monica silva contreras. béton armé in the sinking city

Béton Armé in a Sinking City: Mexico 1902-1914

Mónica Silva-ContrerasUniversidad Iberoamericana, México City, Mexico

The studies of modern architecture in Latin America have often pointed out to the adoption of foreign materials and construction systems during the transition from the 19th century into the 20th century. Iron and steel as well as and reinforced concrete coming from other countries have been seen as a blind adoption of technolo-gies completely developed abroad. But this is not so true when foreign and local works and projects, but especially reports of experiences, are chrono-logically compared.

The Le Béton Armé [1898-1939] online pub-lication and in CD-ROM format of the Mexican architectural journal El Arte y la Ciencia [1899-1911] made possible the starting of a research about the uses of reinforced concrete in Mexico, particularly Hennebique system, during the first decade of the 20th century. The exploration in the above mentioned journals allowed the identifica-tion of projects and works specifically in Mexico City. At the same time, the search in important local magazines around the turn of the century, as El Mundo Ilustrado [1894-1914], allowed the detection of social effects of the reported new buildings, especially because the use of new tech-nologies in architecture.

The dates mentioned in the title of this paper are the same defining the complete research: The first building with the Hennebique system was constructed in 1902 in Mérida, Yucatán [south-eastern Mexico], and 1914 mean the interruption by the First World War, even when architecture and new buildings in Mexico, as almost every-thing in the country, were highly distressed by the Revolution from 1911 onwards. The issues

of Le Béton Armé and the Instructions ministérielles relatives à l’emploi du béton armé (Ministère des Travaux Publics 1907) are just a few of the records related to the usage of the new complex mate-rial. Contemporary works and projects in México show that the differences were mainly on partic-ular problems to solve with the foundations in the soil of the ancient lagoon in which the capi-tal city was founded.

The purpose of this paper is to clarify the role of Mexican engineers and architects in adopting foreign technologies as the Hennebique patented system, to solve specific problems in a sinking city. A second goal is to argue that at the beginning of the 20th century, Mexican architects were trying to find appropriate forms – in stylistic terms – for new materials as reinforced concrete, having the same problems that their colleagues abroad. With specific examples, the paper will explain the achievements of those builders in terms of technical and functional issues, at the same time related to the search for a Mexican character in architecture.

Modernization in Mexico City

By the end of the 19th century, most of Latin American countries performed important changes in national and international politics. Since the beginning of the century, when the independence from Spain occurred, a renewal from old models to eclecticism and rigid compositional methods started. But it was a time of political conflicts and economical crisis. It was not until the long

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presidency of Porfirio Díaz [1876-1911] when Mexico had a significant internal stability and was marked by modernization in essential aspects of economy, production, transportation and com-munications. Cities and territorial infrastructure materialized the aspirations of the independent country, with a remarkable urban expansion and architectural renovation. The ambitioned buil-dings were made possible with the availability of foreign materials and new aesthetic references.

Maybe the most important challenge in Mexico City’s infrastructure was to bring pure water to the city and to its new expansions, and also remove sewage and surface water away. A new aque-duct and a huge tunnel with a drainage system were built to solve the daily needs of clean and dirty water in a city where old buildings and also some of the new ones were sinking continually. The reinforced concrete was used in those revo-lutionary structures closely reported by jour nalists. Experiments were the key in local engineer’s careers and were an important subject of public attention.

Building on an ancient lake

New experiences in typologies and materials were made in Mexico as part of what journalists called in their time a “construction fever.” This chap-ter of the Mexican history of architecture was also a chapter of new worries about foundations. Concerns were debated in architectural journals and magazines, in reference to old and new buil-dings (Fig. 1). In that sense an article written by Mariano Tellez Pizarro about the sinking of Mexico City, was published twice by El Arte y la Ciencia, both in 1907. The same topic, the city’s subsoil, was commented publicly with the alar-ming title “The buildings are sinking,” accom-panied by photos that highlighted irregularities in cornices and sidewalks, and the lack of ver-ticality of some buildings (El Mundo Ilustrado 1907). In his articles, the engineer exposed how the settlements in Mexico City has been steady since it was founded by the Aztecs and how some constants works tried to maintain the level in the city, employing all sorts of materials in enormous quantities. The latest cause for that sinking was

the drainage works and the tunnel in service since 1900. In his opinion, “the lack of water in the subsoil will rush the uneven sinking, the walls will be collapsing more and more, and cracks will be of a major consideration. These buildings will be ruined in a short period of time” (Tellez Pizarro 1907a, 176; Tellez Pizarro 1907b, 152).

