Decode the mystery of ancient Roman architecture

A group of researchers led by Dr. Anthony Ingraffea of ​​Cornell University (USA) has revealed clues to the longevity of Roman monuments such as Colosseum and Pantheon.

More than 2,000 years ago, the Romans developed a standard formula for making mortar that links pebbles and stones made of volcanic ash and bricks to build structures.

Photo: sci-news

The scientists took 180 days to reconstruct the structure and compare it with the Roman construction work 1,900 years ago, especially the structure of calcium-alumino-silicate compound creating durability in construction.

The site, Dr. Marie Jackson, a member of the research team, said that they used X-rays to scan many different points to understand the microstructure to help the project survive for thousands of years.

Currently, concrete is created by mainly cement materials. But to produce cement, it is necessary to heat a mixture of limestone and clay at 1,450 degrees Celsius, so it is very energy consuming and emits a lot of greenhouse gases. It is estimated that cement production generates 7% of global CO2 annually.

Meanwhile, the ancient Roman mortar consists of 85% of volcanic ash with water and calcined lime at low temperature so less gas emissions cause global climate change phenomenon.

Sci-News quoted Dr. Marie Jackson as saying that we should learn how to make mortar like the Romans to limit carbon but still achieve mechanical strength over time.