Bulkhead
Bulkhead refers to a partitioned area or framework closure of a space. Bulkheads are a common term in marine design and often refer to partitions that are resistant to pressure or fire that can be shut off, for example from engine rooms or or sources of gas, fire or water.
The term is also used in construction often used to describe high level strips or areas that are closed off, for service runs or other reasons, such as in office spaces or above doors and hallways. In a similar way to its use in marine design bulkhead is used to describe something that function to retain or enclose another element, in a similar way to a retaining wall. Though a retaining wall acts to retain a structure in soil or with soil to one side, a bulkhead might have for example soil on one side and water on the other.
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