Chapter 188 Leading astray

With Su Ying's antics, that difficult journey was completed unknowingly.

The road ahead became a common dirt road with compacted earth.

County Magistrate Hu looked at Su Bucheng in surprise. Why is this a dirt road? Shouldn't it be a mortar road?

"My lord! This clay comes from Jinfeng Village and can only be spread all the way from the outside to the inside." Su Bucheng explained.

"Oh, I thought so!" County Magistrate Hu nodded.

When we switched from the mortar road to the stone roadbed, it was very difficult to walk and my feet got a lot of numbness on their soles.

At this moment, the road was switched from stone roadbed to dirt road, and County Magistrate Hu felt that the dirt road was very soft.

The dirt road was compacted very solidly and would not be easily washed away even on rainy days, but Huanggou Village had high quality requirements and insisted on adding mortar.

Although it is cumbersome, at least the road surface will be smooth and free of water for several years. Who doesn't want to walk on a clean and tidy road?

Imagine the embarrassment and difficulty of having your feet stuck in the mud, especially the yellow mud, which is sticky and slippery.

When you think about it this way, there’s a reason why mortar roads are expensive!

"Is there a better way than this?" County Magistrate Hu asked Su Ying casually.

This girl has endless creative ideas and a unique mind.

"Yes! We just lack the raw materials!" Su Ying said affirmatively.

"See, I guessed you had something else up your sleeve!" County Magistrate Hu said with a smile.

"Sir, it's not that I'm holding back, it's that I'm short of raw materials!" Su Ying said seriously.

"Oh, what raw materials are you missing? Tell me and we'll see if we can find a way to get them. The dirt roads in the county town should also be repaired, otherwise they'll be muddy and muddy in the summer rain, making it inconvenient for merchants to travel."

County Magistrate Hu decided to take action instead of just thinking about it, and decided to renovate the county town.

"What's even better is a reinforced concrete road! It requires cement and steel.

Cement is made by grinding limestone and clay from bluestone mountains into flour, calcining it into clinker, and then mixing it with iron ore slag in proportion and grinding it into powder.

As the name suggests, rebar is made of steel that is tougher than iron.

First, use it to build a network of reinforcements on the compacted road surface, and then pour mortar made of a mixture of cement, river sand and gravel. This mortar is called concrete.

After drying, its strength and durability far surpass those of the bamboo reinforced mortar road we just used."

Su Ying's reinforced concrete road shocked everyone present. They were not shocked by the difficulty of producing the raw materials, but the fact that the raw materials produced with such great effort were only used to pave the road, which conflicted with their cognition.

Magistrate Hu stroked his beautiful beard and remained silent for a while. "My lady, your steel and cement should be used for more than just road construction, right?"

It takes a lot of effort to make it just for paving the road. It is not as durable as paving with chiseled stone slabs, and the level of effort is comparable.

Based on his understanding of Su Ying, she would not do such a loss-making thing.

"Lord Hu is wise! He can even think further!" Su Ying couldn't help but give him a thumbs up.

"If there were steel bars and cement, the city would be unbreakable after being reinforced!"

It was originally inspired by the mud applied to the new house at home, and the idea of ​​using this mud on the road surface to reinforce it.

Clay is ground into powder and mixed with lime and sand in proportion. After solidification, it has a certain viscosity and hardness.

It is easy to operate, uses local materials, and does not require much effort.

I never thought about burning cement. Cement without steel bars is not very useful and is not strong.

Now that County Magistrate Hu asked about it, I just mentioned it casually.

With the current steel production in the Tang Dynasty, it is good enough to meet the production of military equipment and agricultural tools. Don’t even think about producing more unless the blast furnace method is used to significantly increase steel production.

"Hiss!" Everyone present was shocked. This seemingly inconspicuous thing was extremely powerful!

"Is it really that powerful?" Hu Dalang's eyes were burning.

"Of course! It can also be used to build high-rise buildings, up to hundreds of feet high, with fast construction speed and strong sturdiness!" Having said that, Su Ying didn't mind dropping another bombshell.

"Hundreds of feet!" Hu Dalang was stunned.

This, this...my brain is frozen.

Su Laoer's eyes lit up. Others were just shocked when they heard it, but people in the industry were different. They keenly sensed its importance.

In ancient times, city walls and courtyard walls were built by gluing them together with mortar made of glutinous rice, clay, and lime in a certain proportion, which consumed a large amount of grain.

If this cement is really produced, it can replace this adhesive.

The construction supervisor is a gathering of skilled craftsmen. Even if Aying cannot give the specific proportions, with this idea, it won't take long for the construction supervisor to make cement.

The Ministry of Works already had a large amount of iron ore slag, which could be turned into treasure.

As for the uses, the craftsmen will soon figure out more.

Someone who knows the business can unlock a whole range of new skills with just a few words of advice.

What a shame! Su Laoer sighed. He was no longer in charge of the Ministry of Industry. Such a good thing could only be buried in the mountains!

"Miss, where did you get this cement-making method from? Could you please tell me? I want to find it and take a look." Hu Dalang was curious and continued to ask.

This kind of metallurgy and stone refining techniques was so interesting that Hu Dalang wanted to dabble in it to increase his knowledge.

After listening to the conversation between his father and Su Ying, Hu Dalang realized that he needed to supplement his practical knowledge.

Otherwise, when you become an official in the future, how can you use local materials, build at low cost, and benefit the people?

"Well, this is from a merchant from the Arab world in Chang'an. He traveled to many places and mentioned a place that used this method to make cement for building houses."

Su Ying was in a dilemma, blaming herself for her slip of the tongue and being able to make up a random explanation to cover it up.

Cement originated in ancient Rome, where people used a mixture of lime and volcanic ash for construction.

Later, it was discovered that specific firing and mixing processes could produce cement that was more hydraulic and durable.

As for the addition of steel bars to cement, it was a coincidence.

Cement was popular in the West in the 18th century, but cement was never strong. A businessman's cement flower pots placed outdoors were knocked over and broken.

The flower pots were shattered all over the floor, but one of them was almost intact.

The businessman picked it up and saw that the flowerpot was covered with roots and stems, forming a whole with the flowerpot.

Inspired by this, the businessman invented the reinforced concrete construction method and applied for a patent.

Later, this method was continuously improved and promoted by peers and became the foundation and soul of architecture.

"Dari?" Hu Dalang felt as if a basin of cold water was poured over his head.

I have only heard of the Kingdom of the Arabs in your grand speeches. It came from the far west, and I haven't even left Lingnan!

Magistrate Hu found his eldest son a little dejected and found it amusing. He patted his shoulder and said, "So, you should go out for a walk and see the world outside!"

Hu Dalang didn't say anything. He was quite confident before.

I had only been communicating with the people in Huanggou Village for a short while, and before I even arrived in Huanggou Village, I felt that I was not very knowledgeable.

This is probably the difference between Chang'an City and the wilderness!

"This is just a work of craftsmen. My dear Sir, you have lofty ambitions, so don't be distracted by my complexity!" Su Ying realized that she had embarrassed the distinguished guest, so she belittled herself.

In ancient times, books of sages were the right path, and all others were considered miscellaneous and not up to standard.

"The girl is knowledgeable and erudite, which makes me admire her!" Hu Dalang was convinced.

It’s worth the trip to go out with my parents!