01 Glossary of Building Technology

Paper 0119V8-0
Glossary of Building Technology
Contents
1. Learning outcomes
2. Introduction
3. Glossary
4. Figures
Glossary of Building Technology Paper 0119 Page 2
1 Learning outcomes
After studying this paper you should be able to:
z Recognise the primary construction and technology terms, and be able to use
these to answer building technology issues.
z Explain the specialist terminology.
z Extend your range of technological knowledge.
z Explain how a common construction language aids communication between

the various professions in a multidisciplinary industry.
2 Introduction
Over centuries the construction industry has developed its own set of specialised
terms and acronyms. Like any industry, the vocabulary used creates jargon, creating a
mystique which is particularly daunting for students starting the building technology
units of a course. This development has included variations in terms by country and
even by region.
It is important for students, unfamiliar with construction or terminology used in

English construction textbooks, to use this as a primer and to seek understanding of
the terms used in construction.
Building professionals have a tendency to focus strongly on their own specialised

area of expertise at the expense of a holistic understanding of the methodology of
design, buildability and the general needs of building owners and users. The purpose
of this paper therefore is to provide a broad understanding of the whole culture of the
commonly used terms which occur throughout the building technology papers and
course construction textbooks.
Terminology is arranged in alphabetical order covering relevant building terms which

occur in the building technology papers and associated course material. Cross-
references to associated definitions are also included.
Scottish terminology is indicated with the letter (S), e.g. Harle (S). Several websites
offer construction dictionaries, glossaries, etc. Do confirm any information from these
with a credible source, as regional or country differences do occur, together with
errors in interpretation.
3 Glossary
Reference
Figure no.
Abrasive Material used in smoothing and levelling
painted and finished surfaces, e.g. glass
paper, pumice stone, carborundum.
Abutment (1) 1 End support or pier designed to withstand the
end thrust of an arch.
See also Pier.
Abutment (2) 2 The junction where building elements meet.
See also Firrings.
Accelerator Chemical added during manufacture of
gypsum plaster or production of concrete to
speed setting and airing times.
Access floor 97 See Platform floor, Raised floor.
Accommodation stair Generally an access stair provided in offices
or public buildings for the convenience of the
occupiers but not designated a fire escape
stair (under Part B of UK Building
Regulations).
Accrington brick Hard, red Lancashire brick (UK) of high
mushing strength.
See also Engineering brick.
Acetylene Gas (C2H2) produced commercially, used in
conjunction with oxygen to produce intense
heat for welding metals.
See also Oxyacetylene plant.
Acoustics The science of sound
Acoustic construction The reduction of airborne or impact sound
through a building by the application of
discontinuous or dense construction.
Acrow prop 3 A proprietary adjustable metal strut,
sometimes referred to as a screw jack, used to
provide temporary support to part of a
construction or to other temporary works such
as timbering or formwork.
Acrylic resin Thermoplastic possessing excellent optical
properties and good mechanical strength.
See also Thermoplastics.
Admixture A material added to concrete or mortar as it
is being mixed in order to modify its
properties.
Aggregate Loose particles of inorganic materials bound
into a compact mass by cementitious material
(concrete, plasters) e.g. gravel, hardcore,
MOT type 1.
See also All-in-one aggregate, Hardcore.
Agrément Certificate 4 Issued by the British Board of Agrément,

these certificates provide evidence of the
suitability of materials, components, or
processes for use in construction.
See also British Standards.
Airborne sounds See Acoustics.
Air brick Perforated building block inserted in general
construction to allow air movement through
walls and floor voids.
Common sizes 102 × 65 mm, 102 × 140 mm.
Air conditioning A system for regulating the humidity,
ventilation and temperature in a building.
Air-entrained concrete Concrete containing air trapped in tiny
bubbles which improves the resistance to
frost damage. Mainly used in road
construction.
Air test Minimum standards for test procedures on
foul drainage systems.
All-in-one aggregate Aggregate containing a proportion of various
sizes of material obtained from a pit, quarry
or dredging operation.
Alloy A metallic material containing two or more
metals, e.g. brass (copper and zinc), bronze
(copper and zinc and tin). All non-ferrous
(rust-resisting).
Anaglypta Stout embossed paper used as a relief
decoration on ceilings and walls.
See also Paper hanging.
Anchor 5 Metal tie built into masonry to prevent
movement, e.g. coping stone fishtailed
anchor, or to provide structural lateral support
to roof wall plates, e.g. strap anchors.
See also Ground anchor, Grounds.
Anchorage In earthworks, a device or process for
anchoring the end of rods or cables used for
ground anchors.
Ancient lights A right to light flowing over adjoining land to
existing windows: shall not be unreasonably
obstructed.
Angle bead Expanded metal (galvanised or stainless steel)
or plastic angle strips 50 × 1,800 mm to give
a slight rounded reinforced edge to plastered
corners.
Angle cleat 24 Short piece of steel bolted or welded to the
ends of secondary beam forming a connection
between it and the primary beam (main
beam).
See Cleat.
Angle fillet Strip of wood, mortar or mastic asphalt of
triangular section used for covering joints or
internal angles.
Angle of repose The state of equilibrium in which granular
materials remain stable without further sliding
or collapse, e.g. wet sand 25º, rubble stone
45º.
See also Friction.
Anhydrous lime Chemical name for quicklime.

