Concrete objections

September 5, 2023

There’s general disbelief in England right now as over 100 schools have been closed right at the start of the autumn term, because the concrete in them is in danger of collapse. The same is reportedly true of much of the country’s building stock including hospitals.

The Romans knew how to make concrete for buildings that are still standing after 2,000 years, so how come modern concrete buildings are falling down? The answer is because the Romans didn’t use cheap concrete designed only to last 30 years. The stuff is so bad, say structural engineers, it shouldn’t even be called ‘concrete’.

This is typical of the Bodgit & Scarper short-termism of capitalism, where private savings today take priority over public disasters tomorrow.