Nearly 2,000 years on, how are the Colosseum and the Pantheon still standing despite earthquakes, floods and military conflicts?
The short answer: their concrete was different.
>Roman concrete, on the other hand, is a simpler mix of quicklime made from baking and crushing limestone rocks and, most importantly, volcanic rock aggregates of various types, which were abundant in the region surrounding Rome. In contrast to the aggregates used in modern concrete, these volcanic materials used by the Romans are highly reactive and the resulting concrete remains chemically active for centuries after it first hardens.
Amazing
Oh, oh, I can answer this.
Because they haven’t fallen.
Because they knew how to make concrete is the main reason.
I would add, a construction in Roman times had functionality as a design purpose, not cost reduction and mere profit as it is today.
Survivorship bias? Maybe only the strongest, most durable buildings lasted.
BBC in shambles because they couldn’t give the Elgin treatment to Roman monuments
8 comments
Nearly 2,000 years on, how are the Colosseum and the Pantheon still standing despite earthquakes, floods and military conflicts?
The short answer: their concrete was different.
>Roman concrete, on the other hand, is a simpler mix of quicklime made from baking and crushing limestone rocks and, most importantly, volcanic rock aggregates of various types, which were abundant in the region surrounding Rome. In contrast to the aggregates used in modern concrete, these volcanic materials used by the Romans are highly reactive and the resulting concrete remains chemically active for centuries after it first hardens.
Amazing
Oh, oh, I can answer this.
Because they haven’t fallen.
Because they knew how to make concrete is the main reason.
I would add, a construction in Roman times had functionality as a design purpose, not cost reduction and mere profit as it is today.
Survivorship bias? Maybe only the strongest, most durable buildings lasted.
BBC in shambles because they couldn’t give the Elgin treatment to Roman monuments
Good engineering
It’s called the “Eternal City” for a reason.