Samenvatting Advanced Construction
1. Construction History Concrete
What is concrete?
It is simply a blend of aggregates, normally natural sand and gravel or crushed rock. These are
bound together by a hydraulic binder e.g. Portland Cement and activated by water to form a
dense semi homogenous mass. = strong in resisting compression
-> Reinforcement needed where tensile stresses have to be accommodated
Small stories:
- Concrete is the second most used material on earth after water
- Concrete production contributes 5% of annual global CO2 production
- Concrete in the middle of the Hoover Dam, opened in 1936, is still drying out
- The largest ever, unreinforced concrete dome construction is the Pantheon in Rome,
which is over 2000 years old -> The aggregates used in the concrete became lighter as
the dome was constructed towards the middle
The Ancient Roman’s concrete = second hydraulic cement
-> volcanic ash a.k.a. Pozzolana, lime, water to make mortar.
-> mortar mixed with aggregate (chunks of rock)
-> in contact with saltwater
-> chemical reaction between Pozzolana, lime, and saltwater
-> create a rare crystal called Tobermorite.
Romans past their knowledge of materials, techniques and tools, but three causes led to losing
the knowledge of hydraulic cement
1. Poor economic state
2. Barbarian sack caused few remaining craftsmen + contractors to flee
3. Natural pozzolanic ash, vital for hydraulic cement was geographical absent
,Timeline
1700 BC concrete floors dating back to 1700 BC found in Greece
= First hydraulic cement = Addition of crushed tiles and brick, composed of burned clay
300 BC the Romans start to build extensively using “opus caementicium”
= Second form of hydraulic cement = Accidental addition of pozzolano = sand-like volcanic ash =
pitsand = allowed for underwater curing
1756 English civil engineer John Smeaton rediscovered hydraulic lime cement when rebuilding
eddystone lighthouse -> first addition of clay -> first hydraulic cement in over a millenium
1796 James Parker created first on site mixable cement
-> by grinding burned lime into powder, gel making process = greatly accelerated
1824 Joseph Aspdin invented Portland cement (patent)
-> by burning finely limestone, cooling it, and then adding clay and burning it again in a kiln until
carbon dioxide was removed. Named “Portland” cement because it resembled the high-quality
building stones found in Portland, England.
-> first to heat alumina + silica materials to vitrification, resulting into fusion. = sintering
-> proportioning limestone + clay, pulverizing, burning into clinker, ground into finished cement
1841 Joseph-Louis Lambot = inventor ferro-cement = now known as reinforced concrete
1849 Joseph Monier, a French gardener, proved iron mesh did not expand in concrete pots
= patented in 1867
1853 during 19th century concrete mainly used in industrial buildings
-> Francois Coignet first reinforced concrete house = Villa Coignet
1867 first agglomerated concrete building Coignet system
1873 Coignet patent for reinforced concrete bridges
-> 1875 first bridge. Integral in rustic style, imitating wood = Faux bois
1892 François Hennebique Patent continuously reinforced constructions =column+beam =1
-> sold franchises in large cities
,1902 August Perret apartment building concrete columns, beams, floors
-> no bearing walls but elegant façade = concrete more socially acceptable
1902 patent “Kahn System”
1908 Claude Allen Porter Turner patent innovative flat-slab support system = Turner System
= Spiral mushroom System
1914 Maison Dom-ino, Le Corbusier
1921 Eugène Freyssinet, French engineer, pioneer reinforced- concrete construction.
-> built two gigantic parabolic arched airship hangars at Orly Airport in Paris.
-> 1928, patent pre-stressed concrete
1953 Pier Luigi Nervi, Wool factory Gatti, thin shell structures
Thin shell examples:
Municipal Stadium, Pier Luigi Nervi, 1932
London zoo penguin pool, Lubetkin, 1934
Airplane hangars, Alfred Hardy, 1947
, Notre Dame du Haut, Le Corbusier, 1955
central market hall, Felix Candela, 1956
Scandinavian Pavilion, Fehn Sverre, 1962
St. Mary Cathedral, Kenzo Tange, 1964
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw kapel, Juliaan Lampens, 1964
St. Rita Church, Léon Stynen, 1966
1. Construction History Concrete
What is concrete?
