Ancient World (about 3000BC-476AD)
15 Roman Concrete
Christopher Luiso
Introduction
Stretching from England to parts of Africa and the Middle East, the Roman Empire rose to power around two thousand years ago and flourished as one of the strongest empires to ever exist. It is argued by many people that a specific technology utilized by the Roman Empire was the driving force of Rome and the fall of the great empire followed the decline of this innovation. What innovation from two thousand years ago could both birth and kill an empire? The Romans called it “opus caementicium”, but today we simply call it Roman concrete. The concrete was made from three components: aggregate, mortar, and facing. The aggregate was made from stones, terra cotta, or tiling. The mortar was created by mixing lime, water, and ash or sand. The main ash that was used reacted with water and lime to create a strong and waterproof bond (Tellis and Rosenzweig, 2018). Roman concrete also contained elements that reacted with water when damaged to self-heal and create stronger bonds. Their use of such a remarkable material, opus caementicium, drove the empire to its strengths by allowing construction and longevity of harbors, aqueducts, roads, sewers, and amazing structures (Jackson, Oleson, Moon, Zhang, Chen, & Gudmundsson, 2018).
Connection to STS
Ancient Roman concrete famously known for its longevity and durability serves as a reminder how science, technology, and society intersect. The concrete composing of aggregate, mortar, facing, and other elements allowed the concrete to repair itself and grow stronger over time, something modern concrete is not able to do. This shows advanced knowledge of chemistry and materials science. Roman concrete also enabled the construction of famous structures such as the Pantheon and the Colosseum, aqueducts, and harbors demonstrating engineering and architectural practices showing their technological advancements. The use of this material also impacted society as it improved infrastructure, increased trade, and improved daily life across the empire. Not only has the use of concrete allowed for Rome to prosper and influence many aspects of life to this day, but Roman concrete also inspires modern scientists and engineers to create better, more sustainable, building materials.
Harbors
Before Rome’s concrete, harbors were built were only built in locations with advantageous geography or topography. The Romans revolutionized this practice by developing concrete that was able to set and harden underwater. This allowed for Rome to build more harbors in any location they deemed desirable. This allowed for a connection of ports and harbors between parts of Northern Africa to parts of Europe as well as the Middle East. With the now grand use and widespread construction of new harbors there was a connection between the world and the rise of the first global empire and economy (Brandon, Oleson, Jackson, & Hohlfelder, 2014).
Aqueducts
Aqueducts built wit