{"id":2681,"date":"2022-10-06T13:42:30","date_gmt":"2022-10-06T17:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/?p=2681"},"modified":"2022-12-18T12:52:35","modified_gmt":"2022-12-18T17:52:35","slug":"is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/","title":{"rendered":"Is Old Concrete Stronger Than New Concrete?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Modern concrete differs from ancient Roman concrete in a number of ways, which is why old concrete is actually stronger than new concrete. If you look at some of the more iconic Roman structures still standing today like the Colosseum, you\u2019ll note that they\u2019re still standing thousands of years later despite being made from concrete.<!--more--><\/p>\n<p>So how is this possible? How are ancient Roman structures built using concrete still standing today, while modern concrete structures start disintegrating in as few as 50 years?<\/p>\n<p>Continue on for an in-depth breakdown of why old concrete is stronger than new concrete, and what made ancient Roman concrete so durable and long-lasting.<\/p>\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_61 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\">Jump To:<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-659d177141243\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-659d177141243\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#Why_is_Old_Concrete_Stronger_than_New_Concrete\" title=\"Why is Old Concrete Stronger than New Concrete?\">Why is Old Concrete Stronger than New Concrete?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#Why_Cant_We_Use_the_Same_Concrete_Today\" title=\"Why Can\u2019t We Use the Same Concrete Today?\">Why Can\u2019t We Use the Same Concrete Today?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#Old_Concrete_vs_New_Concrete\" title=\"Old Concrete vs New Concrete\">Old Concrete vs New Concrete<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#How_Strong_is_Modern_Concrete\" title=\"How Strong is Modern Concrete?\">How Strong is Modern Concrete?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#How_to_Increase_Modern_Concretes_Strength\" title=\"How to Increase Modern Concrete\u2019s Strength?\">How to Increase Modern Concrete\u2019s Strength?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#Wrap_Up\" title=\"Wrap Up\">Wrap Up<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_is_Old_Concrete_Stronger_than_New_Concrete\"><\/span><strong>Why is Old Concrete Stronger than New Concrete?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Older concrete is able to withstand far more wear and tear than new concrete is. The reason for this is fairly simple: Old concrete \u2013 specifically roman concrete \u2013 used a specific sort of volcanic ash in its formulation.<\/p>\n<p>This volcanic ash contained rare earth minerals that caused it to increase in hardness over time. Interestingly, today we don\u2019t know what specific type of volcanic ash this is, so we aren\u2019t able to replicate the process today.<\/p>\n<p>Old concrete used a mixture of volcanic ash, <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Lime_(material)\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">lime<\/a>, and seawater, which were then mixed with volcanic rocks and poured into molds, and immersed in more seawater. The seawater then dissolved components of the volcanic ash, which then created a rare hydrothermal element known as <a href=\"https:\/\/en.wikipedia.org\/wiki\/Tobermorite\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">aluminum tobermorite (Al-tobermorite)<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>This element is possible to make in a lab but is difficult to incorporate into modern concrete.<\/p>\n<p>As seawater was used in the creation of old concrete, you\u2019ll find that many ancient Roman seawalls are not only still standing, but actually get stronger and stronger over time due to the additional minerals strengthening the concrete\u2019s chemical bonds. Modern concrete on the other hand is damaged by salt, so it won\u2019t perform nearly as well in saltwater environments.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_Cant_We_Use_the_Same_Concrete_Today\"><\/span><strong>Why Can\u2019t We Use the Same Concrete Today?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>If ancient Roman concrete is so durable and long-lasting, then why can\u2019t we simply use the same stuff nowadays in modern construction?<\/p>\n<figure id=\"attachment_2683\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-2683\" style=\"width: 790px\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"wp-image-2683 size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ancient-roman-concrete.jpg?resize=800%2C579&#038;ssl=1\" alt=\"ancient roman town\" width=\"800\" height=\"579\" srcset=\"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ancient-roman-concrete.jpg?w=800&amp;ssl=1 800w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ancient-roman-concrete.jpg?resize=300%2C217&amp;ssl=1 300w, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/ancient-roman-concrete.jpg?resize=768%2C556&amp;ssl=1 768w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 800px) 100vw, 800px\" data-recalc-dims=\"1\" \/><figcaption id=\"caption-attachment-2683\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Ancient roman town of Herculaneum with concrete walls still standing today. [Image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rutgervandermaar\/44538268100\/in\/photolist-2aQLPpY-6Keyue-2cvihjY-2cekDqi-2cdz5YT-2aRGgq9-RtvbRq-2dxuhMC-2ceBGDF-2dxuk1q-2cdFSHg-2dBe4hg-2aQLUoL-2cekC26-2aRFVRj-PS7dV8-RtoYQy-ow7cXK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>]<\/figcaption><\/figure>The answer lies in the chemical mentioned above \u2013 aluminum tobermorite (Al-tobermorite). Not only is aluminium tobermorite difficult to integrate into a concrete mix, but it\u2019s also highly expensive to produce.