In some Roman concretes, small white elements have long been seen as traces of an imperfect mixture. Research published in 2023 gives them a much more interesting role: these calcium-rich inclusions could help the material repair certain cracks.
The team studied ancient samples and the clues left behind by their manufacture. It offers a hot mix incorporating quicklime. The resulting inclusions can become reactive stores when water enters a fracture.
To test the mechanism, the researchers prepared mixtures, caused cracks, and then circulated water. Within two weeks, the samples concerned clogged the tested openings and interrupted the flow. The comparison mixture without quicklime did not achieve this result.
It is not about repairing any collapse. Under the tested conditions, what looked like a defect in the mixture was involved in clogging.
What we know
Laboratory tests on studied mixtures; no guaranteed healing of all monuments or any cracks.
To go to the source
References accessed October 11, 2026. Linked pages may be in another language.
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