A building’s foundation is essential. It must be strong enough to support both the dead load – the weight of the structure itself – 鉄製品 オーダーメイド and the live load of people and objects inside.
Philadelphia’s early experiments with cast iron as both facades and structural elements contributed to a reputation for architectural innovation.
Origins
In the 19th century, architects began to experiment with using cast iron as the facades of buildings. These became known as “iron fronts” and eventually came to be found all over the world, in cities such as Philadelphia and Chicago. Cast iron’s malleability was a major reason for its use in these applications. It could be molded into a wide variety of shapes, and the resulting patterns were highly decorative.
The architects and designers of the period also realized that cast iron was a very strong material. It was therefore suitable for structural components of buildings, including windows and door frames, as well as for decorative elements, such as railings. The Commissioner’s House in Bermuda, designed by Edward Holl, was one of the first buildings to use cast iron for its verandah and floor and roof framing. Cast iron could be prefabricated in a foundry and then shipped to the site for erection. This made building very cost effective, especially in the colonies of Britain and France, where it was used as porches and verandahs.
Improvements in casting techniques during the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century produced finer detail in the cast iron. This was taken advantage of by designers who made balconies, fences and other architectural features in cast iron that were both decorative and functional. This became popular in Regency Britain and post-Napoleonic France, and was exported to the hotter climates of the British colonies as balustrades on stairways, porches and verandahs.
The durability of cast iron also made it the choice material for many bridges. Engineer Thomas Telford’s construction of the Coalbrookdale Iron Works in Shropshire in 1796, and later his work on bridges such as the 1804 Pont des Arts in Paris and the world-famous Pontcysyllte aqueduct in North Wales, demonstrated the versatility of cast iron. Other famous bridges in cast iron include the 1826 Chain-Suspension Bank Bridge in London, with its ornate griffin sculptures, and the 1840 Pevchesky Bridge and the 1842 Anichkov Bridge, both in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The decorative possibilities of cast iron led to it becoming a common material for building ornament, such as urns and fountains, benches, lamp posts and other street furniture. The elaborate decoration of the cast iron bandstands that lined the paved promenades of London and other European cities was particularly characteristic.
Aesthetics
Cast iron became more widely used during the Industrial Revolution when refinements in production allowed it to be cheap enough for a wide variety of applications. It was particularly useful for facades and other decorative architectural elements such as fences and balcony railings. Increasingly, architects began to use it as a structural material, especially for large spans of roof.
Architects were drawn to its lightweight, malleable properties and the ease with which it could be shaped to their needs. The hollow interior of a cast iron column enabled them to construct higher buildings without the thick walls required for brick construction, allowing more room for shop fronts and other spaces. It was also easy to finish a cast iron façade with a range of colors and textures that imitated stone, wood or brick, giving it a distinct look and feel.
The beauty of an architectural structure depends less on its overall shape and more on the artistry with which its individual parts are assembled, invoking Ludwig Mies van der Rohe's catchphrase, "God is in the details." A sense of visual pleasure arises from the interaction between a variety of materials that blend and contrast attractively together and from the way that these components fit together and function to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts.
In the 1840s, New York architect James Bogardus developed a building concept that used cast iron for the entire decorative façade, much cheaper and more durable than carved stone. His example inspired a rash of similar designs and was a major catalyst in the growth of a cast iron building industry in America.
By the end of the 19th century, nearly every new market hall in Europe and Latin America was constructed from cast iron, as were some of the more elaborate winter gardens such as the Spa Colonnade in Marianske Lazne, built in 1889. The cast iron frame was also adapted to support the ever-widening glass roofs of shopping arcades, a new invention popularized in Paris in the first decades of the 20th century and adopted across the world.
Structural Function
One of the most significant developments in architectural practice during this period was the use of cast iron as a structural element. Cast iron allowed designers to construct much larger buildings than stone, brick or wood could. The ability to shape and paint the cast iron provided architects with new opportunities for structural expression, both decorative and functional.
The slender nature of cast iron columns also enabled architects to build much taller structures. The columns acted as both structural and decorative elements, allowing designers to create spaces with vaulted ceilings and large expanses of glass. Combined with the lightness of the metal and the curved shapes, these columns lent a delicate and graceful appearance to many of Philadelphia’s new cast iron buildings.
Unlike carved stones, cast iron was less expensive to produce and could be easily painted or etched to look like stone. The use of cast iron for building facades also made these buildings more attractive and appealing to potential customers. Philadelphia’s many iron foundries promoted their products in local newspapers and issued pamphlets that described the benefits of using cast iron for a building’s structure.
As demand for these buildings grew, designers realized they needed to be able to support even greater structural loads. Because cast iron was granular, it would eventually buckle under heavy stress. This led to the development of steel building frames and the invention of skyscrapers.
For example, the Lit Brothers Building on Market Street is a good example of how the use of cast iron and masonry together created a distinctive and highly functional commercial building. The cast iron facades of the building absorbed a great deal of the structural load, while the masonry cladding acted as a fire barrier to protect the underlying structures from fire. In addition, the slender cast iron columns, acting both as a clear expression of force transmission and as decorative elements, allowed the large storefront windows to be positioned further back in the building, enabling more floor space for retail shops. This design feature helped to define the distinctive cast iron architecture that developed along Center City’s main streets during the 1840s through the 1880s.
Maintenance
As our guide led us along the grey stone streets of SoHo, she pointed out cast iron columns which allow architects to build higher without the thick walls necessary for brick buildings. The hollow core of these columns also opens up more floor space for storefronts and allowed for giant-scale windows.
The structural role of beams in a building is to transfer the weight of the structure from the walls and the roof to the foundation. They are the backbone of the whole structure, so it’s important that they are sturdy enough to withstand all sorts of elements like harsh winds and heavy rains. Without a strong and stable foundation, your home or business could collapse. This is why it’s crucial to have a reliable and experienced contractor that can properly maintain your foundation.