The Bureau of Reclamation offers excellent photos of the Hoover dam.
This archive drawing of the Hoover dam will be of interest to those who
followed the diagram at left.
Examples of arch dam construction from the Structurae
site.
Here is a photo of a local arch dam. It was built as part of the
Crystal Springs project that supplies our drinking water.
This photo offers the best via of the dams's arch shape. Note the
curve of the roadway.
Before we leave
arches behind, there is one more common use that you may find interesting.
Start with the diagrams at the left. The top arch is one unit thick
and it can resist a certain maximum force along its length. The
middle arch is two units thick and can support more load. The bottom
arch is three units thick and so can support the most load of the three.
Of course, my diagram at right gives
away the surprise. If arches of increasing thickness are properly
stacked, they can be used to create a dam.