Scientists have found a cement that can heal itself and grow stronger over time

Modern building materials have a limited service life, concrete is no exception. After a few decades, cracks appear in it and degradation begins. Then buildings and structures must either be modernized or demolished. But, as it turns out, this does not apply to all concrete. The publication spoke about this in more detail. Voice of America.

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The tomb of Cecilia Metella, daughter of Marcus Lucinius Crassus, a commander who served under Julius Caesar, has survived to this day, although it was erected in 50 BC.

Scientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology studied the materials that were used to build the memorial. It turned out that concrete only improved its adhesion properties with building blocks over time.

“Vitruvius, in his 10 books on architecture, names red paciolan as one of the ingredients of concrete of that era. This material was made from volcanic ash found near Naples. It became literally magical for its time, since it could also be used underwater,” explains Professor Amir Mašić.

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The professor claims that the ancient Romans could not have imagined that the building would be so durable, although even then they studied and described the properties of the material. Exactly as they could not explain the mechanisms behind this.

Scientists have found, using dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, that a material restructures, or models itself, improving adhesion properties. It is based on the material leucite, which, upon contact with water, releases potassium, which contributes to this process.

“What we see in our modern materials is, as a rule, a gradual deterioration of mechanical properties. While some ancient materials only improved their characteristics, says Mašić. “The main challenge is how we can integrate these discoveries and ancient wisdom into modern buildings so that they do not collapse, but only improve over time.”

Frequent rains, groundwater, air humidity - all those weather conditions that are considered unfavorable for modern buildings only served to benefit the tomb of Cecilia Metella. What this building can teach modern architects goes beyond its durability. The environmental friendliness of such materials is also important. Concrete production is one of the main sources of carbon dioxide emissions into the atmosphere.

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“This aspect essentially involves eliminating the use of cement clinker, which requires temperatures of 1450 degrees Celsius to create. It accounts for 50% of all emissions associated with the cement industry, which in turn is responsible for 8% of emissions worldwide,” notes Mašić.

The technology of the ancient Romans will not be reproduced in its original form on an industrial scale. Volcanic ash is also unlikely to become an ingredient in “self-healing eco-cement”. Scientists are working to create a synthetic analogue of the leucite material, to create the same reaction in building materials.

“There are a lot of options, and I’m very pleased that we have achieved an understanding of the processes that take place at the molecular level in ancient Roman concrete,” says Mašić.

Representatives of bygone civilizations left us not only architectural monuments, but also technologies associated with their construction. According to Mashich, it was the freedom and scope given to the architects of that time that allowed them to achieve the skill that was useful to their descendants after millennia.

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