Batter (walls)

Batter in construction is a receding slope of a wall,^[1] structure, or earthwork. A wall sloping in the opposite direction is said to overhang.^[2] The term is used with buildings and non-building structures to identify when a wall is intentionally built with an inward slope. A battered corner is an architectural feature using batters. A batter is sometimes used in foundations, retaining walls, dry stone walls, dams, lighthouses, and fortifications.

The batter angle is typically described as a ratio of the offset and height or a degree angle.

Gallery

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  The walls of this octagonal, stone pavilion in India are battered.

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  A batter frame is used to guide the construction of a battered stone wall.

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  Batter describes the intentional inclination of these pilings.

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  Battered buttresses reinforce this wall.

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  Ancient Egyptian pylons were often battered.

References

1. "Batter v.2. def. 1 and 2. and "Batter n.2". Oxford English Dictionary Second Edition on CD-ROM (v. 4.0) © Oxford University Press 2009
2. Whitney, William Dwight. "Batter 2." The Century Dictionary. New York: Century, 1889. 476-77. Print.