But Tellez Pizarro’s worries were far greater than recommendations in order to get the exact measurement of the Mexico City’s sinking. The engineer published an interesting study about the foundations historically used, in four peri-ods: 1. The Aztecs period, from 1325 to 1521: 196 years; 2. The Spanish period, from 1521 to 1821: 300 years; 3. The period that started with the Independence and concluded with the city drainage, from 1821 to 1900: 79 years; 4. With the drainage functioning until our days, from 1900 to 1907: 7 years (Tellez Pizarro 1907c, 102). For each period, the author describes the constant struggle against the water, from the sub-soil of the ancient lakes, such as rains and flood. For each period, Tellez Pizarro describes the main

Fig. 1: Iglesia de Loreto, Mexico City (El Arte y la Ciencia,

1908. IX (8): 203).


M Silva-Contreras / Béton Armé in a Sinking City: Mexico 3

buil dings and its foundation systems, with no major changes between second and third periods: “The latter period, the shortest of all, is the most interesting, both for the great number of new constructions as for the remarkable change that is taking place in the subsoil of the Valley and Mexico City as a result of sewage and drainage” (Tellez Pizarro 1907d, 128).

The buildings involved during that latter period are precisely the interest of this paper. These pointed out by the author, with heavy founda-tions, that “that gravitate on a subsoil that every-day becomes more compressible” (Tellez Pizarro 1907d, 131). The suggestions given by the engi-neer were terrifying: do not test any new system for foundations until the sinking of the city is sta-ble. It is easy to imagine the uncertainty for buil-ders. Dangerous deformations in stone churches, monasteries, and palaces were there to remember the condition of the soil. The construction sites were in an everyday panic feeling watching if some destabilization in progress appeared. Controversies about the usage of different materials and systems were part of the theories about building in that muddy soil, were also part of the professional atti-tude and, of course, the construction companies interests. Additionally, a call to debate among pro-fessionals and to decide about the proper founda-tions procedures was published in the pages of El Arte y la Ciencia (1907, 62). The topic was in the heads of all builders.

Using reinforced concrete: Step by step

Some advertising for reinforced concrete had been made in Mexico since 1900, when an article of the Spanish architect Luís María Cabello Lapiedra about the material was published (Cabello Lapiedra 1900). But the first building with rein-forced concrete structure, Hennebique system, was built in Mérida.1 There was a brief mention in Le Béton Armé as part of the Concessionaries Seventh Congress and Exhibition (Le Béton Armé 1903a, 134). The building was under construc-tion and a photo was published later (Fig. 2).

It is not hard to imagine that each new mate-rial and construction system was proved in rela-tion to its behavior with the Mexico City’s soil. In

this sense was much of the advertising of Miguel Rebolledo, representative of the Hennebique sys-tem, for introducing it to the country builders. A small book, a sort of brochure, was published in 1904, the same year in which the engineer was the contractor for the rebuilding of the Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. The architect was Nicolás Mariscal, the editor of El Arte y la Ciencia, so the same text was also published in the journal (Rebolledo 1904a; 1904b).

