Peter Stülcken

Peter Stülcken (born 1907, died 1991) was a German civil engineer best known for his work on prestressed concrete bridge design. He is credited with pioneering methods for constructing continuous concrete bridge decks using cantilever construction techniques. Stülcken's method, often referred to as the "Stülcken method" or "free cantilever method," involved building bridge segments outward from piers, balancing the load on either side until the segments could be joined to form a continuous span. This approach significantly reduced the need for temporary supports from below, making it suitable for crossing deep valleys, wide rivers, or other challenging terrains where traditional scaffolding was impractical. His work greatly influenced modern bridge engineering and contributed to the construction of numerous iconic bridges worldwide. He published extensively on the topic of prestressed concrete and cantilever construction.