Concrete and Ceramic

Concrete is an ancient material. Even if it is not as old as ceramics, traces of it can already be found in ancient Egypt as well as in Mesopotamia, dating back to 3000 BC. But it was the Romans who developed the technique and used it for constructions such as the Pont du Gard or the Colosseum in Rome.

Concrete is a composite material. It is an assembly of materials generally mineral in nature. It consists of inert materials such as gravel, chippings, sand... which are gathered under the term "aggregates", and a binder which can be cement, bitumen, clay... Water and admixtures are added to these elements to make a paste. This can be poured, molded, or shuttered. Once solidified, it gives what is commonly called concrete.

Or rather, we should say concretes. Indeed, "concrete" is a generic term that encompasses different types of material. Depending on the composition of the mixture, it will bear a specific name. For example, in the case of using clay as a binder, we would refer to it as "cob" or "rammed earth".

Concrete is now very widely used in the field of construction, but it also finds uses in other sectors of activity, such as art or furniture.