See also Lime.
Annealing Process of heating metals, alloys or glass,
then allowing to cool slowly to increase
malleability/ductility of metals and create less
brittle glazing, e.g. toughened safety glass.
Anodising Application of a protective oxide coating on
aluminium by electrolysis.
Anti-siphon pipe Air vent in a drainage system to prevent
induced siphonage.
Apex The highest point of a structure.
Approved Documents The Building Regulation documents of
England and Wales imposing requirements on
design and building operations.
Approximate quantities Provisional estimate of materials and labour
in building operations.
See also Provisional quantities.
Apron A length of metal, usually lead, fixed into a
groove (raggle) in masonry to cover and
protect a joint with a roof.
Apron flashing Sheet lead or non-ferrous covering at the
junction between a vertical surface and a
pitched roof.
Apron lining Horizontal boards forming a vertical face to a
stairwell.
Apse A domed, arched, semi-circular domed area
or recess.
Arcade A number of arched openings resting on piers
or columns giving access to a vaulted
corridor.
See also Arch.
Arch 6 Arrangement of separate units (bricks, stone
blocks) supporting each other forming a
curved structure bridging an opening.
See also Axed arch, Camber, Centring,
Extrados, Intrados, Soffit, Voussoir.
Architectural High-quality or purpose-designed metal
ironmongery fittings, used throughout buildings, including
door and window furniture.
Architrave 7 Decorative trim fixed internally around doors
and window openings masking the joint to
conceal differential movement of materials
and components.
See also Plinth block, Skirting.
Area Sunken area around a building to allow light
into a basement. Also the surface space of a
building.
See also Gross area, Net area.
Arisings Material produced as a result of excavation.
See also Spoil.
Arris Sharp edge where two plane surfaces meet,
such as a corner of a joinery component or
masonry.
See also Bond, Frog.
Ashlar Accurately dressed blocks of stone, built in

courses with fine joints and flush surfaces.
Aspect The direction that a building faces, e.g.
orientation of elevations or rooms (northerly
aspect).
Asphalt Bitumen mixed with mineral aggregates
(limestone), e.g. asphalting – application of
mastic asphalt for waterproofing.
Assembly drawings Production or working drawings that detail
the junctions between the elements and
components of a building.
Astragal A sash bar for subdividing a window sash
into smaller panes.
Atrium 8 A skylit central court rising through several
storeys with galleries and rooms off at each
level.
Attenuators A material or device used to interrupt and
reduce sound levels.
Audibility The limits of frequency of sound between 20
and 20,000 hertz, i.e. audibility testing of fire
alarms.
See also Decibel.
Auger 9 A mechanical device similar to a rotary drill,
used to bore large-diameter holes in the soil.
See Piling.
Awning A fabric or metal covering to protect parts of
a building primarily from the sun.
Axed arch Structure of bricks roughly cut to form the
voussoirs of an arch.
See also Voussoir.
Axonometric projection 101 Three-dimensional (bird’s-eye view) of
buildings, interiors and general layouts, the
top view being a true plan with 45º × 45º or
30º × 60º projected lines.
See also Isometric, Oblique, Orthographic
projection.
Reference
Figure no.
Back-flap hinge 10 A hinge that is surface fixed rather than edge
fixed.
Balanced flue 11 A flue used with a gas boiler that incorporates
the air intake with the exhaust.
Ballast An aggregate that contains particles of
several sizes.
See Aggregate.
Baluster 129 Vertical rods, often moulded or decorated,
forming the barrier at the side of a staircase.
Balustrade 129 The combination of handrail and balusters
protecting the side of a staircase.
Banksman A person assigned to work particularly with
mechanical equipment, to ensure the safety of
persons on or near the machinery, and to
advise the machine operator of aspects of the
work.
Barge board 62 The board fixed to the verge of a pitched roof
to hide and protect the gable/roof interface.
Barrel vault roof 116 A roof consisting of two or more curved
shells in parallel.
Base course In road construction, the under layer of the
surfacing in flexible pavement construction.
Batching The process that selects the proportions for
the mix and mixes concrete.
Batt 15 The retained portion of a cut brick such as a
half-batt, quarter-batt, etc.
Batten 49 A relatively small-section timber. Tile battens
are the timbers to which roof tiles or slates
are secured.
See also Eaves.
Baulks Large-section timbers most frequently used
for temporary works such as shoring.
Typically timbers are more than 225 mm ×
225 mm in section.
Beaded Having a small projecting moulding usually
rounded in section (also cockbeaded).
Bearer 59 Usually a timber member that assists in
carrying a load. In shutters, bearers are used
to support the sheet material in contact with
the concrete.
Bed A layer of material forming a platform on
which subsequent construction can be carried
out.
Beehive dovecote (Scots A dovecote circular on plan and built in stone
‘doocot’ – see Doocot) and shaped like a beehive. Usually built with
horizontal projecting rings at intervals to
guard against entry of vermin.
Bellcast The slight flattening of the pitch of a roof at