With a great enthusiasm, Rebolledo announced the advantages of the Hennebique system, at the same time that his first contracts became reality. It was the first time in which the reinforced concrete buildings in Mexico were specific central theme: “This system was adopted in the foundations of the building of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Its introduction in Mexico City and other cities in the Republic will cause real progress in construc-tion being priceless from the point of view of resistance and the economy” (Rebolledo 1904b, 37). The Hennebique representative also pointed to the recently started building for the two banks Agrícola e Hipotecario and Mutualista y de Ahorros (Fig. 3), with three stories and about 15m., with surface foundations “…and will divide the load on the ground at the rate of 280 grams per square centimeter! It is planned that the building may increase two stories, also in Béton Armé, in which case the ground reaction will be of 380 grams per square centimeter. What other system can offer such advantages?” (Rebolledo 1904b, 38).

Fig. 2: El Candado hardware, Mérida (Le Béton Armé 67.

Relevé des travaux exécutées année 1903.).



Some of the advantages pointed out by Rebolledo were the main benefits that also can be listed in the works published in Le Béton Armé. The engineer highlighted rationality, resistance, economy for foundations in a bad soil as Mexico City’s soil. He also added the fact of being a system suitable for walls, with the property of resisting seismic movements without cracking; and that in the case of forming an un-deformable figure with walls, foundation and floors; it would resist any unevenness or sinking in the subsoil. All those advantages would be verified by Rebolledo in the coming years. After considering the foundations; it was pointed out that reinforced concrete was fireproof, and some other benefits that increased economy: it was available almost everywhere in the country, the construction of thin walls and floors, for high buildings, and some others, not only for architecture but for civil engineering works (Rebolledo 1904b, 39-40).

When the project for the Secretaría was published, all the considerations of the archi-tect were referred to disposition and charac-ter, without mentioning the technical problems of the old building (El Arte y la Ciencia 1903). Probably because it was still not decided the construction system, but since it was in a site with serious sinking problems surely it was an important consideration. The alliance between Nicolás Mariscal and Miguel Rebolledo was a turning point for Mexican architecture at that time, not only because of their works together,

but because it meant the chance for business with some other contemporary architects, beginning with Mariscal, the editor of the journal, every architect or engineer had on desk.

When the Secretaría was still in progress (Fig. 4), the words in El Arte y la Ciencia were con-clusive: “This last building, includes everything according to Hennebique system; it offers a wide field for the studies and experiences on all points from which a building system has to be judged” (El Arte y la Ciencia 1904, 105). Some years later, when Rebolledo was successfully working with the system, a conference he gave about foundations and earthquakes was published:

I believe myself entitled to say that the founda-tion problems in Mexico will be definitely solved with the reinforced cement systems and its com-binations with the “Compressol” system, and also with the system initiated with the foundation of the Palacio Legislativo.

I believe that with these systems we will assure not only the stability of new buildings, but we can find the way to rescue notable buildings as the Cathedral, the Palacio de Minería and a lot of antique churches of great artistic value from a near and secure destruction (Rebolledo 1908a, 77).

After these articles about foundations prob-lems in Mexico City were published, it is not sur prising to know about the great efforts to rebuild the Monumento a la Independencia Mexicana, dismantling, redesign and recalculation

Fig. 3: Banks Agrícola e Hipotecario and Mutualista y de

Ahorros (El Arte y la Ciencia VI (7), 1904.).

Fig. 4: Secretaria de Relaciones, Mexico City (El Arte y la

Ciencia VI (7), 1904.).



of the complete substructure (El Arte y la Ciencia 1910b). The concrete was used to solve the prob-lems at the same time that it was used in the mentioned foundations for the Palacio Legislativo. Miguel Rebolledo also had the contract for the Monumento a Juárez, in which the works for consoli dating the soil were made using rein-forced concrete piles, or Compressol System, for a reinforced concrete Hennebique system struc-ture (Barra 1910).

In the meantime, from those first buildings between 1902 and 1904, until those in 1910, Rebolledo worked with the most successful archi-tects in the city. Important offices and commer-cial buildings, a small bridge, a hospital near the capital, all of them were extraordinary collabora-tions in which the builder recognized “the decided support” from architects who “opened the way to go,” while engineers were “discreet and pru-dent” (Rebolledo 1952). A number of foundations and footings and complete structures, were made during those years.

