An arch is a vertical curved structure that spans an elevated space and may or may not support the weight above it, or in case of a horizontal arch like an arch dam, the hydrostatic pressure against it.
Arches may be synonymous with vaults, but a vault may be distinguished as a continuous arch forming a roof. Arches appeared as early as the 2nd millennium BC in Mesopotamian brickarchitecture, and their systematic use started with the ancient Romans, who were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures.
Copyright 2024 slidingtiles.com All rights reserved.