Alcatraz, the infamous island prison located in the mouth of San Francisco Bay, is now a popular tourist attraction administered by the National Park Service. One of the major draws to this fascinating historical site is the reinforced-concrete cell house built more than 80 years ago. Designed as a solid fortress to prevent the escape of prisoners, the structure is now showing signs of serious deterioration.
The Isthmus of Panama became the principal transshipment point for Spanish treasure and supplies to and from Central and South America in colonial days.
Energy-efficient concrete tilt-up homes are making news in Pueblo, Colo., where Castle Construction Co. is using insulated concrete sandwich panels to build two different home designs.
When city officials in Topeka, Kan., approved construction of a Melan system reinforced concrete bridge in 1896, local papers said it was "the greatest invention in bridge-building science since the parabolic truss."
When it was completed in 1903 in Cincinnati, the Ingalls Building became the tallest reinforced concrete building in the United States. Although its overall dimensions were only 50 x 100 feet, the 16-story structure was twice as tall as any previous reinforced concrete building. It offered economy, fire safety, strength, and durability.