But it was until 1912 with the Banco de Londres y México (Fig. 5) that “the first impor-tant basement in the city” was built, as was pointed out by Rebolledo. The bank vaults were a technical challenge because – as could be expected – the soil was soft and muddy. The works were delayed because “one or two feet of water must have to be removed daily” (El Arte y la Ciencia 1910a, 315). That was the reason why, even before choosing the winning project in the competition won by architect Miguel Ángel de Quevedo, the reinforced concrete was selected as the appropriated construction system (Le béton armé 169, 1912).

But Rebolledo had also two guinea pigs to experiment in the coasts of Veracruz: two iden-tical structures for lighthouses in the barriers of Nautla and Tecolutla. Those lighthouses in the Gulf of Mexico were not really founded but almost floating by the sea. The collapse of the one in Nautla, 20 years after, demonstrated that the engineer had achieved what he offered: “…the river took the land under the building and the structure was still monolithic” (Rebolledo 1952). Thin walls and floors had the expected behavior when the buil ding was overturned by a storm.

Massive walls as national style

As their colleagues abroad, Mexican architects were concerned about the requirement to find new forms for new materials, especially a style for rein-forced concrete, as it was reported in the procee-dings of International Congresses of Architecture, both in Madrid 1904 and London 1906. There was Mexican participation and later dissemination of the papers through El Arte y la Ciencia with some other international articles about the topic. At the same time with new buildings in the city, was the concern about the preservation of his-torical buildings [sometimes from sinking]. And parallel with infrastructure worries was the sur-ging for new functional and space needs, as the chances to make them real. Old and new mate-rials and construction systems were involved in conflicts between old and new aesthetics for archi-tecture, as wherever new materials were available during the turn of the century.

Contemporary to new possibilities to foun-dation solutions, a project to renew a colonial buil ding was presented, the old Colegio de San Ildefonso – an old Jesuit college from the 18th cen-tury – had to be transformed into the new Escuela Nacional Preparatoria. The architect, Samuel Chávez, projected the new spaces to adapt the building with the colonial construction system.

Fig. 5: Project for the Banco de Londres y México, México City

(perspective by Miguel Ángel de Quevedo). Álbum Oficial del

Comité Nacional de Comercio, 1911. 1er Centenario de la

Independencia. México: E. Gómez de la Puente (Courtesy of

Acervos Históricos Biblioteca Universidad Iberoamericana).



But the adoption of Hennebique system showed controversies with the dimensions and propor-tions: “The difficulty has been, then, in making that part of cut stone [arches, drip, uprights] fol-lowing closely the style, seeking the characteristic appropriate forms and proportions, but with the condition to harmonize those forms of stone sur-faces in relief with the very thin thickness of the concrete walls” (Chávez 1911, 13).

If the new system was perfect for the gym and some other spaces, the controversies were evident in the auditorium. It would be the most important of the country, so the architectonic character was an essential component for that space. The large room, impossible to achieve with the traditional materials, was built with large reinforced concrete

beams, supported in uprights and covered with panels to make them apparently stronger. The simulation was the same used in all the new parts of the building (Fig. 6 and 7). Besides solving technical issues, modern construction in Mexico was in front of the traditional Spanish walls. Thin walls were enough to reinforced concrete and to achieve light but monolithic structures, but it was not enough to the national character. The new walls had to go with the old ones.

The result was not the required truth to archi-tecture in theoretical international debates, but it was the longest beam, about 17m., as it was pointed out in Le Béton Armé in 1912, and one of the most beautiful spaces in the Mexican archi-tecture of that time. A bare similar form for a 22m. long beam was achieved in a car retailer in 1913 by Modesto Rolland, another important contrac tor, who built one of the first buildings with sculptural structures in Mexico (Fig. 8). But his Stadium at Jalapa is another chapter in the his-tory of architecture.

Epilogue: Après la guerre

When Le Béton Armé reappeared after the War in 1918, only three concessionaries in México

Fig. 6: Auditorium Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, Mexico City.

Le Béton Armé 83, 1912.

