riveradams•1mo ago

PSA: I just read that the Romans used volcanic ash in their mortar, and some of it is still solid after 2,000 years.

Found it in an old library book about ancient construction. Makes you think about what we're building to last, right?

3 comments

3 Comments

bettyfox1mo ago

Crazy how they just used what was around them, right? Makes modern concrete seem kinda weak in comparison.

wright.lisa1mo ago

Wonder what the recipe was. @kaid59, do we even know why their mix worked so well? Seems like we lost some good tricks.

kaid591mo ago

Hold up, let's not trash modern concrete! That Roman stuff lasted, sure, but it set crazy slow and they couldn't build tall with it. Our stuff dries fast, we can pour it anywhere, and our skyscrapers would blow their minds. Lasting forever is cool, but so is building a whole city in a decade.