the eaves by the insertion of a short tapered
piece of timber below the slates or tiles to
give a graceful finish, like the rim of a bell.
Bellmouth A treatment at the base of a wall or window
head where the render, roughcast or harling is
brought out to form a drip, usually with a
base of expanded metal.
BEMS Building energy management system. A
computerised management tool for
monitoring and controlling energy usage in
buildings.
Benching 72 In manhole or inspection chamber
construction, benching is used to ensure that
liquids are directed to the drainage channel.
Bentonite Finely ground montmorillonite clay which,
when mixed with water, forms a thixotropic
slurry filling for excavation voids which
exerts pressure. Often used in groundworks.
Birdsmouth 111 A vee-shaped notch cut in a rafter in order to
secure it to the wall plate.
Bitumen A by-product of the oil industry widely used
as a waterproofing compound and in bitumen
macadam.
Bitumen macadam See Tarmacadam.
Blinding 60 A thin layer of hoggin, gravel, or weak
concrete used mainly under foundations or
ground floor construction in order to provide
a clean and level working platform.
Blocking The square finishing course above a cornice
or cope.
Blockwork Masonry construction using preformed
concrete or similar blocks.
Building Management A computerised system which integrates and
System (BMS) manages multiple systems, e.g. fire alarms,
flood detection, energy, etc.
Bolection moulding (S) 88 A small timber moulding used to cover and
decorate joins in timber construction such as
doors and stairs.
Bond 15 In brickwork and other masonry, the
arrangement of the individual units to prevent
continuous vertical joints. In brickwork, a
number of different bonds are used mainly for
architectural effect. For example: English
bond, Flemish bond, header bond, stretcher
bond, garden wall bond, etc.
Boning rod 12 A T-shaped unit used in drainage to ensure
that the drains are laid to the correct falls.
Boot lintel Cranked reinforced concrete lintel popular in
the 1950s and 1960s.
Borehole 95 A hole produced in the soil by an auger
usually for construction of piles.
Boule or Bool (S) Rounded stone used with clay for wall
building. (Scottish ‘bool’ for Bowl or boy’s
marble.)
Box gutter 13 A rainwater gutter of rectangular cross
section.
Brace The diagonal member at the back of a

framed-and-lined door to stiffen the framing
and prevent sagging.
Breakwater 14 In sea defence works, a construction similar
to a groyne intended to reduce the damage
caused by wave action.
BREEAM Building Research Establishment
Environmental Assessment Method –
calculation and certification of the quality of a
completed building’s energy efficiency.
Breeze block A building block that uses coke breeze as the
aggregate.
See Blockwork.
Bricks cut for bonding See Bond.
British Standards A numbered publication of the British
Standards Institution describing the quality or
dimensions of a manufacture, such as pipes or
bricks. EN and ISO numbered publications
are European and international standards.
British Standards The British organisation for standardising, by
Institution agreement between maker and user, the
methods of test and dimensions of materials
as well as codes of practice. It also works to
produce British, European and international
standards.
Broaching The facing of stone – usually of ashlar
finished with a mason’s pointed chisel to give
a lined finish (diagonal or horizontal).
Brownfield development Project built on a site previously of low value,
industrial or contaminated use.
Brownfield site A potential construction site that has been
developed or used at an earlier time.
Buildability The ease with which the designer’s details are
able to be interpreted and constructed on site.
Built-up membranes Layers of roof covering, usually bituminous-
impregnated rolls, laid in several staggered
layers.
Bus bar High-capacity electrical conductor on a
consumer control unit.
Bush hammering A process for removing the surface of
concrete to expose the aggregate and impose
a fine texture achieved by mechanical
hammering with a shaped bit.
See Scabbling.
Butt hinge 16 A simple hinge that is let into both hinged
members producing a flush finish.
Butt joint A flush but unconnected join between two
similar units.
Reference
Figure no.
Caisson 17 A permanent hollow construction used
underground or underwater to provide safe,
dry working conditions for sub-surface
constructions.
See Cofferdam.
Calorifiers A heat exchanger that allows the transfer of
heat from high-temperature water to cooler
water.
Camber 6 The gently arched beam on its upper surface.
Can (S) (Chimney pot) 140 The fireclay or metal terminal on top of
chimneystack at end of a flue.
Candela The SI unit of luminous intensity.
Capillary groove 18 A small groove typically in the underside of a
sill to prevent capillary attraction across the
surface.
Carriageway Paving which carries traffic, e.g. vehicles or
pedestrians; road or pavement.
Casement, casement 18 The term used to describe a made-up window
window or part of a window hinged vertically to open
like a door.
Castellated beam A steel beam formed from a standard steel
section by introducing circular or hexagonal
holes through the web thus reducing the dead
load.
Catchment area In surface water drainage, the collection area
from which water is drained into the drainage
system.
Catchpits 19 In surface water drainage catchpits are used
to separate out heavy particles such as grit.
Cavetto A hollow or concave moulding in the form of
a quadrant.
Cavity barrier 56 A fire protection arrangement that fits into
and fills a cavity to prevent the spread of fire.
Cavity tie 20 A plastic or metal unit used in cavity wall
construction to tie the inner and outer leaves
of the wall together.
Cavity wall 60 A wall consisting of two leaves or skins
separated by a narrow cavity.
Ceiling joist 111 The horizontal timber in roof construction
that extends across the roof tying in the ends
of the rafters.
Ceiling tie Another name for a ceiling joist.
Cementitious grout A thin grout which contains cement with or
without other materials.
Cement ratio The amount of cement (usually by weight)
contained in a concrete or mortar mix as a
proportion of the total.
Centring or centering 6 Temporary support or formwork to an arch.
Cesspool An underground container designed to hold
foul sewage until such time as it can be
emptied and the sewage disposed of safely.
Chainman A person nominated to assist a surveyor,

