That’s a lot of concrete.
Although it might blanch in equivalence to some of thenatural wonders of the world , theHoover Damis definitely a wonder of the engineering world . Finished in 1935 , and now a designated US Historical Landmark , the Dam sits along the Black Canyon of theColorado River , on the molding between Nevada and Arizona . If you ’re looking at this engineering exploit by the numbers , it ’s taller than a 60 - story building and weighs about the same as 18 Empire State construction : 6.6 million loads .
The Hoover Dam was created with a destination in head — cultivate the savage piddle of the Colorado River to disperse the flow ( and the possible hydroelectric king ) throughout the developing American Southwest . Lake Mead was thus produce , and those waters were used for flood control , hydroelectric power , irrigation , and even domesticated water supply . The grandiose size of the dam itself is carried over to this body of pee , which is one of the largest stilted lake in the world at 115 mi , so big that you ca n’t see the far shore .
Prepare to be impressed further by this concrete archway with these little - known , fascinating facts about the Hoover Dam and its twist .
Photo by JIM WATSON/AFP via Getty Images
1. There’s no dead body under the Hoover Dam
You might have get wind the fib that there ’s a body buried underneath all of that concrete , but that write up is just an urban myth . In 1933 , dam worker W.A. Jameson was fatally buried when concrete collapsed on him at work . His body was recuperate about 16 hours later , according to Hoover Dam ’s Public Affairs Specialist Connie Castle .
2. It was briefly a military base
accord to dam official , from 1941 until the end of World War II , the US armed services had a stake at the Hoover Dam . The dekameter ’s power plant life was used to get military equipment and supplies .
3. The amount of concrete used could encircle the Earth
More than six million tons of concrete were used to build the dam . That ’s enough concrete to make a four - substructure - wide paseo around the equator , according to functionary . If the Earth ever need a stylish belt , we bonk where to regain the material .
4. You can cross the river in a cableway
The Hoover Dam is home to the oldest continuously operate cableway in the globe . This 150 - gross ton cableway spans over the Colorado River and was used during the construction of the dkm but stay on in use to this day .
5. It’s a little bit like Legos
According to the US Bureau of Reclamation , the dam was made of lock concrete blocks — essentially giant legos . The smallest blocks were about 25 feet by 25 invertebrate foot solid , and the largest blocks were about 25 feet by 60 feet . Each block was 5 foot high . So 25 ’ by 25 ’ by 5 ’ at the smallest or 25 ’ by 60 ’ by 5 ’ at the largest for anyone who drive a little mixed-up .
Groups of men known as " puddler " would pigeonhole and resonate these concrete block into place . This mental process also means it would be unacceptable for the said body - in - the - dam urban myth to be lawful .
6. You might notice some interesting statues
When gossip the Hoover Dam you ’ll find a couplet metallic element obelisk iris pole winged creature - looking statues on the Nevada side of the dkm . But what are they precisely ? Sculptor Oskar J.W. Hansen is behind much of the work , according tothe Bureau of Reclamation . He called the Dam " a memorial to corporate wiz exerting itself in biotic community efforts around a common need or ideal . "
He shout out the specific Nevada - fly sculptures Winged Figures of the Republic . To him , they convey " the immutable calm of intellectual solvent , and the enormous exponent of discipline strong-arm strength , as enthroned in placid triumph of scientific accomplishment . "
7. Let’s look at the hourly
Construction of the Hoover Dam took a village . But how much was that village paid ? insure out the table below of the wages per hour for different laborers from the thirties . A shop mechanic ferment 40 hour a calendar week on the dam would make around $ 11,000 a class . A mucker would make around $ 8,000 . Keep in mind the average annual salary at the fourth dimension was around $ 4,887 .
8. “High-scalers”
Prior to the dam ’s construction , in guild to clear away loose rock from the surrounding canon walls , special laborers would rappel down the canyon walls on rope . Some of these men had backgrounds in sailplaning or even tumbling , according to the US Bureau of Reclamation .
It was highly dangerous and difficult work as these scalers had to carry cock and H2O bags down the side of the canyon with them before drilling holes into the rock and aim dynamite inside .
The crude predecessor of the unvoiced lid was made for these man using cloth hats treat in ember sea dog at first . Some men who had loose rock fall on them broke their jaws while wearing these “ hard - boiled hats . ”
Bureau of Reclamation
9. A famous high-scale feat
There is one particularly notable case of eminent - scaler bravery , according to the US Bureau of Reclamation website . Burl R. Rutledge , a Bureau of Reclamation technologist , fall from the canon rim . Oliver Cowan , a high - scaler , hear the man fall from 25 feet below . Without hesitating , Cowan swung himself out and caught Rutledge ’s leg midair . Arnold Parks , another high scaler , swung over and pinned Rutledge to the canon wall until a note could be devolve and secured around the terrified engineer and he could be pulled back to safe whole .
Now there ’s a feat that Cirque Du Soleil could jump on .
