The beginnings of ferroconcrete in Lublin

Abstract

Ferroconcrete is a very versatile building material, valued for durability, resistance to static and dynamic load, fireresistance, the possibility of shaping constructions in the desired way and low cost. It was invented in France by Joseph Monier, who, starting in 1867, patented a number of ideas connected with the “innervation” of concrete with metal. Among the many people whose research and experiments contributed to popularizing ferroconcrete we should mention another Frenchman, François Hennebique, who patented a pioneering system of construction (called “Béton Armé”) in 1892 and then applied it in a vast number of buildings. Jerzy Nechay, an expert on ferroconcrete constructions, wrote: “ferroconcrete triumphed in a remarkably short time”, which was true, since in less than twenty years it was introduced on a large scale not only across Europe but also on other continents. Among the fathers of ferroconrete constructions are William E. Ward, Anatole de Baudot, Auguste Perret, Tony Garnier, Max Berg and many other architects.
Poland was partitioned during the rise of ferroconcrete, which makes it diffi cult to trace the history of its introduction here. The fi rst ferroconcrete constructions in the Polish territories were bridges, with the earliest examples coming from the 1890s. Before the First World War there were already many ferroconcrete constructions, including engineering and industrial structures as well as public and private buildings. An important role in popularizing ferroconcrete was played by journals, especially Przegląd Techniczny [The Technical Review], published in Warsaw. In the inter-war period ferroconcrete was widely applied in Poland and the year 1931 saw the 1st Polish Convention of Ferroconcrete Builders. In Lublin, as in other parts of Poland, the earliest ferroconcrete constructions were bridges. The first one, built in 1903, collapsed soon after its completion; the next two, which have survived until today, were built in 1908 and 1909. The popularization of the technology took almost two decades; its application was hampered by the lack of local sources of raw materials: cement, valley gravel, breakstone, and high-quality sand. It was necessary to transport those from distant areas, which made ferroconcrete structures too expensive. The first larger ferroconcrete-framed building in Lublin was Bank Ziemi Polskiej [the Bank of Polish Land], built in 1923–25. It was designed by the Warsaw-based architect Bolesław Żurkowski. Soon, ferroconcrete was applied in many other constructions in Lublin, some designed by local architects and built by local contractors. It was used primarily for large public edifi ces (banks, the Treasury Office, the Soldier’s House, the Land Office, the Firemen House, the church of St Michael the Archangel, schools); private investors were hesitant. Even though ferroconcrete changed modern architecture radically, in Lublin its introduction did not lead to a building revolution. It was, however, important for the city’s development that this valuable material started to be used and gradually got more recognition.