- Why Bridges Don’t Sink (practical.engineering)
The essence of a bridge is not just that it goes over something, but that there’s clear space underneath for a river, railway, or road. Maybe this is already obvious to you, but bridges present a unique structural challenge. In a regular road, the forces are transferred directly into the ground. On a bridge, all those forces on the span get concentrated into the piers or abutments on either side. Because of that, bridge substructures are among the strongest engineered systems on the planet. And yet, bridge foundations are built in some of the least ideal places for heavy loading. Rivers and oceans have soft, mucky soils that can’t hold much weight. Plus, obviously, a lot of them are underwater.
- Kenmore — Thumbnail History (historylink.org)
Located along the northernmost shore of Lake Washington, Kenmore began as a mill town, and grew to become home to a variety of businesses and industries. Like many Seattle suburbs, the community saw tremendous growth and development following World War II and gained a reputation as a family-friendly town with safe neighborhoods and many amenities. Kenmore incorporated in 1998, and in 2015 its population was 21,500.
