arch

An arch is a structure that spans a space while supporting weight. Arches appeared in Mesopotamian brick architecture, but their systematic use started in the Roman Empire they were the first to apply the technique to a wide range of structures. Throughout the Roman Empire, their engineers erected arch structures such as bridges, aqueducts and gates. They also introduced the triumphal arch as a military monument. An arch requires all of its elements to hold it together. Some types of arches are:

................ -Triangular arch---Round arch---Segmental archLancet arch---Tudor Arch-

Gateway Arch--

Arch of Triumphal--

-Monastery of Alcobaca, Portugal