<\/p>\n<p>The basic concrete mix we use for most of modern construction is pretty cheap stuff. Even if you were to find a way to easily incorporate the rare mineral Al-torbernite into modern concrete, the cost would still be prohibitive.<\/p>\n<p>While we have the basic formula for ancient Roman concrete, we still don\u2019t know how to replicate the process precisely. This means for the time being we are stuck with concrete mixes that don\u2019t have the longevity of the ancient Roman stuff.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Old_Concrete_vs_New_Concrete\"><\/span><strong>Old Concrete vs New Concrete<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Modern concrete mixes use a mixture of Portland cement, aggregate, sand, and water in various proportions. The mix is formed into a paste which is then poured into forms to harden. The aggregate, sand, and cement harden over time and cure into a rock-solid, hardened surface.<\/p>\n<p>Portland cement acts like the glue that keeps the other ingredients together. It\u2019s made from silica, clay, limestone, and chalk. As the cement dries it forms bonds between the sand and aggregate, which in turn leads to a strong final product.<\/p>\n<p>Roman concrete \u2013 while it may be similar looking \u2013 uses different ingredients and a completely different process. Old concrete used volcanic ash, lime, and seawater to create the equivalent of the Portland mortar in modern concrete.<\/p>\n<p>The mortar portion was then mixed with volcanic rock and seawater. This mortar would then react with the volcanic rock to form an extremely strong and dense concrete that would last for centuries.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_Strong_is_Modern_Concrete\"><\/span><strong>How Strong is Modern Concrete?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Modern concrete\u2019s strength is measured in PSI (pounds per square inch). This is a measure of the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.ics50.com\/what-does-the-psi-on-a-bag-of-concrete-mix-mean\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">concrete\u2019s compressive strength<\/a> \u2013 which measures the concrete\u2019s ability to handle compressive loads.<\/p>\n<p>The higher the number, the more compressive strength the concrete has, and the more load it will be able to handle. The major factor influencing its strength is the ratio of cement, water, and aggregate in the mix.<\/p>\n<p>Generally speaking, the higher the proportion of water to cement used, the weaker the final product will be. The ratio of coarse to fine aggregate also plays a role in the final strength, with a higher proportion of fine aggregate resulting in a weaker product.<\/p>\n<p>Modern concrete varies from 2,500 to 3,000 for a standard mix to about 4,000 for a high-strength mix.<\/p>\n<p>Other factors influencing modern concrete\u2019s final strength are the additives used, rebar, the slab\u2019s thickness, and the <a href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/how-to-stop-concrete-from-cracking\/\">proper curing<\/a> process.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"How_to_Increase_Modern_Concretes_Strength\"><\/span><strong>How to Increase Modern Concrete\u2019s Strength?<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>There are a number of ways you can increase the strength of modern concrete. You still won\u2019t achieve the results that you might expect with Roman concrete, but unfortunately, that is all but impossible.<\/p>\n<p>First off, using rebar will drastically increase the strength of any concrete project when compared to using plain old concrete. Rebar is what enables skyscrapers, bridges, huge slabs, and the like, as concrete will crack fairly easily if you try to build too big of a project without rebar reinforcement.<\/p>\n<p>Concrete has high compressive strength as mentioned previously, but it is fairly weak in terms of tensile strength. Tensile strength is the amount of load or stress that a material can handle until it stretches and breaks under pressure.<\/p>\n<p>Rebar will greatly increase tensile strength, which is what is needed when building large structures with concrete.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Wrap_Up\"><\/span><strong>Wrap Up<\/strong><span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>While it sounds kind of crazy, ancient concrete is actually a superior building product to modern concrete. It\u2019s far more durable and actually strengthens as time goes by rather than weakening. This is especially noticeable in concrete used near the ocean, as much of the ancient roman stuff is still standing today, while <a href=\"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/how-to-stop-concrete-from-cracking\/\">modern concrete cracks<\/a> and breaks down quickly in a marine environment.<\/p>\n<p>The secret to the strength and longevity of old concrete is the rare earth minerals contained within it. These minerals increased the strength of the bonds between the concrete\u2019s components. Unfortunately, we can\u2019t replicate this process today, at least not in a cost-effective manner \u2013 so we\u2019re left with concrete mixes that must be sealed to prevent damage from excess moisture.<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<p><em>Featured image <a href=\"https:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/rutgervandermaar\/45442697105\/in\/photolist-2aQLPpY-6Keyue-2cvihjY-2cekDqi-2cdz5YT-2aRGgq9-RtvbRq-2dxuhMC-2ceBGDF-2dxuk1q-2cdFSHg-2dBe4hg-2aQLUoL-2cekC26-2aRFVRj-PS7dV8-RtoYQy-ow7cXK\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">source<\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Modern concrete differs from ancient Roman concrete in a number of ways, which is why old concrete is actually stronger than new concrete. If you look at some of the more iconic Roman structures still standing today like the Colosseum, you\u2019ll note that they\u2019re still standing thousands of years later despite being made from concrete.