Joseph Monier et la naissance du ciment armé

The invention of cement revolutionized construction and civil engineering. It is not - as one might think - from the brain of a diploma engineer, but the experience of a gardener. As it was the fashion, there was rock throwing of cement on a fence. He observed that this material was both waterproof and rot proof and used it in place of wooden flower boxes. Noticing that this material had a high resistance, it was used for bins, first small then large, then tanks, soon beams, bridges... The book traces the history of this slow development which was carried out over a dozen years, as well as trial and error and achievements of other researchers, in France, the United States, Great Britain and Germany.