r/interestingasfuck • u/Endolithic • Jun 06 '25

Homes are falling into the ocean in North Carolina's Outer Banks /r/all

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u/latefordinner86 Jun 06 '25

Tell that to bridge engineers.

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u/DookieShoes626 Jun 06 '25

Bridge foundation are a totally different thing

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u/latefordinner86 Jun 06 '25

Still concrete no?

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u/Plenty_Rope_2942 Jun 06 '25

Nope, totally different kind of engineering. It's fundamentally different requirements re: loads, flexion, anchoring, impact resistance, scouring, etc. compared to deep-driven lumber piles.

You have to remember that in a storm coastal (especially island) soil is shifting constantly - and not only at the surface. Pilings are often driven 15 feet deep. Even in safer areas the minimum is gonna be 8-10 feet. Meanwhile, concrete anchors.

Most beach zoning wont even allow spread footings (concrete anchoring to slab or shallow piles) because it's just another thing to shift massively unlike the broadly sturdy pilings.

Here's another way to realize this is the case - you see a video of these houses standing up (for a time, a significant time) to a hurricane directly impacting them. The road and driveway they were next to are both gone. Think about that for a moment.