Building Construction Glossery Flashcards
Abandoned
A building status for those that have outlived their usefulness, fallen into disrepair, and show signs that the owner has basically given up on the building
Advanced Framing Methods (AFM)
Refers to a variety of wood framing techniques that reduce the amount of lumber (and waste) used to construct a wood frame building and increase its energy efficiency. AFM is also known as optimal value engineering (OVE)
Alternative building methods
Building construction materials, assemblies, and systems that are non traditional, unusually innovative, or don’t readily fit into the classic 5 types. Also called hybrid construction
Aluminum
A natural element that exists in many minerals and ores, most abundant metal that exist in earth.
Arched truss
A truss in which the top chord is arched and the bottom chord is straight. Arched trusses can be bowstring(tied) or rigid
Attic
A large space that is created by a steep pitched roof ( arched,gable, etc) for drainage and/or appearance
Autoclaved aerated concrete (AAC)
Building blocks made from a mixture of sand, Portland cement, gypsum, water, expansion agents, and air that forms a solid block that is 1/5th the weight of a similar size concrete block
Axial load
A load that is imposed through the center of the material
Ballon frame construction
A wood framing method where exterior wall studs are continuous from the sill plate to the roof plate. Floors are attached to the ribbon board with no fire stopping structure within the wall
Bar truss ( or bar joist)
A steel parallel chord truss assembled with angle iron for the chords and cold drawn round billet for the web
Base of operation
Concept of ensuring that the platform you are working on ( roof or floor) will safely support you for the duration of your operation
Basement
A habitable space that is either completely or partially below the ground floor
Basement and cellar are interchangeable terms
Beams
Structural elements that deliver loads perpendicularly to their imposed load and in doing so, create opposing forces within the element
Bowstring truss
A tied truss with an arched upper chord and a horizontal tension bottom chord that connects the ends of the arched chord creating compression in the top chord. Diagonal web members are added to help transfer loads
Bridge truss
Roof style characterized by sides that are sloped from the exterior walls to a flat roof portion. The sloped sides are derived from the trapezoidal shape of the truss.
Brittle
A material that will fracture or fail as it is deformed or stressed
Building block systems
Any of various alternative materials used to form a stacked wall
Building triage
The process of evaluating current and changing conditions and making judgements about the risks and integrity of various portions of a building
Bungalow construction
An older wood frame construction style that uses rough sawn 2x3 or 2x4 in rafters spaced up to 36in on center. Each is butted together at the ridge without a ridge board and typically use 1x4 in spaced sheathing nailed to the rafters
Buttress
An exterior wall bracing feature used to assist with lateral forces created where roof beams or trusses rest on a wall. Also known as a counter fort. Buttress are structural in nature and can take on numerous shapes.
Cantilever beam
A beam supported at only one end. Or a beam that extends well past a support in such a way that the unsupported overhang places the top of the beam in tension and the bottom in compression
Carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP)
Composite materials that include a reinforcing material (the carbon fibers) that is bound together with a polymer(like epoxy)
Cast iron
A material usually formed from molten pig iron, which has a high carbon content and is thus brittle
Ceiling
an interior surface that covers the top of a room and is not considered a structural element such as walls, floors, and foundations
Chimney
A structural component used for the venting of hot flue gases or smoke from a stove, boiler, furnace, fireplace, or other appliance
Cockloft
A small space that is created when a roof is raised above the level of ceiling joists and rafters to provide a pitch for drainage
Column
Any structural element that is loaded axially, along its length, in compression
Combustible
Will burn, flammable
Component connections
Also known as framing junctions, where two or more structural members are joined and how they are joined
Compression
A stress that causes a material to flatten or crush
Concentrated load
A load that is applied within a small area or at one point
Concrete
A mixture of Portland cement, sand and aggregate(gravel) and water that cures into a solid mass
Concrete infill
A type of masonry wall construction that consists of gaps between parallel courses of masonry units that are filled with concrete and pieces of brick or concrete with vertical and/or horizontal runs of rebar
Continuous beam
A beam supported by three or more columns
Conventional construction
Solid lumber of 2x6in or larger used in standard framing configuration
Cool roof
One designed to reflect more of the suns rays than a common roof (comp or shingles)
Crawl space
The unfinished space below a ground floor that allows access to under floor utilities. Crawl spaces are of limited height and typically have a soil surface
Cricket
The junction of a vertical member (skylight, parapet wall) and a horizontal member ( roof) where the intersection junction is covered by roofing material. Creates a void space
Cross laminated timber ( CLT)
An engineered wood product using several layers ( 3-7 layers or more) of boards that are layered crosswise (typically rotated 90 degs.) and glued
Curtain wall
And exterior wall used to enclose multiple stories
Daylight basement ( walkout basement )
A basement arrangement found in buildings built on slopes that are under the grade floor or main entrance, which allows occupants to walk out of the basement on the lower grade level through a doorway to the outside.
