Practice Management Flashcards
abutment
A buttressing or supporting
structure.
acoustics
The branch of physics that deals
with sound. In architectural application, the
sound qualities of a room or space.
acropolis
In an ancient Greek city, a citadel,
usually on a high plateau.
addenda
Statements or drawings that modify
the basic contract documents after the latter
have been issued to the bidders, but prior to
taking of bids.
addition (to the contract sum)
An amount
added to the contract sum either by an accepted
additive alternate or by change order.
adobe
A sun-dried brick of earth, used in the
American Southwest.
advertisement for bids
Published public
notice soliciting proposals for a construction
project.
aesthetics
The branch of philosophy that
deals with the quality, aspects, and perception
of beauty.
agent
One who acts on behalf of another.
air rights
The rights to the use or control
of space above a property, such as highways,
railroad tracks, or buildings.
albedo
Reflectivity measured as the relative permeability of a surface to radiant energy
flowing in either direction.
alignment
Horizontal or vertical deviation
from the straight or level centerline of the road.
alternate bid
Proposal by a bidder for an
amount to be subtracted from, or added to, the
base bid if the corresponding change in the
work is accepted.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Federal civil rights legislation that establishes
the right of persons with disabilities to equal
access to sites and buildings and sets design
guidelines for its implementation.
amphitheater
An arena encircled by tiers of
seats.
annunciator
An electromagnetic device that
indicates the activation of certain circuits; a
device to signal the existence and location of a
fire in a building.
application for payment
A contractor’s
written request for payment of the amount due
on account of work completed and/or materials
suitably stored on the site. Also called payment
request.
approved equal
Material or method that is
approved by the architect as being equivalent to
what was originally specified.
apse
The eastern or altar end of a church,
usually semicircular in plan
arbitration
An alternative to litigating a dispute, in which one or more arbitrators hears the
evidence and renders a decision.
ashlar
Masonry having a face of square or
rectangular stones.
azulejo
A glazed decorative tile with the
color blue most prominent.
backfill
Earth or other fill material placed
between an outside foundation wall and the
excavation.
baffle
A partial obstruction against flow in a
duct or pipe.
balance
The proportioning of components
by offsetting or contrasting so as to produce an
aesthetic equilibrium in the whole.
Baroque
A style of European architecture
developed in the late Renaissance in reaction
to classical forms, containing elaborate curves,
scrolls, and ornament.
barrier-free provisions
Regulations that
provide for accessibility to buildings and sites
for persons with disabilities.
base bid
The sum of money stated in the bid
for which the bidder offers to do the work, not
including any alternate bids.
base lines
East-west lines from which townships are established on government surveys.
They run perpendicular to meridian lines.
basic services
The architectural sendees
normally required for a building project, usually consisting of schematic design, design
development, construction documents, bidding or negotiation, and construction contract
administration.
bat
A part, usually half, of a broken brick;
also a unit of flat insulation.
batten
A cleat-like member placed across
a series of boards to tie them together; also, a
narrow strip covering the joint between two
vertical boards.
belvedere
A roofed structure or pavilion
located to command a view.
bench
An excavated level terrace in a slope
used to collect running water
benchmark
A relatively permanent surveyor’s mark of known location and elevation.
berm
A bank of earth, often piled up against
a wall.
bid
A proposal by a contractor to do the work
required by the contract documents for a stipulated sum of money.
bid bond
A surety bond guaranteeing that the
bidder will sign a contract, if offered, in accordance with his or her proposal.
bidding documents
The invitation to bid,
instructions to bidders, the bid form, and the
contract documents.
bituminous
Describing cement, mastic, or
roofing material that contains asphalt as a principal ingredient.
blighted area
An area, usually urban, that
has deteriorated in quality and value, and which
functions well below its economic and social
potential.
block
A division of urban land, normally
private property, that is surrounded by public
streets, and which is officially established and
recorded.
bollard
A stone guard to prevent damage to a
wall; also, a freestanding stone or metal post to
divert vehicular traffic.
bonus and penalty clause
A provision in the
construction contract for payment of a bonus to
the contractor for completing the project prior
to a specific date, and for a charge (penalty)
against the contractor for failing to complete
the project by that date.
boring
Drilling into the earth to obtain soil
samples in order to determine soil bearing
capacity.
brise-soleil
A sun break, an architectural
shading device for blocking unwanted sun rays.
BTU
British thermal unit, the amount of heat
required to raise the temperature of one pound
of water 1°F.
building line
A defined limit within a property line beyond which a structure may not
protrude.
caisson
An air chamber without a bottom,
used in excavation through water or mud.
campanile
A bell tower.
cant
To set at a slant from the horizontal or
vertical.
