Eugène Freyssinet
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Eugène Freyssinet (13 July 1879 – 8 June 1962) was a French civil engineer. He is known as the father of prestressed concrete.
Freyssinet was born in at Objat, Corrèze, France. He set to Moulins, France where he built many bridges until the First World War. He served in the French Army from 1904-1907 and again from 1914-1918 as a road engineer. He apprenticed under Charles Rabut. He received a distinction for the invention of the jacked arch technique, used for the first time for the bridge at Châtel-de-Neuvre.
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, and in the French Army from 1914-1918.
His many researches allowed him an efficient use of rolling benders, vaults with ribbing on top, and above all, he discovered the vibration of concrete.
In the 1920s he led the team who built the Plougastel Bridge with three identical spans of 180 m reach. During this time he discovered the laws of timely deformation of concrete.
In 1933, he consolidated the maritime station of Le Havre which was threatening to crumble.
Until his death he did activities for his company Campenon-Bernard.
He attended École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris. After completion of schooling he apprenticed under Charles Rabut. Many of Eugène's designs where new and elaborate for his time. His work help with the executing of curved shapes in structures. This also allowed for the concrete's weight to be lighter and not lose any strength.
