r/science • u/mvea Professor | Medicine • Nov 03 '19

Chemistry Scientists replaced 40 percent of cement with rice husk cinder, limestone crushing waste, and silica sand, giving concrete a rubber-like quality, six to nine times more crack-resistant than regular concrete. It self-seals, replaces cement with plentiful waste products, and should be cheaper to use.

https://newatlas.com/materials/rubbery-crack-resistant-cement/
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u/5757co Nov 03 '19

Pozzuoli, Italy. Otherwise a good simple explanation of the basics of cement!

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u/xcvbsdfgwert Nov 03 '19

Also note that longevity of the original Roman concrete has not (yet) been reached in modern times, i.e., the original recipe was lost.

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u/lapsed_pacifist Nov 03 '19

Eh. That was more true in the last century, we have a pretty good handle on how concrete works at this point.

The original recipes have been lost, but to say that ancient romans had better or a clearer understanding of how to make good concrete is just wrong.

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u/exceptionaluser Nov 03 '19

They barely had any understanding on how their concrete worked.

They knew that stone from a specific hole made concrete work, so they used it.