A 2x would'nt be strong enough to carry the load. There will be 6x6 floor joists running parallel to the tie beam (from the wall girt to a summer beam), so the tops of all those members are in the same plane. I guess what I'm asking is- if I go with a 2in through,half dovetailed tenon on the tie beam, that leaves only 3in on each side for tenons for the wall girts. Not much relish left after pegging on those tenons even if they are not in tension. Is this common practice?
