The prestressed concrete industry in North America is neglecting its research and development responsibilities. There is a need, also, to attract young people into the industry to help it flourish and grow. Despite minimal R&D efforts, the prestressed concrete industry is producing exciting developments in high strength materials and structural concepts, and excellence in building and bridge designs. The author discusses specific examples, including epoxy coated prestressing strand, the optimized bulb T-section and various box section configurations, as well as the growth in segmental and cable stay bridges. The increasing role of the computer is examined.