Fig. 7: Auditorium Escuela Nacional Preparatoria, Mexico City.

Le Béton Armé 84, 1912.

Fig. 8: FIAT showroom, Reforma Avenue, Mexico City

(Commercial anouncement: Modesto Rolland. Revista de

Ingeniería 15, 1915 (Courtesy Archivo Histórico Palacio de

Minería).



were reported, after having ten representatives of Hennebique. The painful situation was remem-bered by Rebolledo in his professional memories: “Then came the World War of 1914 with all its horrors, and the great house, the great center of all our jobs, our spiritual capital, was cut off, was isolated from all her children for several years, and then came the end” (Rebolledo 1952).

The situation in México was complicated and it remained so until the 20s when architecture, in public and private buildings, had a new age. It was inspired by the Modern Movement and by nationalist styles, with prehispanic and hispanical forms. There would be new opportunities from the previous learning from reinforced concrete.

Notes

1. Projects and works in Latin America reported in Le béton armé between 1901 and 1914 were in Mexico, Panama, Uruguay, Ecuador, El Salvador, Jamaica, Brazil and Argentina. A concessionnarie was reported first in

Uruguay than in México, but with no works until 1905, and a concessionnarie was reported in Caracas – same engi-neer in Ecuador – but with no works in Venezuelan capital during the studied period.

Reference list

Barra, I. de la, 1910. En la inauguración del monumento á Juárez efectuada el 18 de Septiembre de 1910. El Arte y la Ciencia XII (3), 67-69.

Cabello Lapiedra, L.M., 1900. Adelantos de la construc-ción. Las fábricas de cemento armado. El Arte y la Ciencia I (1), 5-6.

Chávez, S. 1911. Informe acerca de las obras de ampliación de la Escuela Nacional Preparatoria. México: Tipografía y litografía de Müller Hermanos.

El Arte y la Ciencia, 1903. El Ministerio de Relaciones: Reformas al edificio V (2), 17.

El Arte y la Ciencia, 1904. Primera obra ejecutada en Méjico con el sistema de hormigón armado Hennebique VI (7), 105.

El Arte y la Ciencia, 1907. Convocatoria a los ingenieros y arquitectos de la República para estudiar y resolver los problemas de la cimentación en México y de los aranceles de los ingenieros, entre otros IX (5), 62.

El arte y la ciencia, 1910a. Ecos. XI (12), 315.

El Arte y la Ciencia, 1910b. Monumento a la Independen-cia Mexicana. XII (3), 57-67.

El Mundo Ilustrado, 1904. El Banco Agrícola e Hipotecario de México, 18 September.

El Mundo Ilustrado, 1907. El subsuelo de México: Los edificios se hunden, 25 August.

Le béton armé, 1912. Le béton armé au Mexique 169, 83-93.

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Rebolledo, M., 1904a. Materiales de construcción. El betón armado sistema Hennebique patentado. Sus aplica-ciones en la república. El Arte y la Ciencia VI (2), 23-26.

Rebolledo, M., 1904b. Materiales de construcción. El betón armado sistema Hennebique patentado. Sus aplica-ciones en la república. El Arte y la Ciencia VI (3), 36-40.

Rebolledo, M., 1908a. Estudio sobre la cimentación y construcción de edificios en la ciudad de México. Confe-rencia pronunciada por el señor Ingeniero Don Miguel Rebolledo en la Asociación del Colegio Militar. El Arte y la Ciencia X (3), 73-78.

Rebolledo, M., 1908a. Estudio sobre la cimentación y construcción de edificios en la ciudad de México. Confe-rencia pronunciada por el señor Ingeniero Don Miguel Rebolledo en la Asociación del Colegio Militar. El Arte y la Ciencia X (4), 103-108.

Rebolledo, M., 1952. Cincuentenario del Cemento Armado en México 1902-1952. México: Construcciones Ing. Rebolledo.

Tellez Pizarro, M., 1907a. Los hundimientos de la Ciu-dad de México. El arte y la ciencia VIII (7), 176-178.

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