arch, in architecture and civil engineering, a curved member that is used to span an opening and to support loads from above. The arch formed the basis for the evolution of the vault.
Arch construction depends essentially on the wedge. If a series of wedge-shaped blocks—i.e., ones in which the upper edge is wider than the lower edge—are set flank to flank in the manner shown in the , the result is an arch. These blocks are called voussoirs. Each voussoir must be precisely cut so that it presses firmly against the surface of neighbouring blocks and conducts loads uniformly. The central voussoir is called the keystone. The point from which the arch rises from its vertical supports is known as the spring, or springing line. During construction of an arch, the voussoirs require support from below until the keystone has been set in place; this support usually takes the form of temporary wooden centring. The curve in an arch may be semicircular, segmental (consisting of less than one-half of a circle), or pointed (two intersecting arcs of a circle); noncircular curves can also be used successfully.
In masonry construction, arches have several great advantages over horizontal beams, or lintels. They can span much wider openings because they can be made from small, easily carried blocks of brick or stone, as opposed to a massive, monolithic stone lintel. An arch can also carry a much greater load than a horizontal beam can support. This carrying capacity stems from the fact that pressure downward on an arch has the effect of forcing the voussoirs together instead of apart. These stresses also tend to squeeze the blocks outward radially; loads divert these outward forces downward to exert a diagonal force, called thrust, that will cause the arch to collapse if it is not properly buttressed. Hence, the vertical supports, or posts, upon which an arch rests must be massive enough to buttress the thrust and conduct it into the foundation (as in Roman triumphal arches). Arches may rest on light supports, however, when they occur in a row, because the thrust of one arch counteracts the thrust of its neighbours, and the system remains stable as long as the arches at either end of the row are buttressed. This system is used in such structures as arched stone bridges and ancient Roman aqueducts.
Arches were known in ancient Egypt and Greece but were considered unsuitable for monumental architecture and seldom used. The Romans, by contrast, used the semicircular arch in bridges, aqueducts, and large-scale architecture. In most cases they did not use mortar, relying simply on the precision of their stone dressing. The Arabs popularized the pointed arch, and it was in their mosques that this form first acquired its religious connotations. Medieval Europe made great use of the pointed arch, which constituted a basic element in Gothic architecture. In the late Middle Ages the segmental arch was introduced. This form and the elliptical arch had great value in bridge engineering because they permitted mutual support by a row of arches, carrying the lateral thrust to the abutments at either end of a bridge.
Modern arches of steel, concrete, or laminated wood are highly rigid and lightweight, so that the horizontal thrust against the supports is small; this thrust can be further reduced by stretching a tie between the ends of the arch.