[eng] Abstract The French public works industry sprang forth with the rise of the railways. From the 1840s on, major engineering and metal construction firms were formed in France. The rise of Société de Construction des Batignolles was predicated, to a large extent, on constant technological...

[eng] Abstract : In the years from 1840 to 1939, French civil enginnering contractors stood as world leaders for innovation. To meet the demand, on the French market, of customers with exacting requirements - the Roads and bridges department (Administration des Ponts et chaussées), railway...