Symbolism and Design of the St. Louis Arch
In 1947, the St. Louis Arch was designed by the architect Eero Saarinen and built as a weighted catenary arch. Standing at 630 feet, the St. Louis Gateway Arch is the tallest arch in the world, the tallest man-made monument in the Western Hemisphere, and the tallest accessible building in Missouri. The construction of the […]
How Movable Bridges Work
There are many different variations of a movable bridge, but they all have the same purpose; designed to move out of the way to allow the passage of boats or barges. Movable bridges obviously bring to mind “drawbridges”, however, there are other variations of movable bridges beyond just the drawbridge. In the U.S., certain regulations […]
Why The Missouri River Floods
In the early 1900’s, the Missouri River was unmanageable, varying in shape and size covering entire valleys with ice and water, then resettling along a new course. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers tried for several decades to tame the river and make it navigable for commercial, agriculture, and manufacturers. Finally, in the early years […]