Has the Secret of ‘Self-Healing’ Roman Concrete Been Revealed?

50 to 100 years. That’s about the lifespan of modern concrete structures. After that, the concrete begins to crumble and degrade. In contrast, Roman structures built from concrete continue to stand some 2,000 years after they were built. So, what gives? A team of researchers says they have the answer…

The background

It’s undeniable that the Romans were masters of engineering and construction, building vast networks of roads, aqueducts, ports, temples, and other grand structures.

That many of these things persist to the present day is testament to the Romans’ skill and knowledge.

The longevity of these concrete structures is all the more impressive when you consider the events to which they have been subjected such as battles, natural disasters, revolutions, societal collapse and all the other vicissitudes of history.

In comparison to the concrete structures of modernity - which succumb to the forces of entropy in a little less than a century - the Romans’ engineering skills seem almost God-like.

How did they manage something that us ‘moderns’ haven’t been able to achieve?

It’s a question that has plagued researchers for decades.