History Of Reinforced Concrete To 1950

The creation of reinforced concrete, a composite, is based on the inventions of Portland cement and the rolled steel bar. This dual concept was in force in the 1880s, rapidly enforcing the composite on the market, gradually phasing out the materials of natural stone and wood in construction works. Simultaneously, simple computation models were developed, allowing calculations of the building material for constructions, useful as flooring, beams, columns, bridges, road pavements, cisterns, trusses, tubes etc. Though simple, the first design theory in 1887 became very useful as it reduced the dimensions of structures by about 50 %. In 1890, P. Neumann, a pioneer from the Vienna school, contributed to a more scientific model of properties, though slowly utilized in practice, which inspired the design theories launched by three outstanding pioneers, E. Mörsch, R. Saliger and E. Suenson after the turn of the twentieth century. Meanwhile J. Melan and F. Emperger in Vienna and A. Ostenfeld in Copenhagen started the era of bridge designing from Monier vaults. Emperger, occupied in the USA with bridge designing 1890- 1897, contributed to the very rapid development of bridge-building in the USA. Much in the same manner, F. Hennebique and his peer E. Fryssinet were in charge of the amazing development of monolithic reinforced structures and pre-stressed bridges in Europe 1892-1940. The ultimate calculation method for reinforced concrete became a reality when a pioneer from the Danish school, A. Ingerslev launched theories for flat slabs. Despite a very short active period, Ingerslev's theory was employed in Denmark after 1921. His follower K. W. Johansen, occupied with the subject for three decades, brought the flat slab theory to its peak. Slowly, due to very late translations, it gained acceptance in all countries dealing with flat slab structures. The ultimate use of the composite appeared in thin shell structures: Orly hangars erected in 1921-1923, the spherical dome in Jena in 1924 and elliptical shaped shell structures in Spain and Switzerland in the 1930s, due to E. Torroja and R.Maillart. Finally, after the failure of the hotel Goldener Bär in Bern in 1901, the building code for concrete was rapidly enforced, in 1903 in Switzerland, soon followed by codes in Austria and Germany. The higher safety of concrete structures, due to the increased strength of the materials, was soon followed by more sophisticated design theories, based on prismatic failure stresses.

Ten years after the publication of the first English edition of The History of the Theory of Structures, Dr. Kurrer now gives us a much enlarged second edition with a new subtitle: Searching for Equilibrium. The author invites the reader to take part in a journey through time to explore the equilibrium of structures. That journey starts with the emergence of the statics and strength of materials of Leonardo da Vinci and Galileo, and reaches its first climax with Coulomb's structural theories for beams, earth pressure and arches in the late 18th century. Over the next 100 years, Navier, Culmann, Maxwell, Rankine, Mohr, Castigliano and Müller-Breslau moulded theory of structures into a fundamental engineering science discipline that - in the form of modern structural mechanics - played a key role in creating the design languages of the steel, reinforced concrete, aircraft, automotive and shipbuilding industries in the 20th century. In his portrayal, the author places the emphasis on the formation and development of modern numerical engineering methods such as FEM and describes their integration into the discipline of computational mechanics. Brief insights into customary methods of calculation backed up by historical facts help the reader to understand the history of structural mechanics and earth pressure theory from the point of view of modern engineering practice. This approach also makes a vital contribution to the teaching of engineers. Dr. Kurrer manages to give us a real feel for the different approaches of the players involved through their engineering science profiles and personalities, thus creating awareness for the social context. The 260 brief biographies convey the subjective aspect of theory of structures and structural mechanics from the early years of the modern era to the present day. Civil and structural engineers and architects are well represented, but there are also biographies of mathematicians, physicists, mechanical engineers and aircraft and ship designers. The main works of these protagonists of theory of structures are reviewed and listed at the end of each biography. Besides the acknowledged figures in theory of structures such as Coulomb, Culmann, Maxwell, Mohr, Müller-Breslau, Navier, Rankine, Saint-Venant, Timoshenko and Westergaard, the reader is also introduced to G. Green, A. N. Krylov, G. Li, A. J. S. Pippard, W. Prager, H. A. Schade, A. W. Skempton, C. A. Truesdell, J. A. L. Waddell and H. Wagner. The pioneers of the modern movement in theory of structures, J. H. Argyris, R. W. Clough, T. v. Kármán, M. J. Turner and O. C. Zienkiewicz, are also given extensive biographical treatment. A huge bibliography of about 4,500 works rounds off the book. New content in the second edition deals with earth pressure theory, ultimate load method, an analysis of historical textbooks, steel bridges, lightweight construction, theory of plates and shells, Green's function, computational statics, FEM, computer-assisted graphical analysis and historical engineering science. The number of pages now exceeds 1,200 - an increase of 50% over the first English edition. This book is the first all-embracing historical account of theory of structures from the 16th century to the present day.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work. This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.

This volume traces the process by which reinforced concrete emerged during the 19th century as the successful building material of today. Early work on testing the strength of cements led into a period of experimental work by a number of engineers, notably in Britain, France and America, to devise successful systems of embedding iron in concrete in such a way that the two materials would act together to carry imposed loads. The papers take the story to the early years of the 20th century and provide a thorough review of the gradual evolution of ideas and the contributions of individuals to this technology.

This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work was reproduced from the original artifact, and remains as true to the original work as possible. Therefore, you will see the original copyright references, library stamps (as most of these works have been housed in our most important libraries around the world), and other notations in the work.This work is in the public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work.As a reproduction of a historical artifact, this work may contain missing or blurred pages, poor pictures, errant marks, etc. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.