A crib pier is a type of

pier Seaside pleasure pier in Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th century.">England.html" ;"title="Brighton, England">Brighton, England. The first seaside piers were built in England in the early 19th ...

built with the supporting columns made of 'cribs'.{{cite web , url = http://www.piers.co.uk/piers.htm , title = Piers , publisher =

National Piers Society The National Piers Society (NPS) is a registered charity in the United Kingdom dedicated to promoting and sustaining interest in the preservation and continued enjoyment of seaside piers. It was founded in 1979, with Sir John Betjeman as the fi ...

(2006) , accessdate = February 24, 2012 , url-status = dead , archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20080929075523/http://www.piers.co.uk/piers.htm , archivedate = September 29, 2008 Typically a crib is made from wood, but it could be made from any long cylindrical material. Pairs of logs are laid parallel, then others laid over them to make a square, and this continues upwards in a style of building similar to a

log cabin A log cabin is a small log house, especially a less finished or less architecturally sophisticated structure. Log cabins have an ancient history in Europe, and in America are often associated with first generation home building by settlers. Eur ...

's construction. Each crib can be either empty or filled with a material such as rocks, gravel, concrete blocks, etc. This material can serve to provide additional stability in the event of high winds if the crib is very tall. Advantages of crib construction include its simplicity and strength. Logs need only be cut and notched for stability, then lain crosswise until a certain height is reached. As each layer of wood is only used as a compressive layer, the wood need not be strong. Since there are few load-bearing fasteners in the lower levels, reasonable strength is possible. Disadvantages include very heavy construction, relying on much more material than a pier of more advanced design.

Notes and references

External links

* Boulos Pier on page listing some piers
Pictures of various piers
Marine architecture Coastal construction Piers