10 Things You Might Not Know About Concrete!

10 Fun Facts About Concrete: History, Evolution and Strengths

1. Although most people credit the oldest known concrete use to the Romans, it is actually much earlier around 7000 BC on the floor of an ancient hut in Israel. This lime-based early concrete spread throughout Egypt and Ancient Greece, reaching the Romans around 300 BC.
2. The largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world was built by the Romans and can be found in the Pantheon (in Rome of course!).
3. Many Roman concrete structures are still standing as they are technically “self-healing”. This is because the limestone forms tiny lime clasts that are composed of calcium carbonate. As cracks form in the concrete, the clasts react with water creating a calcium solution that recrystallizes and fills the crack!
4. Modern concrete still uses limestone, however it is now composed of Portland cement, a mixture of limestone, chalk, sand, clay and water.
5. Portland cement that is key to modern day concrete was invented by Joseph Aspadin and patented in 1824.
6. Concrete is incredibly fire and water resistant, hence why we use it for our products!
7. Concrete continues to strengthen with time due to the conversion of calcium hydroxide to calcium carbonate from the absorption of carbon dioxide.
8. Despite its undeniable strength and durability, concrete has since evolved and thus reinforced concrete was created. Concrete can be reinforced using glass fibre, steel or carbon fibre to add structural integrity, reduce cracking and water permeability.
9. The newest and strongest form of concrete is termed “ultra-high performance concrete” (UHPC). It is a material with a projected lifespan of 100 years with exceptional durability, flexibility and longevity. It also has a compressive strength (ability to resist bending under pressure) that is 10 times that of regular concrete!
10. UHPC’s abrasion resistance is twice that of normal concrete and its freeze/thaw resistance is two to three times greater, making UHPC a great choice for cold climates.

The majority of fire pit manufacturers use normal, glass fibre reinforced concrete. However, Solus Decor uses UHPC for all of our fire pits and water features, ensuring their longevity, durability and beauty for many years to come.

Resources: 

• https://www.maxi.co.uk/8-facts-about-concrete-you-may-not-know/ 
• https://concrete.ie/about-concrete/history-of-concrete/#:~:text=Concrete%20has%20been%20in%20existence,stone%20and%20left%20to%20set
• https://www.nachi.org/history-of-concrete.htm 
• https://www.uhpcsolutions.com/blog/what-is-ultra-high-performing-concrete
• https://news.mit.edu/2023/roman-concrete-durability-lime-casts-0106
• https://ekaconcrete.com/10-impressive-facts-concrete/