The birth of the tall steel framed building in the UK

The transport revolution in the late 1800s brought with it the development of a range of iron and steel products, and a thriving steel industry.

In 1890 Sir William Arrol's Forth bridge  proved the tremendous capabilities of steel as a structural material. In fact Arrol also built 143 steel framed workshops between 1894 and 1907, 42 of them before 1900.

The thriving market for steel products meant that a number of companies set up construction departments to provide workshops and machine shops. The most famous and influential of these were: Redpath Brown, Dorman Long, and William Arrol. 

The following examples and explanations actually tell a story that shows iron and steel being adopted in framed buildings in a rapid and rational way in the UK. The full steel frame was preceded by a set of developments from mixed solutions (using iron, steel and loadbearing walls) which show that there was an evolution of framing in tandem with the increasing quality of steel being produced.

The first UKbuilding to make extensive use of steel was probably the National Liberal Club in London  built in 1879.

This building incorporated:

• Large, built-up columns and girders of steel (but there are also some iron elements)
• Steel columns set back from the external wall (ie. acting independently)

This building uses a skeletal structure, but it is difficult to be sure just how extensive the use of steel was. What is certain is that the steel was used for a significant proportion of the load carrying elements, and Waterhouse used a separate contract for the steelwork in this project.

Others claimed earlier uses of steel, but these are unclear and as yet unproven.

Waterhouse reported even earlier uses of steel, but the extent of the framing in these buildings is not clear. The confusion is added to by the fact that the terms iron and steel were regarded by some reporters at the turn of the century as interchangeable.  Early Waterhouse buildings where steel is used for major load bearing elements include:

• 1869 Owens College, Oxford Rd, Manchester (J.S.Bergheim reported as the steel contractor)
• 1876-9 PrudentialAssurance Building.
• 1873 –81 National History Museum (believed by some to be a steel frame)
• 1887-9 Liverpool Royal Infirmary (where steel floor joists are certainly used)
• 1892 National Provincial Bank, Piccadilly, London (cruciform, built-up steel columns, steel floor girders. Some iron used in appropriate places)

In time we may discover that one or more of these was, in fact, a fully steel framed building.

There are claims by Basil Scott that his 1895 building in West Hampshire was the first full steel framed building in the UK but the evidence to support his claims is dubious.

There are further examples and evidence that, in these early years, steel had been used just as extensively in the UK  as in the USA.

Another interesting building that made substantial use of steel is Gilbey's Gin warehouse in London (1890-94)

Here:

• Steel stanchions support steel primary and secondary beams
• The walls are predominantly mass concrete, but parts are reinforced
• William Huck was the architect, engineer and head distiller!

So, by the time that the steel framed Rand McNally building was constructed in the USA in 1890, there were numerous buildings in the UK where steel had been used substantially (maybe fully) in multistorey framing. As in the USA  it was certainly being used for the skeleton of several buildings.  Evidence that this was the situation in the UK is further supported by the fact that Dorman, the steel producers, issued a steel section handbook in 1887. And between 1898 and 1901 Dorman's steel production doubled.

It is also interesting to note that the Eiffel and Blackpool towers were made of wrought iron, whereas New Brighton tower (1900) was all steel. The contractor for the tower was Handysides of Derby who were very active at this time.

Currently the evidence suggests that the first fully steel framed building in the UK  was the Royal Insurance Building, Liverpool (1895-6).

Designed by J.F. Doyle and Norman Shaw, the Royal Insurance Building  has 7 floors plus two basement levels. The frame is clearly evident within the building and the original drawings show that the framing is complete.