2026 Volume 91 Issue 840 Pages 432-443
This article examines eight reinforced-concrete covered markets built by S.I.D.E.C. in former French Cochinchina and Cambodia (1920s–1930s). Combining archival records with field surveys, it reconstructs construction practices and compares roof structures. It identifies an on-site precasting workflow—perforated purlins and flat concrete tiles cast on the ground and installed as repeatable units—that enabled efficient, climate-responsive assembly under local labor and equipment constraints. The markets show a family resemblance in framing and roofing, indicating partial standardization across projects. While full interchangeability cannot be verified for all sites, the study clarifies S.I.D.E.C.’s role in adapting reinforced concrete in colonial Southeast Asia.
