Early Iron Roofs in Belgian Churches (1845-60)

This paper sets out to assess the early age of iron roof construction in Belgian churches and its evolution through an in-depth analysis of a selection of cases situated in Belgium, an early-industrialised country with a fast-developing iron industry. The study is based on fieldwork, archive and literature study of three early iron trusses in churches in Brussels, Antwerp and Ghent. By providing renewed insight into the early use of iron and the evolution of the construction principles in churches, this study intends to encourage researchers, architects or heritage assessors to consider the roof construction of churches with greater care.status: publishe