I do not know much about the origins of currugated sheeting, whether of
galvanised iron or any other material, for roofing and cladding. However,
members of the list might like to know of an early recognition of the stiffness
of a corrugated panel in bending about an axis normal to the plane of the
sheet.
 
The earliest bronze cauldrons in the British Bronze Age, dating to the 13th
century B.C., were large mor or less hemispherical vessels fabricated from
sheet bronze and suspended from two ring handles riding in carriers cast on to
the rim of the cauldron. These vessels held about 70 litres so a need to
stiffen the rim was recognised. In the first instance this was done by rolling
the rim into a tube. Clearly this was inadequate and within a short space of
time the stiffening was done by giving the vessel a short upright neck which
was corrugated, with three or four parallel ribs. The points of suspension were
also changed slightly. This new arrangement was clearly satisfactory and
survived in use until the end of the 9th century B.C.. Do any list members know
of any other uses of corrugated strauctures this early?
Peter Northover
Department of Materials,
University of Oxford
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