GLOSSARY
A
C
Alloy: A mixture or solid solution composed of a metal and another element.
Cantilever: A beam anchored at only one end.
Axial Load: A force administered along the lines of an axis. Axial load is also known as longitudinal loads. Transverse loads are perpendicular to the longitudinal length of the member.
B
Column: The vertical support which is free from all sides taking the load of beam slab etc. and transfers the load to the earth independently. Composite Beam: A beam combining different materials to work as a single unit.
Beam: a structural element that is capable of withstanding load primarily by resisting bending.
Compression: the application of balanced inward forces to different points on a material or structure.
Bearer: A horizontal member of a scaffold on which the platform rests and which may be supported by ledgers.
Concrete Plank: A hollow-core or solid, flat beam used for floor or roof decking. Concrete planks are usually precast and pre-stressed.
Bending: Caused by rotating either end of the material in opposite to its axis.
Cornice: An ornament mold of wood or plaster that encircles a room just below the ceiling.
Bracing: Ties & rods used for supporting and strengthening various part of a building used for lateral stability for columns and beams. Buckling: In a compression member or compression portion of a member, the load at which is bending progresses without an increase in the load. It is the collapse of a slender vertical element, which has been subjected to compression, leading to a sudden sideways deflection.
D Deflection: The bending of a structural member as a result of its own weight or an applied load. Door Furniture: All the items or ironworks that are fixed into a door. Example: Handles, knobs, and locks.
Down Pipe: A pipe to carry rainwater from a roof to a drain or to ground level.
various forms; I-beam cross-section, but may also have a box shape, Z shape or other forms.
Drip: A groove in the underside of a projection, such as a windowsill, that prevents water from running back into the building wall.
Gutter: A channel at the eaves or on the roof of a building, for carrying off rainwater.
E
H
Eave: The bottom edges of a roof.
I
F
Insulation: Material used to reduce the effects of heat, cold, or sound or any material, device, or technique that provides protection against fire or the transfer of electricity, heat, cold, moisture, or sound.
Flashing: A thin, impervious sheet of material placed in construction to prevent water penetration or direct the flow of water. Flashing is used especially at roof hips and valleys, roof penetrations, joints between a roof and a vertical wall, and in masonry walls to direct the flow of water and moisture.
J
Force: An influence, which tends to change the motion of an object.
Joist: A horizontal supporting members that runs between foundations, walls, or beams to support a ceiling or floor.
Frame: a structural system that supports other components of a physical construction.
K
G
L
Girder: A beam, as of steel, wood, or reinforced concrete, used as a main horizontal support in a building or bridge. It can be found in
Load: Forces, deformations, or accelerations applied to a structure or its component.
Lintel: A horizontal supporting member, installed above an opening such as a window or a door, that serves to carry the weight of the wall above it. Lintels can be a load-bearing building component, a decorative architectural element, or a combined ornamented structural item. It is often found over portals, doors, windows, and fireplaces.
M Mass Construction: A building construction approach using masonry, adobe, or other building materials that can lessen the extremes of diurnal flux, especially in arid climates. Moment: The tendency to cause rotation about a point or an axis. Moment of Inertia: It is a measure of an object’s resistance to changes in its rotation rate. In a structural member, the product of each element of mass times the square of the distance from an axis.
O P Pad Footing: A thick slab-type foundation used to support a structure or a piece of equipment. Parapet: A part of a wall that extends above the roof level. Portal Frame: One kind of construction method using steel or steelreinforced precast concrete although or laminated timber such as glulam. The connections between the columns and the rafters are designed to be moment-resistant so they can carry bending forces. Purlin: Any longitudinal, horizontal, structural member in a roof except a type of framing with what is called a crown plate.
Q
N
R
Noggin: Also known as brick nog or beam filling. It is a construction technique in which bricks are used to fill the vacancies in a wooden frame. The walls then may be covered with tile, weatherboards or rendered.
Rafter: A series of sloped structural members (beams) that extend from the ridge or hip to the wall plate, downslope perimeter or eave. It is designed to support the roof deck and its associated loads.
Retaining Wall: Structures designed to restrain soil to unnatural slopes. It is usually a great way to add visual interest to a garden or to create separate levels on a sloping block in order to maximize the usable garden space.
S Sandwich Panel: A panel (usually prefabricated) formed by bonding two thin facings to a thick and usually lightweight core.
Slab on Ground: Concrete slabs are similar to beams in the way they span horizontally between supports and may be simply supported, continuously supported or cantilevered. Normally used as floors and roof systems. Slabs are poured directly into excavated trenches in the ground and rely entirely on the existing ground for support.
Shadow Line Joint: In a panel system, edges and joints create a shadow between the panel and the extrusion.
Soffit: The underside of any constructing element. A soffit can be the underside of; • An arch or architrave • A flight or stairs • A projecting cornice • The side of a chimney • The exposed undersurface of any exterior overhanging section of a roof eave (bottom edge) • The wall into which loudspeakers are mounted in a recording studio • A drop down box used to mount a kitchen ventilation hood under a sloped or high ceiling
Shear Force: Force acting on a body, which tends to slide one portion of the body against the other side of causing a sliding action.
Spacing: The distance between two objects in reference to their centerlines.
Skirting: Timber or PVC that is span across the lower part of a wall to provide extra detailing and aesthetic finish. The skirting are be fixed to the walls with nails, screws, or fixed with adhesives.
Span: The entire horizontal distance between structural supports or the width of a house.
Sealant: Typically lower strength, yet flexible, bonding agents used between substrates of differing physical properties to form a seal between the materials. Seasoned Timber: Reducing the moisture content of wood before its use. It is also known as seasoning lumber or wood seasoning.
Steel Decking: A type of cold-formed corrugated metal most
commonly used to support the insulating membrane of a roof. Stamping and pressing traditional sheet steel into the desired shape create this kind of decking. Upon installation, it provides extra support between the roof’s joists and beams. Stress: The amount of force exerted per unit area. Strip Footing: A continuous foundation of which the length considerably exceeds the breadth. Structural Joint: A junction where building elements meet without applying a static load from one element to another. Stud: A vertical framing member in a building's wall of smaller cross section than a post
U V Vapor Barrier: Material used to prevent the passage of vapor or moisture into a structure or another material, thus preventing condensation within them.
W Window Sash: Any window (usually a double-hung window) with a vertically or horizontally sliding sash.
X
Substructure: The foundation of a building that supports the superstructure. The structural work below ground level used to support the structure above.
Y
T
Z
Tension: The pulling force exerted by each end of a string, cable, chain, or similar one-dimensional continuous object, or by each end of a rod, truss member, or similar three dimensional object. Top Chord: The top member of a truss system, it does not have to be horizontal.