It is simply a blend of aggregates, normally natural sand and gravel or crushed rock. These are
bound together by a hydraulic binder e.g. Portland Cement and activated by water to form a
dense semi homogenous mass. = strong in resisting compression
-> Reinforcement needed where tensile stresses have to be accommodated
Small stories:
- Concrete is the second most used material on earth after water
- Concrete production contributes 5% of annual global CO2 production
- Concrete in the middle of the Hoover Dam, opened in 1936, is still drying out
- The largest ever, unreinforced concrete dome construction is the Pantheon in Rome,
which is over 2000 years old -> The aggregates used in the concrete became lighter as
the dome was constructed towards the middle
The Ancient Roman’s concrete = second hydraulic cement
-> volcanic ash a.k.a. Pozzolana, lime, water to make mortar.
-> mortar mixed with aggregate (chunks of rock)
-> in contact with saltwater
-> chemical reaction between Pozzolana, lime, and saltwater
-> create a rare crystal called Tobermorite.
Romans past their knowledge of materials, techniques and tools, but three causes led to losing
the knowledge of hydraulic cement
1. Poor economic state
2. Barbarian sack caused few remaining craftsmen + contractors to flee
3. Natural pozzolanic ash, vital for hydraulic cement was geographical absent
,Timeline
1700 BC concrete floors dating back to 1700 BC found in Greece
= First hydraulic cement = Addition of crushed tiles and brick, composed of burned clay
300 BC the Romans start to build extensively using “opus caementicium”
= Second form of hydraulic cement = Accidental addition of pozzolano = sand-like volcanic ash =
pitsand = allowed for underwater curing
1756 English civil engineer John Smeaton rediscovered hydraulic lime cement when rebuilding
eddystone lighthouse -> first addition of clay -> first hydraulic cement in over a millenium
1796 James Parker created first on site mixable cement
-> by grinding burned lime into powder, gel making process = greatly accelerated
1824 Joseph Aspdin invented Portland cement (patent)
-> by burning finely limestone, cooling it, and then adding clay and burning it again in a kiln until
carbon dioxide was removed. Named “Portland” cement because it resembled the high-quality
building stones found in Portland, England.
-> first to heat alumina + silica materials to vitrification, resulting into fusion. = sintering
-> proportioning limestone + clay, pulverizing, burning into clinker, ground into finished cement
1841 Joseph-Louis Lambot = inventor ferro-cement = now known as reinforced concrete
1849 Joseph Monier, a French gardener, proved iron mesh did not expand in concrete pots
= patented in 1867
1853 during 19th century concrete mainly used in industrial buildings
-> Francois Coignet first reinforced concrete house = Villa Coignet
1867 first agglomerated concrete building Coignet system
1873 Coignet patent for reinforced concrete bridges
-> 1875 first bridge. Integral in rustic style, imitating wood = Faux bois
1892 François Hennebique Patent continuously reinforced constructions =column+beam =1
-> sold franchises in large cities
,1902 August Perret apartment building concrete columns, beams, floors
-> no bearing walls but elegant façade = concrete more socially acceptable
1902 patent “Kahn System”
1908 Claude Allen Porter Turner patent innovative flat-slab support system = Turner System
= Spiral mushroom System
1914 Maison Dom-ino, Le Corbusier
1921 Eugène Freyssinet, French engineer, pioneer reinforced- concrete construction.
-> built two gigantic parabolic arched airship hangars at Orly Airport in Paris.
-> 1928, patent pre-stressed concrete
1953 Pier Luigi Nervi, Wool factory Gatti, thin shell structures
Thin shell examples:
Municipal Stadium, Pier Luigi Nervi, 1932
London zoo penguin pool, Lubetkin, 1934
Airplane hangars, Alfred Hardy, 1947
, Notre Dame du Haut, Le Corbusier, 1955
central market hall, Felix Candela, 1956
Scandinavian Pavilion, Fehn Sverre, 1962
St. Mary Cathedral, Kenzo Tange, 1964
Onze-Lieve-Vrouw kapel, Juliaan Lampens, 1964
St. Rita Church, Léon Stynen, 1966
