The Arch
Episode 3 · 2005-01-12
- Documentary
Episode overview
Join us as we explore the vast and varied world of the arch, one of the strongest and most versatile structures made by man. Deceptively simple, an arch can support tremendous weight because its structure is compressed by pressure, and it provides a much more spacious opening than its predecessor–post and lintel construction. Although ancient Egyptians and Greeks experimented with the arch, the Romans perfected it. Medieval Arabs incorporated it into stunning mosque architecture, soon followed by Europe's great medieval churches. In the 19th and 20th centuries, the steel arch became a favorite of architects and structural engineers. Dam builders employed it horizontally, using the water behind the dam to provide the pressure to compress it. And tomorrow, the arch will continue to serve mankind in every form–from nanotechnology to domes on Mars and beyond.
44 minutes
Season 12 episodes
1. Poison2005-01-05
2. Car Tech of the Future2005-01-06
3. The Arch2005-01-12
4. More Nature's Engineers2005-01-18
5. World's Biggest Machines 32005-01-26
6. Blackbird Stealth2005-02-04
7. The Butcher2005-02-08
8. George Washington Carver Tech2005-02-15
9. Firefighting!: Extreme Conditions2005-02-15
10. Desert Tech2005-02-23
11. Sub Zero2005-02-23
12. The Great Bridge: 8 Miles of Steel2005-02-23
13. Howard Hughes Tech2005-02-28
14. Edwards Air Force Base2005-03-02
15. Taxidermy2005-03-09
16. SWAT2005-03-09
17. Deadliest Weapons2005-03-16
18. The Doomsday Clock2005-04-07
19. The Basement2005-04-26
20. Paint2005-04-27
21. Mega Movers2005-04-27
22. Punishment2005-04-28
23. Bricks2005-05-11
24. Glue2005-05-18
25. F/A-22 Raptor2005-05-20
26. Civil War Tech2005-05-25
27. Machines of D-Day2005-06-03
28. John Hancock Center2005-06-08
29. The Cape Cod Canal2005-06-15
30. Secret Japanese Aircraft of World War II2005-06-16
31. Future Tech2005-06-22
32. Edison Tech2005-06-28
33. Secrets of Soviet Space Disasters2005-07-01
34. Mountain Roads2005-07-05
35. Route 662005-07-06
36. Cowboy Tech2005-07-20
37. Sewers2005-07-27
38. Challenger Tank2005-07-29
39. World's Biggest Machines 42005-08-02
40. Dredging2005-08-03
41. Lube Job2005-08-10
42. Secret Luftwaffe Aircraft of World War II2005-08-17
43. The World's Fastest2005-08-24
44. The B-2 Stealth Bomber2005-08-26
45. High Risk: Helicopter Lineman2005-08-31
46. Wiring America2005-08-31
47. Nature Tech: Lightning2005-08-31
48. HMS Victory2005-09-02
49. Engineering an Empire: Rome2005-09-13
50. Coffee2005-09-14
51. Sugar2005-09-14
52. Cereal: History in a Bowl2005-09-14
53. F-117 Nighthawk Stealth2005-09-22
54. German Small Arms of World War II2005-09-24
55. The Auto Store2005-10-05
56. Secret Allied Aircraft of World War II2005-10-14
57. Engineering Disasters 172005-11-02
58. Brewing2005-11-16
59. The Lumberyard2005-11-30
60. Da Vinci Tech2005-12-04
61. Custom Cars2005-12-05
62. More Hardware2005-12-06
63. Weird Weapons: The Allies2005-12-17
64. More Snack Food Tech2005-12-20
65. Walt Disney World2005-12-25
66. Nature Tech: Hurricanes2005-12-29
70. Private Collections2004-12-06