Dead loads
The weight of the building itself and anything permanently attached to the building
Decking
The horizontal or pitched platform for floors or roofs. Decking is attached directly to beams to provide a surface to accept loads (floors) or a durable cover (roof)
Decorative sheathing
Thin wood paneling used to finish interior walls or the outside of cabinets
Diagonal sheathing
1x6 in boards that run at a 45 degree angle from the exterior walls to the primary structural members and provide increased structural stability as they cross more roof members
Distributed load
A load spread over a large surface area or over multiple points
Division wall
An occupancy division wall that is used to provided a major subdivision within a building for tenant needs. A fire division wall is used to subdivide a building and/or attic to restrict the spread of fire
Door
A moving panel or other moveable cover used to close an opening in a wall
Double stud construction
A building technique that uses two parallel walls, spaced about 3 1/2 in apart, that are built sign dimensional lumber and configured with either opposing (aligned) or offset (staggered) studs. The gap between the walls can be filled with insulation and provide a high R-value
Ductile
A material that will bend, deflect, or stretch as a load is applied - yet retain some strength
Eccentric load
A load that is imposed off center causing a material to want to bend
Electrochromic smart glass windows
(Also known as suspended particle display windows)
Windows that are primarily designed to allow an occupant to change the amount of light a window reflects. This is accomplished by using tiny transparent electrodes sandwiched between two lanes of glass
Engineered wood
Describes a host of wood products that use modern methods to transform wood chips/slivers, veneers, shavings, and even recycled wood products into components that replace sawn lumber, sheathing, and other composite structural members
Engineered wood product ( EWP)
Derivative wood product primarily manufactured by binding fibers, strands, particles, or veneers of wood together with adhesives. Also referred to as manufactured board, man made wood, and composite wood
Era
The historic time period during which a building was build
Pre WWI - historical
Pre WWII - industrial
Post WWII - Legacy and the new engineered lightweight
Facade
An exterior construction feature that is used on walls of a building to alter its visual appearance
Fiber reinforced product ( FiRP)
A wood beam that has layers of high strength synthetic fiber material or carbon graphite strands sandwiched and bonded to layers of cut timber or laminated strand lumber(LSL). FiRP beams can carry twice the load of a solid wood beam
Field stones
Easily accessed stones that are common to the area of construction. Granite, quartz, limestone, and various forms of river rock
Finger jointed lumber (FJL)
A common method to produce long lengths of wood members from multiple short pieces of native wood lumber. When joining these short pieces, the joining ends are mitered in an interlocking fingers configuration and pressed together with an adhesive as a bonding agent
Fire Load
The potential amount of heat energy (BTU’s) that may be released when a material is burning.
