What are the opening hours?

Monday 10am - 6pm Tuesday 10am - 8pm Wednesday 11am - 6pm Thursday 10am - 8pm Friday 10am - 6pm Saturday 10am - 2pm Sunday 11am - 4pm

Shores of Erie Designs, Lakewood, OH (2026)

02/08/2025

02/08/2025

Roman concrete (opus caementicium) was a groundbreaking innovation that allowed the Romans to construct structures that have endured for over 2,000 years, far outlasting modern concrete buildings. Unlike today's Portland cement, which degrades over time, Roman concrete was made using a mix of lime (calcium oxide), volcanic ash (pozzolana), and seawater, creating a material that chemically bonded over time. This unique formula not only made it more resistant to cracking and erosion but also gave it self-healing properties—when exposed to moisture, minerals like strätlingite would form, filling in cracks and reinforcing the structure. This explains why Roman harbors, such as those in Baiae and Caesarea Maritima, remain largely intact despite constant exposure to seawater, something modern marine concrete struggles to achieve.

The Romans used this superior concrete in massive infrastructure projects, including aqueducts, amphitheaters, roads, and temples, many of which still stand today. The Pantheon’s dome, the largest unreinforced concrete dome in the world, owes its longevity to this advanced mixture. Unlike modern concrete, which relies on steel reinforcement that corrodes over time, Roman concrete remains chemically stable, preventing structural decay. The exact methods of its production were lost after the fall of Rome, leading to centuries of weaker building materials. Modern scientists, studying ancient samples, are now trying to replicate its durability, with some experimenting with volcanic ash mixtures to create a new generation of self-healing concrete. The brilliance of Roman engineering continues to influence architecture today.