Extraordinary, high-performance composites like the ones used to build Trajan’s Market and other ancient Rome monuments, as well as the massive piers, breakwaters and fishponds along the central Italian coast, are now helping provide a unique window into studying the long-term performance of cementitious systems.

Dr. Paulo J.M. Monteriro, the Roy W. Carlson Distinguished Professor in Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of California, Berkeley, and his research team secured permission to collect a large number of 2,000-year old concrete samples from Rome to study.

As the 2021 Jones Lecturer, Monteiro will describe his comprehensive experimental program using synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering to characterize and optimize the nano and microstructure of these advanced construction materials. His presentation will discuss how three-dimensional tomographic images can provide fresh new insights into the complex nature of composite materials and how this information can be used in the design of improved materials. His talk titled “Unlocking the secrets of ancient Roman concrete using synchrotron radiation and neutron scattering” will be held at 2:30 p.m. Thursday, April 22 via Zoom (https://umsystem.zoom.us/j/95581831748?pwd=TnlBQ0VTOUx1c0xkeHdYcmRyMWtiUT09).