A plate bolted or welded to a sole plate to prohibit a beam from being disconnected from the bearing is called what?

• A. Anchor Plate
• B. Keeper Plate
• C. Tie Plate
• D. Bearing Plate

Answer: (B)

Keeper plates act as a restraining element at the beam bearing, locking the beam to the bearing by bolting or welding to the sole plate so the beam cannot slide off or lift away. This plate essentially catches and holds the beam in place at its support.

An anchor plate is meant to anchor members to concrete or other substrates and resist uplift or shear through bolts or anchors, not to retain a beam at its bearing. A tie plate is used to connect members together, often in timber or truss systems, rather than to prevent disconnection at a bearing. A bearing plate provides the actual bearing surface for the beam but does not serve to retain the beam in bearing. Therefore, the plate that performs the retention function is the keeper plate.