Manuals, journals, patents: development and international circulation of technical-constructive solutions for grain silos between the 19th and 20th centuries

Abstract

The grain silos typology first appeared during the second half of the 19th century in the United States. Since then, different construction techniques were experimented to ensure a higher fire resistance and structural strength. The exchange of knowledge between America and Europe, concerning the design and construction of this building typology, is a topic of great interest, but not yet duly investigated. For this reason, the present study aims to bring attention to it, starting with a focus on a crucial phase in the construction history, characterised by unprecedented advances: the period that goes from the last decade of the 19th century to the first two decades of the 20th century. In particular, the study will investigate the role in the development of the grain silo typology played by the US and German designers and builders, starting from the analysis of the manuals and journals which represented a major vehicle for the transmission of technical knowledge and patents.