Construction Terms Flashcards
Absorption field
A drainage system consisting of a series of pipes laid in trenches filledwith sand, gravel or crushed stone, through which septic tank effluent may seep or leachinto the surrounding ground.
Acoustical tile
A ceiling or wall tile finishing material with an inherent property toabsorb sound; usually made of mineral, fiber, or insulated metal materials.
Addition
Part of building added or joined to an existing building. Living areas built ontoresidence after original construction; single wall in common with residence, usually onlyone door connects the two.
Aggregate
Any of various hard, inert materials, like sand, gravel, or pebbles added to acementing or bonding agent to make concrete, plaster, etc.
Anchor bolt
Long bolts cemented into the top of a foundation wall, and to which the sillof the structure is bolted.
Apartment hotel
A building designed for non-transient residential use divided intodwelling units similar to an apartment house, but having such hotel accommodations asroom furnishings, lounges, public dining room, maid service, etc.
Apartment house
A multi-family residence containing three or more non-transient residential living units and generally providing a number of common facilities and services.
Apron
A finish strip applied below the stool of a window to cover the rough plaster ordrywall edge. A paved or hard packed area abutting a garage door or other opening.
Arcade
A series of arches and their supports, which provides covered passage between buildings. A roofed walkway or passageway, frequently with shops on both sides.
Arch
A curved structural member used to span an opening, so designed that vertical loads are transmitted as vertical or oblique stresses on either side of the opening.
Areaway
An uncovered space next to a building, for entrance of light, air or access.
Asbestos cement
A mixture of asbestos fibers, Portland cement, and water which can be formed into building products with high fire and weather resistance.
Ashlar
A wall facing of masonry slabs (stone, terra cotta) applied over the bearing masonry of exterior walls.
Asphalt
Bitumen mixed with mineral aggregates used as a hard surface for driveways, streets, etc.
Asphalt flooring
Consists of limestone dust and coarse aggregate incorporated with either asphaltic bitumen or equal proportions of asphaltic bitumen and asphalt.
Attic
An unfinished or semi-finished portion of a building lying between the highest finished story and the roof and wholly within the roof framing.
Awning
A roof-like shelter extending over a doorway window, porch, etc., which provides protection from the sun or rain.
Backfill
The material used for refilling an excavation.
Backing
Rough inner face of a wall; earth deposited behind retaining wall.
Backup
The inner, load bearing or structural portion of a masonry wall, usually finished with face brick, stone, ashlar, stucco or other decorative or protective veneer.
Balcony
A balustraded or railed elevated platform projecting from the wall or a building ,usually cantilevered or supported by columns.
Balusters (bannisters)
A short pillar or post, usually circular, slender above and building below, supporting a rail; the uprights supporting the handrail of a staircase.
Balustrade
A row of balusters surmounted by a rail, coping or cornice.
Base molding
Finishing wood to cover construction joints between baseboard and floor.
Basement
A building story which is wholly or partly below grade level.
Batten
Narrow strips of wood or other material used to finish and cover the vertical joints where two boards meet.
Batter board
One of a pair of horizontal boards nailed to posts set at the corners of anexcavation, used to indicate the desired level of the foundation, also as a fastening forstretched strings to indicate outlines of foundation walls.
Bay
(1) a horizontal area division of a building usually defined as the space betweencolumns or division walls; (2) an internal recess formed by causing a wall to project beyondits general line.
Bay window
A window, or group of continuous windows projecting from the main wall ofa building. A bay window has its own foundation.
Beam
(1) a long structural load-bearing member which is placed horizontally or nearly soand which is supported by both ends, infrequently, at intervals along its length; (2) a principal load supporting member of a building; may be of wood, steel, or concrete; transmits load horizontally to vertical posts, columns, or bearing walls.
Beam, spandrel
A wall beam supporting the wall above, as well as the floor.
Bearing area
The area of contact between a bearing member (beam, girder, footing) andits underlying support (column bearing wall, load bearing ground).
Bed
Horizontal surface on which structural members or slabs are laid or supported.
Bent
A transverse frame of a building designed to support either horizontal or verticalloads.
Beveled wood siding
Siding board of varying widths, with lower edge thicker thanupper edge is covered by lower edge of board above. Types include Dolly Varden, andshiplap.
Board foot
A unit of measure represented by a board one foot long, one foot wide, andone inch thick, or 144 cubic inches.
Boiler
Metal vessel for heating water for generating steam.
Bolster
A horizontal timber on a post for lessening the free span of a beam.
Bond
The arrangement of individual masonry units in certain overlapping patterns togive the finished structural unit additional strength and to allow the individual elements toact together as a cohesive, integrated unit.
Brace
A structural member reinforcing a frame or truss.
Bridging
A method of bracing floor joists by fixing lateral members between the joists.
