François Hennebique facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
François Hennebique
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| Born | 26 April 1842 |
| Died | 7 March 1921 (aged 78) |
| Nationality | French |
| Occupation | engineer |
| Known for | reinforced-concrete |
François Hennebique (born April 26, 1842 – died March 7, 1921) was a French engineer. He was also a builder who taught himself many skills. In 1892, he received a special patent for his new way of building with reinforced concrete.
His system was very clever. It joined different parts of a building, like columns and beams, into one strong piece. This made buildings much stronger and more stable. Hennebique's method was one of the first modern ways to use reinforced concrete in construction.
François Hennebique first worked as a stonemason. Later, he became a builder. He was especially interested in fixing old churches. His "Béton Armé" (reinforced concrete) system began in 1879. He first used concrete to protect wrought iron beams from fire in a house in Belgium.
He soon realized something important. It would be cheaper to use iron only where the floor slab was being pulled apart (in tension). The concrete could handle the pushing forces (compression). His idea was to put steel bars inside concrete slabs. This created reinforced concrete, a very strong building material.
His business grew very quickly. In 1896, he had five employees in Brussels. Just two years later, he had twenty-five employees after moving to Paris. He also built a large network of companies. These companies acted as agents, using his building system. Some of these agents included L.G. Mouchel in Britain and Eduard Zublin in Germany.
Contents
About François Hennebique
François Hennebique was born on April 25, 1842. His hometown was Neuville-Saint-Vaast, in France. His father, Benjamin Hennebique, was a merchant.
Early Career and Discoveries
In 1860, François Hennebique became a bricklayer. He decided to focus on restoring old churches. In 1867, he started his own building and repair company in Brussels. There, he learned about building with reinforced concrete. He studied the system developed by Joseph Monier.
Hennebique first used reinforced concrete in a building project in 1879. This was a big step for him.
Patents and New Ideas
In 1892, Hennebique opened an international engineering agency in Paris. He also registered his first patent that year. The patent was for his special way of using metal and cement together. He called it "Special combination of metal and cement."
He also created his own building method, known as the Hennebique System. This system used special steel bars. These bars were designed to connect and strengthen the concrete parts. These early steel bars were the start of modern reinforcement.
Major Projects and Legacy
In 1894, he built his first reinforced concrete bridge in Switzerland. This showed how strong and useful his system was. In early 1901, he joined a special group. This group set rules for building projects. They especially focused on how reinforced concrete should be used safely.
The Bétons Armés Hennebique (BAH) construction company stopped working in 1967. During its time, the company completed about 150,000 building projects.
Buildings Using the Hennebique System
Many buildings around the world used Hennebique's system. It made them very strong and lasting.
First UK Building
The first building in the United Kingdom to use this system was the Weaver Building. It was built in 1897 in Swansea. This building was later taken down in 1984. This happened when the docks area was rebuilt.
A piece of a column from the Weaver Building was saved. It is now at the Science Museum. Another piece is at the Amberley Museum. A small part of the building is also by the River Tawe. A special sign there remembers Hennebique and his work.
Global Impact
Between 1892 and 1902, more than 7,000 structures were built using the Hennebique system. These included many different types of buildings. There were water towers and bridges, too. Most of these were built by other companies. They paid to use Hennebique's special technology. Hennebique himself also designed some structures. One example is the bridge at Châtellerault, built in 1899.
Hennebique in Ireland
One of the biggest early uses of the Hennebique system in Ireland was for the Irish Independent building. This building was constructed in 1924. It is located at 87-90 Middle Abbey Street. The architects for this project were Donnelly Moore Robinson and Keefe.
See also
In Spanish: François Hennebique para niños
