chain

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chain.
1. Romanesque moulding carved to resemble a chain.

2. Piece of timber or metal built into a brick wall to increase its stability and cohesion, called chain-bond.

3. Bond course of stone with one or more cramps connecting each pair of stones.

4. Complete circlet formed of a chain, used to prevent a circular work of masonry from spreading, e.g. in the dome of St Paul's Cathedral, London (begun 1675).

5. Chain-tie used to connect the heads of piers, etc., while vaults and arches are constructed.

6. If used to tie in bulging brickwork, an anchor is fixed to the end of the chain or rod, visible on the outside of the wall.

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