Building
Any structure partially or wholly above ground designed to shelter people,animals or goods.
Building, fireproof
A building in which all parts carrying loads or resisting stresses(frame) and all exterior and interior wall, floors, and staircases are made of incombustiblematerials and in which all metallic structural members are encased in materials which remain rigid at the highest possible temperature in case its contents are burned, or whichprovide ample insulation from such a temperature.
Building, paper
Tarred felt paper sheathing for walls and roofs, to stop drafts andinsulate against dampness.
Building service systems
Those units or systems providing plumbing, sewerage,heating, ventilating, air conditioning, lighting, power, vertical transport, fire protection andspecial services such as public address or oxygen to a building.
Building, single-purpose
A building designed for a specific purpose that cannot be usedfor another purpose without substantial alterations, e.g., a theater or church.
Built-ins
Items like cabinets, counters, desks, benches, shelving and equipmentpermanently attached to the building structure that cannot be removed without leavingevidence of removal. These items are not considered personal property.
Built-up roofing
Two or more layers of tarred felt, joined with bonding or sealing compound.
Bulkhead
A retaining structure of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete erected along thewater for shore protection. Solid fill is usually placed behind it to extend the shore to thebulkhead line.
Bungalow
One-story dwelling unit somewhat more pretentious than a cottage.
Buttress
An external structure, usually brick or stone, built against a wall to support orreinforce it.
Caisson foundation
A foundation system where holes are drilled in the earth to bearingstrata and then filled with concrete.
Chamfer
To bevel or round off a right angle corner.
Canopy
An ornamental roof-like covering supported by posts or suspended from a wall.
Cant strip
A wedge or triangular-shaped piece, generally installed on flat roofs aroundperimeter or at the junction of that roof and an adjoining wall.
Cantilever
A structural member projecting horizontally well beyond its vertical support.
Cap
The capital or uppermost part of a column or post; its function is to transmit supported loads to the column.
Casement window
A type of window having a sash with hinges on one side, allowing window to open vertically like a door.
Catch basin
A chamber designed in a drainage system to intercept solids and prevent their entrance into the system.
Causeway
A raised or paved way (road).
Cavity wall
A masonry or concrete wall consisting of two wythes with air space between them; the inner and outer wythes are tied together with metal ties.
Cellular concrete
Cement based concrete, mixed with fine sand and large amounts of air pockets no aggregate. Lightweight.
Chimney cap
A large stone or formed concrete which finishes the top of a chimney.
Chimney pots
Cylindrical earthenware pots at the top of the chimney shaft.
Clapboard
Siding board of varying widths, with lower edge thicker than upper edge that is covered by lower edge of board above.
Cleat
A strip fastened across something to give strength or hold in position.
Clerestory window
A window or series of windows in a wall above the primary roofline; designed to provide additional lighting and ventilation for the central part of the building.
Cofferdam
A temporary box-like structure used to hold back water or earth while work is being done inside it.
Column
(1) a structurally isolated vertical member which is at least eight to ten times as long as its least lateral dimension designed to carry loads. (2) a vertical structural member supporting horizontal members (beams, girders) designed to transmit load to bearing material at base of column.
Common brick
Local inexpensive clay brick, no uniform face or precision mold.
Composition siding
A manufactured wall covering, often finished in an imitation brick pattern.
Concrete
A hard stone-like material made by mixing sand, an aggregate such as crushed stone or gravel, cement, and water, and allowing the mixture to harden.
Concrete block
Concrete formed into the shape of a block and allowed to set until it hardens. Used as a masonry unit.
Conduit
A pipe or tube. An artificial tunnel used to enclose wires or pipes or to convey water or other fluids.
Construction, brick
A type of construction where the exterior walls are bearing walls(q.v.) made of solid brick and tile masonry.
Construction, brick veneer
A type of construction where the exterior walls are one-layer brick curtain walls backed by a wood frame.
Construction, mill
A type of construction where the exterior walls are substantial masonry bearing walls, the structural members are of heavy timber and further characterized by an open design and other safeguards against fire hazards.
Construction, reinforced concrete
A type of construction where the principalstructural members, such as the floors, columns, etc., are made of concrete poured aroundisolated steel bars or steel meshwork in such manner that the two materials act together inresisting forces.
Construction, steel frame
A type of construction where a framework of steel structuralmembers for the support of all loads and the resistances of all stresses.
Construction, wood frame
A type of construction in which there is a framework ofwooden structural members for the support of all loads and the resistance of all stresses.
Continuous windows
Windows designed for saw-tooth roofs or roof monitors of industrial buildings; generally top hinged and opened by mechanical operators.
Coping
A special capping at the top of a wall, serving principally as a watershed.
Corbel
A supporting bracket of stone, brick or wood projecting from side of wall.
