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A Classical Example For The Evolution Of Concrete Since The Ancient History ...

A classical example for the evolution of concrete since the ancient history is the use of concrete by Romans in 300 BC when they found that mixing a pink sand-like material which was volcanic ash they obtained from Pozzuoli with their normal lime-based concretes resulted in a far stronger material.
The history behind the use of aggregate to make concrete mix dates back to as early as the early the Roman period when the Romans used innovative methods in preparing concrete mixes with different aggregate materials to suit the structural requirements and strength. The classical examples for the above statement include the use of lightweight aggregates as in the roof of the Pantheon, and embedded reinforcement in the form of bronze bars as argued by Leif Berntsson Satish Chandra (2002). The technology in concrete using different aggregates as well as accounting for thermal and other physical qualities of re-enforcing materials to make concrete mixes that provide the desired strength is evident throughout history although the industrial revolution and the increase in the engineering and the role of steel in the 20th century have increased the innovation as well as developments around the technology of making the right concrete mix.
Concrete is not only a critical element in the civil structural applications but also a key element in many other applications surrounding the construction business making it one of the important and most sought after product in the engineering business itself as argued by Fu-Tung Cheng and Eric Olsen (2002). This is naturally because of the fact that concrete is not only a component in the construction of civil structures but also a design ingredient in deciding upon the strength, truss and other physical elements that govern the stability of a given building. This is also justified in the arguments of Leif Berntsson Satish Chandra (2002).
The definition of cement in engineering terms refers to powdered materials which develop strong adhesive qualities when combined with water. This makes it clear that the cementing action of volcanic ash that was used to make concrete by the Romans fall under the cement. It is further evident that concrete is referred to as a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate and cement binder.
From the above it is clear that the developments in the quality of cement and the invention of Portland cement, gypsum plaster, etc have a direct influence on the development of the concrete technology although the aggregate component of the concrete composition plays an equally important role in various mixes of concrete that serve a desired purpose as argued by Leif Berntsson Satish Chandra (2002).


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