Who invented concrete and bricks

The Great Wall of China still draws thousands of tourists yearly and can even be seen from space. The evolution of bricks and concrete blocks is the backbone of historical and modern architecture alike. The feats of masonry have survived fires, earthquakes and time and most feature artistic detail even current technologies have trouble mimicking.

Despite not having lasers or heavy machinery, ancient masons created complex and durable buildings that influenced architecture for centuries. This old type of brick has been used for 6, years. To help maintain the integrity of the rectangular shape, masons added grass or straw to the clay mix.

This vastly improved the durability of the product as is evidenced by the various ruins of ancient civilizations. While concrete has replaced the sunbaked clay, some regions still use the method to build durable low-cost housing.

Concrete as the modern world knows it was first made in wooden frames in the early s. Initially the material was dried and laid like brick with mortar. The first house to be made entirely of concrete blocks was built in New York during The inventor credited with the modern formula of concrete is an Englishman named Joseph Aspidin.

He called it Portland cement after a type of stone native to the Isle of Portland. Joseph Monier invented reinforced concrete, which uses embedded metal, in and received a patent in Following these events, concrete began to replace other building materials for personal and commercial properties.

The cost of Portland cement fell as newly invented machines filled factories and shortened the manufacturing process. Builders responded to the pressure of building fire and weatherproof housing for investors and homeowners. Concrete blocks accomplished that goal and became the material of choice for many builders. Concrete structures are still very common especially for commercial and government buildings. These days even cheaper materials like dry wall are used for housing developments, but the foundations are still predominately concrete blocks and brick.

Some theorists are now speculating whether the ancient Egyptians invented concrete, but while this is interesting, sufficient evidence has not been produced. To learn more about concrete blocks in San Jose, please visit this website www.

Total views 3, On Slideshare 0. From embeds 0. The Romans experimented with adding bits of broken stone, brick, pebbles and pottery to their basic mortar mix. They found that the resulting substance could be molded and shaped and resulted in a very durable building material.

An excellent example of this type of construction using early concrete is found in the building of the town of Cosa in central Italy. The construction of the town walls was completed in around AD. The Romans invented concrete by mixing their lime based mortar with pebbles, fragments of stone and pottery. As can be seen here in the vaulting of the Roman building, the new material allowed an expansion in architectural design. Bricks have been central to the development of human culture and urban architecture.

They are the most ancient man made building material and also the most enduring and versatile. We've been using bricks to build our cities and expand our range for over years now. It really is an incredible material. One of the greatest strengths of brick construction is also one of its weaknesses.

Brick walls have to be built of an accumulation of many individual units and each of these units has to be bound together using an adhesive agent. This agent is mortar. In stable conditions, mortar is an effective and powerful bonding material for bricks. But under certain kinds of vibrational stress - such as an earthquake - the mortar can crumble, the bond can fail and the building can fall apart. Over its year history, the use of bricks and mortar has been developed into an art form.

Skilled bricklayers train for many years to perfect their craft. In the hands of a master brick layer, the humble brick becomes an architectural marvel. Bricklayers can use bricks to create intricate patterning, arches, bridges and seemingly gravity defying vaulted ceilings. Molded from Portland cement and then shaped to fit the purpose.

They are most commonly used in decorative work. These bricks are manufacted by extruding a large slab and than wire cutting each brick out of it. Kind of like a cookie cutter. The most expensive bricks are handmade because of the time and effort needed to produce them. They are highly prized and characterful.

Bricks that have been made with a fast burn at high temperatures. They are smooth and good for facing. We've come a long way from the early days of baked mud. Modern bricks come in all kinds of colors, weights, sizes and scales of absorbency. The manufacture of bricks has been made extremely cost effective and efficient by the introduction of new machine technologies, equipment for the extraction of fundamental materials, modern kilns and electrical motorization of the brickmaking process.

Bricks are now being made from concrete and calcium silicate as well as the traditional pure clay. Bricks are still the most commonly employed unit in building construction. Architecture using bricks is an ever expanding field and both in terms of brick manufacturing technologies and the art of buildings design it seems that the brick still has a long future ahead of it.

It is hard to imagine a more versatile and beautiful building material. Thanks for your comment. Glad you found what you were looking for here about the history of bricks. Up to this time, the dam was the largest scale concrete project ever completed.

John Crossfield was the first to receive a patent for a concrete overlay. He add latex to portland cement, aggregate, and other materials to make a covering for ship decks. Today, concrete overlays are made by blending polymer resins with cement, and widely used for their decorative appeal. Brad Bowman developed the Bomanite process, the original cast-in-place, colored, textured and imprinted architectural concrete paving, in the middle 's in Monterey, California.

The fifty years since Bowman's development have seen huge growths in the popularity of decorative concrete , changing it from plain and boring to a beautiful decorative element that can enhance the decor of any home or office. The first concrete domed sports arena, known as the Assembly Hall, was built at the University of Illinois in Buddy Rhodes, the father of the concrete countertop, cast his first countertop in the mid '80s. Around the same time, Fu-Tung Cheng also cast his first concrete countertop.

In the twenty years since, concrete countertops have become incredibly popular due to their durability, beauty and range of customization. Learn more in, What is Concrete Engraving? Or watch a video of Darrel Adamson talking about his business and how he came up with the idea of concrete engraving. The tallest reinforced concrete building was built in Chicago, Illinois. The story building is known only by its street address, South Wacker Drive. The first installation in the US was a 40,square-foot warehouse floor for the Bellagio in Las Vegas.

The popularity of polished concrete has soared in just the few short years it has been around, it is now being used in retail locations and even residential homes. Find out why it is so popular in our Concrete Polishing section. Get Job Leads Today! About Us Free Newsletters. Click on an icon below to see the corresponding photograph and description:.