Material in a building that can burn
Fire resistance rating (FRR)
The length of time to burn through and given material rated in minutes or hours
Fireplace
An architectural structure or appliance designed to contain a fire for heating and/or cooking
Flame spread rating (FSR)
The length of time it takes to burn across the surface of a given material rated in minutes or hours
Floor
The platform and substructure that serves as a base for accommodating people movement, furnishings, and fixtures within a building
Floor covering
The covering that serves as a durable surface to protect the subfloor
Floor supports
Structural elements responsible for carrying the load of a floor. Supports may be a foundation wall,structural beam, or a stud load bearing wall
Footers ( or footage)
Weight distributing pads that serve as the bottom of foundations
Foundation
A buildings anchor to earth and base for all elements built above that anchor
Foundation walls
Walls installed below grade to serve as structural support for other structural elects and also to hold back soil and other materials
Frame
The structural case or border into which a window is set
Framed
A building built on site one piece at a time ( stick built) the building is enclosed by simple siding attached right to the framing
Girder
A beam that carries other beams
Glazing
The process of setting glass and/or thermoplastic into a window frame. The glass of a window assembly is known as the glazing
Glued laminated timber (GLT or glulam)
Glued laminated timber is comprised or multiple layers of dimensional timber bonded together with moisture resistant adhesives
Gravity connection
The connection of two or more materials that relies on the gravitational weight of the upper element to hold it to the other
Green insulation
Insulation that uses recycled materials such as cotton and denim in place of fiberglass
Ground gradient
Describes electricity that is returning to zero potential through nonconductive surfaces like soil, concrete, and masonry. Downed wires can create a ground gradient in concentric waves from their contact on those materials and travel for several yards. Firefighters shoe feel tingling through their boots should shuffle step away from the gradient and notify others
Hybrid building
An unofficial term that refers to a budding that combines various nfpa 220 types in one structure or a building that is constructed in a manner that doesn’t fit into any of the nfpa 220 types
Impact load
A moving or sudden load applied to a building in a focused or short time interval.
Examples - wind, large crowds, water.
Insulated concrete form (ICF)
Forms made of permanent expanded polystyrene that are used for poured concrete and come as blocks, panels, or planks
Jack rafters
Roof rafters used in hips or valleys or spans between ridge boards or wall plates
Jamb
The structural case border or track into which a door is set. A jamb supports and may contain the stop for a door
Joist
A wood or steel beam used to create a floor or roof assembly that supports sheathing or decking. Joists span between primary supporting members such as foundations, load bearing walls, or structural beams
Knob and tube wiring
An older electrical wiring style identified by a two wire lead into a structure from a pole. In addition this wiring usually leads to a fuse box often on the porch of residential structures. Within a building, a knob and tube includes a single minimally insulated wire supported by ceramic knobs used as spacers between the wire runs.
Lamella roof (summerbell roof)
An arched roof that uses a weave or egg crate, geometric, or diamond patterned roof supports that is higher or steeler than the common bowstring roof
Laminated strand lumber (LSL)
An engineered structural composite lumber manufactured from flaked and chipped stands of native wood blended with an adhesive. Mostly LSL uses strands oriented in a parallel fashion
Laminated veneer lumber (LVL)
An engineered wood product consisting of thin sheet veneers of native wood that are stacked with grains aligned and then glued with a phenolic resin
Ledger
A beam attached to a wall column that serves as a shelf for other beams or building features
Lightweight construction
Solid or engineered products used to for assembly built structural elements that are lower in mass than previous methods
Lightweight trusses
Trusses that are comprised of members of 2x4 in or smaller and are often made from engineered lumber or metal
Limited combustible
Materials that have about one half the potential of wood or not over 3,500 btus
Lintel (header)
A beam that spans an opening in a load bearing wall. Lintels can also be commonly found over windows and doors in unreinforced masonry construction and in newer CMU construction
Live green roof
A roofing system that employs a layer soil and planted vegetation to insulate and protect from heat and cooling loss
Live load
Any load applied to a building other than dead loads. Live loads are typically transient, moving, impacting, or static. ( ex. Furniture)
Loads
Static and dynamic weights that come from the building itself and anything that is placed within, or acts upon a building.
