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  • Pyramids: part concrete

    Limestone geopolymer to be exact, and in many ways superior to what we use today;



    In partially solving a mystery that has baffled archeologists for centuries, a Drexel University professor has determined that the Great Pyramids of Giza were constructed with a combination of not only carved stones but the first blocks of limestone-based concrete cast by any civilization.

    Michel Barsoum, professor of materials engineering, shows in a peer-reviewed paper to be published Dec. 1 in the Journal of the American Ceramic Society how the Egyptian builders of the nearly 5,000-year-old pyramids were exceptional civil and architectural engineers as well as superb chemists and material scientists. His conclusions could lead to a seismic shift in the kind of concrete used in construction and provide developing nations a way to build structures utilizing inexpensive and easily accessible materials.

    Barsoum presented his findings at a news conference Nov. 30 at Le Palais de la decouverte, Avenue Franklin D. Roosevelt, in Paris, France.

    The longstanding belief is that the pyramids were constructed with limestone blocks that were cut to shape in nearby quarries using copper tools, transported to the pyramid sites, hauled up ramps and hoisted in place with the help of wedges and levers. Barsoum argues that although indeed the majority of the stones were carved and hoisted into place, crucial parts were not. The ancient builders cast the blocks of the outer and inner casings and, most likely, the upper parts of the pyramids using a limestone concrete, called a geopolymer.

    To arrive at his findings, Barsoum, an Egypt native, and co-workers analyzed more than 1,000 micrographs, chemical analyses and other materials over three years. Barsoum, whose interest in the pyramids and geopolymers was piqued five years ago when he heard theories about the construction of the pyramids, says that to construct them with only cast stone builders would have needed an unattainable amount of wood and fuel to heat lime to 900 degrees Celsius.

    Barsoum's findings provide long-sought answers to some of the questions about how the pyramids were constructed and with such precision. It puts to rest the question of how steep ramps could have extended to the summit of the pyramids; builders could cast blocks on site, without having to transport stones great distances. By using cast blocks, builders were able to level the pyramids' bases to within an inch. Finally, builders were able to maintain precisely the angles of the pyramids so that the four planes of each arrived at a peak.

    Although these findings answer some of the questions about the pyramids, Barsoum says the mystery of how they were built is far from solved. For example, he has been unable to determine how granite beams -- spanning kings' chambers and weighing as much as 70 tons each -- were cut with nothing harder than copper and hauled in place.

    The type of concrete pyramid builders used could reduce pollution and outlast Portland cement, the most common type of modern cement. Portland cement injects a large amount of the world's carbon dioxide into the atmosphere and has a lifespan of about 150 years. If widely used, a geopolymer such as the one used in the construction of the pyramids can reduce that amount of pollution by 90 percent and last much longer. The raw materials used to produce the concrete used in the pyramids -- lime, limestone and diatomaceous earth -- can be found worldwide and is affordable enough to be an important construction material for developing countries, Barsoum said.
    Last edited by Dr Mordrid; 9 December 2006, 22:36.
    Dr. Mordrid
    ----------------------------
    An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

    I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

  • #2
    Actually saw a program about this on the TV the other day. Nothing all that long as it was part of a greater piece, but pretty cool. This new revelation makes a whole lot more sense than previous theories as to how the pyramids were built.

    I'm guessing the alien theories will still work, as they simply have to shift to saying that such building skills could not possibly have been had by us mere humans at that time in history.
    “And, remember: there's no 'I' in 'irony'” ~ Merlin Mann

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    • #3
      indeed.
      Dr. Mordrid
      ----------------------------
      An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

      I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

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      • #4
        Quite nicely explains why roman concrete survived to out times (they got it right the first time? yeah, right...) - Egyptians had thousands of years for trial & error.

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        • #5
          IIRC, the main problem with lime-crete these days is that it's really not that easy to lay in cold weather - setting times are a lot longer, and it doesn't react well to rain or frost.

          Which would at least partially explain why we don't use similar techniques here in the "temperate" zones, but also why the Egyptians could use it so successfully.
          DM says: Crunch with Matrox Users@ClimatePrediction.net

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          • #6
            OTOH if we were to increase the use of fly ash in our concrete it would be much stronger plus it (the flyash) wouldn't have to be landfilled. Rundown here;



            Hoover Dam was built using fly ash concrete.
            Dr. Mordrid
            ----------------------------
            An elephant is a mouse built to government specifications.

            I carry a gun because I can't throw a rock 1,250 fps

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            • #7
              So the Go'auld used cast concrete instead of cutting stone. Six of one half a dozen of the other.
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              • #8
                Yeah, when you think about: even though they were keeping their minions in basically primitive feudal society, they did have the tech...so why not concrete?

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                • #9
                  Damn, thats pretty plausible.

                  I would have liked to see a large mothership land on one like in the 5th Element
                  PC-1 Fractal Design Arc Mini R2, 3800X, Asus B450M-PRO mATX, 2x8GB B-die@3800C16, AMD Vega64, Seasonic 850W Gold, Black Ice Nemesis/Laing DDC/EKWB 240 Loop (VRM>CPU>GPU), Noctua Fans.
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                  • #10
                    Originally posted by Evildead666 View Post
                    Damn, thats pretty plausible.

                    I would have liked to see a large mothership land on one like in the 5th Element

                    Or... like... in Stargate?
                    The Internet - where men are men, women are men, and teenage girls are FBI agents!

                    I'm the least you could do
                    If only life were as easy as you
                    I'm the least you could do, oh yeah
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                    • #11
                      Sorry, i never got into stargate...
                      PC-1 Fractal Design Arc Mini R2, 3800X, Asus B450M-PRO mATX, 2x8GB B-die@3800C16, AMD Vega64, Seasonic 850W Gold, Black Ice Nemesis/Laing DDC/EKWB 240 Loop (VRM>CPU>GPU), Noctua Fans.
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                      • #12
                        Originally posted by Evildead666 View Post
                        Sorry, i never got into stargate...

                        It's pretty much what the guys who wrote "Fifth Element" were watching when they started to do their acid trip.
                        The Internet - where men are men, women are men, and teenage girls are FBI agents!

                        I'm the least you could do
                        If only life were as easy as you
                        I'm the least you could do, oh yeah
                        If only life were as easy as you
                        I would still get screwed

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