What is interesting about concrete? Concrete is a substance that is used everywhere, from our kitchen tables to the streets that we travel on every day. Here are some strange facts about concrete, which is a material that is long-lasting and adaptable.
The Astonishing Amount of Concrete Use
Concrete is the most widely used substance in the world, exceeding 10 billion tons of production per year, making it second only to water in terms of consumption. Concrete is utilized at a rate of three tons per person on the planet, making it the material that accounts for twice as much construction activity as any other type of building material.
This figure exceeds 500 million tons just for the United States of America. More than two million people are employed in the United States by the concrete business, which has a total value of more than $37 billion. Because cement is the primary component of this product, cement production accounts for 8% of the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions.
Since 600 B.C., concrete has been used.
Even though the ancient Romans weren’t the first people to combine mud and straw to produce mortar or mix mud and straw to make concrete, they were the first people to use concrete in the majority of their constructions. They were able to effectively make the mixture by using a combination of volcanic ash from Mount Vesuvius, lime, and seawater. The mixture was then wrapped in wooden molds.
In his writings, the Roman engineer Vitruvius described four distinct varieties of the material known as “pozzolan”: black, gray, red, and white. The Romans were able to construct their port of Cosa using this innovative new building material since they were aware of its legible features.
Even more remarkable is the fact that the Roman Pantheon was constructed entirely of concrete and did not have a supporting system of reinforcing steel. Despite this, the towering dome that measures 142 feet in height is still standing today. Since its construction over 2,000 years ago, this massive structure made of concrete has endured a variety of natural disasters, including earthquakes.
Concrete is used to make the world’s largest concrete structure, among other odd facts.
The Three Gorges Structure in China, located on the Yangtze River, has a height of 185 meters and a length of 2,309 meters, making it the largest concrete dam in the world. The construction of the project took place over the course of 17 years, from 1994 to 2006, and cost 37 billion dollars. The construction of the world record required workers to use around 21 million cubic yards of cement.
The reservoir of the dam contains as much water as Lake Superior, making it a hydroelectric power plant that is capable of producing an astounding 22,500 megawatts of electricity
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