Why is it called a hammer beam roof?
Why is it called a hammer beam roof?
They are traditionally timber framed, using short beams projecting from the wall on which the rafters land, essentially a tie beam which has the middle cut out. These short beams are called hammer-beams and give this truss its name.
How does a hammerbeam roof work?
A hammerbeam roof is a roof that has short horizontal beams attached to the main rafters in a ceiling. Basically it’s a truss system. A truss system is a combination of beams, braces, and rafters that help support a roof’s weight.
What is hammer beam?
Definition of hammer beam : either of the short horizontal beams or cantilevers projecting from the top of a pair of opposite walls to support a roof principal for a Gothic roof and thus dispense with the necessity for a tie beam.
What are the timbers in a roof called?
Rafters. Sometimes referred to as common rafters or spars, these inclined lengths of timber rise from the eaves at the bottom of the roof to the ridge apex at the top. Rafters support a pitched roof covering.
What is the Westminster Abbey roof made of?
timber roof
The magnificent hammer-beam roof of Westminster Hall is the largest medieval timber roof in Northern Europe. Measuring 20.7 by 73.2 metres (68 by 240 feet), the roof was commissioned in 1393 by Richard II, and is a masterpiece of design.
What type of wood is used for roof trusses?
Yes, species combinations like Hem-Fir and Spruce-Pine-Fir are used regularly in truss manufacturing as well as Southern Yellow Pine and, as you mention, Doug Fir-Larch. What you use generally depends on the part of the country you’re in and what is in most plentiful supply.
What is a rafter in construction?
A rafter is defined as one of a series of sloped structural pieces (typically wooden beams) that extend from the hip or ridge to eave, wall plate, or downslope perimeter. They’re designed to support the roof deck, shingles, and everything else that goes with the roof. Rafters are the traditional way to frame a roof.
What is a roof support beam called?
Rafters are the exposed beams you see in the ceiling and at the peak of a building that’s under construction.
What wood is used for roof beams?
C16 timber is kiln dried, to minimise the amount of moisture within the wood, and is most commonly used in internal construction projects such as walls, floor and roof joists.
What two styles of architecture have been used for Westminster Abbey?
Westminster Abbey stood still for almost a century until cathedrals were transformed with English influence and Gothic style architecture.
How old is the roof of Westminster Hall?
But the result, as we see it after nearly 600 years, is a vast, clear space unobstructed by a single column. The roof’s timberwork was entirely framed near Farnham in Surrey. A large number of wagons and barges delivered the jointed timbers to Westminster, weighing some 660 tons, for assembly.
