Are arches and domes still used today?

Yes. Arches and domes are still used in modern construction, though today they are usually built from steel, reinforced concrete, or laminated wood rather than cut stone. Britannica notes that modern arches of these materials are rigid and lightweight, so the sideways thrust they put on their supports is small, and it can be reduced further by a tie stretched between the arch’s ends. Arch bridges are a common example.

Domes, which evolved from the arch, also stayed in use into the iron-and-steel era. In modern buildings a curved reinforced-concrete slab can form a dome, and geodesic domes are built from triangular or polygonal facets that spread stresses through the structure.

Sources: Britannica: Arch (architecture); Britannica: Dome (architecture).

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