Long Lasting Concrete

If you've ever used a pneumatic drill to break some up, you'll know concrete is a hard wearing and long lasting material.

But how long lasting is it? Well, every installation and circumstance is different, but how about 2000 years give or take a few?

Pantheon, Rome

Built nearly two millennia ago, the Pantheon in Rome is a testament to Roman ingenuity and the versatility and durability of concrete.

The concrete dome roof weighs 4,535 metric tons and varies in thickness from 6.4 metres at the base to 1.2 metres around the oculus, a circular opening in the centre that provides natural light for the vast interior.

What have the Romans ever done for us?

As the classic line from Monty Python's Life of Brian goes, sadly we can't claim the Romans invented concrete, but theirs' was perhaps the first civilisation to make widespread innovative use of it.

Freed from the limitations imposed by stone and brick material, they experimented with increasingly complex structural designs including arches, domes and vaults.

Pattern Imprinted Concrete

It would be interesting to see what one of their architects would make of modern portland cement based concrete and other innovations that have taken place in recent years.

Pattern imprinted concrete is one such innovation, providing long lasting and hard wearing driveways, paths and patios with all the appearance of cobbles, granite, slate, flagstones, tiles or even wood.

We're not sure whether we carry any Roman genes, but here at Northern Cobblestone, we're proud to carry on their art, installing pattern imprinted concrete to the homes and businesses of Blackpool, Lancashire and the wider North West.