83
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Fig 6. A jack arch roof constructed with iron beams and brick.
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Fig 7. Curved wooden roof suspended from a steel truss, Lucknow
The new inventions and advancements brought by the British in Britain percolated into India and were applied in abundance in the construction of the newly acquired British colony. Canals and railways made it easier to transport the two most important raw materials of the time: steel and coal, across the length and breadth of the country. Timber and brick as spanning materials were replaced by steel. (Fig. 6) The steel beam replaced the timber beam and brick vaults replaced by jack arches which were light weight. (Fig. 7) Most commonly used roof in the brick region was the reinforced brick construction, where alternately brick and iron rods were placed on lime mortar, allowed to set, and then plastered over. Lime mortar continued to be used up to the middle of the twentieth century. Most colonial bungalows were made with brick and mud-lime mortar. Bungalows primarily were of exposed brickwork and it was common to use mud mortar for binding and lime mortar for pointing. Many houses also used mud and lime in combination. Initially, cement was used sparingly, but after the middle of the twentieth century more commonly in the construction of houses and other building.
References: 1 Campbell, J. and Pryce, W., Brick: A World History (Thames & Hudson ,2003). 2 Ibid. 3 Reports of Society for the Protection of Ancient Buildings (SPAB), UK.
Neeta Das is a graduate in Architecture (1987) from CEPT, Ahmedabad, MS (Arch) (1995) from the University of Cincinnati, USA, a PhD from Lucknow University (2004), and specialist in conservation from SPAB, London (2004) and Scottish Lime Center, Charlestown (2013). Based in Kolkata, she is involved in private practice, research, and writing on architectural history and conservation. Currently she is also a visiting faculty at CEPT, Ahmedabad.
Indian Architect & Builder - June 2015