Eladio Dieste, forma y estructura. La creación de un nuevo materialla cerámica armada

Resumen

The architecture and engineering of the 20th century, in Europe and North America, was characterized by the use of reinforced concrete as a structural material, making its use the banner of the modern society. But its application implied that many territories, in order to have access to it, had to import the components of which it was made, as well as to instruct qualified workers. For this reason, parallel construction technologies emerged, related to the available local resources, as was the case of structural ceramics, created in Uruguay by the engineer Eladio Dieste (1917–2000) where 90% of the concrete mass was replaced by bricks –the country´s native material–. The use of cement and steel was minimized, and local labour was employed, making the new material an economical, efficient and smart alternative to reinforced concrete. This PhD thesis investigates the structural ceramic’s components and its structural behaviour, as well as the construction system that made its implementation possible, to identify it as a new structural material, sustainable, based on the rational use of material and human resources available.