The L. Suzio York Hill Companies have been satisfying customers in South Central Connecticut since 1898, first providing crushed stone and trap rock and later adding ready-mix concrete products to their inventory. Over a century of business is a long time for a concrete supply company, but it pales in comparison to the long and fascinating history of concrete itself.

Below are some of the highlights of concrete since its first use some 5,000 years ago:

• Ancient Egypt: The Egyptians used a primitive form of concrete as early as 3,000 B.C. by mixing mud and straw to create surprisingly durable bricks.
• Classical Rome: The Romans built the Coliseum, the Pantheon, and other wonders out of a material very much like modern cement.
• The Middle Ages: As with many technologies, the fall of the Roman Empire resulted in the loss of cement-making knowhow. Not until 1414, nearly a thousand years later, with the discovery of manuscripts describing the techniques, were Europeans again able to construct concrete structures.
• Modern Cement: English bricklayer Joseph Aspdin invented and obtained a patent for modern Portland cement, so named because it resembled the quality building stones of Portland, England. The precise measurements that went into Portland cement allowed for reliable, standardized results and the eventual development of ready-mix concrete products.
• Rotary Kilns: The 1885 development of a tilted, rotary kiln – as opposed to upright and stationary – offered better temperature control and mixed materials more thoroughly. Thomas Edison’s 1909 “long kiln” was 150 feet long. Today, industrial kilns can be up to 500 feet long.

When your project requires crushed stone or ready-mix concrete or asphalt products, contact The L. Suzio York Hill Companies, South Central Connecticut’s premier materials supply company. Visit their website to learn more, or call (203) 237-8421 to speak to a friendly, knowledgeable representative today.