Question

A product of the industrial revolution — cast iron — made delicate, soaring, web-like structures possible. Elegant and fire-resistant cast iron had its heyday during which three decades of the 19th century? What caused the decline in interest for this material?

Answer

The golden age of cast iron started with the Crystal Palace (London) in 1851 and began to fade in the late 1870s with the introduction of rolled beams of wrought iron. The following rapid advances in steel technology ended the widespread interest in cast iron as a structural material.