The practice of installing multiple supporting braces in opposition to distribute weight and stress more evenly throughout a structure.
From counter- (opposite) + bracing (the action of installing braces), + -ing (gerund). Architectural terminology developed from engineering principles.
Counterbracing is why suspension bridges don't sway like single ropes would—by having multiple cables and supports pulling in different directions, they create a stability that's stronger than any single structure could be.
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