Forgotten building techniques of ancient Rome

All who have studied the topic of efficiency of different heating systems of buildings, know that the most efficient heating is underfloor heating. High heat (heat rises from the bottom - up, low temperature sexes), uniform heating of the air, etc.

It turns out that ancestors knew about it. floor heating system used by the ancient Romans. whether they are old - a separate issue. We will call them as it is accepted in history.

Roman hypocaust (Underfloor heating furnace from the air)

About structures can only be judged from the excavations

He fueled not only sex, but the walls.

Such a system is used for heating water in the Roman Baths, the ancient baths, which was then much. As can be seen, the choice of basins with varying water temperature in the same building was then larger than in any modern similar facility.

Square rooms were heated by large. These buildings survived to the present day never came. Why - also a separate topic.

Oven and a room heated by hot air from it. Perhaps there was a risk of smoke entering the room. But judging from the excavations - the floors were thick and layered. This minimized rooms smoke through the cracks.

Why is the heating of buildings in warm climates? would suffice fireplace or a small furnace for the winter period. Or he had been there otherwise? Or is there something else: a warm floor - a warm feet and no colds.

This heating principle is found later in Europe and even in Russia in this era. But sporadically, without wide distribution. Whereas in ancient Rome almost every villa and baths were built using this technology.

Another interesting topic - is the slabs on the columns that create ground floor. They are of Roman concrete. Brickwork, mosaics - also on a solution.

In this photo are clearly visible floor slabs. Without reinforcement. For such a load-carrying capacity, they must have a high strength, comparable with strong natural rocks.

The core of the Roman concrete constructions

For a long time the Roman recipe for concrete was considered forgotten. Only modern scholars have explored how different mineralogical ancient concrete from our (based on Portland cement).

Concrete based on Portland cement consists of calcium silicates, and hydrates thereof. In Roman - less silicon, but a lot of aluminum. It was taken from the pozzolans. It is possible to obtain tobermorite - a very strong breed.

Binder Roman concrete was based on lime and volcanic ash.

By reaction with lime rich in aluminum pozzolan and sea water (in port facilities Ancient Rome) gave very strong combination of calcium compounds, silicates, and hydrates aluminum tobermorite.

The ashes of volcanoes - is essentially the same shredded and burned rock as Portland cement in our production facilities. And the Romans of those times it is known and used in the construction.

Well, strange thing in all this is that a technological heritage of the ancient Romans did not develop, but on the contrary has been forgotten, lost. Yes, and the Roman Empire itself disappears. The conquest of the barbarians from the north of Europe. Oh well. Perhaps it was only later, after its decline. And about the true reasons for this, we are only now began to suspect ...

To be continued…

Photos taken from public sources, with Yandex service. Pictures

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