|
Showing 1 - 9 of
9 matches in All Departments
In recent years, integral bridges have become increasingly popular
in the UK. The Highways Agency standard now requires, where
possible, that all new bridges with a length of less than sixty
metres should be of integral form. In addition, it has been found
that, due especially to the problems and costs associated with
failed expansion joints, integral bridges are not only cost
effective but also have a longer lifespan. Integral Bridges was
commissioned by the Highways Agency to produce guidance for bridge
designers by addressing the thermally induced soil/structure
interaction problem created by environmental changes of temperature
and the associated cyclical displacements imposed on the granular
backfill to the bridge abutments. It develops a better theoretical
understanding of the cyclic performance, in particular the strain
racheting in the backfill soil when in contact with a stiff
structure. It also identifies the governing soil parameters and
examines their influence in the interaction problem, develops
numerical modelling procedures to predict interactive soil
behaviour, and identifies and quantifies the controlling features
of bridge structures relevant to the interaction problem.
"Fair Park Deco" is a fascinating tour of the 1936 Texas
Centennial Exposition. Like every American exposition in the 1930s,
it began in economic depression. Although its economy had been
buoyed by major oil discoveries in the early '30s, Texas
agriculture was hard hit by the Great Depression. By the middle of
the decade, state officials had set their sights on a great
centennial celebration to help stimulate the economy and attract
tourist dollars. "If during the next six months the people of the
state could become filled with the idea of holding a big
celebration on the one hundredth anniversary of the establishment
of Texas independence," the state's centennial commission
speculated in July, 1934, "it would have the effect of creating a
general forward-looking spirit through the state. It would be more
stimulating than anything we can think of, and this effect would be
immediate."
This book focuses specifically on the Art Deco art and
architecture of Fair Park--the public spaces, buildings, sculptures
and murals that were designed for the 1936 exposition. Most of the
chapters in the book represent different areas of Fair Park, with
buildings and artwork effectively arranged in the same order that a
visitor to the Texas Centennial Exposition might have seen them.
The art and architecture are featured in original photography by
Jim Parsons and David Bush as well as in historic photographs.
Fair Park is one of the finest collections of Deco architecture in
the country, but it is so much more: the embodiment of Texan
swagger, it is a testament to the Texanic task of creating a
dazzling spectacle in the darkest days of the Depression.
Institutions pervade social life. They express community goals and
values by defining the limits of socially acceptable behavior.
Institutions are often vested with the resources, authority, and
power to enforce the orthodoxy of their time. But institutions are
also arenas in which both orthodoxies and authority can be
contested. Between power and opposition lies the individual
experience of the institutionalized. Whether in a boarding school,
hospital, prison, almshouse, commune, or asylum, their experiences
can reflect the positive impact of an institution or its greatest
failings. This interplay of orthodoxy, authority, opposition, and
individual experience are all expressed in the materiality of
institutions and are eminently subject to archaeological
investigation. A few archaeological and historical publications, in
widely scattered venues, have examined individual institutional
sites. Each work focused on the development of a specific
establishment within its narrowly defined historical context; e.g.,
a fort and its role in a particular war, a schoolhouse viewed in
terms of the educational history of its region, an asylum or prison
seen as an expression of the prevailing attitudes toward the
mentally ill and sociopaths. In contrast, this volume brings
together twelve contributors whose research on a broad range of
social institutions taken in tandem now illuminates the experience
of these institutions. Rather than a culmination of research on
institutions, it is a landmark work that will instigate vigorous
and wide-ranging discussions on institutions in Western life, and
the power of material culture to both enforce and negate cultural
norms.
Vivid imagery and original research are the hallmarks of DFW Deco:
Modernistic Architecture of North Texas, the latest in Jim Parsons
and David Bush's series of books documenting Art Deco and Art
Moderne design in the Lone Star State. DFW Deco examines a vibrant
architectural heritage that spans legendary eras in American
history, from the Roaring Twenties through the Great Depression to
World War II. DFW Deco explores the full range of modernistic
building styles and some of the uniquely Texan influences that
shaped the growing cities of North Texas. Classic zigzag
skyscrapers promoted by Fort Worth boosters and Dallas businessmen,
Art Deco storefronts in the booming towns of the great East Texas
oilfield, and streamlined facilities inspired by innovations in
transportation and communications all have a place in this book.
DFW Deco looks not only at whole buildings, but also at their
finely crafted details, ranging from vibrant tile murals depicting
the scope of Texas history on Fort Worth's monumental Will Rogers
Memorial Center to stylized gold-leaf pinecones and cotton bolls in
the ornate People's National Bank Building in Tyler. Using a mix of
original and historical photographs, this lavishly illustrated book
promotes an appreciation of Main Street movie theaters, innovative
suburban homes, and even a surprising collection of modernistic
soft drink bottling plants. DFW Deco also documents the federal
programs that helped build exceptional courthouses, schools, and
post offices from small towns to big cities. The book ends with a
chapter of short biographies of the architects and artists who
created these landmarks. By illustrating the broad reach of
modernistic design in North Texas, the authors hope to advance the
preservation of significant buildings and encourage readers to
explore the region themselves and discover their own Art Deco
treasures.
Using a host of vibrant images, David Bush and Jim Parsons' "Hill
Country Deco: Modernistic Architecture of Central Texas" captures
the essence of the Art Deco style of architecture as represented in
the Hill Country of Texas. "Hill Country Deco" explores how the
rich history of these structures collides with progressive notions
of historic preservation for remodeling buildings and restoring
facades. This collection of historical and modern photographs will
encourage a newfound appreciation for Art Deco as seen in Central
Texas.
The Art Deco style covers a range of buildings, from commercial to
residential. The sweeping curves of the Alameda Theater in San
Antonio exhibit typical Art Moderne style. The Austin U. S.
courthouse brings WPA Deco up to date from the 1940s, and the San
Antonio Express-News Building showcases the classic style of what
most people today think of as Art Deco.
Not only does this book of photography embrace the history of Art
Deco, it takes a series of edifices and recognizes the artistic
elements and economic purposes of each one. The authors offer
insight on architectural preservation while providing an
appreciative view of sometimes overlooked corners of Central Texas.
Some buildings are obscure and hardly recognizable as what they
once were; others were fortunate enough to have their Deco style
maintained over the span of decades. Bush and Parsons have made it
a personal mission to ensure that the readers of "Hill Country
Deco" will, upon viewing these beautiful buildings, yearn for a
road trip to some of these sites to discover Art Deco history for
themselves.
|
|