Tie Beam
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Related to Tie Beam: grade beam
tie beam
In roof framing, a horizontal timber connecting two opposite rafters at their lower ends to prevent them from spreading. See also: Beam
Illustrated Dictionary of Architecture Copyright © 2012, 2002, 1998 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc. All rights reserved
The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.
Tie Beam
(in construction), a bar or rod, usually horizontal, that is under tension and connects the end joints of a building structure, which are subject to horizontal thrust forces. By tightening the ends of the structures, the tie beam absorbs the thrust, relieving the supports of the horizontal force. Tie beams may be made of metal or reinforced concrete (less frequently, wood); they are used in arches (arch trusses), vaults, bridge structures, and building roofs when a thrust-bearing support system is not suitable for economic or other reasons.
The Great Soviet Encyclopedia, 3rd Edition (1970-1979). © 2010 The Gale Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
tie beam
1. On individual pile caps or spread footings which are eccentrically loaded, a beam (usually of reinforced concrete) used to distribute horizontal forces to other pile caps or footings; a strap, 2.
2. In roof framing, a horizontal timber connecting two opposite rafters at their lower ends to prevent them from spreading; also see collar beam.
McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Architecture and Construction. Copyright © 2003 by McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.