Everywhere we go, we see huge buildings, skyscrapers, sidewalks, walls, offices etc and all kinds of structures. We often take these for granted and do not stop to think how these came about. These were constructed by mankind over a span of many centuries. Modern construction started when clay was baked in ovens and made especially for this construction. Then bricks were made out of this. In ancient Egypt this was a very common practice. Modern construction has changed dramatically over the last few centuries. This is because new technology has come to bear on new structures as we see in such innovations as cement mixers. It is easy to take them for granted nowadays because of their common occurrence especially in construction sites. The Greeks have been credited with a lot of the modern innovation that went into building materials. They learnt how to mix asphalt with water to produce a hardened substance that was ideal for constructing structures. This substance later became the foundation for modern "cement", which is a Greek term for "secure". Cement is actually a mixture of various substances. Besides asphalt, which was mentioned before, there is sand and limestone. The Greek who invented cement were making many structures out of cement in the ancient times. Babylon flourished with new constructions and all the new buildings employed asphalt and cement in around 625 BC. After a period where construction was basically absence, cement construction was revived. This absence was caused by the Dark Ages. European civilizations then picked brick laying again and build many fortified cities with admirable structures. We have evidence of this in the castles in the Europe. But there was little improvement from the methods that were initially used the Greeks for centuries. By 19th century cement construction was introduced to America, along with other aspects of industrial revolution. Natural resources were tapped in making cement in Trinidad. By 20th century some new elements were being experimented with. When some new materials were added to cement, concrete developed. This form of concrete is commonly seen on the roads. When so much was happening in the cement industry, the art of mixing it just had to revolutionize. Cement mixers were becoming pretty popular by early 20th Century. This coincided with increased usage of motorized vehicles. Cement mixers had trays. These trays were heated on simmering coal. A mixture was set to dry in this. This was followed by asphalt being poured on it. In the rudimentary stages, the cement was mixed manually. Then the drums were invented. They used to be fixed in one place. Then some enterprising person added wheels to it and made these drums mobile! There was a huge demand for these as good roads and sidewalks were being laid out in large numbers. This was the state of affairs till 1960s. But things were not all hunky-dory. Cement mixers got caught up in environmental issues in 1970s. A few changes had to be made. Technology of cement mixers had to be improved to become environment friendly and abreast with the changing times. Now, cement mixers do not cause noise pollution, are weather-friendly and more efficient. The cement mixture is better and durable. Over 90% of roads we see have been made by cement from these cement mixtures!
Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5
Not yet Rated
