Goldsmith's Hall: Roof Beam
Reconstruction of Goldsmiths' Hall, London, commenced in 1829 and was completed in 1835. The architect was Philip Hardwick (1792-1870). Trussed iron beams of an unusual design were incorporated to support an ornate plaster ceiling. Similar, smaller beams (26 ft 3") had been used by architect Robert Smirke at Worthy Park in Hampshire in 1816.[1]. The iron beams, made by the Coalbrookdale Co, were replaced by steel beams in 1990, and fortunately one of them was saved and is now displayed at the Ironbridge Gorge Museums.
The upper part of the beam is assembled from two pairs of three cast iron beams with fish-bellied profiles, the central member being of I-section. Wrought iron tie bars are attached to the ends by tapered cotters. The tie bars are assembled from a total of 24 wrought iron bars of rectangular cross-section. Additional components tie the bars together transversely and also support the weight of the tie bars.
The beam is 44 ft (13.4 m) long.
The design may well have been inspired by the trussed floor beams introduced in France by Ango in the 1780s.
See Also
Sources of Information
- ↑ Information displayed at Ironbridge Gorge Museums