VIRTUAL Barcelona

Abstract

In the pursuit of industrializing construction, financial entities began to promote the use of precast reinforced concrete elements from the 1970s onwards, resulting in the emergence of numerous industries, particularly in the Southeast region of Brazil. An example is the Residential Complex of the University of São Paulo, conceived by architects Eduardo Kneese de Mello, Sidney de Oliveira, and Joel Ramalho in 1961. The program encompasses 12 residential buildings, characterized by the application of precast reinforced concrete structures on the construction site, with other components being industrialized and lightweight. The selection process for the project execution was divided into two stages: the first stage designated for the company responsible for constructing six precast blocks, while the second stage included blocks produced through the conventional system. This exemplar represents an artifact capable of preservation, documenting the distinct phases of precast reinforced concrete utilization. The present study aims to document and analyze the mentioned construction system, with the primary purpose of enriching research on the evolution of employed technologies. Methodological procedures included literature review, archive consultation, as well as the development of redrawings and analyses of the implemented structural system. The results obtained indicate the necessity of recording the analysis and documentation of the construction system to propel research on technological developments. Such records constitute fundamental elements for understanding transformations in the civil construction industry and their reflections in contemporary production, especially when based on high-quality architectural references.