Chicago Bridge & Iron Company - History

History

CB&I was founded in 1889 in Chicago, Ill., USA, as Chicago Bridge & Iron Company, when Horace E. Horton, a bridge designer, agreed to merge business with George and William Wheelock of the Kansas City Bridge and Iron Company.

While initially involved in bridge design and construction, CB&I turned its focus to bulk liquid storage in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, coinciding with the western expansion of railroads across the United States and the discovery of oil in the U.S. Southwest. CB&I quickly became known for design engineering and field construction of elevated water storage tanks, aboveground tanks for storage of petroleum and refined products, refinery process vessels and other steel plate structures.

CB&I supported the expansion of oil exploration outside the U.S., starting operations in South America in 1924, in Asia two years later and in the Middle East in 1939.

During World War II, CB&I was selected to build Landing Ship Tank (LSTs). LSTs carried troops and supplies to American and Allied troops fighting in Europe and the Pacific theaters. CB&I was chosen because of their reputation and skills—particularly welding. Since the coastal shipyards were busy building the large vessels for the war effort such as aircraft carriers, battleships, cruisers and destroyers, there was no alternative but to use the inland waterways and shipyards for the production of smaller ships.

Over the course of the company's history, CB&I developed many technologies and achieved a number of industry milestones. These included the first floating-roof tank for the oil industry (1923), the first spherical pressure vessel (1923), the first double-wall LNG storage tank (1958), the first site-assembled thick wall steel nuclear reactor vessel (1966), the first marine liquid natural gas (LNG) storage and distribution terminal in the U.S. (1971), the world's largest steel water reservoir (1986), the world's largest vacuum distillation tower (1999) and the world's largest thermal energy storage tank (2009).

CB&I has been involved in a number of changes during the last two decades. It was acquired by Praxair in 1996; Praxair kept a chemical subsidiary and spun off CB&I as a Dutch-incorporated company the next year. CB&I headquarters moved from the Chicago area to Texas in 2001. And, since 2000, it has acquired a number of companies. Most recently, CB&I agreed in 2012 to buy The Shaw Group for about US$3 billion.

The company was a builder of record for a number of bridges and other works that are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. These works include (with varying attribution):

  • Boiling Nuclear Superheater (BONUS) Reactor Facility, Punta Higuero Sector, PR 413, Rincon, Puerto Rico (Chicago Bridge Co.; Gen Nuclear Engi), NRHP-listed
  • One or more works in the Caplinger Mills Historic District, junction of Washington Ave. and the Sac River, Caplinger Mills, Mo. (Chicago Bridge Co.), NRHP-listed
  • One or more works in the Colony Tower Complex, 6503 Dyke Rd. (MI 29), Clay Township, Pearl Beach, Mich. (Chicago Bridge and Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • One or more works in the Colony Tower Complex (Boundary Increase), 6503 Dyke Rd. (MI 29), Clay Township, Pearl Beach, Mich. (Chicago Bridge and Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Cunningham Lane Bridge, Hansberry Lane, near Fancy Cr., Rockbridge, Wisc. (Chicago Bridge and Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Embarras River Bridge, Wade Township Rd. 164 over Embarras River, Newton, Ill. (Chicago Bridge Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Evansville Standpipe, 288 N. 4th St., Evansville, Wisc. (Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Frank's Ford Bridge, CR 121 over S. Branch of Zumbro River, Oronoco, Minn. (Chicago Bridge & Iron), NRHP-listed
  • Hartford Water Tower, Pine & 1st. Sts., Hartford, Ark. (Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Lake Ditch Bridge, junction of Lake Ditch and Lake Ditch Rd., Monrovia, Ind. (Chicago Bridge and Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Mahned Bridge, Mahned Rd. over the Leaf River, New Augusta, Miss. (Chicago Bridge and Iron Company), NRHP-listed
  • McCrory Waterworks, junction of N. Fakes and W. Third, McCrory, Ark. (Chicago Bridge & Iron Works), NRHP-listed
  • Mill Race Bridge, Pheasant Rd. over Turkey River, West Union, Iowa (Chicago Bridge and Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • Monette Water Tower, SW. corner junction of AR 139 & Texie Ave., Monette, Ark. (Chicago Bridge & Iron), NRHP-listed
  • Otranto Bridge, 480th Ave. over Big Cedar River, St. Ansgar, Iowa (Chicago Bridge and Iron Company), NRHP-listed
  • Tyronza Water Tower, NW of junction of Main St. and Oliver St., Tryonza, Ark. (Chicago Bridge & Iron Works), NRHP-listed
  • Water Street/Darden Road Bridge, Over St. Joseph River at Darden Rd., South Bend, Ind. (Chicago Bridge & Iron Co.), NRHP-listed
  • West Water Tower and Ground Storage Tank, 310 11th Ave., Orion, Ill. (Chicago Bridge & Iron), NRHP-listed

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