The Winter Garden, the largest of the Royal Glasshouses, is situated at the Royal Domain in Laeke... more The Winter Garden, the largest of the Royal Glasshouses, is situated at the Royal Domain in Laeken in the northeast of Brussels, Belgium. This glasshouse was built between 1874 and 1876 in order of king Leopold II, according to the design of architect Alphonse Balat. A two-dimensional analysis demonstrated the basis structural behaviour under a series of symmetrical load combinations: the structure works as a cupola with a tension and a pressure ring. The stress levels and deflections in the structure have to be evaluated in a three-dimensional model which is still in progress. For the time, it seems that the norm values are not exceeded. The major threat for the metal structure is corrosion. Previous interventions and a very aggressive tropical indoor climate inflicted heavy corrosion damage. Nowadays, this elaborate plain tour de force must undergo a major restoration.
Intriguing marks have been recorded on numerous nineteenth-century timber structures throughout E... more Intriguing marks have been recorded on numerous nineteenth-century timber structures throughout Europe. These inscriptions bear witness to an intensive trade that supplied Norwegian and Baltic timber – mainly softwood – to most Western European countries. Despite the abundance of archaeological records, the current understanding of these shipping marks is very limited. Consequently, historical surveys and restoration campaigns are not using their potential for a better understanding of historic timbers. This paper aims at understanding the organisation of the nineteenth-century Baltic timber trade and at investigating the need for marking timber at different stages in this trade. It focuses on deciphering the shipping marks, based on a survey of historic texts, including treatises on forestry, merchants’ guides, trade journals and construction handbooks. The gathering of this historical knowledge provides the basis for an innovative decoding method, which is illustrated through the deciphering of some of the recently recorded marks. The results of these investigations show that the Baltic shipping marks provide valuable information about the dating, origins and qualities of historic timber, as well as the economic actors involved in its trade. This research paves the way for further on-site investigations and a strengthened international collaboration that could improve and regularise the decoding of these inscriptions.
This paper sets out to assess the early age of iron roof construction in Belgian churches and its... more This paper sets out to assess the early age of iron roof construction in Belgian churches and its evolution through an in-depth analysis of a selection of cases situated in Belgium, an early-industrialised country with a fast-developing iron industry. The study is based on fieldwork, archive and literature study of three early iron trusses in churches in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. By providing renewed insight into the early use of iron and the evolution of the construction principles in churches, this study intends to encourage researchers, architects or heritage assessors to consider the roof construction of churches with greater care.
In the 1920s, modernist and Art Deco architects experimented enthusiastically with new materials,... more In the 1920s, modernist and Art Deco architects experimented enthusiastically with new materials, designs and ornaments. In the Brussels Capital Region several modernist churches were built entirely in reinforced concrete and decorated with abstract forms. In the following decade, however, because of the economic crisis and the stagnation of the construction sector, traditional design and styles took over again. New technologies and reinforced concrete were still used, but they were hidden. This paper focuses on the less studied churches from the late 1930s, which turned their back to modernism and combined Romanesque forms and regional characters. Based on fieldwork, archive and literature study, this paper contributes to understanding the technical use and esthetical context of reinforced concrete in church construction in the late inter-war period.
The Belgian bridge builders Charles Marcellis (1798-1864) and Arthur Vierendeel (1852-1940) were ... more The Belgian bridge builders Charles Marcellis (1798-1864) and Arthur Vierendeel (1852-1940) were jack-of-all-trades in the 19th century, but both were mostly known as bridge designers, trying to have a grip on new structural possibilities. Though the mechanical behaviour of their bridges is very different, Tom Peters already noticed the visual resemblances between Marcellis' girder and box bridges made out of pierced cast-iron plates (1835-1860) and Vierendeel's development of the bridge type named after him (1890-1940). The non-simultaneous yet very similar evolution of these two characters is a duet with consonants and dissonances. Marcellis was an industrialist whereas Vierendeel was an engineer, professor and self-made art critic. Marcellis had imported the idea of cast-iron girder and box bridges from England (e.g. from Fairbairn and Stephenson) and he did not shrink from calling this a Belgian system to erect bridges. Vierendeel on the other hand, after having seen bri...
This paper aims to trace back the design methods available to Belgian engineers for the construct... more This paper aims to trace back the design methods available to Belgian engineers for the construction of timber roof structures between 1840 and 1914. Based on the literature of that period, we investigate the evolution of the calculation methods, the innovative connection techniques and their impact on the built typologies. This study contributes to a better insight into the roots of timber engineering in Belgium, while positioning this evolution in an international framework. It demonstrates how iron engineering has inspired and speeded up the transition from traditional carpentry to timber engineering. Moreover, it provides valuable information to current professionals who are facing the structural assessment of these historic structures.
12th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, 2021
In the 19th and 20 th centuries both iron and steel were worldwide applied to construct structure... more In the 19th and 20 th centuries both iron and steel were worldwide applied to construct structures such as halls, markets, stations and bridges. Belgium, an early industrialised country on the European mainland, was famous for its iron and steel production and the export of iron and steel structures. Nevertheless, most early Belgian construction workshops are under explored. Since the company archives of Belgian construction workshops are seldom preserved, trade catalogues are analysed in this paper to get insight in the structures the workshops built. These catalogues offer a broader context for the individual structures that were transported and built worldwide.
, with details of the nature of the infringement. We will investigate the claim and if justified,... more , with details of the nature of the infringement. We will investigate the claim and if justified, we will take the appropriate steps.