normally for measurement.
Chamfer 21 A corner or edge that has been cut at an angle
usually 45º.
Chase A groove cut into a wall, etc. to accommodate
services such as electrical wiring conduit.
Cheek The side (also called Haffit (S)). Usually the
external side of a dormer window.
Cherry-cocking or Small stone or slate filling in the beds and
Cherrycaulking (S) joints of masonry.
Chimney breast 22 That part of a chimney construction that
projects into a room.
Chimneyhead, 139 The part of the chimney projecting beyond a
Chimneystack or roof or gable.
Chimneyshaft
Cill 119 An alternative spelling for sill.
Cladding 23 Material and components used to complete
the external envelope of a framed building.
Cleat 24 A small bracket used to support another load-
carrying member.
See also Angle cleat.
Clinkstone Hard form of felspar which rings when
struck.
Close-couple roof 111 A pitched roof which consists of rafters tied
together with ceiling ties.
Closer 15 In masonry, a small cut unit used to maintain
the bond at openings and quoins.
See Batt.
Cockle shells Shells of edible sea mollusc used as cheap
way of producing lime by burning.
Cofferdam 25 A temporary usually circular construction
used to ensure safe, dry working conditions
for work underground or underwater.
See Caisson.
Cohesionless soil Soils with low or no cohesion such as sand
and gravel.
See Cohesive soil.
Cohesive soil Soils such as clay or silt having a high
coefficient of cohesion.
See Cohesionless soil.
Coke breeze A lightweight aggregate formed by a
refractory process.
Collar 111 A horizontal member in roof construction that
ties the purlins to prevent lateral spreading.
Column 26 A vertical member in a structural frame.
See Abutment, Pier, Stanchion.
Common joist 27 A floor joist that spans the full width of the
supporting construction.
Commons Relatively cheap hard clay bricks that are not
suitable for faced work.
Compartmentation The subdivision of floor areas into
compartments to assist in the control of fire.
Composite floor 28 A floor construction which uses more than

one structural material.
Conduit 29 Circular or rectangular trunking that contains
electrical wiring.
Conglomerate Rock composed of rounded fragments in a
cement of hardened clay or sand.
Contiguous piling 30 A technique used in diaphragm walling
whereby bored piles are constructed so that
they are touching thus forming a continuous
wall underground.
See Secant piling.
Cope, Coping 31 The top course of masonry in a wall or
parapet, usually sloping or weathered.
Corbel 32 A projection of stone, timber, etc. jutting out
from a wall to support a load.
Cornice 33 An ornamental moulding round the wall of a
room just below the ceiling, or a horizontal
moulded projection crowning a building or
structure, especially the uppermost member
of the entablature of an order, surmounting
the frieze.
Counterfort 34 Sloping buttresses constructed at intervals
along a retaining wall to reduce the stresses in
the wall.
See Retaining wall.
Couple rafter E.g. coupled roof – a roof supported by pairs
of rafters.
Couple roof 111 A roof with untied rafters pitched two ways
about the ridge.
See Ceiling tie.
Courses A row of bricks, blocks or masonry forming a
level line in a wall.
Coursers (S) Squared stones, usually with roughly dressed
faces laid in courses.
Coving 35 A concave arch or arched moulding,
especially one formed or attached at the
junction of a wall with a ceiling.
Cramps A tool or tools used for squeezing or holding
together, e.g. for squeezing together wooden
parts during gluing.
CRCP Continuously reinforced concrete pavement.
A form of rigid road construction that avoids
the need for movement joints.
Cripple rafter 69 A rafter that does not extend to the wall plate.
Typically a rafter that fits between a hip and a
valley.
Crosswall construction 36 A form of construction where the major
structural walls are at right angles to the long
elevation of the building.
Crowstep or Corbiestep Stepped ends on top of stone gable taking the
(S) place of a sloping cope on a skew.
Cruck A timber roof support consisting of a short

