Eugene Figg
Eugene C. Figg | |
|---|---|
| Born | Eugene Cecil Figg, Jr.[1] August 4, 1936 Charleston, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Died | March 20, 2002 (aged 65) |
| Occupation | Structural engineer |
| Years active | 1958–2002 |
| Known for | Cable-stayed bridge design, segmental concrete construction |
Eugene C. Figg (August 4, 1936 – March 20, 2002) was an American structural engineer who made numerous contributions to the field of structural engineering, especially in the design of the cable-stayed bridge and the use of the segmental concrete construction method.[2][3][1]
Life
[edit]Figg was born August 4, 1936, in Charleston, South Carolina. He received a civil engineering degree as a structural engineer from The Citadel in Charleston in 1958.[4][5]
During his career, he brought the use of the segmental method for spanning large gaps to the United States with the assistance of his Paris-based partner, Jean M. Muller.[6] His affiliation with Muller, begun at Figg and Muller Engineers (founded in 1978),[7][8] allowed him to gain valuable insight into the application of pre-cast segmental bridge construction methods to the domestic market. When they coupled this construction method with cable-stayed supports, Mueller and Figg effectively increased the use of concrete in longer span bridge proposals.[9]
He formed his own engineering firm, the Figg Engineering Group, still operating and based in Tallahassee.[5] Figg also founded the American Segmental Bridge Institute in 1989, and served four years as a trustee at the National Building Museum.[10] Over its history, FIGG has designed or contributed to over 230 bridges across the United States and internationally.[11] The firm has received numerous awards for its engineering and design work, including recognition from the American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) and the National Steel Bridge Alliance.[12][13] Notable projects of the firm have included the Sunshine Skyway Bridge over Tampa Bay, Florida (1987);[14][15] the Natchez Trace Parkway Arches in Franklin, Tennessee (1994);[12][16][17] the Blue Ridge Parkway Viaduct and Linn Cove Viaduct in North Carolina;[18] the I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge, a replacement bridge constructed after the original structure's collapse in Minneapolis, Minnesota (2008);[19][20] and a Florida International University pedestrian bridge in Sweetwater, Florida that collapsed while under construction.
Awards
[edit]In 2000, Figg was honored with the John A. Roebling Medal for his outstanding lifetime achievement in bridge engineering.[21]
Famous bridges
[edit]See also
[edit]References
[edit]- 1 2 "EUGENE C. FIGG JR. 1936–2002". NAE Website. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ "Bridge Designer Gene Figg Dies".
- ↑ "CAA Admin Tool". Archived from the original on 2018-12-18. Retrieved 2018-12-18.
- ↑ Weingardt, Richard G. (October 2008). "Eugene C. Figg, Jr. - Eminent Designer of Signature Bridges" (PDF). structuremag.org. Archived from the original (PDF) on March 16, 2018. Retrieved July 16, 2026.
- 1 2 "FIGG Bridge Group has built spans all over the country | Miami Herald". Miami Herald. Archived from the original on 2018-03-18.
- ↑ "Company that designed the failed FIU bridge also designed Skyway, part of Selmon". 15 March 2018.
- ↑ Holger Svensson (6 August 2013). Cable-Stayed Bridges: 40 Years of Experience Worldwide. Wiley. pp. 99–. ISBN 978-3-433-60229-4.
- ↑ Geo. Gruner & Jahr USA. 1983.
- ↑ Randy Johnson (15 March 2016). Grandfather Mountain: The History and Guide to an Appalachian Icon. University of North Carolina Press. pp. 240–. ISBN 978-1-4696-2700-7.
- ↑ Figg Memorial Tribute. 31 May 2022. doi:10.17226/23394. ISBN 978-0-309-43729-5.
- ↑ Sayers, Ashley Fantz, Curt Devine, Devon M. (2018-03-16). "Company involved in bridge that collapsed had safety complaints". CNN. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - 1 2 Archives, L. A. Times (2002-03-23). "Eugene Figg, 65; Designer of Bridges". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ "Eugene C. Figg, '58 – The Citadel Alumni Association". Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ "Sunshine Skyway Bridge | Description, Disaster, Cable-Stayed, & Facts | Britannica". www.britannica.com. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ "EUGENE FIGG JR.: SUNSHINE SKYWAY BRIDGE DESIGNER // His legacy spans bay area". Tampa Bay Times. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ Ferrier, Lindsay (2021-04-27). "Your Guide to the Natchez Trace Parkway in Franklin, TN". Visit Franklin. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ "Natchez Trace Parkway Bridge - 1996 Awards - Excellence in Highway Design - Geometric Design - Design - Federal Highway Administration". www.fhwa.dot.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ Asheville, Mailing Address: 199 Hemphill Knob Rd; Us, NC 28803 Phone: 828 348-3400 Contact. "Linn Cove Viaduct - Blue Ridge Parkway (U.S. National Park Service)". www.nps.gov. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ↑ "I-35W Saint Anthony Falls Bridge". RJ Watson, Inc. Retrieved 2025-06-15.
- ↑ Hedegaard, Brock D.; French, Catherine E. W.; Shield, Carol K.; Stolarski, Henryk K.; Jilk, Ben J. (June 2013). "Instrumentation and Modeling of I-35W St. Anthony Falls Bridge". Journal of Bridge Engineering. 18 (6): 476–485. doi:10.1061/(ASCE)BE.1943-5592.0000384. ISSN 1084-0702.
- ↑ "IBC honours award winners for 2000 - Bridge Design & Engineering (Bd & e)". 12 June 2000.
Bibliography
[edit]- "2002 OPAL Recipients – Eugene C. Figg, Jr". American Society of Civil Engineers. Archived from the original on September 30, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- "ALUM Spotlight Linda Figg '81". Auburn University Alumni Association. Archived from the original on April 28, 2007. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Brassfield, Mike (March 22, 2002). "'Visionary' engineer's legacy spans bay area". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- "New Bridge Award Created in Honour of Eugene Figg". Bridge Design & Engineering. 2002. Archived from the original on November 10, 2006. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Burgess, M. (2005). "Precast, Prestressed Bridges". Precast Prestressed Concrete Institute. Archived from the original on December 20, 1996. Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- Ensley, Gerald (2002). "Bridge designer Eugene Figg dies at 65". Tallahassee Democrat. Retrieved March 20, 2026.
- Marsh, Don (May 2002). "Gene Figg: A master of market development". Concrete Products. 105 (5): 8.
- Pittman, C. (June 11, 2001). "Bridge inspectors unscathed". St. Petersburg Times. Retrieved April 13, 2026.
- Vogel, Mike (2006). "Making a Connection". Florida Trend.
- Wilson, Bill (2000). "A brush with greatness". Roads & Bridges. 38 (8): 28.
- Zeyher, Allen (2002). "Spanning the News". Roads & Bridges. 40 (4): 8.