Lock
Various types of locking devices used to provide security
Lookout basement
A basement arranged such that the walls extend above the grade level so that some of the windows are above grade.
Masonry
A common term that refers to brittle materials like brick, tile, concrete block, and stone
Modular panel systems
Factory built panels that are formed on a job site for, load bearing walls
Monolithic
A poured in place concrete and steel building that forms a single stone
Mortar
A workable paste made from a mixture of sand, cement or lime, and water. Once cured mortar serves as a binging agent for masonry blocks
Noncombustible
Materials that will not ignite, burn, or support combustion or release flammable vapors when heated
Occupancy
The intended use or purpose of a building
Occupied
A building that is occupied or has a high probability of being occupied during an incident
Oriented strand board (OSB)
Sheathing that is formed with wood shavings and a urea formaldehyde adhesive
Panel wall
A single story exterior wall used to enclose space
Parceled chord truss
A truss in which the top and bottom chords run in the same plane
Parapet wall
A continuation of a wall above a roof line
Particle board
Wood sheathing made from a coarse sawdust and glue
Partition wall
A wall used to divide areas or rooms into smaller areas or to separate one portion of an area from another and usually not load bearing
Party wall
A wall shared by two buildings or two occupancies within the same building. If the party wall carries beams or structural assemblies, it is a structural element
Pilaster
A decorative column that protrudes in relief from a wall to give the appearance of a separate post column. Over time the fire service began using the term pilaster to describe any interior or exterior thickening of wall used to ass lateral support for roof beams and trusses
Pilings
Vertical posts that are driven down into earth to serve as the foundation or foundation anchor of buildings
Pinned connection
Those that use a screw, nail, nut and bolt, rivet, or similar devise to pass through the elements being connected. Pinned connections concentrate transferred loads to a single point
Plastic
A synthetic or semi synthetic material that is made if moldable polymers. Most plastics are derived from petroleum
Plenum space
And interstitial space used as an air return for HVAC systems
Plywood
A wood product made from layering sheet veneers of wood such that grain directions alternate 90 degs with each layer
Post and beam
A building built with a series of post columns and beams (no load bearing walls) the building is enclosed by panel or curtain exterior walls. The same as a skeletal frame building
Pre and post tensioned concrete
Concrete that has steel cables placed through the plane of the material and then tensioned, compressing the concrete to give it the required strength. Cables can be pre tensioned at a factory or post tensioned at the job site
Precast concrete
Slabs of reinforced concrete that are poured at a factory and then shipped to a job site
Protected
Having a fire resistance rating of at least one hour based in its structural elements or protective envelope for the structural elements
Purlin
Beam placed horizontally and perpendicularly to trusses or beams to help support roof sheathing or to hang ceiling
Radiant barrier sheathing (RBS)
Plywood or OSB sheathing with an aluminum type foil affixed to one side that is designed to reflect radiant heat away from the foil
Rafter
A sloped wood joist that supports roof coverings between a ridge beam and wall plate on peaked and hipped roofs
Raker
A diagonally oriented column loaded in compression
Rebar
Spa steel bar that is used as a tensioning material in reinforced concrete and masonry to increase stability and strength.