upright post continued on top with a sloping
rafter (or steeple): sometimes in one piece as
cut from a tree or elaborately jointed and
fixed with wooden pegs. The ends of the
cruck in Scotland were usually set upon stone
ledges in the wall about 300 mm (1 ft) above
floor level. The crucks were set at about
1.80–3.0 m (6–10 ft) centres supporting rough
purlins above.
Curing A procedure to ensure that concrete develops
its strength slowly and under satisfactory
conditions.
Cut roof 37 A roof constructed in situ as opposed to a
trussed rafter roof.
Cuttings In civil engineering an excavation to reduce
levels resulting in a formation level below the
adjoining ground level.
Cylinder lock Barrel-shaped security lock incorporating
mechanical lateral pins capable of a large
number of differs.
See Rim lock.
Reference
Figure no.
Dado 38 The lower part of an interior wall of a room
visually distinct from the upper part. Also the
area between a plinth and the cornice of a
column.
Dado panelling is panelling which
terminates below ceiling level.
A dado rail is a horizontal timber or plaster
moulding fixed approximately 1 m above
floor level or the top rail of dado panelling.
Datum A fixed point or level from which other
points or levels are determined.
Daylight factor The ratio of the illumination received at a
point indoors as a percentage of the
illumination received simultaneously by a
point outdoors.
Dba scale Measured in decibels, a sound level scale
considered to correlate well with subjective
judgements of loudness.
Dead shore 117 Temporary or semi-permanent vertical strut
used to transfer loads from a structure to the
ground or foundation especially during
alterations to a building.
See Acrow prop; Flying, Raking, Riding
shore.
Decibel A unit (one-tenth of a bel) used in the
comparison of two power levels of sound
intensities.
Demountable A form of construction that permits
components to be taken down and reused
elsewhere. Usually applied to partitions.
Dentil course Cube shaped tooth-like projections used to
decorate stonework.
Derated A procedure used to reduce the safe working
load of mechanical equipment thus increasing
the factor of safety. Most frequently applied
when plant used mainly for lifting materials
is adapted to lift people.
Dew point The temperature at which condensation forms
on a surface or within a construction.
See Interstitial condensation, Vapour
barrier
Dewatering A process used to remove or reduce the water
content of soils in which excavation is to be
undertaken.
See also Electro-osmosis, Soil stabilisation,
Wellpoint.
DHS Double hung sash window – a window with
two independent sashes.
Diaphragm wall (cavity 39 A form of masonry construction for very
wall) thick external walls where relatively thin
inner and outer leaves are stabilised by
diaphragms constructed at right angles in the
cavity.
See also Cavity wall.
Diaphragm wall 40 A form of retaining wall usually constructed

(retaining wall) in advance of excavation of a basement or
shaft. Also used to form the waterproof
membrane beneath a dam.
See also Contiguous piling, Secant piling.
District heating A technique for heating a number of buildings
using a single local or distant energy source.
Dog 41 A fixing device, usually of wrought iron, and
resembling a large staple (about 100 mm
wide), used mainly for connecting baulks of
timber for temporary works such as shoring.
Dog-leg stair 42 A staircase that in plan, turns through an
angle at one or more points in its length.
Dolphin An isolated construction in water usually of
timber or concrete piles, for the purpose of
mooring vessels.
Doorsets The ironmongery necessary to complete the
installation of a door. Generally comprising
hinges, handles, lockset, escutcheon plates,
etc.
Dormer window 43 A window constructed into a prepared
opening in a pitched roof and projecting from
the roof.
See also Lantern light, Rooflight.
Dormer window: other ‘Internal dormer’: window set back vertically
configurations from the roof pitch.
‘Partial dormer’: window partially set below
the external wall/fascia line.
‘Polygonal piended’: pitched dormer with a
bay window.
Double glazing 44 A glazing system that uses two panes of glass
either to improve thermal insulation or to
reduce noise transmission.
Double-gauge lap Laying of slate whereby at each nail hole
there are three layers of slate and elsewhere
two layers. Normal practice in roofs of houses
and public buildings as compared with byres
where single-lap open slating was often
employed.
Double-roman tile 45 An interlocking tile that simulates a Roman
roof tiled roof finish.
Dovecote or Doocot (S) Pigeon house or loft either in a separate
building or incorporated in the roof or gable
of a building.
Dowel 46 A short length of rod, usually hardwood, used
to connect or joint two units. Frequently used
to joint the main members in timber door
construction.
Downpipes Pipes that transfer surface water from a
rainwater gutter to the drainage system.
DPC (damp-proof 60 A waterproof membrane built into the
course) construction to prevent the movement of
water through the construction. Normally in a
wall.
DPM (damp-proof 60 Having the same function as a DPC, a DPM
membrane) is most usually necessary to prevent moisture
penetrating ground floor construction or
similar.
Dragon tie A timber member used in roof work to

