An Experiment Measuring Water Consumption in Roman Hydrophobic Mortar ( opus signinum)

Bibliographic Data

ID7174609
AuthorsJavier Martínez Jiménez (0000-0003-4132-4135, Universidad de Granada, corresponding author), Juan Jesús Padilla Fernández (0000-0001-5107-4390, Universidad de Salamanca), Elena H Sánchez López (0000-0002-7807-9770, Universidad de Granada)
Year2024
Volume27
Issue4
Pages488-506
Publication date2024-08-27
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueEuropean Journal of Archaeology (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 1461-9571 • E-ISSN: 1741-2722
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/eaa.2024.20
OpenAlexW4401925047
LanguageEN
References cited23

Opus signinum is a lime mortar mix that includes crushed pottery as an aggregate. Because it is water-resistant, it was used to line hydraulic structures like pools and aqueducts. While there have been numerous recreations of Roman ‘concretes’ in the past, hydrophobic linings have received little attention, and all preliminary studies in these recreations have paid more attention to the dry components and the lime than to the hydric needs of the mortar. The experiment presented here was to gain a better understanding, with the help of traditional builders, of the process of mixing and applying hydrophobic linings and calculate the water consumption of individual samples. The data obtained contribute to assessing the water consumption needs on Roman construction sites, what associated logistics these volumes required, and what the technicalities of applying this specific type of lining were

Aesthetics · Aggregate (composite · Archaeology · Art · Composite material · Consumption (sociology · Geography · Geotechnical engineering · Lime · Metallurgy · Mortar · Pottery · Water consumption · Building materials and conservation · Engineering · Maritime and Coastal Archaeology · Materials Science · Water management and technologies · Environmental Engineering

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