Die Dywidag-Versuchsschale in Wiesbaden-Biebrich von 1931 - Ein Beitrag zur Frühgeschichte des Stahlbeton-Schalenbaus in Deutschland

The Dywidag Test Shell in Wiesbaden-Biebrich from 1931 - A Contribution to the Early History of Reinforced Concrete Shell Construction in Germany

In 1931, a photo was taken in Wiesbaden that made history in the field of engineering: A group of employees of the construction company Dyckerhoff & Widmann posed on a reinforced concrete test shell being just a few centimeters thick. To date, this experimental construction is presented as a symbol of the beginnings in concrete shell construction in numerous publications in Germany as well as in other countries. The paper deals with the lesser-known circumstances of the erection of the test shell as well with its colorful history. The building does not only document the early history of shell construction. It also shows the challenges that may occur when protecting a monument of construction and industrial history that is not usable or economically exploitable.