Jacques Triger

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Jacques Triger (1801-1867) was a French mining engineer who invented the 'Triger process' for digging through water logged ground. The work is done inside a chamber (known as a caisson) open at the bottom and in which compressed air is pumped to keep water out. Originally developed for use in a coal mine (1839), it was later applied to bridge construction as well. The process was used for the Brooklyn Bridge (1870) in the United States and the Forth Railroad Bridge in Scotland among others. The health hazards of working in a hyperbaric environment were gradually discovered during these projects. The process was also used by Gustave Eiffel for the foundations of two of the four pillars supporting the Eiffel tower. The name of Triger is inscribed on the Eiffel tower.