Cement Microstructures and Durability in Ancient Roman Seawater Concretes

Jackson, M.; Vola, Gabriele; Všianský, Dalibor; Oleson, John Peter; Scheetz, Barry E.; Brandon, Christopher; Hohlfelder, Robert L.

doi:10.1007/978-94-007-4635-0_5

Cited by 32 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 20 publications

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“…However, despite the significant investment and durability of the cement used in the construction process (Jackson et al, 2012), the overall state of the harbor had significantly deteriorated by the end of the 2nd century CE, and probably even earlier, according to radiocarbon-dated sedimentological evidence showing a shift from a low-energy, harbor environment to an open-water exposed, unprotected environment during that period (Reinhardt and Raban, 1999;Reinhardt et al, 1994). Throughout the 1990s, the generally accepted presumption arising from these studies was that the harbor experienced its demise due to some combination of earthquake-related liquefaction, with some credence also given to the possibility of related tsunami, though without clear markers then to support such a hypothesis.…”

Section: Evidence For Tsunami Impacts On Coastal Morphology and Assocmentioning

confidence: 98%

Deterioration of Israel's Caesarea Maritima's ancient harbor linked to repeated tsunami events identified in geophysical mapping of offshore stratigraphy

Goodman-Tchernov

Austin

2015

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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Section: Evidence For Tsunami Impacts On Coastal Morphology and Assocmentioning

confidence: 98%

Deterioration of Israel's Caesarea Maritima's ancient harbor linked to repeated tsunami events identified in geophysical mapping of offshore stratigraphy

Goodman-Tchernov

Austin

2015

Journal of Archaeological Science: Reports

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“…the gel-palagonite pozzolan could eventually produce secondary zeolitic cementitious hydrates. Ancient Roman pozzolanic harbor concretes, for example, developed zeolites in the pores of a pumiceous mortar while submerged in seawater [64]. Basaltic cinder cone fields occur throughout the world and their gel-palagonite component, detected through the petrographic analyses described in this study, could play an important role in enhancing the very long-term chemical and mechanical durability of environmentally-sustainable concretes, while substantially reducing CO 2 emissions associated with kiln-fired OPC.…”

Section: Microscopic Investigations Of Cementitious Hydration Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…7). C-A-S-H associated with the diverse reactive components of scoriacous volcanic ash in the monuments of ancient Rome and glassy pumiceous ash in ancient Roman seawater concretes, for example, also has a range of compositions [63,64]. Laboratory experiments [62], have shown that the presence of Al enhances alkali binding in C-A-S-H, and inhomogeneous alkali sorption likely occurs in small clusters of C-A-S-H with low Ca/Si compositions similar to those observed here.…”

Section: Microscopic Investigations Of Cementitious Hydration Productsmentioning

confidence: 99%

High-volume natural volcanic pozzolan and limestone powder as partial replacements for portland cement in self-compacting and sustainable concrete

Çelik

Jackson

Mancio

et al. 2014

Cement and Concrete Composites

245

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TitleHigh-volume natural volcanic pozzolan and limestone powder as partial replacements for portland cement in self-compacting and sustainable concrete a b s t r a c tA laboratory study demonstrates that high volume, 45% by mass replacement of portland cement (OPC) with 30% finely-ground basaltic ash from Saudi Arabia (NP) and 15% limestone powder (LS) produces concrete with good workability, high 28-day compressive strength (39 MPa), excellent one year strength (57 MPa), and very high resistance to chloride penetration. Conventional OPC is produced by intergrinding 95% portland clinker and 5% gypsum, and its clinker factor (CF) thus equals 0.95. With 30% NP and 15% LS portland clinker replacement, the CF of the blended ternary PC equals 0.52 so that 48% CO 2 emissions could be avoided, while enhancing strength development and durability in the resulting self-compacting concrete (SCC). Petrographic and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) investigations of the crushed NP and finely-ground NP in the concretes provide new insights into the heterogeneous fine-scale cementitious hydration products associated with basaltic ash-portland cement reactions.

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“…2) and packed this with decimeter-sized chunks of zeolitic tuff into underwater forms (Oleson et al 2004). The ash, lime, and seawater reacted to produce poorly crystalline calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) binder, intermingled with altered pumice and glass relicts in a complex cementitious matrix, which includes 11 Å Al-tobermorite (where Al 3+ substitutes for Si 4+ ) in relict pebble lime clasts (Barnes and Scheetz 1991;Vola et al 2011a;Stanislao et al 2011;Jackson et al 2012).…”

mentioning

confidence: 97%

Unlocking the secrets of Al-tobermorite in Roman seawater concrete

Jackson¹,

Chae²,

Mulcahy³

et al. 2013

American Mineralogist

146

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Ancient Roman syntheses of Al-tobermorite in a 2000-year-old concrete block submerged in the Bay of Pozzuoli (Baianus Sinus), near Naples, have unique aluminum-rich and silica-poor compositions relative to hydrothermal geological occurrences. In relict lime clasts, the crystals have calcium contents that are similar to ideal tobermorite, 33 to 35 wt%, but the low-silica contents, 39 to 40 wt%, reflect Al 3+ substitution for Si 4+ in Q 2 (1Al), Q 3 (1Al), and Q 3 (2 Al) tetrahedral chain and branching sites. The Al-tobermorite has a double silicate chain structure with long chain lengths in the b [020] crystallographic direction, and wide interlayer spacing, 11.49 Å. Na + and K + partially balance Al 3+ substitution for Si 4+ . Poorly crystalline calcium-aluminum-silicate-hydrate (C-A-S-H) cementitious binder in the dissolved perimeter of relict lime clasts has Ca/(Si+Al) = 0.79, nearly identical to the Al-tobermorite, but nanoscale heterogeneities with aluminum in both tetrahedral and octahedral coordination. The concrete is about 45 vol% glassy zeolitic tuff and 55 vol% hydrated lime-volcanic ash mortar; lime formed <10 wt% of the mix. Trace element studies confirm that the pyroclastic rock comes from Flegrean Fields volcanic district, as described in ancient Roman texts. An adiabatic thermal model of the 10 m 2 by 5.7 m thick Baianus Sinus breakwater from heat evolved through hydration of lime and formation of C-A-S-H suggests maximum temperatures of 85 to 97 °C. Cooling to seawater temperatures occurred in two years. These elevated temperatures and the mineralizing effects of seawater and alkali-and alumina-rich volcanic ash appear to be critical to Al-tobermorite crystallization. The long-term stability of the Al-tobermorite provides a valuable context to improve future syntheses in innovative concretes with advanced properties using volcanic pozzolans.

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Cement Microstructures and Durability in Ancient Roman Seawater Concretes

Cited by 32 publications

References 20 publications

Deterioration of Israel's Caesarea Maritima's ancient harbor linked to repeated tsunami events identified in geophysical mapping of offshore stratigraphy

Deterioration of Israel's Caesarea Maritima's ancient harbor linked to repeated tsunami events identified in geophysical mapping of offshore stratigraphy

High-volume natural volcanic pozzolan and limestone powder as partial replacements for portland cement in self-compacting and sustainable concrete

Unlocking the secrets of Al-tobermorite in Roman seawater concrete

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