Reinforced concrete was invented at the end of the 19^th century. In the beginning, the material was mostly described in patents and remained a ‘proprietary mystery’. Yet after a few major accidents had happened, the design and possibly construction of these structures became of concern to public authorities. Regulations were thus established within the existing framework of building control. However, because the technology was advancing, it meant that regulations often lagged behind and failed to take account of tacit knowledge that was being used. The approach taken towards the regulations and the extent to which they kept up with developments in technology depended upon the culture of building control within different countries.

In a joint research project, Stephanie Van de Voorde (VUB Architectural Engineering), Sabine Kuban (BTU Cottbus) and David Yeomans (independent scholar, UK) have analyzed and compared the various sets of regulations issued during the first half of the 20^th century in six European countries: Switzerland, the German Empire, France, the Netherlands, England and Belgium. The results of this research are presented at the Fourth Annual Conference of the Construction History Society in Cambridge, in April 2017.

This paper must be seen as a first step towards an in-depth comparative examination of reinforced concrete regulations in different countries and a discussion of questions suggested by similarities and differences. It is also a call for further collaboration among construction historians to come towards a full international comparative study.

Some of the regulations that have been used for this research, can be downloaded below:

• Switzerland, 1904 (1) (source:F. Schüle, Provisorische Normen für die Projektierung, Ausführung und Kontrolle von Bauten in armiertem Beton, Schweizerische Bauzeitung, no.1, 1904, p.15-16.
• Switzerland, 1904 (2) (source: F. Schüle, Provisorische Normen für die Projektierung, Ausführung und Kontrolle von Bauten in armiertem Beton, Schweizerische Bauzeitung, no.12, 1904, p.150-152.

 

• Germany, 1904 (source: Minister der öffentlichen Arbeiten Budde, Bestimmungen für die Ausführung von Konstruktionen aus Eisenbeton bei Hochbauten, Berlin, 1904.
• Germany, 1907 (source: Minister der öffentlichen Arbeiten von Breitenbach, ‘Bestimmungen für die Ausführung von Konstruktionen aus Eisenbeton bei Hochbauten’, Beton und Eisen, no. 7, 1907, p.186-187.
• Germany, 1916 (source: Minister der öffentlichen Arbeiten von Breitenbach, Bestimmungen für Ausführung von Bauwerken aus Eisenbeton, Berlin, 1916 (2nd ed.).

 

• France, 1906 (source: Ministère des Travaux Publics, des Postes et des Télégraphes. Commision du Ciment Armé, Expériences, Rapports & Propositions. Instructions Ministérielles relatives à l’emploi du Béton Armé. Paris: H. Dunod et E. Pinat, 1907.
• France, 1934 (source: http://www.piles.setra.developpement-durable.gouv.fr/documents-anciens-sur-les-ouvrages-d-art-a1377.html )

 

• the Netherlands, 1912 (source: ‘Gewapend Beton Voorschriften 1912’, De geschiedenis van het beton in Nederland: lessen uit het verleden. Delft: Betondispuut, 1985, pp.95-109).

 

• Belgium, 1923 (source: 'Instructions relatives aux Ouvrages en Béton armé. Texte et Notes Explicatives', Bulletin de la Société belge des Ingénieurs et des Industriels, 1923, vol. 4, no. 1, pp. 221-259.)
• Belgium, 1929 (source: Association Belge de Standardisation, Instructions relatives aux ouvrages en béton armé. Texte et notes explicatives, Brussels: Marcel Hayez, 1929 (2^nd ed.)).
• Belgium, 1934 (Association Belge de Standardisation, Instructions relatives aux ouvrages en béton armé. Epreuve, Brussels, 1934 (3^rd ed.)).
• Belgium, 1944 (Dutch) (source: Belgisch Instituut voor Normalisatie, Onderrichtingen betreffende de bouwwerken in gewapend beton, Brussels, 1944 (4^th ed.)).
• Belgium, 1944 (French) (source: Institut Belge de Normalisation, Instructions relatives aux ouvrages en béton armé, Brussels, 1944 (4^th ed.)).
• Belgium, 1955 (source: Institut Belge de Normalisation/Belgisch Instituut voor Normalisatie, NBN 15. Instructions relatives aux ouvrages en béton armé/Onderrichtingen betreffende de bouwwerken in gewapend beton, Brussels, 1955 (5^th ed.)).
• Belgium, 1963 (source: Institut Belge de Normalisation/Belgisch Instituut voor Normalisatie, NBN 15. Ouvrages en béton /Betonconstructies, Brussels, 1969 (1966) (6^th ed.)).