Thomas Edison, the failure.

a glass case, about 30 ft long, full of old mechanical and electrical parts, assemblies and other unrecognizable junk. The label says it's just a part of Edison's failed experiments. Many of us would have quit at just a shelf full. He didn't.

I agree that concrete is the wave of the future in home construction. Not just for driveways and sidewalks anymore. If you go to a major portland cement site on the internet you can see a large number of ways concrete is being used in residential housing now. The stamped flooring designs, of course terrazo topped concrete, 8x8x16 blocks have been used for decades, monolithic domes, concrete and styrofoam combinations, and host of other applications. I think the biggest problem with monolithic structures are when stresses develop, more likely due to settling than other causes, which aren't spread equally across the entire structure, leading to cracks in those structures.

I do wish the article had been more in depth on the exact problems the woman was facing, the cause of her leaks. I find it hard to believe simple fiber reinforced concrete couldn't provide sufficient patches. My house shingles are actually a type of concrete. They are called asbestos shingles, but that's just the fiber inside that helps reinforce the concrete. I've seen homes in the area which replaced the old siding with new vinyl siding, only to loose large strips of that in storms, while I've never lost a single shingle. I have a backup supply I've collected where I saw vinyl siding going up and the old shingles coming off, so I'm set for any replacements needed in future years. I did replace a few that cracked when I was swapping my sliding glass doors out for double french doors instead. I so much more like the french style doors both in looks and utility.