bowstring beam


bowstring beam

[′bō‚striŋ ‚bēm] (civil engineering) A steel, concrete, or timber beam or girder shaped in the form of a bow and string; the string resists the horizontal forces caused by loads on the arch.

bowstring beam, bowstring girder, bowstring truss

A beam, girder, or truss having one curved member in the shape of a bow (often circular or parabolic in shape) and a straight or cambered member which ties together the two ends of the bow.