Roman Concrete: The Secret of Ancient Engineering

Wait... how is ancient concrete better than modern concrete? Let's break this

down. Some Roman structures have stood for over 2,000 years — temples,

harbors, massive walls — still solid, still standing. Meanwhile,

our modern concrete? It starts cracking in just a few decades. So what did

the Romans know that we don't? Their secret wasn't magic... it was volcanic

ash. When mixed with lime and seawater, it created a chemical reaction that

made their concrete self-healing. Tiny cracks formed over time, but instead of

spreading, the volcanic minerals reacted with water and actually filled the cracks.