We Aren’t The First Ones To Build With Concrete Blocks

While it is apparent and obvious that a good portion of construction that covers the world today is mainly made up of concrete blocks, the concept of building with cement and natural materials began quite a long time ago.

Concrete Blocks

Although certain added elements have varied with time, the function of concrete blocks has remained the same. Babylonians had clay, Egyptians used limestone, and Romans made concrete with volcanic ash and stone. And they all did the same thing with them: Build things.

Since Egypt has always been a stone-rich country, Egyptians had little trouble locating materials for their pyramids. Limestone, granite and basalt were quarried and brought to the building sites. The Romans created a recipe for their concrete blocks with a mixture of lime mortar, volcanic sand, water, and small stones. The English word “cement,” has been derived from “caementa.” To imagine the outcome of Roman invention, one merely needs to conjure the image of the coliseum.

The list of aggregates in concrete over the years has changed. In the mid 1700’s pebbles and powdered brick were used. The Romans used horsehair to make it less liable to crack while hardening and blood to resist frost. In more modern times the materials in concrete blocks that attribute to its composition have because of environmental concern migrated towards recycled ingredients. But we today do the same thing with our concrete blocks. We build things.

Compositions have changed, and aggregates have been re-thought. But the function of concrete blocks has always been progress, and that has never changed.