École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées
Encyclopedia
Founded in 1747, the École nationale des ponts et chaussées (ENPC, ekɔl nasjɔnal dɛ pɔ̃ e ʃose) (literally "National school of Bridges and Roads"), often referred to as les Ponts, is the world's oldest civil engineering school. It remains to this day one of the most prestigious and selective French
Grandes Écoles
.
It is headquartered in Marne-la-Vallée
(suburb
of Paris
) and a member of ParisTech
(Paris Institute of Technology).
in 1716, the King's Council
decided in 1747 to found a specific training course for the state's engineers, as École royale des ponts et chaussées. In 1775, the school took its current name as École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
The school's first director, from 1747 until 1794, was Jean-Rodolphe Perronet
, engineer, civil service administrator and a contributor to the Encyclopédie
of Denis Diderot
and Jean le Rond d'Alembert
. Without lecturer, fifty students initially taught themselves geometry
, algebra
, mechanics
and hydraulics
.
, a number of members of the Corps of Bridges and Roads (including Barré de Saint-Venant
, Belgrand, Biot
, Cauchy, Coriolis
, Dupuit, Fresnel, Gay-Lussac, Navier, Vicat) took part in the reconstruction of the French road network that had not been maintained during the Revolution
, and in large infrastructural developments, notably hydraulic projects.
École des Ponts ParisTech is among the schools called "généralistes", which means that students receive a broad, management-oriented and non-specialised education, and often quickly become top industrial managers.
Three major types of programmes are on offer :
École des Ponts ParisTech is also an application school of École Polytechnique
, and provides education for the Corps of Bridges and Roads
.
École des Ponts ParisTech was also the lead developer of Scilab
along with INRIA. Scilab is now developed by the Scilab Consortium.
Laboratoire central des ponts et chaussées or LCPC is an Établissement public à caractère scientifique et technologique.
Alumni include (by alphabetical order, French unless indicated):
Past and present faculty include:
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
Grandes Écoles
Grandes écoles
The grandes écoles of France are higher education establishments outside the main framework of the French university system. The grandes écoles select students for admission based chiefly on national ranking in competitive written and oral exams...
.
It is headquartered in Marne-la-Vallée
Marne-la-Vallée
Marne-la-Vallée is a new town located near Paris, France.Disneyland Paris, Val d'Europe,Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée,and École des Ponts ParisTech are located in Marne-la-Vallée.-Status:...
(suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
) and a member of ParisTech
ParisTech
ParisTech the Paris Institute of Technology is one of the collegiate universities in France. It gathers 11 of the best French engineering schools, covering nearly the whole spectrum of engineering science, and 1 business school, aiming to be of comparable status to the most famous universities of...
(Paris Institute of Technology).
1747-1794: Origins
Following the creation of the Corps of Bridges and RoadsCorps of Bridges and Roads (France)
The Corps of Bridges is a great technical corps of the French state. It is formed of the State Engineers of the Bridges.People entering the Corps are educated at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées...
in 1716, the King's Council
Conseil du Roi
The Conseil du Roi or King's Council is a general term for the administrative and governmental apparatus around the king of France during the Ancien Régime designed to prepare his decisions and give him advice...
decided in 1747 to found a specific training course for the state's engineers, as École royale des ponts et chaussées. In 1775, the school took its current name as École nationale des ponts et chaussées.
The school's first director, from 1747 until 1794, was Jean-Rodolphe Perronet
Jean-Rodolphe Perronet
Jean-Rodolphe Perronet 27 October 1708, Suresnes – 27 February 1794, Paris) was a French architect and structural engineer, known for his many stone arch bridges. His best known work is the Pont de la Concorde .-Life and career:...
, engineer, civil service administrator and a contributor to the Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie
Encyclopédie, ou dictionnaire raisonné des sciences, des arts et des métiers was a general encyclopedia published in France between 1751 and 1772, with later supplements, revised editions, and translations. It was edited by Denis Diderot and Jean le Rond d'Alembert...
of Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot
Denis Diderot was a French philosopher, art critic, and writer. He was a prominent person during the Enlightenment and is best known for serving as co-founder and chief editor of and contributor to the Encyclopédie....
and Jean le Rond d'Alembert
Jean le Rond d'Alembert
Jean-Baptiste le Rond d'Alembert was a French mathematician, mechanician, physicist, philosopher, and music theorist. He was also co-editor with Denis Diderot of the Encyclopédie...
. Without lecturer, fifty students initially taught themselves geometry
Geometry
Geometry arose as the field of knowledge dealing with spatial relationships. Geometry was one of the two fields of pre-modern mathematics, the other being the study of numbers ....
, algebra
Algebra
Algebra is the branch of mathematics concerning the study of the rules of operations and relations, and the constructions and concepts arising from them, including terms, polynomials, equations and algebraic structures...