connect two wall plates at right angles to each
other and thus prevent spreading.
Drencher In fire protection, drenchers are similar to
sprinklers but delivering a curtain of spray
and used mainly on external faces of
buildings.
Drip 119 A groove, moulding, or similar, designed to
encourage water to drip from the wetted
surface rather than pass across it.
See also Rebate.
Drove To dress the face of stone by forming incised
scores or lines either horizontally or
diagonally.
Dry lining Plasterboard wall panels applied to timber or
metal framed walls and partitions.
Dry riser 47 In firefighting, a vertical supply pipe installed
in a building which allows water to be
pumped from outside the building to all floor
levels within the building.
See Wet riser.
Dry-bulb temperature The temperature recorded on a standard
thermometer.
See Wet-bulb thermometer.
Drystone or Drystane (S) Masonry wall built without mortar.
Duct A channel, tube, or void for the conveyance
of air, gasses, or fluids, or for carrying
electrical cables, pipework.
See also Conduit.
Dumper or dump-truck 48 An item of mechanical plant used mainly to
transport excavated materials.
Dyke A stone wall built without mortar, e.g.
drystone/drystane (S) dyke.
Reference
Figure no.
Earth-retaining wall Compacted soil-retaining structure with
geotextile reinforcement or ground anchors.
Eaves 49 That part of a roof that overhangs the external
wall and usually carries the rainwater gutter.
See also Verge.
Efflorescence Powdery white crystals that appear on the
surface of brickwork or other masonry as
moisture is drawn out by drying.
Elastomeric Polymeric materials that tend to be more
resistant to chemicals and solvents. They are
generally more elastic, and therefore more
resistant to thermal shock, with better thermal
recovery. Includes EPDM (ethylene
propylene diene terpolymer [monomer]) and
butyl rubber.
Electro-osmosis 50 A soil mechanics procedure that uses an
electrical current to encourage the flow of
water in cohesive soils.
Elevation Orthographic projection as a means of
drawing independent views of a building’s
plane surfaces or elevations.
See also Section, Plan.
Embankment An elevated formation created by filling
above the natural level of the ground usually
for road construction.
Emissivity A measure of the rate at which heat (or light)
is emitted from an emitting body such as a
radiator.
Energy conservation A management technique for limiting or
reducing the amount of energy required to
produce and/or operate buildings.
Engineering brick A very hard, waterproof brick used where
high strength or water resistance is required.
Examples are Staffordshire Blues, and
Southwater Reds.
Ergonomics The dimensional and spatial study of the
efficiency of persons in their working
environment.
Espagnolette bolt 52 A bolt used to secure a door or window that
has several latching positions.
Expanded metal lathing 53 Perforated thin galvanised or stainless sheet
(EML) steel that can be used as the background for
plastering. Also available in narrow strips for
reinforcing masonry joints.
Extrados 6 The upper or outer curve of an arch.
Reference
Figure no.
Facade The face of a wall or elevation of a building.
Facing bricks Bricks that are surface dressed before kilning
to improve the durability and appearance of
the finished brickwork.
Falsework Temporary works used mainly to provide
support while permanent works are being
undertaken.
See also Formwork, Shutter.
Farm town or Ferme Farm managed by joint tenants, eight to 12
toun (S) families each provided with a house, kail-
yard (vegetable patch), barn or byre,
communally managed arable land and hill
summer pastures (Sheilings) cf. Auchindrain.
Fascia 49 The vertical member forming the front of the
eaves to a roof and generally supporting the
rainwater gutter.
Fenestration The design/style/location of windows for a
building.
Fibreboard Processed sheet material consisting of timber
fibres in an adhesive matrix. Available as
soft-board or medium density board (MDF).
Fibreglass A textile fabric made from woven glass
fibres, or a plastic reinforced by glass fibres
used widely for complex mouldings and
cladding materials.
Fielded panel A panel with a sunk edge cut round the
perimeter so that the centre of the panel
projects. The sunk edge may slope slightly
and form a mitre at each corner.
Fillet A small flat section used as part of a large
moulding or as a cover piece of a joint, e.g. a
triangular fillet being a triangular flashing of
cement and lime and sand.
Fin A short projection, normally at 90° to a wall,
to break the design line or to aid the structure.
Finial The ornament at the apex of a gable in stone,
timber or iron.
Fire stop 56 A construction designed to prevent the spread
of fire within voids.
Firrings 2 Tapered timbers used beneath the boarding
on a flat roof to induce falls towards the
eaves gutter.
Flagstone Sandstone capable of splitting into hard flat
stone slabs.
Flashing 57 A relatively narrow strip of thin metal or
plastic built into a construction and
overlapping a joint between construction
elements thus preventing moisture
penetrating the joint.
Fletton Clay bricks manufactured from semi-plastic
clay producing a hard, dense and relatively
cheap brick.
Flexible pavement A form of road carriageway construction that
uses materials that are able to move in
sympathy with the sub-base.
Float coat In plastering the layer of plaster immediately

