History - Innovative traditions
With approaching 70 years of continuous leading-edge development in the field of post-tensioning, stay cables and related construction engineering, the BBR Network today continues the innovative traditions of its founders.
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Wartime innovation
The BBR story began during the Second World War, when materials were in short supply – the import of steel was difficult and, with reduced energy availability, cement was a precious commodity. Determined to use their ingenuity to overcome these limitations, the three BBR founders - Max Birkenmaier, Antonio Brandestini and Mirko Robin Ros - explored the savings to be made by using pretensioned reinforcement for concrete support girders.
Continued development
During the 1950s and 1960s, BBR developed a complete range of prestressing and post-tensioning systems, ground anchors and stay cable anchorages, covering all structural engineering applications.
Birth of the BBR Network
From the very early days, construction engineering firms around the world were keen to participate in the success of BBR’s designs and technologies. It was recognized that not only a license to use the designs and sell the specialist equipment was necessary, but also that an effective process for knowledge transfer was needed to support best practice in the use and especially installation of BBR technologies. Thus the BBR Network was born and, today, it operates in over 50 countries.
International success
Since the early applications more than 60 years ago, there have been many stories to tell of BBR successes and innovation. BBR technology has been applied to thousands of projects around the world – including more than 400 stay cable structures. And the BBR success story will continue with yet more innovative new technology and projects – always staying one step ahead!
Timeline
1944 Company founded by Max Birkenmaier, Antonio Brandestini and Mirko Robin Ros
1945 BBR's first product, the pretensioned small beam, was brought to market
1948 Button head wire post-tensioning system BBRV patented
1952 Construction of first major bridge project - the Andelfingen Viaduct for Swiss Federal Railways
1960 First bridge to be built using parallel HiAm wire stay cables, Stuttgart, Germany
1965 Prestressing of nuclear power vessels around the world started
1972 World's first application of BBR HiAm strand stay cables at Olympic Stadium in Munich
1972 Development of BBR CONA PT system
1987 Construction of world's longest transit skytrain-only brigde - ALRT Skybridge, Canada
1996 World's first bridge constructed using carbon stay cable technology
2005 Launch of latest European approved BBR VT CONA CMX PT series
2008 Introduction of BBR HiAm CONA strand stay cable system
2010 BBR celebrates 50 years in the stay cable technology arena