Guide to Historical Steel Reinforcement in Australia Volume 1: 1895–1963
Australian History Reference Antiquarian & Collectible Engineering & Technology Architecture Construction Heritage Conservation
The Guide to Historical Steel Reinforcement in Australia Volume 1: 1895–1963 is the only dedicated reference that traces the evolution of steel reinforcing bars, meshes and fastening systems used in Australian construction. Compiled by the Steel Reinforcement Institute of Australia and published in a sturdy 306-page hardback in 2019, this heavily illustrated volume captures everything from riveted 19th-century high-rise skeletons to the first high-tensile bars that made post-war skyscrapers possible. Architects, heritage consultants, civil engineers and preservation builders keep it within arm’s reach because it lists original mill marks, obsolete product codes and dimensional tables that can’t be found online or in general engineering manuals.
Collectors and professionals prize the book for its forensic detail: period photographs of Sydney’s earliest reinforced-concrete buildings, patent drawings of wire-tying tools, and decade-by-decade chronologies that link technological change to iconic structures such as the 1912 AWA Tower and the 1957 Roseville Bridge. Each chapter is cross-referenced to contemporary Australian Standards, making it simple to match modern replacement steels with historic specifications—an essential step when preparing conservation reports or assessing residual capacity of heritage frames.
Because the title had a limited print-run for industry insiders, clean first-edition copies in like-new condition rarely surface on the secondary market. This copy’s tight, unread hardcover boards and pristine pages offer an instant reference shelf upgrade for students, young professionals or anyone fascinated by Australia’s built past. Owning it means skipping hours of archive searches and gaining authoritative answers on vintage reinforcement that can influence project costs, heritage compliance and even insurance assessments.
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