Get to know CONCRETE: The rising ages of it

Concrete is a principal materials in construction industry and is widely used from ancient to modern times. The primary compositions that form concrete are cement, aggregate (sand and gravel) with the presence of water. With different formulations and additives, concrete has various properties and is suitable to used in different places.

The word concrete is originated from the Latin word “concretus”. It has a meaning of “to grow together” and forming a compact or condensed chemical compounds. This name is very precise in describing a material like concrete because the chemical hydration process, which primarily occurs over the time scale of hours and days, causes the material to grow together from a viscoelastic, moldable liquid into a hard, rigid solid.

Hard, rigid solid of concrete cubes 

Concrete technology was known by the Ancient Romans and was widely used within the Roman Empire. During the Roman Empire, the very first concrete is made concrete from quicklime, pozzolona and an aggregate of pumice. This formulation to compose concrete was invented by Roman. At that era, Roman construction was restricted from using materials like stone and brick. However, upon the creation of concrete, its widespread use in many Roman structure has achieved revolutionary new designs in terms of both structural complexity and dimension in architecture industry. 

The Romans have extensively used the concrete in building 5,300 miles of road. This quantity is significant in comparison to 4,200 miles of interstate highways in the United States nowadays. While Roman roads ceased carrying chariot traffic long ago, one road in Bellefontaine, Ohio, which is constructed using concrete as its principal materials, has put in over 100 years of service and still provides a route for cars and trucks to travel. Apart from that, many of the concrete structures built has survived to the present day. One famous example is the Hadrian’s Pantheon in Rome.

The Hadrian’s Pantheon  

However, after the Empire of Roman passed, the use of concrete became scarce until the technology was re-pioneered in the mid-18th century. Today, concrete is finding more inventive uses including residential construction and works of art. Famous concrete structures in the world for the time being include the Buri Khalifa, Dubai, the tallest building in the world, the Hoover Dam and The Panama Canal.

The Buri Khalifa, Dubai  

The Hoover Dam  

The Panama Canal