Hoover Dam

Considered one of America's Seven Modern Civil Engineering Wonders, the Hoover Dam is truly awe-inspiring. Standing 726.4 feet high, it is one of the tallest concrete dams ever built and created one of the largest man made lakes in the U.S. The design phase involved several consulting firms and some 200 engineers and other workers in the Bureau of Reclamation's design office. Construction of the dam, power plant, and related works began in 1931 and finished in 1936, two years ahead of schedule. At its peak, the project employed 5,218 workers. A 1-hour Hard Hat tour goes behind the scenes, where visitors can see the inner workings of the dam. It really has to been seen 'in real life' to appreciate the marvel of this structure. Images were taken in March 2008 while visiting Las Vegas.

Footnote: Construction workers' hard hats were invented and first used in building the Hoover Dam. There are 4,360,000 cubic yards of concrete in the dam, powerplant, and appurtenant works; enough to pave a 16-foot-wide highway from San Francisco to New York City. The reservoir can store enough water to cover the state of Pennsylvania to a depth of one foot.

Larger view of Hoover Dam.