Glossary
- Box frame
- Timber-framed construction in which vertical and horizontal members support the roof. Also concrete construction in which the loads are taken on cross-walls; also called cross-wall construction.
- Box girder
- A large beam of hollow-box section.
- Box pew
- Pew enclosed by a high wooden back and ends, the latter having doors.
- Brace
- Subsidiary member of a structural frame or roof. Bracing is often arranged in decorative patterns in timber-framed buildings. Arched braces: curved paired braces forming an arch, connecting wall or post below with tie-beam or collar beam above. Passing braces: long straight braces passing across other members of the truss. Scissor braces: paired braces crossing diagonally between pairs of rafters or principals. Wind-braces: short, usually curved braces connecting side purlins or ridge piece with principals.
- Bracket
- Small supporting piece of stone, etc., to carry a projecting horizontal member; hence also bracket-cornice.
- Brattishing
- Ornamental crest, often formed of leaves, flowers or miniature battlements, common in late medieval English architecture.
- Breastshot water wheel
- One with water fed on to the wheel at mid-height, falling and passing beneath. Compare overshot, pitchback and undershot.
- Bressumer
- (lit. breast-beam): Big horizontal beam supporting the wall above, especially a jetty or projecting storey.
- Bretasche
- (lit. battlement): Defensive wooden gallery on a wall.
- Brise-soleil
- (French, lit. sun break): A screen of projecting fins or slats which deflect direct sunlight from windows.
