One of the inventors of reinforced concrete, Joseph Monier, being a simple garden worker, was not well-versed in structural mechanics.
He incorrectly believed that the iron mesh should be placed in the middle of the reinforced concrete wall, where it was practically ineffective. When the German company "Weisse & Freitag" acquired a license from Monier in the 1880s to produce reinforced concrete products, the company's engineers corrected this mistake and began placing the reinforcement near the lower surface of the slabs. During one of his visits, Monier noticed this and reprimanded the workers. When G. Weisse started explaining why it should be done this way, the inventor lost his temper:
— Tell me, who is the inventor of this design—you or me?