, mechanics
Mechanics
Mechanics is the branch of physics concerned with the behavior of physical bodies when subjected to forces or displacements, and the subsequent effects of the bodies on their environment....
and hydraulics
Hydraulics
Hydraulics is a topic in applied science and engineering dealing with the mechanical properties of liquids. Fluid mechanics provides the theoretical foundation for hydraulics, which focuses on the engineering uses of fluid properties. In fluid power, hydraulics is used for the generation, control,...
.
1794-1945: Growth and industrialisation
During the First French EmpireFirst French Empire
The First French Empire , also known as the Greater French Empire or Napoleonic Empire, was the empire of Napoleon I of France...
, a number of members of the Corps of Bridges and Roads (including Barré de Saint-Venant
Adhémar Jean Claude Barré de Saint-Venant
Adhémar Jean Claude Barré de Saint-Venant was a mechanician and mathematician who contributed to early stress analysis and also developed the one-dimensional unsteady open channel flow shallow water equations or Saint-Venant equations that are a fundamental set of equations used in modern...
, Belgrand, Biot
Biot
Biot or BIOT may refer to:* Biot, Alpes-Maritimes, a commune in France* Biot , a lunar crater* British Indian Ocean Territory* Camille Biot , French physician...
, Cauchy, Coriolis
Coriolis
Coriolis may refer to:* Gaspard-Gustave Coriolis , French mathematician, mechanical engineer and scientist* Coriolis effect, the apparent deflection of moving objects from a straight path when viewed from a rotating frame of reference...
, Dupuit, Fresnel, Gay-Lussac, Navier, Vicat) took part in the reconstruction of the French road network that had not been maintained during the Revolution
French Revolution
The French Revolution , sometimes distinguished as the 'Great French Revolution' , was a period of radical social and political upheaval in France and Europe. The absolute monarchy that had ruled France for centuries collapsed in three years...
, and in large infrastructural developments, notably hydraulic projects.
Teaching and degrees
With traditional core competences in civil engineering, environment, transport, town and regional planning, mechanics, industrial management and logistics, École des Ponts ParisTech offers high-level programmes in an extensive range of fields, from applied mathematics to economics and management.École des Ponts ParisTech is among the schools called "généralistes", which means that students receive a broad, management-oriented and non-specialised education, and often quickly become top industrial managers.
Three major types of programmes are on offer :
- Engineering programmes: leading to a 5-year postgraduate engineering degree (accessible, after competitive examinations, by both undergraduate-graduate curriculum and the 2-year master course) or to masters of science
- Doctoral programmes: Ph.D.Doctor of PhilosophyDoctor of Philosophy, abbreviated as Ph.D., PhD, D.Phil., or DPhil , in English-speaking countries, is a postgraduate academic degree awarded by universities...
s - Professional programmes for postgraduates: Mastères spécialisés (M.S.), and also MBA Programs at the ENPC School of International ManagementENPC School of International ManagementThe ENPC School of International Management , also known as ENPC MBA, is the business school of France's oldest engineering school and one of the most renowned French grandes écoles: the École National des Ponts et Chaussées , today renamed École des Ponts ParisTech...
. - In conjunction with Temple UniversityTemple UniversityTemple University is a comprehensive public research university in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Originally founded in 1884 by Dr. Russell Conwell, Temple University is among the nation's largest providers of professional education and prepares the largest body of professional...
-Philadelphia, USA, École des Ponts ParisTech is the first leg of the Fox School of Business International MBA, with study in Paris, Philadelphia, and Tokyo.
École des Ponts ParisTech is also an application school of École Polytechnique
École Polytechnique
The École Polytechnique is a state-run institution of higher education and research in Palaiseau, Essonne, France, near Paris. Polytechnique is renowned for its four year undergraduate/graduate Master's program...
, and provides education for the Corps of Bridges and Roads
Corps of Bridges and Roads (France)
The Corps of Bridges is a great technical corps of the French state. It is formed of the State Engineers of the Bridges.People entering the Corps are educated at the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées...
.
Departments
Education for the Master of Engineering is organised in the six following departments:- Civil Engineering and Construction
- Transport, Planning, Environment
- Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science
- Applied Mathematics and Computer Sciences
- Economics, Management, Finance
- Industrial Engineering and Management
Research
École des Ponts ParisTech runs research in the following disciplines (the names of corresponding research centres are in brackets):- atmospheric environment (CEREA)
- water, urban planning and environment (LEESU)
- mathematics and scientific computing (CERMICS)
- information technologies (IMAGINE)
- international environment and development (CIRED)
- regional planning and social sciences (LATTS)
- urban planning and transport (LVMT)
- economics (PSE)
- soil mechanics (CERMES), materials (LAMI), materials and structures of civil engineering (LMSGC), grouped together within UMR Navier
École des Ponts ParisTech was also the lead developer of Scilab
Scilab
Scilab is an open source, cross-platform numerical computational package and a high-level, numerically oriented programming language. Itcan be used for signal processing, statistical analysis, image enhancement, fluid dynamics simulations, numerical optimization, and modeling and simulation of...
along with INRIA. Scilab is now developed by the Scilab Consortium.
