Engineering North America's Landmarks

Built during the Great Depression, the 102-story skyscraper was then the tallest structure in the world. Readers learn about the problems that were overcome in designing such a massive building, the steel that supported it, and about the teams of riveters who assembled it under harrowing conditions.

The Statue of Liberty was a gift from France to the United States. Making and delivering such a large present required special planning and execution. Readers will discover how this iconic structure was built, presented, taken apart, shipped, and then reassembled by mostly immigrant workers who had come to the United States to experience what the statue represented.

The Hoover Dam is called one of American's seven modern civil engineering wonders. Hurdles to clear included building access roads, diverting the Colorado River, and creating a way to cure massive amounts of concrete quickly enough to complete the project on time. Readers will learn how what was then the world's tallest dam was built in a region that presented challenges in geography and weather.

The Erie Canal was mocked as a big ditch when it was started, but by the time it was completed in 1825, it was called an engineering marvel. Readers learn how engineers overcame a rise in elevation of 568 feet between the Hudson River and Lake Erie with locks and aqueducts to create a waterway that changed America.

This iconic monument in South Dakota celebrates presidents who represent the founding, expansion, protection, and preservation of the United States. Carving the heads out of granite also represented a tremendous challenge to the workers and engineers who spent fourteen years laboring in harsh weather to finish the job. This book tells the story of this dangerous and daring project, from conception through completion.

There were people who said that a bridge across the Golden Gate Straight could not be done. The bridge would need to be more than one mile (1.6 kilometers) long and be built over rushing waters. Readers will learn about how the difficulties presented by the geography of the Bay Area were overcome and the then longest suspension bridge in the United States was finished in just four years.