Amsterdam's engineers drove thousands of long wooden poles deep into the ground beneath homes, warehouses, and public buildings.

 

Much of Amsterdam is built on soft, wet soil near canals and reclaimed land. To stabilize buildings, historic engineers drove thousands of long wooden poles deep into the ground beneath homes, warehouses, and public buildings. Some major structures rest on thousands of these foundation piles. This hidden engineering system allowed Amsterdam to expand during the Dutch Golden Age and remains essential for maintaining the city today.

#Amsterdam #Engineering #Netherlands #History