counterfort

American  

[koun-ter-fawrt, -fohrt] / ˈkaʊn tərˌfɔrt, -ˌfoʊrt /

noun

1. a buttress, especially one for strengthening a basement wall against the pressure of earth.

2. a cantilevered weight, as in a retaining wall, having the form of a pier built on the side of the material to be retained.

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counterfort British  

/ ˈkaʊntəˌfɔːt /

noun

1. civil engineering a strengthening buttress at right angles to a retaining wall, bonded to it to prevent overturning or to increase its bending strength

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Etymology

Origin of counterfort

1580–90; partial translation of Middle French contrefort, equivalent to contre counter- + fort strength (derivative of fort (adj.) strong)

Example Sentences

He seems to mean the force tending to pull the counterfort loose from the horizontal slab.

From Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design American Society of Civil Engineers, Transactions, Paper No. 1169, Volume LXX, Dec. 1910 by Godfrey, Edward

Each counterfort extended back 16 ft. and was 4 ft. thick for a height of 6 ft. and then 3 ft. thick.

From Concrete Construction Methods and Costs by Gillette, Halbert Powers

A minor counterfort advances from the central range to the northwestward, commencing about the Peak of Mendefy, and vanishing at the end of about 900 miles in the desert of the Tuaricks.

From Lander's Travels The Travels of Richard Lander into the Interior of Africa by Huish, Robert

These forms were built full height in 16-ft. sections with a counterfort coming at the center of each section.

From Concrete Construction Methods and Costs by Gillette, Halbert Powers

These rods are the vertical and horizontal rods in the counterfort of the retaining wall shown at a, in Fig.

From Some Mooted Questions in Reinforced Concrete Design American Society of Civil Engineers, Transactions, Paper No. 1169, Volume LXX, Dec. 1910 by Godfrey, Edward