CARREL
a small room in a library
cash allowance
An amount included in the
contract sum to cover the cost of certain items
not specified in detail. Hardware and other finish items are often handled in this manner.
catch basin
A sieve-like device at the
entrance to a storm sewer to trap matter that
could block up the sewer.
catchment
A geographical area from which
the participants in an activity are drawn, such
as the customers of a shopping center or the
employees of a manufacturing plant.
caulk (or calk)
To fill a joint with mastic,
usually done with a pressure gun.
cella
The inner enclosed room of an ancient
temple.
certificate for payment
A statement by the
architect informing the owner of the amount
due the contractor on account of work completed and/or materials suitably stored.
certificate of occupancy
A document issued
by the governing authority stating that a building complies with applicable laws and permitting occupancy for its designated use.
certificate of substantial completion
A
document prepared by the architect stating that
the work is substantially complete, thereby
establishing the date of substantial completion.
It generally fixes the time within which the
contractor must complete the unfinished work
listed.
change in services (of the architect)
Professional services rendered by the architect, upon
the owner’s request, in addition to the basic
sendees identified in the owner-architect agreement. Also called extra services.
change order
A written order to the contractor, prepared by the architect and signed by the
owner, contractor, and architect, that authorizes
a change in the work, the contract sum, or the
contract time.
channelization
The separation of traffic lanes
by use of islands or dividers.
check valve
A valve in a pipe that permits
water to flow only in one direction.
circulation
The flow or movement of people,
goods, vehicles, etc., from place to place.
clerk of the works
The owner’s job site
representative.
climate
The prevailing or average weather
conditions of a place as determined over a
number of years.
clinker
A brick that has been overbumed by
being near the fire in a kiln.
cloverleaf
A type of grade-separated interchange used in highway design. Named for its
shape.
cluster
A method of residential siting in
which a series of housing units are grouped to
form common interior spaces, as well as a unified peripheral space
collector street
A street to w hich minor
streets connect and that, itself, leads to a major
arterial.
color
The sensation resulting from stimulation of the retina of the eye by light waves of
certain lengths; the property of reflecting light
of a particular wavelength.
completion bond
A bond obtained by the
contractor or owner that guarantees that the
project will be completed free of liens.
comprehensive services
The architect’s basic
services expanded to include certain additional
services, such as programming, land use studies, etc.
concave
Hollow and curved inward (e.g., the
inside surface of a hollow sphere).
conductivity
The speed with which energy
(normally heat energy) passes through a given
material after penetrating its surface.
coniferous
Pertaining to cone-bearing trees
and shrubs, mostly evergreens, such as pine,
spruce, fir, cedar, etc.
constellation pattern
A pattern of land use
in which random clusters of development are
connected to one another
construction budget
The sum established by
the owner as available for construction of the
project. See also project budget.
construction change directive
A document,
signed by the owner and the architect, that
authorizes a change in the work, the contract
sum, or the contract time. Used when there
is not complete agreement on the terms of a
change order. See also change order.
construction documents
Working drawings
and specifications.
construction management (CM)
Management services performed by the architect or
others, over and above normal architectural
services, that contribute to the control of time
and cost in the construction of a project.
consultant
An engineer or other specialist
retained by the architect to provide specified
professional services to the architect that the
architect is required to provide to the owner
under the owner-architect agreement.
contingency
An amount of money set aside
in a budget to cover unanticipated expenses.
contingency allowance
An amount included
in a construction budget, normally 5 to 10%, to
provide for unforeseen or unpredictable costs.
contour
An imaginary line of constant elevation on the ground surface used to designate
elevation and describe the form of land surface
graphically.
contract documents
Working draw ings,
specifications, addenda, general conditions of
the contract, supplementary conditions, and the
owner-contractor agreement.
contract sum
The total amount payable by
the owner to the contractor, as stated in the owner-contractor agreement, for performing the
work under the contract documents.
contract time
The period of time within
which the work must be completed, as established in the contract documents.
convection
The distribution of energy (normally heat) by fluid movement of air or water.
convex
Curved outw’ard (e.g., the surface of a
sphere).
cost plus fee contract
An agreement under
wfhich the contractor, or the architect, is reimbursed for his or her costs and, in addition, is
paid a fee for his or her services,
covenant
A deed restriction that regulates
land use, construction materials, appearance,
and aesthetic qualities of an area.
craze
To develop minute surface cracks in
stucco, concrete, or glaze.
critical path method (CPM)
A project
management procedure in which all events
and operations are charted in a way that establishes the optimum sequence and duration of
operations.
CSI MasterFormat
A systematic listing of
construction trades, materials, systems, and
administrative requirements published by the
Construction Specifications Institute (CSI)
for the purpose of organizing construction
specifications.
cul-de-sac
A short road with no outlet, serving only those buildings or properties that
front on it.
culvert
A length of pipe, running under a
road or other barrier, used to drain or carry
water.
curb
A raised margin running along the edge
of a street pavement, usually of concrete.
cut and fill
Earth that is removed and earth
that is added in grading.
dais
A platform raised above floor level.
date of substantial completion
The date,
certified by the architect, when the construction is sufficiently completed, in accordance
with the contract documents, so that the owner
can occupy the project or specified area of the
project for the intended use.
datum
A horizontal plane elevation used as a
reference for other elevations in surveying and
mapping.
