FTELEY

FRANCE (see also List of Individuals)

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10.4.1837 Paris/F - 11.6.1903 New York/USA

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Adolphe Fteley graduated in 1859 from Ecole Polytechnique, Paris. He began his professional life in France and came in 1865 to the USA. Until 1870 he remained in New York at an engineering office, and then opened his own office until 1873, when being engaged by the Boston Water Board to construct the Sudbury River water works. It was considered one of the prime of the country, because it comprised several reservoirs, dams and an aqueduct 16 miles long. During that time Fteley conducted the weir flow experiments. He was appointed in 1884 principal assistant engineer of the New Croton Aqueduct and was promoted to chief engineer four years later. Fteley was thus involved in the design and the execution of the New Croton dam, and was considered one of the US top authorities in dam engineering. Due to illness, he resigned works in 1899 and continued as a consultant. He was also involved in the Panama Canal project and the Niagara Falls construction, among others. Due to continued health problems he passed away at his home in 1903.

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Fteley and his associate Stearns may be considered predecessors to Henry Bazin (1829-1917) in terms of research on weir flow. In their 1883 paper they addressed topics such as the discharge coefficient of sharp-crested and round-crested weirs, effects of tailwater flow on weir discharge, end contractions and velocity distribution. This is one of the first great research project conducted in the USA, therefore. It was awarded the Norman Medal in 1882. An ASCE Member since 1876, he served three terms as Vice-President and was elected President of ASCE in 1898. Fteley was also a Member of the Boston Society of Civil Engineers and of the New England Waterworks Association.

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_{Anonymous (1898). A. Fteley, President of the American Society of Civil Engineers.}

_{Supplement to Engineering News 39, January 20. P}

_{Anonymous (1903). Alphonse Fteley. Association of Engineering Societies 31(6): 213-215. P Anonymous (1905). Alphonse Fteley, Past-President, ASCE. Trans. ASCE 54: 509-512. Anonymous (1938). Alphonse Fteley, President of Society 1898. Civil Engineering 8(7): 493-494. P}

_{Fteley, A., Stearns, F.P. (1883). Description of some experiments on the flow of water made during the construction of works for conveying the water of Sudbury River to Boston. Trans. ASCE 12(1): 1-36; 12(2): 37-80; 12(3): 81-118.}

_{Fteley, A. (1889). Researches concerning the design and construction of high masonry dams, in view of the proposed building of Quaker Bridge dam. Taylor: New York.}