>Okay, new odd question.  Are Half-Timber, Frachwerk and Braced Frame
construction the same thing with variations in the infill materials
between the studs?  Do they all rely on mortice and tenons?

-jc<

Probably the best glossary of terms for heavy timber construction around
today is in R. W. Brunskill's "Timber Building in Britain" (ISBN
0-575-03379-7). In it you find:

Half-Timber: various meanings have been attached to this term.
1. A timber frame in which the framing members and panels are exposed.
2. A timber frame based on halved timbers.
3. The use of a timber frame in the upper half of a building with a
solid wall in the lower half.
4. Timber framing making use of closely-spaced studs in which
approximately equal portions of timber and plaster are exposed.

Fachwerk is the German term for exposed timber walls with plaster
infill. (See four above)

Braced Frame is a term loosely differentiating a building from a stick
framed or balloon framed building, and would appear to have come into
use when these "lower quality" systems began to appear.

The last term on the list (I'm adding one) would be post and beam and is
a term commonly used to describe any building build with large timbers.

Personally I use post and beam to describe buildings using heavy timbers
that are connected with metal fasteners such as bolts, steel plates or
nails. The Edison Laboratory was a post and beam/balloon frame hybrid.
It did have 4x4 braces, but they were nailed in place. Timber framing is
more often the term used to describe buildings built with heavy timbers
connected with mortice and tenon joinery. These types of structures
always have braces if they are Western European or American, and
compression beams if they are Eastern. In Fachwerken the braces are
often integrated into the medieval patterns in the walls.

Clear as rad and dab?

Rudy

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