Eugene C. Figg, Jr

Great Achievements notable structural engineers Eugene C. Figg, Jr. Eminent Designer of Signature Bridges ® By Richard G. Weingardt, P.E. nternationally acclaimed as an extraor- International Bridge Conference in Pittsburgh, Idinary bridge engineer, Eugene Cecil Pennsylvania. Upon receiving the award, Figg “Gene” Figg, Jr. was the designer of numer- said, “I appreciate the recognition of this great ous famous and award-winning bridges honor and look forward to many, many more around the world – in 30-plus states in the years of creating bridges as art.” U.S. and several foreign countries. He boldly He was inducted into the National Academy instigated, advanced and pioneered countless of Engineering in 2001 and was presented, innovative engineering and construction tech- posthumously, with the American Society niques, including complex precast concrete of Civil Engineers’Copyright OPAL Award in 2002, segmental and cable-stayed bridge designs, to for his lifetime of producing outstanding Eugene “Gene” Figg, Jr. create record-setting masterpieces such as the bridge designs. Sunshine Skyway Bridge across Tampa Bay, A native of Charleston, South Carolina, earn spending money, Gene had two paper Florida; Natchez Trace Parkway Arches near Gene was born on August 4, 1936, the only routes and sold peanuts for five cents a bag at Nashville, Tennessee; and Hanging Lake son of Eugene and Marcia (Molony) Figg. baseball games. Viaduct in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado. The couple also had one daughter, Marcia Later in high school, he was on the Charleston Under his leadership and innovative guid- Ann. As a youngster, Gene loved collecting High School football team where, at 5 feet 11 ance, Figg’s firm built a stellar international stamps, spending time at the beach and inches and 180 pounds, he played center. A reputation for leading-edge bridge designs engaging in sports. He also had a passion dedicated student, Gene decided to become that are environmentally sensible and cost- for building scale models of all sorts, mainly a civil engineer like his father and attended effective, both at construction and during ships and airplanes – possibly influenced by the Citadel, where he graduated in 1958 and operation. Figg-designed structures evoke his father, a civil engineer, whose career was where his father had graduated in 1928. Figg a sense of civic pride. Said Figg, “We are spent as the highest-ranking civilian at the liked to recall that he learned engineering from designing bridges for 100 years or more. U.S. Naval Shipyard in Charleston. the ground up, since the summer before he People will see this bridge for a long time, According to Wikipedia, “He [young Figg] entered the Citadel he worked in construction so it needs to be the best you can design. It was only allowed to work on his models on digging ditches for foundations. needs to be a piece of art.” magazinerainy days, as his mother apparently had a His university days as a cadet impressed him His dedication toward accomplishing this rule that required him to be outside whenever greatly. Said Figg, “It was the Citadel system, and inS producing structuralT art wasR instru- the weatherU was nice.”C Gene’s mother Talways moreU than anything R else, which equippedE mental in Figg’s firm receiving hundreds of told him and his sister, “From those to me to compete in the business world. At design recognitions, including the distin- whom much is given, much is required.” To the Citadel, I learned the value of time plus guished Presidential Design Awards through leadership and discipline.” the National Endowment for the Arts. In its On June 7, 1958, in Charleston, Figg married history, the Presidential Award Program has his high school sweetheart Ann Ruth West. recognized only five bridges, three of them Both came from South Carolina families, designed by Figg Engineering Group: grew up in Charleston and held many of the • Blue Ridge Parkway Viaduct around same traditions and values. Grandfather Mountain in North The Figgs raised four daughters – Linda, Carolina in 1984. Karen, Donna and Nancy. Linda, the oldest, • I-275 Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway “loved math, science and creating” as a Bridge in Florida in 1988. youngster and followed in her father’s footsteps • Natchez Trace Parkway Arches in by becoming a structural engineer, a 1981 Tennessee in 1995 graduate of Auburn University. After working The Natchez Trace Parkway Arches, with with her father at his bridge engineering a 582-foot main span, is the longest precast company for 20 years, she became President/ concrete arch bridge in the U.S. During CEO of the firm when he passed away. Karen Figg’s 40-year career, a dozen of his bridges graduated in architecture, also from Auburn appeared on the cover of Engineering News- University; Donna graduated from Florida Record (ENR). State University’s College of Business in Often referred to as the “man who loves hospitality management, and Nancy, after bridges,” the personable and outspoken Figg graduating from Auburn University, received was also the recipient of many individual her law degree from Catholic University. honors. In 2000, he received the prestigious Figg at the job site of the 18,425-foot long Garcon In 1958, after receiving his civil engineering John A. Roebling Medal for “lifetime Point Bridge near Pensacola, Florida. degree, Figg went to work for the Florida achievement in bridge engineering” at the Department of Transportation (FDOT).

