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Dam it's big! We had no idea
that we were going to pass the Hoover Dam on the way to Vegas -- it
just kind of, popped up!
Some facts about the Hoover Dam:
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It is 726.4 feet tall from
foundation rock to the roadway on the crest of the dam. The towers and
ornaments on the parapet rise 40 feet above the crest.
How
much does Hoover Dam weigh?
More than 6,600,000 tons.
What
type of dam is Hoover?
A concrete arch-gravity
type, in which the water load is carried by both gravity action and
horizontal arch action.
What is the maximum water
pressure at the base of the dam?
45,000 pounds per square
foot.
How
much concrete is in the dam?
Three
and one-quarter million cubic yards. There are 4,360,000 cubic yards
of concrete in the dam, powerplant and appurtenant works. This much
concrete would build a monument 100 feet square and 2-1/2 miles high;
would rise higher than the Empire State Building (which is 1,250 feet)
if placed on an ordinary city block; or would pave a standard highway
16 feet wide,
 from
San Francisco to New York City.
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