Laboratoire central des ponts et chaussées or LCPC is an Établissement public à caractère scientifique et technologique.
Alumni and faculty
- Paul AndreuPaul AndreuPaul Andreu is a renowned French architect. He is best known for having planned numerous airports worldwide, notably Ninoy Aquino International Airport , Soekarno-Hatta International Airport , Shanghai Pudong International Airport Abu Dhabi International Airport, Dubai International Airport,...
, architect - Guy BéartGuy BéartGuy Béart is a French singer and songwriter.-Biography:He was born Guy Béhart-Hasson in Cairo, Egypt, to a family of Spanish, Swiss, and Russian background. His religious background is unclear, having been referred to as both Jewish and Christian...
, singer and songwriter - Henri BecquerelHenri BecquerelAntoine Henri Becquerel was a French physicist, Nobel laureate, and the discoverer of radioactivity along with Marie Curie and Pierre Curie, for which all three won the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics.-Early life:...
, physicist - Eugène BelgrandEugène BelgrandEugène Belgrand was a French engineer who made significant contributions to the modernization of the Parisian sewer system during the 19th century rebuilding of Paris. Much of Belgrand's work remains in use today.-Civil engineering:...
, engineer - Fulgence BienvenüeFulgence BienvenüeFulgence Bienvenüe was a French civil engineer, best known for his role in the construction of the Paris Métro....
, chief engineer for the Paris MétroParis MétroThe Paris Métro or Métropolitain is the rapid transit metro system in Paris, France. It has become a symbol of the city, noted for its density within the city limits and its uniform architecture influenced by Art Nouveau. The network's sixteen lines are mostly underground and run to 214 km ... - André BlondelAndré BlondelAndré-Eugène Blondel was a French engineer and physicist. He is the inventor of the electromechanical oscillograph and a system of photometric units of measurement.-Life:...
, engineer and physicist - Albert CaquotAlbert CaquotAlbert Caquot was considered as the "best living French engineer" during half a century. He received the “Croix de guerre 1914-1918” and was Grand-croix of the Légion d’Honneur...
, civil engineer, considered the "best living French engineer" during half a century - Emiland GautheyEmiland GautheyEmiland Gauthey was a French civil engineer and architect in the Age of Enlightenment...
, civil engineer, desginger of bridges, canals and roads, uncle of Claude-Louis NavierClaude-Louis NavierClaude-Louis Navier born Claude Louis Marie Henri Navier , was a French engineer and physicist who specialized in mechanics.The Navier–Stokes equations are named after him and George Gabriel Stokes.... - Marie François Sadi CarnotMarie François Sadi CarnotMarie François Sadi Carnot was a French statesman and the fourth president of the Third French Republic. He served as the President of France from 1887 until his assassination in 1894.-Early life:...
, French president from 1887 to 1894 - Jules CarvalloJules Carvallo-Biography:He was born at Talence, Gironde.After having graduated with the highest honors at the École Polytechnique and École des Ponts et Chaussées, he was attached as engineer to the Southern Railroad; and under his direction the lines from Tech to Rivesaltes and from Tet to Perpignan were...
, civil engineer - Augustin Louis CauchyAugustin Louis CauchyBaron Augustin-Louis Cauchy was a French mathematician who was an early pioneer of analysis. He started the project of formulating and proving the theorems of infinitesimal calculus in a rigorous manner, rejecting the heuristic principle of the generality of algebra exploited by earlier authors...
, mathematician - Louis-Alexandre de CessartLouis-Alexandre de CessartLouis-Alexandre de Cessart was a French road and bridge engineer.He served in the "gendarmerie de la Maison du Roi", fighting at the battles of Fontenoy and Raucoux in 1745 and 1746. In 1747 he entered the school of Jean-Rodolphe Perronet, which later became the École nationale des ponts et...
, civil engineer - Antoine de ChézyAntoine de ChézyAntoine de Chézy was a French hydraulics engineer. He is known for the Chézy formula, which concerned the velocity of pipe flow. He died in 1798 after being director of the École nationale des ponts et chaussées for less than a year. His son was the orientalist Antoine-Léonard de Chézy.-References:...
- Gaspard-Gustave CoriolisGaspard-Gustave CoriolisGaspard-Gustave de Coriolis or Gustave Coriolis was a French mathematician, mechanical engineer and scientist. He is best known for his work on the supplementary forces that are detected in a rotating frame of reference. See the Coriolis Effect...
