This led to a series of extensive repairs including external prestressing.

Prestressed structure is the one whose overall integrity, stability and security depend, primarily, on a prestressing.

These arches are strengthened by the prestressing of the columns, as they are initially inserted into the soil at opposing angles.

The prefabrication and prestressing of the cables decreased the number of field adjustments required, saving considerable time, effort, and money.

Since the membrane in a tension structure possesses no flexural stiffness, its form or configuration depends upon initial prestressing and the loads to which it is subjected.

This prestressing of the steel allowed a much higher proportion of its ultimate strength to be utilized, allowing, in turn, the use of smaller and lighter arch ribs and a less massive substructure.

In pre-tensioned concrete, the prestressing is achieved by using steel or polymer tendons or bars that are subjected to a tensile force prior to casting, or for post-tensioned concrete, after casting.

The rehabilitation of the bridge was carried out by Freyssinet Prestressed Concrete Company Ltd (FPCC)by strengthening the piers and hammerheads with additional steel brackets and external prestressing of main girders.

He was also a pioneer of the use of prestressed concrete, patenting the technique of external prestressing (where the prestressing bars or tendons are not encased in the concrete) in 1934.

He received the 2003 IABSE Award of Merit in Structural Engineering in recognition of "his major contributions leading to very significant progress in the field of civil engineering, in particular through the development of external prestressing, landmark cable-stayed bridges and composite structures".