Eugène Freyssinet
Encyclopedia
Eugène Freyssinet (13 July 1879 – 8 June 1962) was a French structural
and civil engineer
. He was the major pioneer of prestressed concrete
.
Freyssinet was born in at Objat
, Corrèze
, France
. He worked in the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
in Paris, France where he designed several bridge
s until the First World War
intervened. His tutors included Charles Rabut. He served in the French Army
from 1904–1907 and again from 1914-1918 as a road engineer.
His most significant early bridge was the three span Pont le Veurdre near Vichy
, built in 1911. At the time, the 72.5 metre (238 ft) spans were the longest so far constructed. Freyssinet's proposal was for three reinforced concrete
truss
spans
, and was significantly less expensive than the standard masonry arch design. The design used jacks to raise and connect the arches, effectively introducing an element of prestress. The bridge also enabled Freyssinet to discover the phenomenon of creep
in concrete, whereby the concrete deforms with time when placed under stress. Regarding this bridge, Freyssinet wrote: "I have always loved it more than any other of my bridges, and of all that the War has destroyed, it is the only one whose ruin has caused me real grief".
He served as the director of Public Works in Moulins starting in 1905. He also served as a road engineer in central France from 1907 till 1914.
Working for Claude Limousin until 1929, he designed a number of structures including a 96.2 m (315 ft) arch bridge
at Villeneuve-sur-Lot
, and several large thin-shell
concrete roofs, including aircraft hangars at Orly. He also built cargo ships from concrete.
His 1919 design at St Pierre du Vauvray again increased the record for a concrete arch span, with 132 m (435 ft) hollow arches, completed in 1923.
His largest structure was the Plougastel Bridge
with three identical spans of 180 m (592 ft) each, completed in 1930. Here he studied creep in more detail, and developed his ideas of prestressing, taking out a patent in 1928.
Although Freyssinet did much to develop prestressed concrete, he was not its inventor. Other engineers such as Doehring had patented methods for prestressing as early as 1888, and Freyssinet's mentor Rabut built prestressed concrete corbel
s. Freyssinet's key contribution was to recognise that only high-strength prestressing wire could counteract the effects of creep and relaxation, and to develop anchorages and other technology which made the system flexible enough to be applied to many different types of structures.
Having left Limousin, he set up his own firm to build prestressed concrete electricity pylon
s, but the business failed.
In 1935, he used prestressing to consolidate the maritime station of Le Havre
which was threatening to settle beyond repair. Freyssinet introduced prestressed concrete beams, and jacked up the shipyard buildings. Following this success, he joined the firm of Campenon-Bernard and went on to design several prestressed bridges.
Many of Freyssinet's designs were new and elaborate for his time—some of them so much so that they were never built, such as the Phare du Monde
, a 2,300 foot tower planned for the 1937 World Fair
in Paris
. According to Leonardo Troyano, "his capacity for creation, invention and research and his non-conformity with existing ideas and doctrines made him one of the most notable engineers in the history of engineering".
Structural engineer
Structural engineers analyze, design, plan, and research structural components and structural systems to achieve design goals and ensure the safety and comfort of users or occupants...
and civil engineer
Civil engineer
A civil engineer is a person who practices civil engineering; the application of planning, designing, constructing, maintaining, and operating infrastructures while protecting the public and environmental health, as well as improving existing infrastructures that have been neglected.Originally, a...
. He was the major pioneer of prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a method for overcoming concrete's natural weakness in tension. It can be used to produce beams, floors or bridges with a longer span than is practical with ordinary reinforced concrete...
.
Freyssinet was born in at Objat
Objat
Objat is a commune in the Corrèze department in central France.-Population:...
, Corrèze
Corrèze
Corrèze is a department in south central France, named after the Corrèze River.The inhabitants of the department are called Corréziens or Corréziennes according to gender.-History:...
, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
. He worked in the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
Founded in 1747, the École nationale des ponts et chaussées , often referred to as les Ponts, is the world's oldest civil engineering school...
in Paris, France where he designed several bridge
Bridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s until the First World War
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
intervened. His tutors included Charles Rabut. He served in the French Army
French Army
The French Army, officially the Armée de Terre , is the land-based and largest component of the French Armed Forces.As of 2010, the army employs 123,100 regulars, 18,350 part-time reservists and 7,700 Legionnaires. All soldiers are professionals, following the suspension of conscription, voted in...
from 1904–1907 and again from 1914-1918 as a road engineer.
His most significant early bridge was the three span Pont le Veurdre near Vichy
Vichy
Vichy is a commune in the department of Allier in Auvergne in central France. It belongs to the historic province of Bourbonnais.It is known as a spa and resort town and was the de facto capital of Vichy France during the World War II Nazi German occupation from 1940 to 1944.The town's inhabitants...
, built in 1911. At the time, the 72.5 metre (238 ft) spans were the longest so far constructed. Freyssinet's proposal was for three reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which reinforcement bars , reinforcement grids, plates or fibers have been incorporated to strengthen the concrete in tension. It was invented by French gardener Joseph Monier in 1849 and patented in 1867. The term Ferro Concrete refers only to concrete that is...
truss
Truss
In architecture and structural engineering, a truss is a structure comprising one or more triangular units constructed with straight members whose ends are connected at joints referred to as nodes. External forces and reactions to those forces are considered to act only at the nodes and result in...
spans
Span (architecture)
Span is the distance between two intermediate supports for a structure, e.g. a beam or a bridge.A span can be closed by a solid beam or of a rope...
, and was significantly less expensive than the standard masonry arch design. The design used jacks to raise and connect the arches, effectively introducing an element of prestress. The bridge also enabled Freyssinet to discover the phenomenon of creep
Creep (deformation)
In materials science, creep is the tendency of a solid material to slowly move or deform permanently under the influence of stresses. It occurs as a result of long term exposure to high levels of stress that are below the yield strength of the material....
in concrete, whereby the concrete deforms with time when placed under stress. Regarding this bridge, Freyssinet wrote: "I have always loved it more than any other of my bridges, and of all that the War has destroyed, it is the only one whose ruin has caused me real grief".
He served as the director of Public Works in Moulins starting in 1905. He also served as a road engineer in central France from 1907 till 1914.
Working for Claude Limousin until 1929, he designed a number of structures including a 96.2 m (315 ft) arch bridge
Arch bridge
An arch bridge is a bridge with abutments at each end shaped as a curved arch. Arch bridges work by transferring the weight of the bridge and its loads partially into a horizontal thrust restrained by the abutments at either side...
at Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a town and commune in the Lot-et-Garonne department in south-western France. The commune was formerly named Villeneuve-d'Agen....
, and several large thin-shell
Thin-shell structure
Thin-shell structures are light weight constructions using shell elements. These elements are typically curved and are assembled to large structures...
concrete roofs, including aircraft hangars at Orly. He also built cargo ships from concrete.
His 1919 design at St Pierre du Vauvray again increased the record for a concrete arch span, with 132 m (435 ft) hollow arches, completed in 1923.
His largest structure was the Plougastel Bridge
Plougastel Bridge
The Plougastel Bridge, or Albert-Louppe Bridge, is a bridge over the Elorn River near Brest, France, connecting Plougastel-Daoulas and Le Relecq-Kerhuon....
with three identical spans of 180 m (592 ft) each, completed in 1930. Here he studied creep in more detail, and developed his ideas of prestressing, taking out a patent in 1928.
