Assessment of material characteristics of ancient concretes, Grande Aula, Markets of Trajan, Rome

Jackson, M.; Logan, John M.; Scheetz, Barry E.; Deocampo, Daniel M.; Cawood, Carl G.; Marra, Fabrizio; Vitti, Mássimo; Ungaro, Lucrezia

doi:10.1016/j.jas.2009.07.011

Cited by 71 publications

(65 citation statements)

References 23 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…These natural mineral cements have excellent pozzolanic properties (9). Relicts of these textures survive in scoriae in Trajanic mortar, and the relative proportions of the pedogenic and zeolitic alteration facies determined through petrographic studies (8,17) were replicated in the mortar reproduction. The volcanic ash mix thus contains Pozzolane Rosse ash from the reddened intermediate alteration facies at Fossignano and Castel di Leva quarries and the darkgray lower alteration facies of Corcolle quarry, sieved in the grain size distribution at Castel di Leva quarry ( Fig.…”

Section: Trajanic Mortar Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

“…1B), and the heterogeneous fabric of the concrete requires large test dimensions (16). We therefore duplicated the Imperial-age mortar using the volcanic ash-quicklime proportions described by Vitruvius (de Architectura 2.4-2.5) (14) and petrographic and mineralogical characterization of mortar samples from the Great Hall of Trajan's Markets (17) to formulate a mix design that closely mimics the Trajanic formulation. Fracture-mechanical properties, as well as Young's modulus, were previously determined at 28, 90, and 180 d hydration via an innovative arc-shaped three-point bending test (18) that reproduced half-slices of hollow 20-cm-diameter drill cores from the Great Hall (Fig.…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Mechanical resilience and cementitious processes in Imperial Roman architectural mortar

Jackson¹,

Landis

Brune

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

178

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The pyroclastic aggregate concrete of Trajan's Markets (110 CE), now Museo Fori Imperiali in Rome, has absorbed energy from seismic ground shaking and long-term foundation settlement for nearly two millenia while remaining largely intact at the structural scale. The scientific basis of this exceptional service record is explored through computed tomography of fracture surfaces and synchroton X-ray microdiffraction analyses of a reproduction of the standardized hydrated lime-volcanic ash mortar that binds decimeter-sized tuff and brick aggregate in the conglomeratic concrete. The mortar reproduction gains fracture toughness over 180 d through progressive coalescence of calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) cementing binder with Ca/(Si+Al) ≈ 0.8-0.9 and crystallization of strätlingite and siliceous hydrogarnet (katoite) at ≥90 d, after pozzolanic consumption of hydrated lime was complete. Platey strät-lingite crystals toughen interfacial zones along scoria perimeters and impede macroscale propagation of crack segments. In the 1,900-y-old mortar, C-A-S-H has low Ca/(Si+Al) ≈ 0.45-0.75. Dense clusters of 2-to 30-μm strätlingite plates further reinforce interfacial zones, the weakest link of modern cement-based concrete, and the cementitious matrix. These crystals formed during long-term autogeneous reaction of dissolved calcite from lime and the alkali-rich scoriae groundmass, clay mineral (halloysite), and zeolite (phillipsite and chabazite) surface textures from the Pozzolane Rosse pyroclastic flow, erupted from the nearby Alban Hills volcano. The clastsupported conglomeratic fabric of the concrete presents further resistance to fracture propagation at the structural scale.Roman concrete | volcanic ash mortar | fracture toughness | interfacial zone | strätlingite

show abstract

Section: Trajanic Mortar Reproductionmentioning

confidence: 98%

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Mechanical resilience and cementitious processes in Imperial Roman architectural mortar

Jackson¹,

Landis

Brune

et al. 2014

Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A.

Self Cite

178

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…Petrographic and chemical studies of the steps, walls, and vault concretes of the Forum and Markets of Trajan (A.D. 107 to 113), including the Basilica Ulpia and the Basilica Argentaria, indicate that the mortars of these structures contain Pozzolane Rosse of the least and intermediate altered facies, with both argillic and zeolitic alteration (Figure 1; Table II). Furthermore, the mortars of vaulted ceilings contain Pozzolane Rosse and various proportions of light-colored, sanidine-bearing pumices of diverse origin (Jackson et al, 2009;Bianchi et al, in press). …”

Section: Roman Preferencesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

et al. 2009

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The extraordinarily durable concretes of Imperial Age (27 B.C. through 3rd century A.D.) monument construction in Rome contain scoriaceous, highly potassic, altered volcanic ash from the Pozzolane Rosse ignimbrite, erupted at 456±3ka from the Alban Hills volcano as pozzolanic mortar aggregate. Stratigraphic, micromorphological, and chemical investigations demonstrate that during the relatively warm, humid period preceding marine isotope stage 11, intensive hydrolytic pedogenesis produced dense illuvial clay coatings in the upper horizon of the ignimbrite. Moderately altered ash of the Pozzolane Rosse transitional Bt to Bw soil horizon has opal coatings overlain by limpid, illuvial halloysite coatings. Less weathered ash from a lower C horizon apparently was altered in ground water. Where the ignimbrite filled certain paleovalleys, zeolitic alteration produced phillipsite and chabazite textures. Builders selected ash from these intermediate and least altered horizons for the highest‐quality mortars of the Imperial Age, as for the Forum and Markets of Trajan (A.D. 107 to 113). The alumina‐ and alkali‐rich compositions of cementitious complexes give some preliminary insights as to why the reaction of hydrated lime with the altered, alkali‐rich Pozzolane Rosse ash produced pozzolanic cements that have remained resistant to decay for nearly 2000 years. The results of the geological analyses fully confirm empirical observations made by Esther B. Van Deman in 1912 regarding the durability of the ancient mortars and the technical choices of Roman builders. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

show abstract

“…The studies most relevant for the present investigation are those identifying the use of pumice as fine aggregate within the mortar of the vaults at the Forum of Caesar, the Basilica Ulpia, the Sala Trisegmentata of the Forum of Trajan and the Grande Aula at Trajan's Markets (Jackson et al 2009(Jackson et al , 2010Bianchi et al forthcoming). Thin sections of samples from all these monuments indicate the presence of different types of pumices in the mortar (Jackson et al 2010, 65).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Provenancing of Lightweight Volcanic Stones Used in Ancient Roman Concrete Vaulting: Evidence From Turkey and Tunisia

et al. 2009

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Assessment of material characteristics of ancient concretes, Grande Aula, Markets of Trajan, Rome

Cited by 71 publications

References 23 publications

Mechanical resilience and cementitious processes in Imperial Roman architectural mortar

Mechanical resilience and cementitious processes in Imperial Roman architectural mortar

Mid‐Pleistocene pozzolanic volcanic ash in ancient Roman concretes

Provenancing of Lightweight Volcanic Stones Used in Ancient Roman Concrete Vaulting: Evidence From Turkey and Tunisia

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About