par Espion, Bernard
Editeur scientifique Mascarenhas-Mateus, João
Référence Changing Cultures, European Perspectives on the History of Portland Cement and Reinforced Concrete, 19th and 20th Centuries, CRC Press/Routledge, London, page (161-179)
Publication Publié, 2023-08-24
Partie d'ouvrage collectif
Résumé : This chapter examines the major Belgian contributions to the international history of concrete and concrete structures. The French pioneer of reinforced concrete, François Hennebique, began to build his international empire from his base in Belgium in the 1890s. In 1902, the Belgian engineer Paul Christophe wrote the first book enabling the rational design of reinforced concrete, which formed the basis for the calculation methods used universally until the 1970s. The Liège-based Franki company played a leading role internationally in the development of foundation techniques and published the journal La Technique des Travaux. And Professor Gustave Magnel of Ghent University, in association with the Brussels-based company Blaton-Aubert, played a major role in the development and promotion of prestressed concrete. This chapter will show how these situations, contributions and companies had a fundamental impact on the history of international construction.