Concrete and its technology has a come a long way since their its discovery and development. The term ‘Concrete’ is relative as previous limestone was also achieved by the similar process as we are obtaining cement now a days. Ancient binding materials were crude elements obtained from sandstones like lime and when water and sand were added they formed the ancient form of mortar i.e. the lime mortar.
- 3000 BC – Egyptian Pyramids
- 300 BC – 476 AD – Roman Architecture
- 1824 – Invention of Portland Cement
- 1836 – Testing of Cement
- 1889 – Construction of Alvord Lake Bridge
- 1891 – First Concrete Street
- 1903 – The Ingalls Building
- 1908 – Concrete Homes
- 1913 – Ready Mix Concrete
- 1915 – The Colored Concrete
- 1930 – Air Entraining Agents
- 1936 – The Hoover Dam
- 1938 – Concrete Overlay
- 1950 – Decorative Concrete
- 1967 – Concrete Sports Dome
- 1970 – Fiber Reinforced Concrete
- 1980 – Concrete Countertops
- 1990 – Concrete Engraving
- 1992- Tallest Concrete Building
- 1999 – Polished Concrete
- Conclusion
Over centuries these crude materials have been improved upon and led us towards the development of modern concrete that is having high performance matrix. Today, the concrete is the optimized combination of cement, sand, coarse aggregates, plasticizers and super-plasticizer, secondary raw materials, etc. that are added in brilliant fashion to incorporate the optimum properties in concrete.
The history of cement dates back at least 12 million years. Cement was being made when the planet underwent significant natural geologic change. The earliest cement used by mankind was this organic substance. They eventually figured out how to create cement using different ingredients.
As technology advanced, builders and architects were able to create curves, cut-outs and other eye catching design elements out of concrete.
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I have compiled a list of noteworthy events and discoveries in the history of concrete, ranging from the Great Pyramids of Giza to smart sensors, etc.
3000 BC – Egyptian Pyramids
Over 5000 years ago, the Egyptians used early kinds of concrete to create pyramids. They made bricks out of mud and straw, and mortars out of gypsum and lime.
300 BC – 476 AD – Roman Architecture
Many of the ancient Romans’ architectural masterpieces, such as the Colosseum and the Pantheon, were built with a substance that is very similar to contemporary cement. As an early kind of additive, the Romans employed animal products in their cement.
1824 – Invention of Portland Cement
The current portland cement was invented by Joseph Aspdin of England. He called his cement Portland after a rock quarry known for producing extremely strong stone. Cement was invented by burning finely ground chalk and clay until the carbon dioxide was removed.
1836 – Testing of Cement
The first test of tensile and compressive strength took place in Germany.
1889 – Construction of Alvord Lake Bridge
This was the first concrete reinforced bridge was built by Ernest L. Ransome in San Francisco, America. Alvord Lake Bridge still exists today, over two hundred years after it was built. The bridge has a single arch having dimensions as 64′ with a 20′ span.
1891 – First Concrete Street
The first American concrete street was built in Bellefontaine, Ohio, claims to be the ‘America’s Oldest Concrete Street‘. This is a modern photo of the historic street.
1903 – The Ingalls Building
The first concrete high rise was built in Cincinnati, Ohio. The Ingalls Building has sixteen stories and was a great engineering feat of its time.
1908 – Concrete Homes
Thomas Edison designed and built the first concrete homes in Union, New Jersey. These homes still exist today.
1913 – Ready Mix Concrete
The first load of ready mix was delivered in Baltimore, Maryland.
1915 – The Colored Concrete
Lynn Mason Scofield founded L.M. Scofield, the first company to produce color for concrete. Their products included color hardeners, colorwax integral color, sealers, and chemical stains.
1930 – Air Entraining Agents
Air entraining agents were used for the first time in cement to resist against damage from freezing and thawing.
1936 – The Hoover Dam
The Hoover Dam was built along the Colorado River, bordering Arizona and Nevada. It was the largest scale concrete project ever completed.
1938 – Concrete Overlay
John Crossfield was the first to receive a patent for a concrete overlay. He add latex to portland cement, aggregate, and other materials to make a covering for ship decks.
1950 – Decorative Concrete
Brad Bowman developed the Bomanite process, the original cast-in-place, colored, textured and imprinted architectural concrete paving, in the middle 1950’s in Monterey, California.
1967 – Concrete Sports Dome
The first concrete domed sports arena, known as the Assembly Hall, was built at the University of Illinois.
1970 – Fiber Reinforced Concrete
Fiber reinforcement was introduced as a way to strengthen concrete.
1980 – Concrete Countertops
Buddy Rhodes, the father of the concrete countertop, cast his first countertop in the mid ’80s. Around the same time, Fu-Tung Cheng also cast his first concrete countertop.
1990 – Concrete Engraving
Darrel Adamson desined the Engrave-A-Crete ® System.
1992- Tallest Concrete Building
The tallest reinforced concrete building was built in Chicago, Illinois. The 65-story building is known only by its street address, 311 South Wacker Drive.
1999 – Polished Concrete
The first installation of a polished concrete floor in the US was a 40,000-square-foot warehouse floor for the Bellagio in Las Vegas.
Conclusion
Let’s end this topic over here. History of concrete is too big to cover in one article. Anyhow feel free to add, subtract, correct the details given above by writing your queries in the Comments Section given below. Have a Great Day!
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