Quarky Explores Amsterdam
How do houses stand on soft, squishy ground?
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The story
Amsterdam's ground is soft and wet, so Quarky digs down and finds a forest of wooden poles. Each pile reaches through the mush to firm sand deep below, spreading the weight so the houses stand on hidden legs instead of sinking.
What you'll learn
- Soft ground cannot hold heavy weight, so builders reach down to firm layers.
- Piles are long poles driven deep to carry a building's weight.
- Old Amsterdam houses stand on tens of thousands of wooden piles.
- Quarky takeaway: strong foundations are invisible, and that is the point.
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