that was then unknown and even ener-
getically denied by official science. In
the case of induced permanent stresses,
this was a fearsome unknown. Imme-
diately and as carefully and completely
as possible, I began to study this prob-
lem but my efforts were rendered vain
by my mobilization in August 1914.”
At Le Veurdre, the situation was
more dramatic and the impact on
Freyssinet’s vision was more lasting.
He had volunteered to build three
bridges over the Allier River for a price
exactly one-third of that which had
been bid. As a local engineer of the
highway department, he had suggested
that the bids be rejected and that he be
allowed to act as the builder for these
bridges following his own designs.
This rather terrifying responsibility
had an even more frightening conclu-
sion when several months after the
completion of the three-span bridge at
Le Veurdre, the 238 ft (72 m) span
arches began to deflect downward at
an accelerating rate.
As Freyssinet later described the sit-
uation:
8
“Fifteen days later, an official letter
put me in charge of supervising, on
behalf of the Public Authorities, the
execution of these bridges whose de-
signer I was, for which I was to be the
contractor and the plans of which had
never been submitted for anyone’s ap-
proval. Mercier [Freyssinet’s superior]
then left for Portugal granting me un-
limited credit out of his funds but
without giving me a single man, tool
or piece of advice. Never was a
builder given such freedom. I was ab-
solute master, receiving orders and ad-
vice from no-one.”