Abstract
Abstract. This contribution is based on a joint research project developed by the University of Ferrara, Department of Architecture (Italy) and the Escola Politecnica USP of São Paulo (Brazil) by the which it was possible to scan the interior and exterior surfaces of the ancient blast furnaces of São João do Ipanema, an extraordinary example of industry of cast iron production of the XIX century.The research was aimed at investigating the evolution of the blast furnace technique exploring a surprisingly rich Brazilian technical literature, with description records and drawings dated between the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Beside historical documentation it was also implemented on site a 3D survey campaign of the furnaces to understand how the profiles were modified along the time.The first outputs of the project were thus focused on the evaluation of the transformation of the equipment in terms of more efficient shapes able to enhance the relationship between blast furnace profile fuel consumption and productivity.The use of accurate digital technology, the following CAD elaboration of the chimney, the 3d model and the comparison with XIX century technical drawings confirmed that European directors of the plant were familiar with the most advance technical and scientific procedures and brought to the site a great technological improvement by an innovative know-how.
Highlights
In 2017 before the current pandemic emergency, the DIAPReM research centre (Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara, Italy) was asked to contribute along with the Polytechnic School of USP (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to the analyses of the interior and exterior surfaces of the residual part of the blast furnaces of the São João do Ipanema, Iperò, Sao Paulo state, Brazil (Figure 1)
During 19th century blast furnaces were typically over eight meters high and had a large inner void in the form of two cone trunks joined at the largest diameter which was about 2 meters in diameter
Industrial heritage associated with political, economic, cultural, social, scientific, technological, and architectural fields has been a crucial concern to nations and governments, since it reveals the way our ancestors lived, records technical progress and realizes cultural continuity (Liu et al, 2018)
Summary
In 2017 before the current pandemic emergency, the DIAPReM research centre (Department of Architecture, University of Ferrara, Italy) was asked to contribute along with the Polytechnic School of USP (Sao Paulo, Brazil) to the analyses of the interior and exterior surfaces of the residual part of the blast furnaces of the São João do Ipanema, Iperò, Sao Paulo state, Brazil (Figure 1). The shape of the void inside the blast furnace, its architecture and the resulting profile This explains why digital documentation activities by means of laser scanner technology was focused to understand the last steps of the transformations of the original chimney profiles (built in 1817 by engineer Frederico Varnhagen). These profiles were modified to improve the productivity of the site, as measured by the indicator used until today by the steel industry (Telles, 1993).
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