Unassuming inventor, audacious builder, his extraordinary intuition regarding the behaviour of concrete, recently confirmed by the fine analysis of micromechanics has made Eugène Freyssinet one of the engineers who have most profoundly marked the construction world over the entire XXth century. In the earlier part of his career, he drove concrete to the limits of its strenght in the arches of bridges, which broke record after record. Then, having found how to free himself from the deficiencies of concrete as a material, he invented prestressing which transformed it into that “new material” which revolutionised “the art of construction”.The technique of prestressed concrete has conquered the world and has outlived its inventor, but has covered up the name of the man, his convictions, and his message. To make him known through his works (numerous) ant his writings (rare), such is the aim of this book. The reader will discover numerous examples of structures that illustrate both the extraordinary potential of concrete as a materiaI and how the concept of prestressing has helped it to supplant steel, particularly in civil engineering structures. Yet, one will also find a man who was conscious of the social role of the engineer, sometimes waxing lyrical when contemplating a well-finished structure and forever imbued with a code of ethics which is perhaps his finest message for future generations.
Odyssee into concrete – The revolution of prestressing – Earliest structures in prestressed concrete – Prestressing, a worldwide winner – Eugène Freyssinet’s message – The spiritual heritage of Eugène Freyssinet – Eugène Freyssinet and the structures of the future – Appendix
