The Construction of Suspension Bridges in Colombia During the 19th Century: Between Tradition and Innovation

In this presentation, we explore how the construction of bridges in Colombia during the second half of the 19th century was conducted using a mix of artisan tradition and systems from the era of industrialization. The first of these date back to Pre-Hispanic times and involve the braiding of vegetable fibers used in the construction of hanging bridges; at the same time, standardized systems were established by foreign manufacturing entities, which sold their metallic structures around the world through catalogs seeking to adapt to the most complex local conditions. Through the study of a Colombian engineer from the period and his construction work, we aim to demonstrate this condition.