Who invented reinforced concrete in France?

• A. Hennevique
• B. Gustave Eiffel
• C. Le Corbusier
• D. Louis Kahn

Answer: (A)

Reinforced concrete works by combining concrete’s compressive strength with steel’s tensile strength, allowing a single material to carry both kinds of loads. In France, that practical breakthrough came with François Hennebique, who in the 1890s developed and patented a complete ferro-concrete system. His method integrated steel reinforcement inside poured concrete and established detailing and construction practices that could be replicated across projects, from bridges to buildings. This made reinforced concrete reliable, design-ready, and widely adoptable in France and beyond, cementing Hennebique’s place in the history of the material. While earlier experiments showed the idea, his systematic, proven approach is why he’s credited with introducing reinforced concrete in France.