Although Freyssinet did much to develop prestressed concrete, he was not its inventor. Other engineers such as Doehring had patented methods for prestressing as early as 1888, and Freyssinet's mentor Rabut built prestressed concrete corbel
Corbel
In architecture a corbel is a piece of stone jutting out of a wall to carry any superincumbent weight. A piece of timber projecting in the same way was called a "tassel" or a "bragger". The technique of corbelling, where rows of corbels deeply keyed inside a wall support a projecting wall or...
s. Freyssinet's key contribution was to recognise that only high-strength prestressing wire could counteract the effects of creep and relaxation, and to develop anchorages and other technology which made the system flexible enough to be applied to many different types of structures.
Having left Limousin, he set up his own firm to build prestressed concrete electricity pylon
Electricity pylon
A transmission tower is a tall structure, usually a steel lattice tower, used to support an overhead power line. They are used in high-voltage AC and DC systems, and come in a wide variety of shapes and sizes...
s, but the business failed.
In 1935, he used prestressing to consolidate the maritime station of Le Havre
Le Havre
Le Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
which was threatening to settle beyond repair. Freyssinet introduced prestressed concrete beams, and jacked up the shipyard buildings. Following this success, he joined the firm of Campenon-Bernard and went on to design several prestressed bridges.
Many of Freyssinet's designs were new and elaborate for his time—some of them so much so that they were never built, such as the Phare du Monde
Phare du Monde
Phare du Monde was an observation tower planned for the 1937 World Fair in Paris, France. The Phare du Monde, advertised as a "Pleasure Tower Half Mile High" was designed by Eugène Freyssinet, and was to be a 701 meter tall concrete tower with a light beacon and a restaurant on the top...
, a 2,300 foot tower planned for the 1937 World Fair
Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)
The Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne was held from May 25 to November 25, 1937 in Paris, France...
in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
. According to Leonardo Troyano, "his capacity for creation, invention and research and his non-conformity with existing ideas and doctrines made him one of the most notable engineers in the history of engineering".
Key Achievements or collaborations
- 1906: Pont de Ferrières-sur-SichonFerrières-sur-SichonFerrières-sur-Sichon is a commune in the Allier department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
- 1907: Pont de Prairéal-sur-Besbre
- 1911-1912: Pont du Veurdre,
- 1913: Bridge Boutiron, à Vichy,
- 1914-1923: Pont de Châtel-de-NeuvreChâtel-de-NeuvreChâtel-de-Neuvre is a commune in the Allier department in central France.-Population:-References:*...
(demolished in 1940), - 1914-1922: Pont de Villeneuve-sur-Lot
- 1922-1930: Pont Albert-Louppe sur l' ElornÉlornThe Élorn is a 56 km long river in Brittany, France. Its source is in the monts d'Arrée, 1.5km NNE of Le Tuchenn Kador, and it then runs through several small towns such as Sizun and Landivisiau before flowing out into the roadstead of Brest. This river is the birhplace of the legendary Dragon...
entre Plougastel-DaoulasPlougastel-DaoulasPlougastel-Daoulas is a commune in the Finistère department of Brittany in northwestern France.-Population:Inhabitants of Plougastel-Daoulas are called in French Plougastels.-Breton language:...
et BrestBrest, FranceBrest is a city in the Finistère department in Brittany in northwestern France. Located in a sheltered position not far from the western tip of the Breton peninsula, and the western extremity of metropolitan France, Brest is an important harbour and the second French military port after Toulon... - 1922-1923: Pont de Saint-Pierre-du-Vauvray
- 1922: Pont de Tonneins sur la Garonne,
- 1923: Hangars of the Orly Airport
- 1927-1929: the Halle Freyssinet or Halle messengers of the Gare d'Austerlitz in Paris
- 1927-1929: Les Halles "Le Boulingrin" in ReimsReimsReims , a city in the Champagne-Ardenne region of France, lies east-northeast of Paris. Founded by the Gauls, it became a major city during the period of the Roman Empire....
- 1926-1928: Factory of the Compagnie nationale des radiateurs de Dammarie-lès-LysDammarie-les-LysDammarie-lès-Lys is a commune in the south-eastern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region from the center of Paris.-History:...
