The first piers on Lake Tahoe were constructed from the materials ready at hand. Lodgepole Pines were driven into the lake bottom by flat-bottomed barges with drop hammers. Wooden stringers with cedar deck planks topped the piles off. There are still a few examples of these piers on the lake. The problem is, that unlike the ocean where salt water preserves the wood somewhat, Lake Tahoe’s pure water limits the life span of a wooden pile to 30 or so years. That same lack of salt, however, allows the use of steel piles which have a much longer life-span and allow for an all steel pier, able too handle the fiercest of conditions.

The flat-bottom barge has been replaced by the amphibian as the construction platform. The large wheels allow the Larc to work along the entire length of the pier with minimal environmental impact.