Chapter 3 Methods And Materials Of Construction, Renovation, And Demolition Flashcards
Admixture
A material other than water, aggregate, and cement used as an ingredient in concrete or mortar.
Aggregate
Any of a variety of materials, such as sand and gravel, added to a cement mixture to make concrete.
Aluminum
A lightweight metal that is both malleable and non-magnetic. This material has a very good conductivity. This non-combustible material has a low melting point and little mass per unit of area, so it disintegrates rapidly in fire.
Americans with disabilities act (ADA)
A set of regulations passed in 1990 that includes, among other things, regulations requiring areas of refuge for disabled people in multi story buildings.
Architect
An Individual who is engaged in the design of buildings and who often supervises construction.
Area of refuge
An area of a building separated from other spaces by fire-rated smoke barriers in which a tenable environment is maintained for the period of time that such areas may need to be occupied at the time of a fire.
Brick
A solid or hollow masonry unit of clay mixed with sand, which is molded into a small rectangular shape while in a plastic state.
Building code
Regulates the actual design and construction of new buildings, providing for minimum levels of health and safety. Regulates the level and amount of fire protection in a new structure.
Caisson
A shaft of concrete placed under a building column or wall extending down to bedrock.
Cells (concrete)
The hollow portions of the core of a concrete block.
Civil engineer
An engineer who specializes in the design of parking lots, drainage areas, and roadways.
Cold-drawn steel
A type of steel used in the construction of cables that are sometimes used to brace failing buildings or as tendons in tensioned concrete. It fails at 800°F (427°C).
Composite material
A material build up of different parts, pieces, and materials intended to act as a single unit.
Concrete masonry unit (CMU)
Precast hollow or solid structural block. Sometimes referred to as cinder block.
Construction safety regulations
Occupational health and safety regulations (enforced by state and/or federal authorities such as OSHA) that apply to construction sites. These include provisions to prevent falls (through the use of safety barriers) and protection from being hit or crushed.
Corrugation
Grooved rigid material, often metal.
Crosslot bracing
Internal bracing that transfers the lateral earth pressures between opposing walls through compressive struts.
Cured (concrete)
Concrete that is hardened to full strength.
Dewatering pump
A pump that removes water from the ground or excavations that hinder construction from an area of the site.
Electrical contractor
A subcontractor hired by the contractor to oversee all electrical installation.
Electrical engineer
An engineer who specializes in the design of lighting, power telecommunications, and emergency power of a structure.
Falsework
Temporary shoring, formwork, beams, or lateral bracing to support the work in the process of construction; also known as formwork.
Fire alarm/security system contractor
A subcontractor hired by the contractor to oversee all fire and security alarm installation.
Fire code
Regulates the activities that take place in existing buildings, including the maintenance of existing fire protection features such as automatic sprinklers and fire doors, hazardous processes such as spray finishing, the storage of hazardous materials, and general fire safety precautions.
Fire partition
A fire-rated assembly that subdivides a building to prevent the spread of fire such as between dwelling units and a multiple dwelling.
Fire protection engineer
An engineer who specializes in the design of fire protection systems including sprinkler and standpipe systems, and fire alarm systems of a structure.
Fireproofing contractor
A subcontractor hired by the contractor to spray a layer cementitious material onto steel for fire resistance purposes.
Folded plate
A structural element used to strengthen the roof of a structure over large areas.
Footing
Thick concrete pads, usually heavily reinforced, which transfer the loads of piers or columns to the ground.
Formwork
Temporary shoring, formwork, beams, or lateral bracing to support the work in the process of construction; also known as false work.
Foundation
The lower division of a building that serves to transmit and anchor the loads from the superstructure directly to its earth or rock, usually below ground level.
Framing
A system of rough timber structural woodwork that is joined together to support or enclose, such as partitions, flooring, and roofing.
General contractor
The prime contractor who oversees and is responsible for the overall work on the site.
Gypsum
A natural mineral used in the manufacture of drywall and plaster.
