Le leghe ferrose per impiego strutturale dalle origini ai nostri giorni: evoluzione dei processi e delle proprietà meccaniche

Mechanical properties of materials, as provided by current design rules are the pre-requisite, for the proper identification and structural assessment of existing buildings and civil engineering works. In case of "Limited Knowledge " (KL1 or LC1), in the absence of direct information, it is possible to refer to the usual values in accordance with the standards of related time. This is the case, for example, of structural metalworks having historical and artistic interest (bridges, roof gallery, covered markets, railway stations, etc.) or of industrial archeology buildings for which, as a result of the constraints imposed by the Authority of Cultural Heritage, it is not allowed to perform extensive or exhaustive tests in situ. This paper focuses chronologically, from the origins until our days, the process of evolution o ferrous alloys for structural applications: cast iron, wrought iron and steel. After description and classification of aforementioned materials, it has been briefly analyzed their production processes, and main mechanical properties and design stress for bending and compression elements. Sources used are product specifications and design, integrated with data from structural handbook as needed