STRUCTURE magazine 50 October 2008 ® Copyright

Blue Ridge Parkway Viaduct around Grandfather Mountain, North Carolina, 1984. It completed the last stretch of the spectacular Blue Ridge Parkway for the National Park Service and Federal Highway Administration.

There, he met an important engineering U.S., and its founders personally supervised visit ADVERTISEMENTInformation, – For Advertiser mentor and role model – William “Bill” Dean the designs of several innovative bridges (1911-1965), a Florida native and University utilizing the system. When F&ME coupled of Florida graduate. Dean had been working this construction method with cable-stayed for FDOT since 1932, and from 1948 until supports, they increased the effective use of 1962 was its chief bridge engineer. high-strength concrete in long-span bridges In 1964, Figg left FDOT to become and helped change the way bridges were built the structural engineering partner in the in North America. Tallahassee-based architectural/engineering The first bridge designs produced by Figg and firm of Barrett, Daffin and Figg. The firm Muller were in the Florida Keys and included designed a variety of structures, including the Long Key Bridge and Seven-Mile Bridge. www. high-rises, parking garages and bridges. magazineSeveral innovative design features introduced structure In 1978, Figg, with Paris-based partner in the Long Key Bridge simplified the con- JeanS Muller (1925-2005),T formedR Figg structionU procedures Cthat had been utilizedT in U R E mag.org and Muller Engineers (F&ME), located in segmental structures of previous generations, Tallahassee. Eleven years Figg’s senior, Muller and many of Long Key’s innovations continue was similarly trained by one of his country’s to be utilized in segmental bridges today. leading advocates of prestressed and precast The Seven-Mile Bridge, whose design was concrete construction – Eugene Freyssinet similar to Long Key’s, had its superstructure (1879-1962). segments prefabricated in Tampa, Florida, and Figg and Muller decided to develop the shipped by barge to the bridge site due to the precast concrete segmental technology in the limited material availability and the difficult

Thank you for reviewing this ad proof for the upcoming issue of STRUCTURE® Magazine. To ensure that the proper advertisement for your company is run, please print out this document, fi ll out the information below and fax it to us at: 608-524-4432.

Yes, the ad looks fi ne.

No, we require the following changes:

Hanging Lake Viaduct in Glenwood Canyon, Colorado Rocky Mountains. Opened in 1992, it was threaded through the pristine canyon while protecting its surroundings. If we recieve no fax within 48 hours of this email, we will assume that there is no change necessary and will run the ad as presented here. Thank you for your assistance. STRUCTURE magazine 51 October 2008

Inside_Cover_Outside_Cover_Perfe1 1 6/4/2008 3:14:06 PM APPROVAL ®

FOR YOUR

Natchez Trace Parkway Arches near Nashville, Tennessee, 1995. The 582-foot main spanmake it the longest precast concrete arch bridge in the U.S. access in Copyrightthe Florida Keys. When completed in Maine, the 19,265-foot-long Mid-Bay in 1982, Seven-Mile Bridge was the longest Bridge in Florida and the I-280 Veterans’ ? continuous precast concrete segmental bridge Glass City Skyway in Ohio. in the world. Well-recognized as an industry pacesetter, Other notable Figg projects completed dur- Figg held many leadership positions in POOR QUALITY? UNDERSTAFFED? ! ing this era included the MARTA Viaduct several major engineering groups. He was the

LOOMING DEADLINES? LOOMING in Atlanta, Georgia, the first application of founder and past president of the American precast-concrete segmental construction for a Segmental Bridge Institute, and served NEED TO INCREASE PROFITS? mag.org rail mass-transit project. Next came the Blue for four years as a trustee at the National Ridge Parkway Viaduct around North Carolina’s Building Museum. He was president of the

structure Grandfather Mountain. It was a complex Florida Institute of Consulting Engineers www.

GIVE G.E.T. A CALL OR VISITSITE! OR WEB CALL OUR A G.E.T. GIVE structure with tight curves whose alignment and the Florida Engineering Society, and was followed a steeply sloped mountainside, with active in the American Concrete Institute, boulders and trees that required protection. National Society of Professional Engineers, The Hanging Lake Viaduct in Glenwood Precast/Prestressed Concrete Institute and Canyon in the rugged Rocky Mountains of Post-Tensioning Institute. Colorado – the last part of the nation’s I-70 Figg died March 20, 2002, at age 65 from magazinehighway system – similarly was designed and fast developing leukemia. built with minimal impact on the environment. By then, “the man who loved bridges” had S T R Its constructionU utilizedC a balanced cantileverT beenU responsible for signatureR bridges inE some concept and a self-launching gantry. thirty states and four foreign countries. His ADVERTISEMENT – For Advertiser ADVERTISEMENT Information, visit FAX: 502-589-2240 FAX: Noteworthy precast concrete segmental projects were the recipients of more than 150 PHONE: 502-589-0149 PHONE: cable-stayed bridge designs included the national and international design awards and James River Bridge in Virginia, the C&D Canal Bridge in Delaware, and the Neches River Bridge in Texas. The firm’s first cable-stayed masterpiece was its Sunshine Skyway Bridge across