beneath the final finishing coat.
See Setting coat.
Flue 57 A construction designed to carry away
combustion gases from fireplaces, boilers,
etc.
Flue liner 57 A fire-resisting component that is built into,
or threaded through, a chimney.
Flying shore 117 A temporary or semi-permanent supporting
member used to transfer the load from a wall
to a supporting structure other than the
ground.
See Dead shore, Raking shore.
Flyscreen A fine wire or plastic mesh used to cover
openings thus preventing access to insects.
Folding wedges 132 Simple wedges used in pairs so that the
wedging action produces parallel movement
of the members being wedged.
Footings 58 One or more courses of brickwork or masonry
used to spread the load from a wall to the
foundation. The term is also frequently used
(incorrectly) to denote the foundation to a
wall or other structure.
Footway The technical term for a footpath.
Forestair (S) The external stair usually at the front of a
house leading to a separate flat at the upper
floor, being common in the Lothians and Fife.
Formwork 59 The temporary support provided for concrete
while it is cured to achieve an acceptable
strength.
See Curing, Falsework, Shutter.
Foundation That part of a construction that transfers the
loads from the structure to the subsoil.
Foyer The entrance hall to a hotel or prestigious
building.
Frame cramps 74 Metal ties fixed to timber or other frames and
built into the adjoining masonry to hold the
frames securely.
Framed-and-lined door A door faced with lining boards and framed
round the top and sides and sometimes the
bottom with timber rails and stile.
Freestone Stone without pronounced laminations.
Friction The resistance a body encounters in moving
over another.
Friction latch/catch A small spring catch mortised into a door.
Frog 15 The indentation in the top surface (rarely both
surfaces) of a brick or block to facilitate
mortar bonding and firing in manufacture.
Reference
Figure no.
Gabion 61 A rectangular wire-mesh basket that is filled
with rock or gravel to stabilise slopes of
embankments and rivers etc.
Gable 62 The infill to the end of a pitched roof.
See also Barge board, Hipped end, Verge.
Galletting Small pieces of rock or stones used to pack
out the large joints in stonework or masonry
construction.
Gallows bracket A timber or metal support that uses a vertical
and horizontal member with a diagonal brace.
Ganger Usually, the person set in charge of a small
gang of labourers.
Gang-nailing 111 A method of joining timbers that uses a thin
steel plate with multiple drilled holes which
accept a large number of nails.
See Gang-nailed truss.
Gang-nailed truss 63 A prefabricated roof truss that uses timber
members connected with gang-nailing plates.
Gasket 64 A strip of material, usually neoprene,
compressed into the joint between two
components in order to weatherproof the
joint.
See Sealant.
Geogrids Fine or coarse mesh sheet materials usually
of woven terylene, nylon, or similar, used as
reinforcement particularly for slopes, river
banks and the like.
See Geotextiles.
Geotechnical A term used to describe activities or
processes connected with soil mechanics.
Geotextiles Woven fabrics of terylene, nylon, etc. used in
association with construction work involving
soils.
See Geogrids.
Gin wheel The suspended wheel through which the rope
is threaded in a simple hoist system.
Glazing bar 74 The members in a window frame that are
designed to accept glazing.
Granite Hard igneous rock of crystalline texture
capable of a high polish.
Granolithic A term that denotes that some or all of the
aggregate used in a concrete mix, is granite
or other igneous or metamorphic material.
Gravel Naturally occurring aggregates consisting of
flints and sands.
Graywacke or Grey gritty hard sandstone.
Greywacke (S)
GRC (glass reinforced 65 Fine concrete reinforced with small glass
cement) fibres and used in the construction of
preformed panels, cladding etc.
Grease trap In drainage, a trap that allows the separation

of grease and oils thus preventing them from
entering the drainage system.
Greenfield Usually applied to potential construction sites
which have not previously been developed.
See Brownfield development.
Grillage 66 A temporary or permanent foundation
consisting of a number of layers of timber or
steel beams which transfer a point load
progressively over a large area, to the subsoil.
Also used to bridge a foundation over a weak
structure or support.
Gross area Total extent or measure of surface.
Ground anchor 5 A device used mainly in connection with
retaining walls to provide lateral restraint. A
rod or cable is placed in a borehole in the soil
and anchored using a proprietary securing
system.
Ground beam 40 A precast or in situ concrete beam that
partially spans between foundation pads and
is in contact with the ground throughout its
length.
See Anchorage.
Grounds Timber (usually) blocks or battens built into,
or fixed to a structural element in order to
provide fixing points for subsequent
construction.
Grout A slurry of cement and water used to fill
small joints in masonry, paving, concrete or
similar construction.
Groyne 67 In sea defence works, simple constructions at
right angles to the shore designed to restrict
the movement of beach material along the
shore. Sometimes also used in river works
where scour is a problem.
GRP (glass reinforced Glass fibre or woven matting reinforcement
plastic) in a moulded resin base. Used mainly as a
cladding material.
Gully 68 A device containing a water trap that prevents
gases from passing between sections of a
drainage system.
Gunite Sprayed concrete or grout having an
aggregate size 3 mm or less.
See Shotcrete.
Gutter 49 A shallow trough fixed at the eaves of a
building, or a channel at the side of a road, to
carry off rainwater.
Reference
Figure no.
Hacking A manual or mechanical procedure to remove
the surface of concrete or masonry, or to
remove plaster coatings. Also known as
scabbling.
See Bush hammering.
Half-bonding A ½-brick lap in the bonding (patterning) of
brickwork.
See Bond.
Hanger 111 In a pitched roof, a vertical member between
the purlin and the ceiling tie intended to
reduce the span of the ceiling tie.
Hardcore 60 Broken brick, crushed concrete, aggregate, or
masonry, used as filling over the subsoil to
provide a base for subsequent construction.
Hardstandings Areas with stabilised surfaces (by gravel or
hardcore) for the parking of vehicles or
plant.
Harle, Harl or To cover the external face of a stone wall
Roughcast (S) with two or three coats of lime, or lime and
cement, mixed with sand and small
aggregate, the final coat being cast or thrown
on.
Haunch, haunching 76 The side of an arch between the crown and
the pier, or a construction of similar shape
providing support where concrete may be
used to support and protect a drainpipe or
kerb.
Head The top member of a frame such as a door or
window frame.
Header 15 The smallest side of a brick, block or
masonry element.
Also the entrance or commencement to a
tunnel.
See Tunnelling.
Heat emitter Any device that allows heat from the heating
distribution system to enter the space to be
heated.
Herringbone strutting 125 Timber or metal struts used between joists to
prevent lateral movement and the effects of
twisting.
Hip roof 69 The sharp edge of a roof from ridge to eaves
where two sides meet. Also the structural
member that forms the hipped end.
Hipped A sloping end to a gable to provide a
pyramid-shaped end instead of a pointed
gable.
Hipped end 70 The end of a roof having at least three sides
pitched and with two hips.
Hipped rafter See Hip roof.
Hoarding Continuous boarding used to surround and

