Bow Boxes?

[Terry Green]

Why is the arch so strong?

Instead of pushing straight down, the load of an arch bridge is carried outward along the curve of the archto the supports at each end. The weight is transferred to the supports at either end. These supports, called the abutments, carry the load and keep the ends of the bridge from spreading out.

[Terry Green]

Why is the arch so important?

The borrowing and modification of the Roman arch meant that the architecture of ancient Rome would have a lasting impact. The Romanarch solved the problem of archesnot being able to support large amounts of weight. The Roman archalso caused the Romans themselves to make further architectural developments.