girder
n.a very strong, heavy beam used to support the structure of a building or bridge. It is usually made of steel and helps hold up the weight of the whole project.
n.a large, heavy beam or structural member used to support a bridge, roof, or other heavy construction. Typically fabricated from steel or reinforced concrete to provide high tensile and compressive strength.
“The workers are lifting a heavy steel girder into place.”
“The bridge collapsed because one of the main girders had rusted through over several decades of neglect.”
“Modern skyscrapers rely on a complex network of steel girders and columns to distribute the immense weight of the upper floors across the foundation.”
From gird + -er.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.