I was mindlessly watching the tube the other day, and the show was discussing the Hoover Damn.

One of the site personnel was being interviewed, and he said that he believed that the very center of the damn's concrete was still probably not even cured and hardened yet, and that it was probably still soft. He added that such a situation probably helped with the damn's integrity allowing it some flexibility.

They also showed how the damn springs leaks down in the tunnels. When that happens, they create/drill conduits to efficiently drain the water as opposed to trying to "patch" the leak.

Excerpt from Robert Crais' "The Monkey's Raincoat:"
"She took another microscopic bite of her sandwich, then pushed it away. Maybe she absorbed nutrients from her surroundings."