Insurance regulations
The rules of an insurance company in regard to coverage. These regulations may require more fire protection for structures than local building and fire codes require.
Interior finish
The exposed material on a wall, ceiling, or floor.
Lightweight wood truss
A collection of lightweight wood structural components joined in a triangular configuration that can be used to support either floors or roofs.
Malleable
The property of a metal that allows it to be shaped by bending, hammering, or extruding without cracking or rupturing.
Masonry unit
The type of masonry used on a given structure. Examples include bricks or concrete block.
Mechanical engineer
A person trained in a branch of engineering related to mechanical equipment. Usually designs the heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems and plumbing of the building.
Modular construction
A construction technique in which a set of prefabricated modules are transported to and assembled at a construction site, creating a building.
Oriented strand board (OSB)
A type of board made of layers of strands of wood cut from logs, with a fairly constant with to length ratio.
Pile
One of a series of large timbers or steel sections driven into soft ground down to bedrock to provide a solid foundation for the superstructure of a building.
Plastic
Synthetic materials (typically hydrocarbon based) that are composed of organic polymers that can be shaped and molded.
Plumbing contractor
A subcontractor hired by the contractor to oversee the installation of plumbing within a building.
Plumbing, mechanical, and electrical codes
Plumbing codes apply to the installation of domestic water systems, sanitary systems, and the like. Mechanical codes apply to systems like air handling systems and smoke control systems. Electrical code apply to the installation of electrical systems.
Plywood
Wood panels manufactured with the grain of alternate plies laid at right angles to develop the approximate equal strength in either direction.
Portland cement mortar
The most common type of cement in use today. The powder, when mixed with water, will become a hydrated solid over time.
Progressive collapse
Extensive structural failure initiated by local structural damage or a chain reaction of failures following damage to a small portion of a structure.
Quarried stone
Natural stones such as granite, marble, limestone, and sandstone. Can be used in the construction of wall and foundations.
Raker
Braced sheeting used in soil walls to protect against collapse.
Reinforced bar (rebar)
Steel bar placed in concrete to increase its overall tensile strength.
Sand-lime mortar
Water soluble mixture; when water is applied to it, the mortar can be washed away from the wall.
Scale (architectural)
An instrument with uniformly spaced marks used to measure distance on a sheet of blueprints.
Seismic protection
Stabilization of outer walls, overhangs, floors, and walls to resist destruction by an earthquake.
Slurry wall
The foundation wall in an excavation that is heavily reinforced with steel and temporarily filled with a liquid slurry mixture that is subsequently displaced by concrete.
Spall
A small fragment or chip dislodged from the face of a stone or masonry unit.
Specifications
Manuals prepared by building designers that specify which particular type of device or equipment is to be used in the building.
Sprinkler contractor
A subcontractor hired by a contractor to oversee the installation and design of sprinkler systems within a building.
Structural engineer
An engineer who is consulted in large buildings to design the structural frame.
Structural steel
Steel rolled in a variety of shapes in fabricated for use as load-bearing structural members or elements.
Subcontractor
A specialist who undertakes part of a main building contract from a contractor.
Substructure
The foundation and footings.
Superstructure
Any structure above the substructure.
Thermal pane windows
Units composed of two or more glass panes in a hermetically sealed frame.
Thermoplastic
Construction material that softens when heated and rehardens when cooled.
Thermoset
Plastic the chars and burns, but does not flow.
Tieback
Braced sheeting used in soil walls to protect against collapse.
Wallboard
A large, rigid gypsum sheet that is fastened to the frame of a building and provides the surface finish.
Wallboard contractor
A subcontractor hired by a contractor to oversee the surface finishes of walls that are fastened to the frame of the building.
Wooden I-joist
Composite lightweight wood material used in an “I” cross section.
Wrought iron
A commercially pure iron of fibrous nature; used for water pipes, rivets, and other ornamental forged work.
Zoning regulations
Dictate land usage in specific cities (and are written by the cities themselves). Spell out which types of buildings can be built in specific locations and their permitted uses.
