Chapter 3 | The Building of Paimio Sanatoriumoffice drew up structural calculations in June–November 1930 simultaneously with
the moulding of the reinforced concrete frame.
The Building Committee discussed the cost estimate drawn up by Aalto prior to
the contractor selection process in May 1930.^675 However, the accepted contract offer
was 42 percent higher than the cost estimate drawn up by Aalto one month earlier. The
Building Board did not, however, enter into discussion on the reasons for the substantial
increase in price. Nor was the solution for the reinforced concrete frame ever questioned,
despite this being a novel structure to be used in building construction.
The government had passed a decision on regulations governing concrete and rein-
forced concrete structures in 1929. The regulations were divided into sections on gen-
eral guidelines, static calculations, materials, execution and test cubes. The regulations
concerned all government institutions and all concrete and reinforced concrete struc-
tures built by local authorities or private builders in a municipality that had a building
inspection unit. As the Finnish State was one of the financiers of Paimio Sanatorium
and the City of Turku one of the partner municipalities, these regulations were to be
observed in the project. The section on static calculations covered load assumptions,
moments, determining normal and shear forces, tension calculations and structural
regulations. The section on the execution focused on the handling of reinforcements,
the quality of concrete and formworks.^676 The norms in question were the first of their
kind in Finland. However, the City of Helsinki Building Inspection Office had issued
regulations in 1913 on work on reinforced and unreinforced concrete structures, which
were amended in 1926 and 1929.^677 In the 1920s, the City of Turku had a building code
in place, which had been issued in 1883 and amended in 1907 and 1916.^678 Accord-
ing to this code, fireproof material could be used for building multi-storey residential
buildings. The building code of Turku did not provide any guidelines for reinforced
concrete structures.^679 Finnish builders and designers acquired theoretical and practical
knowledge about reinforced concrete structures through international literature, profes-
sional journals, studies and study trips as well as from experts who arrived in Finland
to work. Those training as master builders studied reinforced concrete structures from
Finnish textbooks from the early 1900s, which were modelled on German books.^680
Established in 1921, the Association of Finnish Concrete Manufacturers had educated
concrete builders widely since 1923.^681
675 The concrete frame construction had been allocated FIM 2.8 million. A cost calculation of the sanatorium. Building
Committee May 9, 1930, Section 2. PSA.
676 Valtioneuvoston päätös betoni ja rautabetonirakenteita koskevista määräyksistä 182/1929 (The Decision of the
Council of State Concerning Instructions on Concrete and Steelconcrete Structures 182/1929).
677 Neuvonen et al. 2002, p. 147.
678 Kankaanpää 1997, p. 104.
679 Turun kaupungin rakennussääntö 1921 (The Building Regulation of the City of Turku 1921), pp. 19–20.
680 Gustav Edvard Asp, architect, teacher, Rector of Turku Industrial School, used German literature as his source for
chapter on reinforced concrete structures in his 1908 textbook Huonerakenteiden oppi (Textbook on Building
Structures). Neuvonen et al. 2002, p. 28.
681 Junttila 1946, pp. 17–23.