Gable anchors

1890-1920

Exterior walls are connected to joists in the storey partitions with wall anchors.

In the facade these anchors are usually placed at every third beam and in gable/end walls to the nearest beam at intervals corresponding to those in the facade.

The figure shows the commonly used “offset anchor”, consisting of a flat bar bent around a round bar (offset) in the wall.

When anchoring to the facades, the anchor is placed on the side of the beam and is therefore not twisted at the 90-degree angle shown. Wall anchors are predominantly enclosed and thus invisible, but for a period around the 1900s, many buildings were equipped with visible wall anchors in their facades, often as decoration and without any real function.

Recommended literature in Danish:
Kaare Kristensen: Tømrerarbejde (1920)
Danskbyggeskik.dk: Bygningsdel/Etageadskillelse/Træbjælkelag
Byggebogen: Træbjælkelag - Blad 7 (1948)