Concrete: We use it for our buildings, bridges, dams, and roads. We
walk on it, drive on it, and many of us live and work within its
walls. But very few of us know what it is. We take for granted this
ubiquitous substance, which both literally and figuratively
comprises much of modern civilization's constructed environment;
yet the story of its creation and development features a cast of
fascinating characters and remarkable historical episodes. This
book delves into this history, opening readers' eyes at every
turn.In a lively narrative peppered with intriguing details, author
Robert Corland describes how some of the most famous personalities
of history became involved in the development and use of
concrete-including King Herod the Great of Judea, the Roman emperor
Hadrian, Thomas Edison (who once owned the largest concrete cement
plant in the world), and architect Frank Lloyd Wright. Courland
points to recent archaeological evidence suggesting that the
discovery of concrete directly led to the Neolithic Revolution and
the rise of the earliest civilizations. Much later, the Romans
reached extraordinarily high standards for concrete production,
showcasing their achievement in iconic buildings like the Coliseum
and the Pantheon. Amazingly, with the fall of the Roman Empire, the
secrets of concrete manufacturing were lost for over a millennium.
The author explains that when concrete was rediscovered in the late
eighteenth century it was initially viewed as an interesting
novelty or, at best, a specialized building material suitable only
for a narrow range of applications. It was only toward the end of
the nineteenth century that the use of concrete exploded. During
this rapid expansion, industry lobbyists tried to disguise the fact
that modern concrete had certain defects and critical shortcomings.
It is now recognized that modern concrete, unlike its Roman
predecessor, gradually disintegrates with age. Compounding this
problem is another distressing fact: the manufacture of concrete
cement is a major contributor to global warming. Concrete Planet is
filled with incredible stories, fascinating characters, surprising
facts, and an array of intriguing insights into the building
material that forms the basis of the infrastructure on which we
depend.
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