Eugene Figg

Who was Eugene Figg?

Eugene C. Figg, 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. Born in Charleston, South Carolina, Figg’s passion for designing structures began during childhood when he often entertained himself by building scale models. Figg received his initial training as a structural engineer at The Citadel, located in his hometown of Charleston. 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. He formed his own engineering firm, the Figg Engineering Group, the only national engineering firm that works on just bridges, that became North America’s foremost designer of the segmental concrete bridge. One of Figg’s major achievements was founding the American Segmental Bridge Institute in 1989, and also serving four years as a trustee at the National Building Museum. In 2000, Figg was honored with the John A. Roebling Medal for his outstanding lifetime achievement in structural engineering. Throughout his career, Figg worked diligently to combine function and form in his creation of some of the most aesthetically pleasing bridges ever designed.