Reinforced concrete
Concrete that is poured over steel rebar which becomes part of the cured concrete mass
Reinforced masonry construction
A wall construction method using stacked brick or block and mortar with steel rebar reinforcement placed in open cells and then filled with concrete or steel embedded in the mortar joints
Repeated load
Loads that are transient or intermittently applied ( people on an escalator)
Ridge beam
The uppermost beam of a pitched roof. Rafters attach to the ridge beam
Rigid or rib arch truss
A truss with a curved self supporting top chord ( not tied to the bottom chord) and horizontal bottom chord along with web members that are all rigidly connected
Rigid connection
A connection formed by bonding two materials together. Tend to spread transferred loads over a greater area
Roof
The top portion of a structure that is responsible for providing an active role on she,the ring the interior spaces and includes structural supports and coverings
Roof slope pitch
Refers to the degree of slope or pitch for a roof ex. 4:12
Sash
The metal wood or plastic framework that surrounds and supports the window glass
Sheathing
All manner of materials used to cover or encase walls, ceilings, and roofs of framed structures
Shear
A stress that causes a material to tear or slide apart
Shear wall
A reinforcement wall that adds building stiffness to help resist the impact load of wind
Simple beam
A beam supported by columns at the two points near its ends
Skeletal frame
A building built with a series of post columns and beams ( no load bearing walls) the building in enclosed by panel or curtain exterior walls
Slabs (foundation)
Flat horizontal elements that simply rest on the ground
Slab on grade foundation
A concrete slab that is poured over a suitable rock base in the ground and then the walls floors and roof are erected on top of the slab formation
Spalling
Refers to a pocket of concrete that has crumbled into fine particles through the exposure to heat
Static load
A constant load that rarely moves
Straight sheathing
1x6in boards that run at 90 degs to supporting structural members
Strike
The receptacle that revives a dead bolt or latch from a locking mechanism
Steel
A metallic material made from iron ore, carbon, and an alloy agent ( metallic solid solution)
Structural assembly
An engineered collection of interconnected building components that form a cohesive structural unit such as a roof or floor
Structural elements
The essential underpinnings of a building that allow it to stand erect and resist imposed loads and gravity.
Foundations, beams, columns ext
Structural hierarchy
A concept that defines the progressive order in which building loads are delivered to earth
Structural insulated panels (SIPs)
Specially engineered panels used to form load bearing walls and the roof. Each panel consist of two outer skins of osb with an insulating fire made from expanded or extruded polystyrene or xps
Strut
A horizontal column loaded in compression
Subfloor
The horizontal platform material that is attached to the top of floor joists and can be made from tongue and groove planking, osb, plywood, or lightweight concrete
Suspended beam
A beam that has one or both ends supported from above by a cable or rod
Suspended load
A load that is hanging from something above
Tension
A stress that causes a material to pull apart or stretch
Tied arch roof
Roof construction method that uses arch shaped beams that are held in compression with tensioned horizontal tie rods
Tilt up
A structure built using prefab load bearing wall sections that are tilted upright and then pinned together
Timber truss
Large dimension lumber used to form a truss
Titanium
An abundant metal found in many minerals. Lightweight, low density, noncorrosive, and nonmagnetic. High strength to weight ratio and tremendous resistance to heat
Torsion load
Load that is imposed in such a way that causes materials to twist
traditional wood products
Refers to the century old development and improvement of manufactured wood products for a specific application that cut lumber cannot fill
Transom
A beam above a door used to support glass or louver( help with ventilation).
Triangular truss
The most common type of truss used to form a peaked roof
Truss
An engineered structural element that uses groups of rigid triangles to distribute and transfer loads.
Truss loft
An attic space created by the open web nature of trusses
Unoccupied
A building that is normally occupied but the occupants are likely not to be in the structure currently
Unprotected
A material that when exposed in its natural state to the effects of heat and/or fire will cause a degradation of its structural integrity
Unreinforced masonry
Wall construction method using stacked brick or block and mortar without Portland cement, steel rebar, or strapping.
Also a modern masonry wall not designed or load bearing application
Vacant
A building that is likely to still be in an acceptable condition in terms of structural integrity and marketability. Likely to be secured
Veneer wall
Decorative only wall added to help improve the building’s appearance
Walk up basement
A basement that is accessed by an exterior stairway entrance. The exterior entrance may be unprotected, partially covered, or fully enclosed
Wall
A vertical or upright surface designed to enclose or divide a compartment, can be load bearing or non load bearing
Wall bearing
A building where beams or roof/floor assemblies rest on the load bearing walls ( as opposed to posts)
Wind/ snow load
Atmospheric loads that stress a building
Wythe
A continuous vertical section of masonry, one unit in thickness. Can be separate or interconnected with an adjowall.
