This image shows a tension member attached to the ceiling and the corner of the catwalk, allowing the removal of a supporting post below.
Have you ever tried pushing something with a rope? Hopefully not, but you can use a rope to pull many things. This is the idea behind the tension member, a structural member that does not push, but pulls. When building, there are circumstances where it’s better to use tension rather than compression. Then there are times when tension members are structurally required.
Examples of these are the collar tie of a timber truss, or a hanging deck supported by a chain from above.
In the project featured in this newsletter, we achieved an open floor plan with a tension member that supports the catwalk from the roof framing above it. We were able to make this design suggestion because we understand the dynamics of the different framing members and were creative with how they were deployed
