a min-maxed mix determined by project/area/budget/etc
That's interesting!