, mathematician and physicist - Augustin-Jean FresnelAugustin-Jean FresnelAugustin-Jean Fresnel , was a French engineer who contributed significantly to the establishment of the theory of wave optics. Fresnel studied the behaviour of light both theoretically and experimentally....
, physicist - Eugène FreyssinetEugène FreyssinetEugène Freyssinet was a French structural and civil engineer. He was the major pioneer of prestressed concrete.Freyssinet was born in at Objat, Corrèze, France. He worked in the École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées in Paris, France where he designed several bridges until the First World War...
, structural and civil engineer, pioneer of prestressed concrete - Joseph Louis Gay-LussacJoseph Louis Gay-Lussac- External links :* from the American Chemical Society* from the Encyclopædia Britannica, 10th Edition * , Paris...
, chemist and physicist - Fouad LarouiFouad LarouiFouad Laroui is a Moroccan economist and writer, born in Oujda, Morocco. After his studies in the Lycée Lyautey , he joined the prestigious École Nationale des Ponts et Chaussées, where he studied engineering...
, Morrocan economist and writer - Alain LipietzAlain LipietzAlain Lipietz is a French engineer, economist and politician, a Member of the European Parliament, and a member of the French Green Party.-Education:...
, economist and politician - Charles Joseph MinardCharles Joseph MinardCharles Joseph Minard was a French civil engineer noted for his inventions in the field of information graphics.- Biography :...
, civil engineer and pioneer of information graphics - Claude-Louis NavierClaude-Louis NavierClaude-Louis Navier born Claude Louis Marie Henri Navier , was a French engineer and physicist who specialized in mechanics.The Navier–Stokes equations are named after him and George Gabriel Stokes....
, engineer and physicist, known for Navier-Stokes equationsNavier-Stokes equationsIn physics, the Navier–Stokes equations, named after Claude-Louis Navier and George Gabriel Stokes, describe the motion of fluid substances. These equations arise from applying Newton's second law to fluid motion, together with the assumption that the fluid stress is the sum of a diffusing viscous... - Jean-Rodolphe PerronetJean-Rodolphe PerronetJean-Rodolphe Perronet 27 October 1708, Suresnes – 27 February 1794, Paris) was a French architect and structural engineer, known for his many stone arch bridges. His best known work is the Pont de la Concorde .-Life and career:...
, architect and structural engineer - Antoine PiconAntoine PiconAntoine Picon is Professor of the History of Architecture and Technology and Co-Director of Doctoral Programs at the Harvard Graduate School of Design...
, Professor of History of Architecture and Technology and Co-Director of Doctoral programs (PhD & DDes) at Harvard Graduate School of Design - Prince SouphanouvongSouphanouvongPrince Souphanouvong was, along with his half-brother Prince Souvanna Phouma and Prince Boun Oum of Champasak, one of the “Three Princes” who represented respectively the communist , neutralist, and royalist political factions in Laos...
, president of LaosPresident of LaosThe President of Laos is the head of state of the People's Democratic Republic of Laos.The office of the President was created in 1975, after the takeover of the country by the Pathet Lao, which abolished the monarchy. A member of the deposed royal family, Prince Souphanouvong, was the first...
from 1975 to 1991 - Jean TiroleJean TiroleJean Marcel Tirole is a French professor of economics. He works on industrial organization, game theory, banking and finance, and economics and psychology. Tirole is director of the Jean-Jacques Laffont Foundation at the Toulouse School of Economics, and scientific director of the Industrial...
, economist - Daniel-Charles TrudaineDaniel-Charles TrudaineDaniel-Charles Trudaine was a French administrator and civil engineer. He was one of the primary developers of the present French road system....
, administrator and civil engineer - Pierre VeltzPierre VeltzPierre Veltz is a French academic.Veltz holds a engineering degree from École Polytechnique and a PhD in social sciences from École des Hautes Études en Sciences Sociales. After beginning his career as an urban planner, he went into academic life and consulting...
, academic and École des Ponts ParisTech's former director - Louis VicatLouis VicatLouis Vicat French engineer.He graduated from École Polytechnique 1804 and École des Ponts et Chaussées 1806....
, engineer, inventor of artificial cement
Past and present faculty include:
- Étienne-Louis BoulléeÉtienne-Louis BoulléeÉtienne-Louis Boullée was a visionary French neoclassical architect whose work greatly influenced contemporary architects and is still influential today.- Life :...
, architect - Alexander SpiersAlexander Spiers-Life:Spiers, was born at Gosport in Hampshire in 1807. He studied in England, in Germany, and in Paris and graduated doctor of philosophy at the University of Leipzig...
, English lexicographer