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Catenary Arch
1-How to build it
The white, wooden arch is placed between the approach ramps, and then the red blocks are placed on the white arch. They should be arranged in the shape of an arch on the white piece. When the assembly is finished, you remove the arch.
2- Why does it hold?
The bridge holds thanks to its arched shape; instead of collapsing, the blocks consolidate themselves and hold tightly together. The bridge transmits the weight from block to block to the ramps, called buttresses. If its form were flat, it would collapse. Therefore this bridge holds thanks to the pressure and to the counterweight.
