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Born: 1844, Died: 1917

British-born Ernest Ransome benefitted from his father's patent for "concrete stone", bringing it to the United States in the 1860s. Although he was based in San Francisco, Ransome's innovations in reinforced concrete could be found all across the country. In 1884, according to biographer Rowland Mainstone, Ransome began to use "bars of twisted square section in place of round bars in order to obtain good bond with the surrounding concrete." These twisted bars were a precursor of today's rebar. By 1888 he was imbedding these bars at intervals in his concrete floors, and the new method added a tensile reinforcement, replacing the former use of cast iron joists. The twentieth century brought a series of reinforced concrete patents for Ransome; but it also brought greater competition in the use of reinforced concrete; and he was eventually outpaced by European inventions.

The rights to the Ransome System, which allowed builders to cast steel-reinforced concrete columns and other elements directly at a building site were acquired by the Turner Construction Company.

Written by Sandra L. Tatman.

 

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