Metal Construction from Laws. The Evolution of Technical Standards in the Twentieth Century

Architectural design and construction always reflect the conformity with technical standards regarding specific technologies, which makes their knowledge highly relevant for comprehending the evolution of the building’s arrange- ment and appearance over time. In this perspective, the use of metal construction in Italy is a unique instance as it was characterized for a considerable period during the twentieth century by the lack of mandatory technical regulations. Indeed, the first law that established compulsory procedures for the structural calculation of steel frames was only introduced in the Seventies. This framework, largely due to the backwardness of the national steel industry and the lack of affirmation of metal structures in the building sector, gave to designers the possibility to choose different operational addresses for structural verifications and also to follow provisions developed by foreign experts and regulations. The understanding of the evolution of technical standards is not only crucial for elucidating all the elements of an old architectural design, but it’s also relevant today, especially for building circularity, for which it’s crucial to know the features and procedures applied to structural components of the past, to know how they could be reused and to unleash all their current potential. The article examines the development of national technical guidelines for the use of iron and steel in construction and identifies critical issues regarding steel classification and structural calculation procedures in the twentieth century.