Discussion: Fragments of a Lover's Discourse - Brazilian Architecture and Reinforced Concrete
The title of a Brazilian textbook on structural engineering for undergraduate students, "Concreto armado: eu te amo" (Reinforced concrete: I love you)1 demonstrates the love affair between this structural element and contemporary architecture in Brazil. Despite the fact that the country is currently the world's second largest producer of iron ore, metal structures are seldom used in Brazil, where the mining and steel companies and the government are more concerned with exporting than with meeting domestic demand for use in construction. Therefore, taxes, legislation and elevated costs hinder the use of metal components. On the other hand, the South American giant possesses forests with abundant timber reserves, but, to the great satisfaction of environmentalists, its use in building structures is rare (this, however, does not preclude the use of wood for less noble purposes). There are talented Brazilian professionals who specialise in wood and steel structures, but they remain in the shadows due to the popularity of reinforced concrete.
