Publication
Title
Entanglements within an emerging technology : Swiss federal railways and early glulam
Author
Abstract
Many factors contributed to the early success of glue-laminated timber (glulam) in Switzerland following its introduction in 1908. A strongly interconnected network of established players was decisive for the early acceptance and development of such a recent building material. Within this network, the Swiss Federal Railways (SBB) played a decisive role through their early and broad involvement. In the formation of a new practice, they simultaneously represented a wide range of institutions. This paper discusses the role of the SBB in the development of early glulam in Switzerland between 1910-1945.The agency of the SBB will be analyzed here across two levels: the material practice of glulam, i.e., the construction of the material on the one hand, and the social construct of it, i.e., the construction of the material culture on the other. Based on archival material documenting the design process and construction phases of SBB buildings, this demonstrates how a productive network was formed through the agency of SBB and which relationships were crucial to its existence.
Language
English
Source (book)
History of construction cultures : Seventh International Congress on Construction History, 12–16 July, 2021, Lisbon, Portugal
Source (series)
History of construction cultures ; 1
Publication
CRC Press , 2021
ISBN
978-1-003-17335-9
978-1-032-00266-8
978-1-032-00202-6
DOI
10.1201/9781003173359-67
Volume/pages
p. 517-523
ISI
001229485900068
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (open access)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Publication type
Subject
Art 
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
VABB-SHW
Record
Identifier
Creation 19.07.2021
Last edited 14.03.2025
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