Cross Bracing
Encyclopedia
In construction
Construction
In the fields of architecture and civil engineering, construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Far from being a single activity, large scale construction is a feat of human multitasking...

, cross bracing is a system
System
System is a set of interacting or interdependent components forming an integrated whole....

 utilized to reinforce building
Building
In architecture, construction, engineering, real estate development and technology the word building may refer to one of the following:...

 structures in which diagonal supports intersect.
"Cross bracing can increase a building’s capability to withstand seismic forces from an earthquake." (Check source)
The cross bracing is usually seen with two diagonal supports placed in a X shaped manner; these supports compression and tension forces.
Depending on the forces, one brace may be in tension while the other is slack. Cross bracing can be applied to any rectangular frame structure
Structure
Structure is a fundamental, tangible or intangible notion referring to the recognition, observation, nature, and permanence of patterns and relationships of entities. This notion may itself be an object, such as a built structure, or an attribute, such as the structure of society...

, such as chairs and bookshelves. In steel
Steel
Steel is an alloy that consists mostly of iron and has a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1% by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and tungsten...

 construction, steel cables may be used due to their great resistance to tension (although not resistant at all to compression).
The common uses for cross bracing includes bridge (side) supports, along with structural foundations. This method of construction maximizes the weight of the load a structure is able to support.

Source:
Second Line: http://www.conservationtech.com/FEMA-WEB/FEMA-subweb-EQ/02-02-EARTHQUAKE/1-BUILDINGS/MITIGATIONS/2-W2-cross_bracing.htm
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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