Arch dam in the context of "Esch-sur-Sûre Dam"

An arch is a curved vertical structure spanning an open space underneath it. Arches may support the load above them, or they may perform a purely decorative role. As a decorative element, the arch dates back to the 4th millennium BC, but structural load-bearing arches became popular only after their adoption by the Ancient Romans in the 4th century BC.

Arch-like structures can be horizontal, like an arch dam that withstands a horizontal hydrostatic pressure load. Arches are usually used as supports for many types of vaults, with the barrel vault in particular being a continuous arch. Extensive use of arches and vaults characterizes an arcuated construction, as opposed to the trabeated system, where, like in the architectures of ancient Greece, China, and Japan (as well as the modern steel-framed technique), posts and beams dominate.

A gravity dam is a dam constructed from concrete or stone masonry and designed to hold back water by using only the weight of the material and its resistance against the foundation. Gravity dams are designed so that each section of the dam is stable and independent of any other dam section. (In contrast, sections of an arch dam are not independently stable, and instead rely on transmitting force through neighboring sections to the abutments, often anchored into canyon walls.)

The Baihetan Dam is a large hydroelectric dam on the Jinsha River, an upper stretch of the Yangtze River in Sichuan and Yunnan provinces, in southwest China. The dam is a 289-meter-tall double-curvature arch dam with a crest elevation of 827 m, and a width of 72 m at the base and 13 m at the crest. It is considered to be the last large hydropower project in China after a series of projects starting with the Three Gorges Dam. It is also the second largest hydropower plant in the world. The hydropower station is equipped with 16 hydro-generating units each having a capacity of 1 gigawatt, the world's largest turbines. All hydro-generating units of the Baihetan hydropower station became fully operational on 20 December 2022.

The dam is also part of the “world’s largest clean energy corridor”, where it joins other mega hydropower projects like the Three Gorges Dam, Wudongde Dam, Xiluodu Dam, and Xiangjiaba Dam, all located on the same river system, to produce and transmit renewable energy from the resource-rich western region to the cities in the east. In addition to power generation, the hydropower project also provides flood control, improved navigation, and sand blocking.

This is a list of the tallest dams in the world above 150 m (492 ft) in height. The tallest man-made dam in the world is the Jinping-I dam, an arch dam in China at 305 m (1,001 ft). The tallest embankment dam and the second tallest man-made dam in the world is the 300 m (984 ft) Nurek Dam in Tajikistan, built by the USSR. The tallest gravity dam is the 285-metre-high (935 ft) Grande Dixence Dam in Switzerland. The tallest natural dam, the 567 m (1,860 ft) Usoi Dam in Tajikistan, is 262 m (860 ft) higher than the tallest existing man-made dam.

Deriner Dam (Turkish: Deriner Barajı) is a concrete double-curved arch dam on the Çoruh River 5 km (3.1 mi) east of Artvin in Artvin Province, Turkey. The main purpose of the dam is hydroelectric power production and additionally flood control. Construction on the dam began in 1998, the reservoir began to fill in February 2012 and the power station was completed by February 2013. It will have a 670 MW power house and is the tallest dam in Turkey. The dam is being implemented by Turkey's State Hydraulic Works and constructed by a consortium of Turkish, Russian and Swiss companies.

The dam is named after İbrahim Deriner, who died while serving as the Chief Engineer of its research team.

Lai da Sontga Maria (Italian: Lago di Santa Maria) is a lake, located north of the Lukmanier Pass in Switzerland. It lies almost entirely in the municipality of Medel (canton of Graubünden), a tiny fraction of the south-west part of the lake belonging to the municipalities of Quinto and Blenio (canton of Ticino). The reservoir has a surface area is 1.77 km (0.68 sq mi). The arch dam Santa Maria, which is to the north of the lake, was completed in 1968. The main road of the Lukmanier Pass runs along the eastern shore of the lake.

The lake lies at a height of 1,908 metres above sea level and is surrounded by mountains over 3,000 metres on both sides. The highest peak overlooking Lai da Sontga Maria is the Scopi (3,190 m), on the east side. On the west side are Piz Gannaretsch (3,040 m) and Piz Rondadura (3,016 m). On the south side (in Ticino), the lake is overlooked by Pizzo dell'Uomo (2,663 m). The lake is drained by the Rein da Medel, a tributary of the Anterior Rhine.