Derek Muller of Veritasium paid an adherent visit to Nevada Ready Mix to stand inside a clear bubble as wet concrete was poured inside. As he was waiting to be buried by the sticky compound, Muller explained the surprisingly long history of concrete and how it differs from cement.
I am about to get buried in concrete. And while that’s happening, I’m going to explain everything you need to know about this substance. So the first thing that I want to clear up is the difference between cement and concrete… Cement is like the glue. It’s the matrix of stuff. …Now concrete is cement plus aggregate, so plus gravel and sand. …
Muller also talked about how much society depends on cementitious products.
But by far, the solid product we make the most of,is cementitious material, essentially cement. We use as much of it as we do all other materials combined. And it’s easy to see why. Concrete is liquid rock. You can pour it into any shape you like. It’s strong and durable and inexpensive. And it is so easy to produce.
It’s important to note that this experiment is very dangerous and should not be done without experienced supervision. Muller took great precautions to ensure that his entire body was covered, as concrete can cause chemical burns, severe dermatitis, and in some cases, poisoning. Additionally, hardening concrete puts enormous pressure on the human body. Luckily, he had a way to quickly escape if he felt to be in any danger.
My fear is that the concrete is so dense that when it gets up around my chest, it may apply a lot of pressure, making it hard to breathe. ….But we do have oxygen on hand, just in case. Earlier, I practiced how I could get out of the bowl if I’m in trouble.
