Steel Plates and Sections

We do not advocate the use of steel plates and sections in steeples. The National Fund for Sacred Places says it best: “Many wooden truss members were originally oversized, and despite considerable decay in areas, may still perform adequately. However, in some cases, decay or damage may so weaken a member as to make the building unsafe for occupancy. The purpose of repair is to restore the structural strength of the member and joints which connect it to the frame, the Ashursts explain. The heavy-handed "belts and braces" approach has been replaced by an emphasis on preserving the authenticity of the wooden frame. This is done by retaining as much original material as possible and avoiding extraneous reinforcement with steel or other non-historic materials. Repair methods depend on whether a member is hidden or exposed, in compression or tension, subject to bending stress, or failing at a joint. For compression members, cutting out decayed sections and gluing in matching replacement wood is feasible. For tension members, the damaged portion can be entirely cut out and replaced with new wood. A beam subject to bending stress may be repaired by scarfing a new portion to the old at the ends or with a wooden plate. Replacement wood is preferably secondhand, or if unavailable, new wood should match in quality, grain, and moisture content. Although wood should be replaced with wood, in some cases repairs using steel are the most practical. Steel should be hidden if a member is exposed. A common type of repair is the reinforcement of a wood beam end using a steel flitch plate. Epoxy resins also have structural uses, including in situ repair of beam ends, and the filling in of wood sections diminished by fungal and insect attack.”