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":2685,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v21.7 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Is Old Concrete Stronger Than New Concrete? - Home Improvement Scout<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Modern concrete differs from ancient Roman concrete in a number of ways, which is why old concrete is actually stronger than new concrete. 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If you look at some of the more iconic Roman structures still standing today like the Colosseum, you\u2019ll note that they\u2019re still standing thousands of years later despite being made from concrete.","og_url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/","og_site_name":"Home Improvement Scout","article_published_time":"2022-10-06T17:42:30+00:00","article_modified_time":"2022-12-18T17:52:35+00:00","og_image":[{"width":880,"height":519,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete-1.jpg","type":"image\/jpeg"}],"author":"Denis Gardner","twitter_card":"summary_large_image","twitter_misc":{"Written by":"Denis Gardner","Est. reading time":"5 minutes"},"schema":{"@context":"https:\/\/schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Article","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#article","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/"},"author":{"name":"Denis Gardner","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a83f2c6b10f97bd361a10c350fb7edb5"},"headline":"Is Old Concrete Stronger Than New Concrete?","datePublished":"2022-10-06T17:42:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-18T17:52:35+00:00","mainEntityOfPage":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/"},"wordCount":1094,"commentCount":0,"publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#organization"},"inLanguage":"en-US","potentialAction":[{"@type":"CommentAction","name":"Comment","target":["https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/#respond"]}]},{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/","url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete\/","name":"Is Old Concrete Stronger Than New Concrete? - Home Improvement Scout","isPartOf":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#website"},"datePublished":"2022-10-06T17:42:30+00:00","dateModified":"2022-12-18T17:52:35+00:00","description":"Modern concrete differs from ancient Roman concrete in a number of ways, which is why old concrete is actually stronger than new concrete. 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Made Easy","publisher":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#organization"},"potentialAction":[{"@type":"SearchAction","target":{"@type":"EntryPoint","urlTemplate":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/?s={search_term_string}"},"query-input":"required name=search_term_string"}],"inLanguage":"en-US"},{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#organization","name":"Home Improvement Scout","url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","inLanguage":"en-US","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/","url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-logo_medium_resolution-1.png?fit=1094%2C146&ssl=1","contentUrl":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/10\/cropped-logo_medium_resolution-1.png?fit=1094%2C146&ssl=1","width":1094,"height":146,"caption":"Home Improvement Scout"},"image":{"@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#\/schema\/logo\/image\/"}},{"@type":"Person","@id":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/#\/schema\/person\/a83f2c6b10f97bd361a10c350fb7edb5","name":"Denis Gardner","description":"I've loved tinkering and fixing things for as long as I can remember. So, naturally, I gravitated towards DIY and home improvement when I bought my first home. Nowadays you can find me writing about my passions or messing around with my newest tool!","sameAs":["https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com"],"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/author\/denis\/"}]}},"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/10\/is-old-concrete-stronger-than-new-concrete-1.jpg?fit=880%2C519&ssl=1","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":2664,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/gypcrete-vs-concrete\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":0},"title":"Gypcrete vs Concrete: Which is Best for You?","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"September 28, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"When it comes to flooring materials both gypcrete and concrete have their respective roles, with most people being far more familiar with concrete vs gypcrete. Gypcrete, although it has a similar sounding name to concrete, is actually a flooring underlayment used for its self-leveling, sound-reduction, and radiant heating abilities. Concrete\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exterior&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exterior","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/category\/exterior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"gypcrete vs concrete","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/gypcrete-vs-concrete.jpg?fit=879%2C556&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/gypcrete-vs-concrete.jpg?fit=879%2C556&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/gypcrete-vs-concrete.jpg?fit=879%2C556&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/09\/gypcrete-vs-concrete.jpg?fit=879%2C556&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2193,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/how-soon-to-start-watering-concrete\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":1},"title":"How Soon to Start Watering Concrete?","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"May 4, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A key component of any concrete application is the curing process. Curing is the process of maintaining the right level of moisture inside the concrete within the ideal temperature range to aid the cement in setting properly. Maintaining this moisture level is key to creating the right environment for the\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exterior&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exterior","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/category\/exterior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"concrete slab curing","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/how-long-to-start-watering-concrete-e1662140830202.jpg?fit=800%2C506&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/how-long-to-start-watering-concrete-e1662140830202.jpg?fit=800%2C506&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/how-long-to-start-watering-concrete-e1662140830202.jpg?fit=800%2C506&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/05\/how-long-to-start-watering-concrete-e1662140830202.jpg?fit=800%2C506&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":322,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/how-long-does-it-take-quikrete-to-dry\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":2},"title":"How Long Does it Take Quikrete to Dry?","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"December 12, 2020","format":false,"excerpt":"Concrete is one of the toughest and most durable construction materials known to man. In fact, it was the invention of steel-reinforced concrete that led to the massive bridges and skyscrapers we take for granted today. Using a concrete mix (like Quikrete) in a project around the house can be\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exterior&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exterior","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/category\/exterior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"bags of quikrete","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/how-long-does-quikrete-take-to-dry.jpg?fit=880%2C546&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/how-long-does-quikrete-take-to-dry.jpg?fit=880%2C546&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/how-long-does-quikrete-take-to-dry.jpg?fit=880%2C546&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/12\/how-long-does-quikrete-take-to-dry.jpg?fit=880%2C546&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":813,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/concrete-cement-poisoning\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":3},"title":"Concrete (Cement) Poisoning: Exposure, Treatment &#038; Prevention","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"July 17, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"If you\u2019re planning a project involving concrete, or maybe your job involves working around concrete or cement, it pays to be aware of the risks of concrete poisoning. While concrete is fairly safe to work with providing you take the necessary precautions, it can cause serious damage if allowed to\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exterior&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exterior","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/category\/exterior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"concrete worker wearing boots","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/concrete-poisoning.jpg?fit=880%2C479&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/concrete-poisoning.jpg?fit=880%2C479&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/concrete-poisoning.jpg?fit=880%2C479&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/concrete-poisoning.jpg?fit=880%2C479&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":793,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/is-quikrete-strong-as-regular-concrete\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":4},"title":"Is Quikrete as Strong as Regular Concrete?","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"July 13, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"One of the most commonly asked questions when it comes to working with concrete is: \u201cIs Quikrete as strong as regular concrete?\u201d When you\u2019re planning a project involving concrete, whether it\u2019s installing a fencepost or pouring a slab for a garage, the question of whether to go with fast-setting or\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Exterior&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Exterior","link":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/category\/exterior\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"quikrete fast setting mix bags","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/is-quikrete-as-strong-as-regular-concrete.jpg?fit=880%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/is-quikrete-as-strong-as-regular-concrete.jpg?fit=880%2C495&ssl=1&resize=350%2C200 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/is-quikrete-as-strong-as-regular-concrete.jpg?fit=880%2C495&ssl=1&resize=525%2C300 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/homeimprovementscout.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/07\/is-quikrete-as-strong-as-regular-concrete.jpg?fit=880%2C495&ssl=1&resize=700%2C400 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2187,"url":"https:\/\/homeimprovementscout.com\/how-to-fix-too-much-water-in-concrete\/","url_meta":{"origin":2681,"position":5},"title":"How to Fix Too Much Water in Concrete?","author":"Denis Gardner","date":"May 2, 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"A common issue among many beginners when working with concrete is adding too much water to the mixture. 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