At Rock Solid Concrete Sealing Systems, we specialize in in keeping concrete surfaces and driveways sealed, protected, and damage-free for our customers. But why is it that we have to seal modern concrete to keep it from cracking and crumbling when there are so many ancient concrete structures still standing today?
Concrete Sealing in Kansas City
Well, the main difference is the concrete recipe itself and what materials the ancients had access to. Roman concrete is arguably the most notable of ancient concrete in terms of standing structures and they were absolute masters of using it in effectively. While modern concrete is designed to handle an enormous amount of weight, ancient concrete would not be as “load-bearing” when initially poured but over time it amazingly can get increasingly stronger. This is especially the case for the Romans where their concrete actually strengthen over time primarily due to salt water seeping into concrete creating crystallized gaps in the pores. The Romans used volcanic ash in their concrete recipe which breaks down when exposed to salt water creating the very rare (and not to mention expensive to create) minerals tobermorite and phillipsite to grow inside the concrete. So in essence, the more Roman concrete is exposed to salt water, the stronger it gets which is quite the opposite of what modern concrete does. Modern concrete tends to break down and gets worn out by constant exposure to the elements especially water. After prolonged exposure to water, wind and/or other liquids, modern concrete can become brittle and cracked if left unsealed like we see in most standard concrete surfaces. So the obvious question is “why aren’t we using the Roman’s concrete recipe today?” The problem is that we actually don’t know exactly how and what the Romans used to make their concrete. While we certainly can analyze the chemical breakdown of Roman concrete, we don’t know proportions and exact processes of how they made it as it has been lost to history and/or yet to found in any ancient texts.
You would think that with all of our technology and decades of construction that modern concrete would be even more lasting and durable than that of ancient concrete but that simply is not the case at all. If you want to keep your concrete and driveway from cracking, pitting, chalking and otherwise getting worn down by the elements, call Rock Solid Concrete Sealing Systems for a quote on our 25 year guaranteed seal at (816) 406-5995 or CLICK HERE TO CONTACT US.
Rock Solid Concrete Sealing Systems Seals and Protects Kansas City’s Concrete and Driveways With Sealant That Lasts Up To 25 Years.
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