Hi All:

I think this subject might be interesting to discuss. It's not particularly common from what I've seen.

The big old 1885 New England barn that I was in the other day had these posts lining either side of the barn's center isle. I believe the correct term is "arcade post."

They run floor to rafter, maybe 24 feet long. I'm curious about a few things:


1. Does this long arcade post method pre-date typical floor-to-crosstie arcade posts, or is it vise-versa?

2. Was this style developed for space/ height advantages in a building's interior. (getting rid of continuous ties) It seems cathedral-like.

3. Do you only find this in really big buildings?


4. Is roof spread more or less likely w/ this system?


5. Is raising a barn w/ this frame situation more problematic? It seems to interrupt the whole concept of "bent raising"




I have posted a couple photos to show what I'm referring to: