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Engineering Innovations

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Kavanagh Building Kavanagh Building
Buenos Aires,
Built during the 1930s, when Argentina's economy was the tenth strongest in the world, the Kavanagh Building was one of the world's first reinforced concrete skyscrapers and for…
The Keeling Curve, December 2014 Keeling Curve: Study of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide
La Jolla, CA
Charles David Keeling of Scripps Institution of Oceanography was the leading authority in establishing the global atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) record. In 1958, Keeling began…
Kentucky Dam Kentucky Dam
Grand River, KY
In 1930, the U.S. Corps of Engineers was directed to complete an engineering survey of the Tennessee River to determine the feasibility of establishing complete river navigability…
Keokuk Hydro-Power System Keokuk Hydro-Power System
Keokuk, IA
Spearheaded by Hugh Cooper, the Keokuk Dam & Power Plant served as a prototype for many future power plants. The project harnessed the hydropower of the Mississippi River,…
King's Road King's Road
New Smyrna, FL
When Governor James Grant arrived in the newly acquired British colony of East Florida in 1764, he found it devoid of settlers. To increase both the population and commerce with…
Kinzua Railway Viaduct Kinzua Railway Viaduct
McKean County, PA
The workforce consisted of less than 100 men, yet they finished construction in just 94 days. Such speed was possible due to the elimination of scaffolding. Instead, iron rods…
Knight Foundry and Machine Shop Knight Foundry and Machine Shop
Sutter Creek, CA
This is one of the earliest US foundry-machine shops remaining in operation and one of the few water powered. It was founded by Samuel N. Knight (1838-1913) to manufacture…
Lacey V. Murrow Bridge and Mount Baker Ridge Tunnels Lacey V. Murrow Bridge and Mount Baker Ridge Tunnels
King County , WA
The 1.5 mile Lacey V. Murrow Bridge was the largest floating structure in the world and the first to be built of reinforced concrete when completed in 1940.  The bridge consisted…
Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Lake Pontchartrain Causeway Bridge
New Orleans, LA
In the 1940s and 1950s, New Orleans experienced growth. Unfortunately, access from the north to the City continued to be limited by Lake Pontchartrain. Driving around the Lake was…
Lake Washington Ship Canal & Hiram M. Chittenden Locks Lake Washington Ship Canal & Hiram M. Chittenden Locks
Zanesville, WA
After more than 50 years of contention and debate, dredging began in 1911 on an eight-mile channel connecting Puget Sound, Seattle's gateway to the Pacific, to two inland…
Lapeyre Automatic Shrimp Peeling Machine
Biloxi, MS
The growth of the shrimp processing industry and its impact on local economies along the northern Gulf of Mexico, The U.S. West Coast and in more than forty other countries is…
Laser Beam Automatic Grade-Control System Laser Beam Automatic Grade-Control System
Columbus, OH
The first laser grade control was developed by agricultural engineers James Fouss and Norman Fausey of USDA's Agricultural Research Service at The Ohio State University in the mid…
Lawrence Experiment Station Lawrence Experiment Station
Lawrence, MA
Some of the station's notable achievements:   The first method for detecting radioactive particles in water supplies   A successful system of slow-sand filter beds for drinking…
Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine Leavitt-Riedler Pumping Engine
Boston, MA
This machine is an unusual triple-expansion, three-crank rocker engine, which in its day was a high-capacity unit providing outstanding performance for the Boston Water Works…
Rachel Carson Legacy of Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring
Pittsburgh, PA
Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, published in 1962, was a landmark in the development of the modern environmental movement. Carson’s scientific perspective and rigor created a work…
LeTourneau "Mountain Mover" Scraper LeTourneau "Mountain Mover" Scraper
Longview, TX
 When Robert G. LeTourneau started moving earth in 1919, he thought that land leveling should require only one man. In 1920, by installing a generator and electric motors, R.G.…
Link C-3 Flight Trainer Link C-3 Flight Trainer
Binghamton, NY
During the 1920s, Edwin A. Link was employed in his father's organ building and repair business. He obtained his pilot's license in 1927 and became convinced that a mechanical…
Liverpool Manchester Railway & Site of Rainhill Trials Liverpool Manchester Railway & Site of Rainhill Trials
Merseyside,
The Rainhill Trials were an important competition in the early days of steam locomotive railways. The Liverpool Manchester Railway was the first railway to rely exclusively on…
Ljungstrom Air Preheater Ljungstrom Air Preheater
Stockholm,
The Ljungstrom air preheater is a regenerative heat exchanger, invented in the 1920s and soon used throughout the world. Dr. Fredrik Ljungstrom, then technical director at…
Lombard Steam Log Hauler
Patten, ME
This steam crawler-tractor emancipated horses from the killing work of hauling trains of sleds over iced roads in the winter woods of the United States and Canada. Designed,…

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