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Strijdom Monument
Tshwane (Pretoria), Gauteng
P Roelf BOTHA: Architect
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Contact Artefacts | MenuHomeUpfront Now Up Books Towns Structures People Firms Lexicon | Strijdom Monument P Roelf BOTHA: Architect | |||||||
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Click to view map Coordinates: | The monument consisted of a huge dome covering a bust of former South African prime minister Johannes Gerhardus Strijdom. The monument was conceived as a segmental-dome saddle concrete shell structure: Spawned by NIEMEYER's unbuilt design for the Ruy Barboza Monument in Rio de Janeiro, the shrine a replay rather than an improvisation... . Technology did not rise to the challenge; the concrete vault over gigantic head of the Lion of the North threatened to collapse and was saved only after symposia of structural engineers and water-proofing experts, followed by extensive works. (GERNEKE 1998:218-219). Despite the best efforts of adding a copper sheeting water-proofing cover and post-tensioned cabling across the edge beams, taken through the supporting slab and anchored deep within the parking garage below, the remedial work was the cause of the eventual collapse. The morning of 31 May 2001 was particularly cold, the added tensioning caused by the contraction of the cables subjected to extreme cold inverted the curvature and the entire structure imploded, injuring two people. The collapse was ascribed to structural fatigue. Books that reference Strijdom Monument
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