Wengler, who died in Houston on Aug. 8 at 95, was a global leader in the design of thin-arch concrete dams, a 39-year veteran of Harza Engineering Co., at the time, one of the top 10 dam designers ...

However, when the Portugués Thin Arch Dam was advertised for construction in September 2000, only one proposal was received, which was significantly above the government's cost estimate.

Most dams in this country are straight, not curved. The arch dam, as the curved type is known, is effectively an arched bridge turned on its side, with the centre of the arch pointing upstream.

Buchanan Dam “is a multiple concrete arch and gravity structure measuring 11,200 feet long and 145 feet high,” according to the TSHA. The dam was named after U.S. Rep J.P. Buchanan.