Portland Cement

1824 Aspdin, J., (England)

Obtained a patent for the manufacture
of Portland cement.

Brief History of Reinforced Concrete

Joseph Aspdin
(1778 – 1855)

Ferro-cement Reinforced Concrete

1855 Lambot, J., (France) 1856 Coignet, F., (France)
Introduced iron wires in concrete to make Patented a form of reinforced concrete to
boats. construct buildings and aqueducts.

Francois Coignet
Multi-storeyed building, Paris (1814 – 1888)

Joseph Lambot
(1814 – 1887)

Aqueduct, Paris

Reinforced Concrete Reinforced Concrete

1867 Monier, J., (France) 1889 Ransome, E. L., (USA)
Introduced iron rods in concrete to make Used cold twisted steel rods in concrete to
flower pots, pipes, arches and slabs. construct bridge.

Ernest Ransome
Joseph Monier (1852 – 1917)
Bridge at Chazelet, France (1823 – 1906) Alvord Lake Bridge at San Francisco, USA

1
 Reinforced Concrete Reinforced Concrete
1899 Hennebique, F., (France) 1903 Elzner and Anderson, (USA)
Used reinforced concrete to construct bridge. Used steel rods in concrete to construct a
‘sky-scraper’ building.

Vienne Bridge, France

Francois Hennebique
(1842 − 1921) Ingalls Building at Cincinnati, USA

Reinforced Concrete Reinforced Concrete

1905 Formation of American Concrete Institute 1909 Morsch, E., (Germany)
Wrote the first book on reinforced concrete.

Emil Morsch
Richard Humprey (1872 – 1950)
First President

Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India

1907 Establishment of Tata Iron & Steel Company 1911 Construction of Afzal Gunj Bridge in
in Jamshedpur Hyderabad

Jamshedji Tata Dorabji Tata

(1839 – 1904) (1859 – 1932)

1914 Establishment of factory of Indian Cement Co.

in Porbander

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 Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India
1920s Domes of Gateway of India 1920s Bombay House
Book on reinforced concrete design Head Quarter of the Tata Group

John C. Gammon
(1887 – 1973 )

Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India

1927 Publication of The Indian Concrete Journal 1930s Dome of Rashtrapati Bhavan

Sir Edwin Lutyens

(1869 – 1944)

Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India

1936 Formation of Associated Cement Company 1940 Kasturi Building
Head Quarter of The Hindu

Sir Nowroji Saklatvala

First Chairman
(1875 – 1938)

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 Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India
1943 Opening of first of the new Napier Bridges 1949 Rao, K. L., Calculation, Design and Testing of
Reinforced Concrete

Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, Telangana K Lakshmana Rao (1902 – 1986)

Reinforced Concrete in India Reinforced Concrete in India

1982 Formation of Indian Concrete Institute

M. Ramaiah
First President
(1932 – 2014)

Mumbai

Reference
Tappin, S.,
The Early Use of Reinforced Concrete in India,
Proceedings of the First International Congress on
Construction History, Madrid, 2003