In the late forties and early fifties linear prestressed concrete construction was struggling to gain a foothold in the United States despite the fact that prestressing of circular structures had been practiced in this country for many years. In 1947, I joined the Preload Corporation of New York, a progressive company which had pioneered the development of a unique technique for circular prestressing (using a special wirewinding machine). Based on its successful domestic practice, the company was interested in exporting this American The first patent for circular prestressing was issued in the United States in 1898. technology to England and continental Europe. In 1949 I was sent to England by Preload to serve as a consultant to one of their licensees involved in constructing circular prestressed tanks. My task was to explain the principles of American circular prestressing techniques, to train men and to develop the manufacture of local equipment required for construction.