WWW.GLOBALENGTECH.COM Tampa Bay. It was the longest concrete cable-stayed bridge in North America, with a 1,200-foot main span, when completed in 1987. In 1988, Figg reorganized his en- 304 WEST LIBERTY STREET, SUITE 421 LIBERTY SUITE WEST 304 STREET, 40202 KENTUCKY LOUISVILLE, GLOBAL ENGINEERING TECHNOLOGIES, LLP gineering company, renaming it Figg Engineering Group, the name Thank you for reviewing this ad proof for the upcoming issue of STRUCTURE® Magazine. YOU DESIGN IT. WE DRAFT IT. DRAFT WE IT. DESIGN YOU it To carries ensure today. that the The proper firm advertisement became for your company is run, please print out this renowneddocument, for fi lldesigning out the information precast, seg below- and fax it to us at: 608-524-4432. mental concrete structures that are aesthetically pleasing, cost-effective DRAWING Yes, the ad looks fi ne. and easily maintained. Included in the company’sNo, we require extensive the following portfolio changes: of significant bridges designed while Figg was alive were the Leonard P. Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in Boston, 024 OF 102 the Wiscasset and Sagadahoc Bridges Figg with daughter Linda at his induction to the National If we recieve no fax within 48 hours of thisAcademy email, we of Engineering, will assume 2001. that there is no change necessary and will run the ad as presented here. Thank you for your assistance. STRUCTURE magazine 52 October 2008

Inside_Cover_Outside_Cover_Perfe1 1 5/7/2008 2:17:31 PM ®

I-275 Bob Graham Sunshine Skyway Bridge, Tampa Bay, Florida. With a 1,200-foot main span, it was the longest concrete cable-stayed bridge in North America when completed in 1987. were featured in numerous publications. Figg’s visit ADVERTISEMENTInformation, – For Advertiser impressive body of work over his forty-year career established him not only as a pioneer and leading advocate of segmental concrete Copyright and cable-stayed bridge design, but also as a daring engineer who followed his passion for creating structurally and aesthetically distinctive bridges. He said, “Our focus is to build bridges that are functional works of art.”

In addition to his remarkable bridges, www.

Figg’s legacy included leaving an engineering structure company that follows – and has expanded on –

his philosophy. It continues on today under the mag.org leadership of his daughter Linda, President and CEO, and longtime colleague Denney Pate, Senior Vice President and Principal Bridge Engineer of the company, along with many other engineers passionate about bridges. Says Linda, “My father was an inspiration to me. He always said you can do anything you want if you put your mind to it. Anything is possible. It is a pleasure continuing his vision.”magazine According to Ann, Figg’s widow, “Linda has notS only continued Ther father’s visionR but has Uift C ubscriptionsT U R E led the company to new and expanded visions, G S building on Gene’s strong foundation.” Would you like an opportunity to impress Representative of Figg Engineering Group’s your clients? Give them a subscription current projects are: I-35W Anthony Falls visit ADVERTISEMENTInformation, – For Advertiser Bridge in Minnesota, Penobscot Narrows to STRUCTURE! Bridge and Observatory in Maine, Allegheny River Bridge in Pittsburgh, Fourth Street Members of NCSEA, Bridge in Pueblo, Colorado, US 280 Elevated SEI and CASE are Roadway in Alabama, and US 191 over the Colorado River in Utah.▪ eligible for a discounted Gift Richard G. Weingardt, P.E., is the CEO Subscription Rate – of Richard Weingardt Consultants, Inc. in for only $35/year, www. Denver, Colorado. He is the author of nine your clients are reminded structure books; the latest, Circles in the Sky: The Life monthly of the projects and Times of George Ferris, is scheduled for mag.org structural engineers are publication by ASCE Press in late 2008. Thank you for reviewing this ad proof for the upcoming issue of STRUCTURE® Magazine. Weingardt’s other recent book, Engineering involved in. To ensure that the proper advertisement for your company is run, please print out this Legends, features numerous great American document, fi ll out the information below and fax it to us at: 608-524-4432. structural engineers. He can be reached at Visit [email protected]. www.STRUCTUREmag.orgYes, the ad looks fi ne. and click on “Subscriptions” All photographs are courtesy of No, we require the following changes: Figg Engineering Group. Use the promotional code found on your mailing label. It starts with GIFT...

STRUCTUREstructure-third-sq-aug08.indd magazine 53 1 OctoberIf we 2008recieve no fax within 48 hours of this email,7/24/2008 we will 9:15:15assume AM that there is no change necessary and will run the ad as presented here. Thank you for your assistance.

Inside_Cover_Outside_Cover_Perfe1 1 4/25/2008 11:39:44 AM