The setting of pozzolanic cements has much in common with setting of their modern counterpart, Portland cement.
2.
At present, there is no way of ascertaining what water / cement ratios the Romans used, nor are there extensive data for the effects of this ratio on the strengths of pozzolanic cements.
3.
Although different forms of cement already existed ( Pozzolanic cement was used by the Romans as early as 100 B . C . and even earlier by the ancient Greek and Chinese civilizations ) and were in common usage in Europe from the 1750s, the discovery made by Aspdin used commonly available, cheap materials, making concrete construction an economical possibility.