(Seine-et-MarneSeine-et-MarneSeine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
) - 1933-1935: renovation of the ferry terminal of HavreLe HavreLe Havre is a city in the Seine-Maritime department of the Haute-Normandie region in France. It is situated in north-western France, on the right bank of the mouth of the river Seine on the English Channel. Le Havre is the most populous commune in the Haute-Normandie region, although the total...
- 1934-1940: Église Saint-Jacques-le-Majeur de Montrouge
- 1936: Aqueduct at Fodda, in Algeria
- 1937-1941: Steel gates on the Barrage at Béni Badhel, Algeria,
- 1938: Bridge on the Autobahn 2 Oelde in WarendorfWarendorfWarendorf is a town in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and capital of Warendorf District.The town is best known today for its well-preserved medieval town centre, for horse-riding, and the opportunities it provides for cycling...
in GermanyGermanyGermany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
, the first prestressed concrete bridge in the country. - 1941-1946: pont de Luzancy on the Marne (Seine-et-MarneSeine-et-MarneSeine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
), 54 m span, - 1946-1951: Orleans Reservoir
- 1947-1950: series of five similar bridges on the Marne (74 m span) to EsblyEsblyEsbly is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
Ussy-sur-MarneUssy-sur-MarneUssy-sur-Marne is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* *...
Changis -over Marne TrilbardouTrilbardouTrilbardou is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
and Annet-sur-MarneAnnet-sur-MarneAnnet-sur-Marne, , is a commune in the Seine-et-Marne department in the Île-de-France region in north-central France.-External links:* * *...
(Seine-et-MarneSeine-et-MarneSeine-et-Marne is a French department, named after the Seine and Marne rivers, and located in the Île-de-France region.- History:Seine-et-Marne is one of the original 83 departments, created on March 4, 1790 during the French Revolution in application of the law of December 22, 1789...
) - 1947 and 1953: runway at Orly airport
- 1948-1951: cut and cover of Rouen,
- 1951-1953: Three overpasses on the highway to Caracas La Guaira, Venezuela
- 1954: Reconstruction and consolidation of the roof of the issuer of l'émetteur d'Europe 1 à Felsberg, Sarre,
- 1955: water pipe sealed Kunu, India
- 1955-1957: Viaduct access pont de Tancarville, the left bank,
- 1955-1958: basilique Saint-Pie XBasilica of St. Pius XThe Basilica of St. Pius X, known as the Underground Basilica, is a large Roman Catholic church and minor basilica, located in the town of Lourdes, France. It is part of the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes. Lourdes is a major Catholic pilgrimage site and the Catholic Church endorses the belief...
in LourdesLourdesLourdes is a commune in the Hautes-Pyrénées department in the Midi-Pyrénées region in south-western France.Lourdes is a small market town lying in the foothills of the Pyrenees, famous for the Marian apparitions of Our Lady of Lourdes occurred in 1858 to Bernadette Soubirous...
with the architects Pierre VagoPierre VagoPierre Vago was a notable French architect who worked on the Hansaviertel in Berlin. Known Internationally as the publisher of L'Architecture d'Aujourd'hui and General Secretary of the UIA...
and André Le Donne. - 1955-1961: a multiple-arch dam on the river Erraguene Djen-Djen, Algeria,
- 1957: Bridge No. 10 on the N7 at Orly
- 1957: Pont Saint-Michel à ToulouseToulouseToulouse is a city in the Haute-Garonne department in southwestern FranceIt lies on the banks of the River Garonne, 590 km away from Paris and half-way between the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea...
, - 1961-1964: Reservoir des Lilas in Paris
- 1961-1964: Gladesville BridgeGladesville BridgeGladesville Bridge is an arch bridge near Gladesville that spans the Parramatta River, west of central Sydney, Australia. It links the suburbs of Huntleys Point and Drummoyne. It is a few kilometres upstream of the more famous Sydney Harbour Bridge and is part of Victoria Road...
, Australia.