"Informes de la Construcción": past, present and future

Abstract

This paper aims to contribute to the activities planned by the IETcc on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the journal Informes de la Construcción, including this special issue of Informes – as the journal is familiarly known within the Spanish scientific community –, which has been and continues to be the Institute’s flag bearer, its senior-most journal with the longest uninterrupted history. The paper highlights its importance as a source of information for the study of the scientific and technical development of construction in Spain over the last six decades, as well as its role in the technology transfer in construction, not only in Spain, for beyond the national borders it continues to be a benchmark in Latin America and it is present in most of the countries known for their highly advanced construction techniques.

After a brief introduction on the origins of Informes in the IETcc as a vehicle for publicizing the technical novelties generated in construction, the paper analyzes the main stages in its evolution, particularly 1948-1981, 1981-2005 and from 2006 to the present. With a diachronic study, it shows the variations in the journal’s content, form – particularly its layout –, and circulation strategies. Finally, it reflects on the future in store for Informes in today’s society where access to information has changed so radically since the advent of the Internet.