Cross bracing

File:Detail of underside of canopy east side showing cross bracing, rafters, and decking - Fort Hood, World War II Temporary Buildings, Cold Storage Building, Seventeenth Street, HABS TEX,50-KILL.V,1C-14.tif

Cross bracing between joists or rafters strengthens the members by preventing sideways deflection. This bracing is known by many names such as herringbone strutting, blocking, bridging, and dwanging.

File:DETAIL VIEW OF TOWER SHOWING CROSS BRACING AND RIVETS - San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, Spanning San Francisco Bay, San Francisco, San Francisco County, CA HAER CAL,38-SANFRA,141-14.tif

Cross bracing on a bridge tower

In construction, cross bracing is a system utilized to reinforce building structures in which diagonal supports intersect. Cross bracing can increase a building’s capability to withstand seismic activity from an earthquake. Cross bracing is usually seen with two diagonal supports placed in an X shaped manner; these support 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, such as chairs and bookshelves. In steel 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.