The Winter Garden, the largest of the Royal Glasshouses, is situated at the Royal Domain in Laeke... more The Winter Garden, the largest of the Royal Glasshouses, is situated at the Royal Domain in Laeken in the northeast of Brussels, Belgium. This glasshouse was built between 1874 and 1876 in order of king Leopold II, according to the design of architect Alphonse Balat. A two-dimensional analysis demonstrated the basis structural behaviour under a series of symmetrical load combinations: the structure works as a cupola with a tension and a pressure ring. The stress levels and deflections in the structure have to be evaluated in a three-dimensional model which is still in progress. For the time, it seems that the norm values are not exceeded. The major threat for the metal structure is corrosion. Previous interventions and a very aggressive tropical indoor climate inflicted heavy corrosion damage. Nowadays, this elaborate plain tour de force must undergo a major restoration.
Intriguing marks have been recorded on numerous nineteenth-century timber structures throughout E... more Intriguing marks have been recorded on numerous nineteenth-century timber structures throughout Europe. These inscriptions bear witness to an intensive trade that supplied Norwegian and Baltic timber – mainly softwood – to most Western European countries. Despite the abundance of archaeological records, the current understanding of these shipping marks is very limited. Consequently, historical surveys and restoration campaigns are not using their potential for a better understanding of historic timbers. This paper aims at understanding the organisation of the nineteenth-century Baltic timber trade and at investigating the need for marking timber at different stages in this trade. It focuses on deciphering the shipping marks, based on a survey of historic texts, including treatises on forestry, merchants’ guides, trade journals and construction handbooks. The gathering of this historical knowledge provides the basis for an innovative decoding method, which is illustrated through the deciphering of some of the recently recorded marks. The results of these investigations show that the Baltic shipping marks provide valuable information about the dating, origins and qualities of historic timber, as well as the economic actors involved in its trade. This research paves the way for further on-site investigations and a strengthened international collaboration that could improve and regularise the decoding of these inscriptions.
This paper sets out to assess the early age of iron roof construction in Belgian churches and its... more This paper sets out to assess the early age of iron roof construction in Belgian churches and its evolution through an in-depth analysis of a selection of cases situated in Belgium, an early-industrialised country with a fast-developing iron industry. The study is based on fieldwork, archive and literature study of three early iron trusses in churches in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. By providing renewed insight into the early use of iron and the evolution of the construction principles in churches, this study intends to encourage researchers, architects or heritage assessors to consider the roof construction of churches with greater care.
In the 1920s, modernist and Art Deco architects experimented enthusiastically with new materials,... more In the 1920s, modernist and Art Deco architects experimented enthusiastically with new materials, designs and ornaments. In the Brussels Capital Region several modernist churches were built entirely in reinforced concrete and decorated with abstract forms. In the following decade, however, because of the economic crisis and the stagnation of the construction sector, traditional design and styles took over again. New technologies and reinforced concrete were still used, but they were hidden. This paper focuses on the less studied churches from the late 1930s, which turned their back to modernism and combined Romanesque forms and regional characters. Based on fieldwork, archive and literature study, this paper contributes to understanding the technical use and esthetical context of reinforced concrete in church construction in the late inter-war period.
The Belgian bridge builders Charles Marcellis (1798-1864) and Arthur Vierendeel (1852-1940) were ... more The Belgian bridge builders Charles Marcellis (1798-1864) and Arthur Vierendeel (1852-1940) were jack-of-all-trades in the 19th century, but both were mostly known as bridge designers, trying to have a grip on new structural possibilities. Though the mechanical behaviour of their bridges is very different, Tom Peters already noticed the visual resemblances between Marcellis' girder and box bridges made out of pierced cast-iron plates (1835-1860) and Vierendeel's development of the bridge type named after him (1890-1940). The non-simultaneous yet very similar evolution of these two characters is a duet with consonants and dissonances. Marcellis was an industrialist whereas Vierendeel was an engineer, professor and self-made art critic. Marcellis had imported the idea of cast-iron girder and box bridges from England (e.g. from Fairbairn and Stephenson) and he did not shrink from calling this a Belgian system to erect bridges. Vierendeel on the other hand, after having seen bri...
This paper aims to trace back the design methods available to Belgian engineers for the construct... more This paper aims to trace back the design methods available to Belgian engineers for the construction of timber roof structures between 1840 and 1914. Based on the literature of that period, we investigate the evolution of the calculation methods, the innovative connection techniques and their impact on the built typologies. This study contributes to a better insight into the roots of timber engineering in Belgium, while positioning this evolution in an international framework. It demonstrates how iron engineering has inspired and speeded up the transition from traditional carpentry to timber engineering. Moreover, it provides valuable information to current professionals who are facing the structural assessment of these historic structures.
12th International Conference on Structural Analysis of Historical Constructions, 2021
In the 19th and 20 th centuries both iron and steel were worldwide applied to construct structure... more In the 19th and 20 th centuries both iron and steel were worldwide applied to construct structures such as halls, markets, stations and bridges. Belgium, an early industrialised country on the European mainland, was famous for its iron and steel production and the export of iron and steel structures. Nevertheless, most early Belgian construction workshops are under explored. Since the company archives of Belgian construction workshops are seldom preserved, trade catalogues are analysed in this paper to get insight in the structures the workshops built. These catalogues offer a broader context for the individual structures that were transported and built worldwide.
, with details of the nature of the infringement. We will investigate the claim and if justified,... more , with details of the nature of the infringement. We will investigate the claim and if justified, we will take the appropriate steps.
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Papers by Ine Wouters