Cornice
A projecting element at the top of a wall, serving principally as a decoration oras part of the coping.
Cottage
One-story to two-story dwelling unit of small size and humble character.
Course
A uniform horizontal layer of brick, stone, terra cotta, shingles, or some otherstructural material, extending continuously around a building or along a wall.
Court
An open space bordered on two or more sides by the walls of a single building, or oftwo or more buildings, and by a lot line or a yard on any side not so bordered.
Craneway
The steel or concrete column and girder supports and rails on which a cranetravels. Oftentimes the craneway is attached to the building frame.
Crawl space
An unfinished, accessible space below the first floor, generally less than full story height.
Cupola
A small building-like structure on a roof.
Curtain wall
An exterior wall that encloses but does not support the structural frame of a building.
Damp proofing
The coating of a surface to prevent the passage of moisture.
Dead load
The weight of the structure itself plus any permanent fixed loads.
Dome
A roof shaped like a hemisphere or inverted bowl, so constructed as to exert equal oblique thrust stresses in all directions.
Dormer
1) a relatively small structure projecting from a sloping roof, 2) a window set upright in the face of such a structure.
Double hung window
A type of window containing two movable sash sections that slide open vertically.
Double tee
A structural member of pre-cast concrete composed of two beams connected by a common slab.
Double wall
An exterior frame wall with siding, sheathing and interior lining.
Downspout
A pipe for carrying rainwater from roof gutters to the ground or the storm sewer system.
Drain tile
Burnt clay tile pipe, rendered impervious to water by glazing; laid with loose unsealed joints or plastic perforated pipe laid next to the foundation wall for drainage.
Dressed and matched
Boards which are finished, or dressed on 1 or 2 sides and tongue and grooved on the edges.
Drilled caisson
A hole drilled into the ground then filled with concrete. Depending on soil conditions, a pipe lining may be included.
Drip edge
A projecting part of a sill or cornice that sheds rainwater and protects structural parts below.
Drop panel
In reinforced concrete slab construction, a thickened portion of the ceiling around a column head for load distribution.
Drywall construction
Any type of interior wall construction not using plaster as a finish material; e.g., wood paneling, plywood, plasterboard, or other type of wallboard.
Duct
A pipe to convey warm or cooled air; pipe containing electrical wires or cables.
Dwelling
Any building or portion thereof designed or occupied in whole or in part as a place of residence.
Dwelling, attached
A multi-family dwelling where the dwelling units are separated vertically by means of common or party walls. See “terrace.”
Dwelling, double
A two-family dwelling that the dwelling units are separated vertically, by means of a common or party wall.
Dwelling, duplex
A two-family dwelling in which the two dwelling units are separated horizontally with a private street entrance for each; i.e., a two-family flat.
Dwelling, multi-family
A building designed as a place of residence for more than two families or households; e.g., an apartment house or tenement.
Dwelling, row
Any one of a series of similar single-family, two-family, or multi-family dwellings having one or more contiguous common, or party walls.
Dwelling unit
Any room or group of rooms designed as the living quarters of one family or household, equipped with cooking and toilet facilities, and having an independent entrance from a public hall or from the outside.
Eaves
The portion of a sloping roof projecting beyond the wall of a building.
Elevation
A drawing representing a projection of any one of the vertical sides or vertical cross-sections of a building or of any other object.
Excavation
A hole or hollow dug in the earth.
Facade
The face of a building, especially one that is decorative or imposing.
Face brick
Generally, a hard burned brick of smooth or rough-texture face, of selected color and size; used to finish the exterior walls of a building.
Fascia
Any relatively broad flat vertical surface like that on the outside of a cornice. A finishing board used to conceal rafter boards.
Felt paper
A paper sheathing on walls and roofs insulating against heat, cold and dampness.
Fenestration
The design and disposition or arrangement of windows or other openings in building walls.
Fiber plank
A decking material composed of wood fibers with moisture and fire-resistive binders often used with bulb tees.
Fiberboard
Fine spun filaments of glass made into yarn, used in wooly masses as insulation. May be added to gypsum or concrete products to increase tensile strength.
Fill
The material used to equalize or to raise topography to a desired grade.
Firebrick
A brick made of fire clay that is capable of resisting high temperatures; used toline heating chambers and fireplaces.
Fire door
Door consisting of a core and external surfaces especially constructed toprevent the spread of fire.
Fireproofing
The use of incombustible materials to protect structural components of abuilding so it can withstand a complete burnout of contents without losing structuralintegrity.
Firewall
A wall of fire-resisting material erected between two parts of a building toprevent the spread of fire from one part to the other.
Flashing
Small metal strips used to prevent leaking of roofs around chimneys, dormers,hops and valleys.
Flat
Any one floor of a building two or more stories high each floor of which constitutes asingle dwelling unit and has a private street entrance.