Concrete has come a long way since the times of the Egyptian Pyramids and the Roman Empire where it was used to build major structures. At the time, concrete was made up of crushed limestone, volcanic ash, and chunks of volcanic rock.
However, its use spans over 8,500 years, from the time concrete structures were recorded in the UAE. At some point, concrete disappeared for nearly 1,400 years and was rediscovered in the seventeenth century. Over thousands of years, it has undergone immense transformation to become one of the widely used construction materials.
Let’s look at the historical evolution of concrete.
6500 BC—Concrete was used by Nabataea traders in regions of southern Syria and northern Jordan to construct floors, houses, and underground cisterns. At the time, concrete was made up of limestone, pebbles, and oil shale.
3000 BC—During this time, Egyptians used a mixture of mud and straw, and mortars made with gypsum and lime to bind bricks. The Egyptians used the mortars to make the Great Pyramids at Giza, while the Chinese used a form of cement to construct the Great Wall of China.
600 BC—The Greeks discovered lime mortars which were much harder than those used by the Chinese to build the Great Wall of China. During the Middle Ages (1200-1500), the use of concrete crept backward when the Roman Empire collapsed.
1793—John Smeaton discovered an efficient method of producing hydraulic lime which helped to modernize the production of concrete. Smeaton mixed limestone chalk with clay and burned the mixture in a kiln to remove carbon dioxide.
1824—Fast forward to 1924, Portland cement was invented by Joseph Aspdin and thereafter, many other people made concrete breakthroughs that helped concrete technology to take a big leap forward. Throughout the 19th century, concrete was used to construct buildings, bridges, dams, and other structures.
1902— August Perret—a French architect designed and built a concrete apartment building in Paris. Two years later, the first high-rise concrete building was built in Cincinnati, Ohio. Further concrete breakthroughs were made throughout the 20th century, including the construction of the first major concrete dam in 1936 and the introduction of polished concrete in the United States.
2016—One of the latest concrete technology breakthroughs during the 21st century is the world’s first fully functional 3D printed concrete building in Dubai.
As you can see, concrete has come a long way from the time of the Egyptian Pyramids to the present-day 3D-printed concrete houses.
Have an Upcoming Concrete Project? Let Artistic Concrete Designs Help You Out!
Artistic Concrete Designs is a full-service concrete company that offers a wide array of concrete services, including concrete installation, epoxy garage flooring, concrete replacement, resurfacing, and many more. Whether you’re looking to install a concrete driveway in your newly constructed home, repair stamped concrete surfaces in your commercial property, or add an epoxy coating to your concrete, you can count on our team at Artistic Concrete Designs to get it done.
If you have any questions about concrete or hardscaping projects please call us at (770) 580-2700 or contact us online.