A great empire demands an equally great building material. In this episode, we cover the development and implementation of cement and concrete throughout human history. We are joined by Marie Jackson, a research associate professor of geology and geophysics at the University of Utah, and an expert on Roman concrete. She explains how Romans were able to develop concrete and why Roman concrete is able to endure for thousands of years. Finally, we cover some new and exciting concrete technologies that are being developed including self-healing and self-cleaning materials.

If you want to learn even more, consider reading Marie's blog about making Roman concrete from minerals found the Surtsey volcano [LINK] . Also consider reading her article on what makes Roman concrete so special [LINK]

This episode is sponsored by Matmatch. Check out how they can help you find the perfect material for your next engineering project!

Thanks to Kolobyte and Alphabot for letting us use their music in the show!

If you have questions or feedback please send us emails at materialism.podcast@gmail.com or connect with us on social media: Instagram, Twitter.

Materialism Team: Taylor Sparks (co-host, co-creator), Andrew Falkowski (co-host, co-creator), Jared Duffy production, marketing, and editing), Ramsey Issa (editing assistance).

Keywords: cement concrete romans self-healing

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Episode 11: The Ultimate Construction Material

Materialism: A Materials Science Podcast

Episode 11: The Ultimate Construction Material