Concrete: The Most Abundant Novel Rock

Type of the Anthropocene

Waters, Colin & Zalasiewicz, Jan. (2017). Concrete: The Most Abundant Novel Rock Type of the Anthropocene. 10.1016/B978-
0-12-409548-9.09775-X.
Concrete in anthropocene

• Most abundant anthropogenic sedimentary rock on the planet.

• What is special about its composition?

• How abundant is globally?
• As maker for the anthropocene, we need to understand the nature and preservation potencial for
geological intervals of time.
• Will concrete have a clear expression as an anthropogenic material into far future?
History
Composition
• Portland cement • Portland cement:
• A siliceus aggregate: rock, sand or gavel • Ettrigite
• Water • Hillebrandite
• Portlandite (Ca(OH)2)
• Al- Tobermorite (Calcium silicate hydrate)

THECNOSPHERE These minerals have now become much more

widespread thorugh their presence in concrete.
Future preservation potencial in geological time.
• “The concrete is seen as an inert waste that • Geochronology
acts as a suitable foundation for subsequent
development” “Over centuries the primary mineralogy of
concrete Will modify to secondary minerals in
the presence of acidic groundwaters”
- Isotopic fingerprints, natural speleothems.
- The CaCO3 contains CO2 – 14 C

Problem: recrystallization, causes an

artificially young age.
Solution: Stable C and 0 isotopes: 12 C and 16
O.
DISCUSSIONS AND “SOLUTIONS”