Engineering · Roman Empire Daily
Roman concrete could heal its own cracks, and some structures have lasted ~2,000 years because of it.
Deep dive
Roman marine concrete mixed volcanic ash (pozzolana) with lime and seawater. Modern analysis found that lime clasts in the mix react with water seeping into cracks, recrystallizing to seal them. Researchers are studying the recipe to make longer-lasting modern concrete.
Source: Seymour, Jackson et al., 'Hot mixing: Mechanistic insights into the durability of ancient Roman concrete,' Science Advances, 2023.
Get one real Roman fact every day
On your home screen. Human-written, source-checked, myth-free.
