History of Stamped Concrete

It is not known precisely who discovered or first used concrete. Probably at the same time that man mastered fire he also discovered the concept of concrete.

One can imagine the primitive man next to his hearth, in which there are calcareous stones, plaster and clay. The high temperature manages to carbonate the stone, which turns into powder. Then as a little drizzle falls, the dust and stones become a solidly united mass, the first cement.

During the stone age, 7.500 years ago, the inhabitants built the floor of their houses by joining limestone earth, sand, gravel and water. This mixture can be considered as a rudimentary cement.

Concrete has already been used in Asia and Egypt. Excavations allow us to establish that 4.500 years ago, the builders of the Cheops pyramid used primitive concrete. In Greece there were aqueducts and water tanks made with this material, traces of which are still preserved. The Greeks used volcanic soil as a binder. There is also evidence to say that they used calcined limestone that they mixed with baked clay and water. The Romans used it in their great public works, and spread it throughout their empire.

Before the discovery of Cements Fatty Lime, Hydraulic Lime, and Natural Cements were used as binders.

After the great role of concrete in the constructions of the Roman Empire, no signs of its use are found until the year 1.200, when it is used again for the construction of great works such as Salisbury Cathedral in England, whose foundations are made of concrete.

In 1.824, James Parker and Joseph Aspdin patented a new artificial hydraulic cement, made by combusting limestone and coal, which they named Portland Cement because of its dark color, similar to Portland Island stone. In its beginnings, this material was not widely used, due to its complex manufacturing procedure, which made it more expensive. price

From the mid-nineteenth century it began to be used in maritime works, and at the end of it, associated with iron in the form of Reinforced Concrete, in bridges and warehouses, its use having spread both in public and private works.

At the end of the XNUMXth century, the industrialization process and the introduction of rotary kilns led to the extension of their use for all kinds of applications. Currently, and despite all the technical improvements introduced, Portland cement continues to be, in essence, very similar to the first one that was patented, although its impact and performance have greatly improved.

Nowadays, concretes made with portland cement allow multiple application possibilities. The diversity of characteristics put within the reach of society a wide range of possibilities to choose from.

Over time, all forms of concrete have demonstrated their excellent properties and their high degree of durability and resistance, which can be seen in large buildings, public works or artistic ensembles, an example of the functionality and good behavior of a whole classic.