17 March 2021 - In this podcast, Ian talks to Rainer Nobis, author of new book "Illustrated History of Cement and Concrete". Rainer shares his insights into the history of the material, from before the Ancient Egyptians, its use as a key defence element in WW2, to what the future holds for cement and concrete.
Rainer Nobis, a mining engineer, worked for thirty-five years in a globally active company in the cement industry. The desire to trace the history of the origins of cement and concrete for people who are interested in the two building materials prompted him to write this comprehensive book.
Beginning with prehistory and the first signs of man-made building materials more than 12,000 years ago, this book describes in 40 chapters the origins, development and application of the main binding materials gypsum, bitumen, lime and especially cement, the intermediate product for mortar and concrete. The book covers the span of time from the first known and traditional applications to the present day. The book "Illustrated History of Cement and Concrete" is aimed at those readers who deal with the building materials cement and concrete, be it in the construction or building materials industry, as teachers, students, but also the interested layperson.
More details on how to purchase Rainer's book can be found here.