Who invented concrete blocks

Department: Department of Architecture. Abstract: This thesis outlines the early developmental history of concrete block in America with special attention being placed on the years leading up to the St. Louis Louisiana Purchase Exposition of In general, the history of concrete block in contemporary building material histories begins with the innovations in block machinery that took place at the turn of the 20th century. However, the history of concrete block begins much earlier than these innovations.

Harmon S. Palmer invented the first commercially successful concrete block machine in , but there were many reasons why concrete block became widely used during the first half of the 20th century. With the advent of the automotive industry, many homeowners found themselves in need of a garage to house their new cars.

Rock face block was a cheap and aesthetically pleasing material that was often used to build these new garages and service stations. During the early s the bungalow and American foursquare style homes were the latest architectural trend. You will find rock face block most frequently on these styles of homes, especially on the foundations. You will however see this block on early s Queen Ann homes, mission-style homes, Greek Revival styles, and many more architectural styles around the country.

By the late s a more modern look of smooth face concrete block came into style. The invention of large automated block machines that could only produce smooth-faced block also pushed builders to use this now cheaper design.

By the s, use of rock face block was almost non-existent. No more cinders, no more cinder blocks. Around coal cumbustion produced cinders, and few places burned more coal than Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. A brick mason from Pittsburgh named Francis Straub realized the potential of this large volume waste product, and experimented with cinders and cement.

This led to the discovery of material mix designs for cinder block in Cinder blocks are lightweight, insulate, and nails can be driven into them. Straub had many challengers to his technology, and fought several patent infringement cases on his invention.

The crux of the decision on his case was that if you could drive a nail into a block, it was a cinder block: it was his patent, and nobody else could make block like that. Straub would show up at competitors he suspected of infringing on his patent, and try to drive a nail into one of their blocks. If he could drive a nail, he would collect royalties or shut them down, or both. Around the United States made a decision to streamline construction and manufacturing by making all construction materials based on a modular coordination of design.

Eventually coal combustion became more efficient, and cinder blocks were no longer made. The term stuck though, so today people still refer to concrete blocks as cinder blocks. Today the fly ash from coal combustion is used as a pozzolanic material in concrete, creating a higher strength concrete. All thanks to Francis Straub from Pittsburgh, circa Posted by Peter Roberts at AM. Labels: cinder , cinder block , concrete block , Francis Straub , pozzolanic. Anonymous April 26, at PM.

Peter Roberts April 26, at PM.