Davis-Bacon Act
A federal law that requires
the Department of Labor to set prevailing
wages for government-financed construction
projects.
deciduous
Shedding leaves annually, as contrasted with evergreen.
deed
A written instrument that is used to
transfer property title from one party to another.
density
A measure of the number of people,
families, etc., that occupy a specified area.
deposit for bidding documents
A deposit of
money required of each bidder as security for
the bidding documents, to ensure the return of
the documents by unsuccessful bidders.
design
The arrangement of parts, details,
form, color, etc. so as to produce a complete
entity.
dew point
The temperature at which air
becomes saturated with moisture and condensation occurs.
direct expense
Expense items directly
incurred by, or attributable to, a specific
project.
direct personnel expense (DPE)
Salaries
and wages attributable to a specific project,
plus benefits, such as employment taxes, insurance, sick leave, holidays, vacations, pensions,
and similar contributions and benefits.
Division One
The General Requirements
Division of the specifications that establishes
the administrative and procedural duties of the contractor, architect, and owner during
construction.
double glazing
Two sheets of glass with an
air space between, to insulate against the passage of heat or sound.
drainage
The system by which excess water
and wastes are controlled, collected, transported, and disposed.
drain tile
Clay pipe, usually with open joints,
to convey water away from a footing or to disperse fluid in a septic tank field.
dry well
A pit, usually filled with coarse
stone, into which water is conducted for leaching out into surrounding soil.
due care
The requirement that a professional
exercise reasonable ability and judgment in a
specific circumstance, the absence of w’hich
constitutes negligence. Also called standard of
care.
duomo
A dome, hence often a cathedral.
dwelling unit
An independent living area that
includes its own private cooking and
bathing facilities.
earthwork
The modifications involved in
altering existing topography.
easement
A legal right that an individual or
the public may have to use or have access to a
portion of another person’s land.
effective temperature
Sensation produced
by the combined effects of absolute temperature, relative humidity, and air movement.
elevation
The height above a known point of
reference, often taken as the height above sea
level.
eminent domain
The right of a public
agency to expropriate private property for public use.
entasis
The slight convexity of a column,
used to give an impression of vertical strength.
erosion
The gradual wearing away or disintegration of land caused by water running over its
surface, wind, etc.
esquisse
A preliminary sketch or plan.
estimate
A forecast of probable costs, as
opposed to a firm bid.
evergreen
Having green leaves throughout
the year, as opposed to deciduous.
excavation
The digging or removal of earth
or soil, as for a foundation.
exedra
A semicircular open area, with or
without a roof, providing a continuous seat.
express warranty
A legally enforceable
promise made by the warrantor.
extra
An item of work involving additional
cost. See also addition (to the contract sum).
facade
The exterior face of a building, usually the front.
faience
Enameled clay products.
fast track
A construction technique in which
construction on each phase of a project is
begun when its design is completed, without
waiting for overall project design completion.
fast-track construction
A construction technique by which construction on each element
of a project is begun as soon as the design for
that element is completed, without waiting for
completion of the design for the entire project.
Its principal objective is to shorten the overall
construction time.
fault
The boundary between adjacent rock
plates along which movement may take place
during an earthquake.
FHA
Federal Housing Administration.
Founded in 1934 to provide mortgage
insurance.
final completion
The completion of all work
in accordance with the terms and conditions of
the contract documents.
fire brick
Brick composed of clay not containing any fusible material, which can resist
high temperatures.
fire wall
A wall resistant to the spread of fire
float
The extra time available for a construction activity above its estimated time duration, without causing any delay of project
completion.
floor area ratio
The ratio between the gross
floor area of a building and its site area.
FNMA
Federal National Mortgage Association (Fannie Mae), an agency whose function
is to stabilize the housing market by purchasing mortgages or providing mortgage money
directly
form
The shape, outline, or configuration of a
structure or the parts of a structure that gives it
its distinctive appearance,
freeway
A high-speed, multiple-lane highway designed to move traffic smoothly and
without interruption.
frieze
A horizontal band on a vertical surface,
located beneath a cornice, sometimes decorated
with relief sculpture.
frost line
The limit of penetration of soil by
frost.
furring
Attaching wood or metal strips to a
rough wall, to provide a flat plane for the finish
or to provide an air space.
gazebo
A belvedere or viewing place.
general conditions
The part of the contract
documents that states the rights, responsibilities, and relationships of the parties involved,
usually by means of a standard document published by the American Institute of Architects.
