Cement
The Assyrians and Babylonians used clay as the bonding substance or cement. The Egyptians used lime and gypsum cement. In 1756, British engineer, John Smeaton made the first modern concrete by adding pebbles as coarse aggregate and mixing powdered brick into cement. In 1824, English inventor, Joseph Aspdin invented Portland cement, which has remained the dominant cement used in concrete production. Joseph Aspdin created the first true artificial cement by burning ground limestone and clay together. The burning process changed the chemical properties of the materials and Joseph Aspdin created stronger cement than what using plain crushed limestone would produce.
