Buttresses
The word buttress refers to an architectural structure that is built against or is built in a way that is projecting from a wall, it serves to reinforce or provide support to the wall. Buttresses are somewhat common on old and ancient buildings, which is used as a means of providing support to act against the lateral or the side wise forces that arises out of the roof structures, of such roofs which lacks adequate bracing. The term counterfort is often used as a synonym for the word buttress and might be employed when one is referring to dams, retaining walls and other structures that is holding back the earth in a lateral fashion or from the side ways.