Early Concrete Structures: Patented Systems and Construction Features

ABSTRACT

Reinforced concrete structures came to Spain in the late-19th century, somewhat after the development of this new construction material elsewhere in Europe. Their introduction was pioneered in industrialized areas, especially Northern Spain, under systems first patented in other European countries. Local constructors built structures under patents with little or no explanations to account for calculation, design, and construction technique. Some of these buildings from the recent past are now listed buildings. This study centres on three construction projects under patented systems: Our Lady of “La Antigua”, Orduña (Monier system), “La Ceres” flour mill, Bilbao (Hennebique system), and Alhóndiga, Bilbao (Blanc system). Preliminary structural studies analyzed morphology, reinforcements, concrete strength and pathological processes in each structure. Their results are compared with information taken from the patent systems in use at the time. This useful information on the structures, which may be expanded in future research, clearly describes the relationship between patent specifications and reality.     

Damage assessment and conservation strategy for the largest covered market in Europe: the Ribera Market (Bilbao)

Facing a scarcity of land for urban development and demand for public services, the Municipal Council of Bilbao recognizes the need to make good use of its built heritage and to upgrade it, while maintaining its cultural and functional features. A good example is the case of the Ribera Market, the largest covered market in Europe. Deterioration of the market building and public pressure for improved services has led to proposals for its rehabilitation. To do so, the constructive condition of the building must first of all be assessed and, then, the most appropriate and compatible intervention technique must be selected. Today, there is a broad selection of intervention technologies, for the improvement of both mechanical behaviour and durability. However, in this article, it is demonstrated that these technologies are not always applicable in old buildings, because they depend on the severity of the pathology and the intrinsic characteristics of the building: for example, corrosion due to chloride ions originating from the concrete mass. The lack of knowledge on constructive techniques and the requirements for the application of new technologies complicate the interventions, which in turn further complicates decision-making with regard to the property.     

Pre‐Columbian Tuberculosis in Northwest Argentina: Skeletal Evidence from Rincón Chico 21 Cemetery

Systematic excavation of collective burial sites makes possible the recovery of skeletal series which may show bony evidence of infectious pathological conditions. This paper presents the first evidence of the existence of tuberculosis in prehistoric populations of NW Argentina with a subsistence economy based on agriculture and pastoralism. The study was carried out on individuals from Rincón Chico 21 cemetery, a burial site located in the Santa María Valley, Catamarca, used between the Late Ceramic Period and the onset of the Inca empire expansion (AD 1000–1400). Six individuals out of the 70 so far excavated showed destructive lesions in the vertebral bodies and periosteal reactions in other bones. The morphology and distribution of bone lesions led us to rule out several diseases from a broad spectrum of possible diseases that could have affected the skeletal system. Thus, the lesions were interpreted as caused by mycobacterial infections (Mycobacterium tuberculosis Complex). Considering previous studies on the dynamics of biocultural interactions which take into account information related from contextual associations and chronology, we can conclude that a tuberculosis‐like disease was present in prehistoric populations from NW Argentina. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.