Identifying early reinforced concrete buildings in Scotland

Abstract

This paper reports the results of a pre-inventory, or review of documentary sources, to identify buildings constructed using proprietary reinforced concrete systems in Scotland. A number of buildings were constructed using proprietary, or patented, reinforced concrete systems in Britain between roughly 1900 and the 1920s. The majority of these buildings were designed by specialist firms with origins outside Britain. Although some of these buildings are listed, as a group they have been little studied due to their relative youth, negative perceptions of them and difficulties faced in their conservation. As development pressures mount and calls for the reuse and, in some cases, demolition of these buildings become more frequent, there is an increasing need to locate documentation to assist with their investigation. It is hoped that this pre-inventory of Scottish buildings will not only serve as a framework for gathering information about this building type, but will also serve as a model for wider conservation efforts.