protect a construction site and the public.
Hoggin A natural gravel which contains a high
percentage of plastic clay characterised by its
bright rust-red colouring.
Hogging The physical deformation of a structural
member under load resulting in the centre or
some part of the member being elevated
above the support level.
Honeycombing An imperfection in the surface of concrete
where the fine aggregate and cement have
been able to leach out of the matrix leaving a
surface with exposed course aggregate.
See Leachate.
Hood Moulded detail over a door/window, e.g. to
shed water running down the wall.
Housing 51 A notch or rebate into which another element
of construction is fitted.
HSE The Health & Safety Executive.
Reference
Figure no.
Ice-house An underground store for preserving winter
ice and snow for use in preserving food in
summer, especially fish.
Impact sound Sound which is propagated or transferred by
elements of the construction rather than by
the air.
See Airborne sounds.
Inband (S) The short header stone in rybats.
Infilling 71 The use of structural masonry or similar to
stiffen the members in a structural frame.
Ingo (S) The side face of the wall at a door or window
opening.
In situ Processes that take place at the point of use.
For example in situ concrete is concrete that
is cast into its final position rather than being
precast.
Inspection chamber 72 A construction used on a drainage run to
allow inspection of the drain and its contents.
Interceptor 73 A device used in drainage to separate out
materials such as oils and grit, that should not
be allowed to enter the main drainage system.
Interface The plane or point at which two dissimilar
materials or components meet.
Interstitial condensation Condensation which occurs within a
construction as opposed to on the surface.
Intrados 6 The lower or inner curve of an arch.
Intumescent 55 The property of a material to expand and
become carboniferous when heated thus
preventing damage to the underlying
construction. Particularly, intumescent paint
which can be used to protect exposed
steelwork from the effects of fire.
Invert 72 The lowest level of the inside of a drainage
channel or pipe.
Ironmongery The collective name for the furniture and
fittings necessary to complete the installation
of joinery items such as doors and windows.
Isometric projection 101 A form of projection where the plan is
represented by lines drawn at 30º to the
horizontal.
See also Axonometric, Oblique,
Orthographic projection.
Reference
Figure no.
Jack rafter 69 A roof rafter which is shorter than the main
rafters and bearing on the wall plate. Usually
rafters between a hip and the wall plate.
See Cripple rafter.
Jamb 6, 18 The vertical side of an opening, or a
component such as a frame in an opening.
Jet-pump A device that delivers water at very high
pressure to a nozzle at the base of the unit
expelling the surrounding soil and thus
allowing the jet-pump to be lowered into the
soil.
See Wellpoint.
Jettied Where a floor is extended out beyond the one
below.
Joggle joint 75 A joint between (usually) masonry members
where a projection on one unit houses into a
notch or groove in the adjoining member.
Also a joint between members consisting of a
small piece of masonry or other material,
housed into notches in each member.
Joint In masonry walls, the vertical joints between
the stone or bricks.
Joists Timber beams supporting the floor deck of a
building.
Joist hanger 77 A preformed metal unit that allows joints to
be made between joists, and between joists
and walls, by nailing.
Reference
Figure no.
Kerb A construction that defines the edge of a road
or footway. A stone or concrete edging to a
road or footway.
Ketlidge Weights in the form of cast iron or concrete
applied to test piles during pre-testing.
Keystone 6 The centre-top stone or brick in an arch.
Knapped flint 78 Broken flints built into a wall with the broken
surface exposed.
Kneeler Part of a skew or gable coping usually
situated about halfway up the slope and
bonded into the masonry of the gable for
strength to prevent slipping of the skew
stones.
Reference
Figure no.
Laitence Powdery material on the surface of concrete
consisting of cement dust and fine aggregate
brought to the surface by tamping or
vibration of the concrete.
Landfill A major construction procedure involving the
importation of bulk filling materials (soil,
rock, aggregates) in order to re-level a site for
future construction work.
Landslip The sudden movement of soil resulting from
natural causes.
Lantern light 79 A rooflight or window constructed in a flat
roof and raised above the general level of the
roof.
Lath A small flexible length of timber used as a
base for plastering.
Lattice girder 80 A large-span steel beam fabricated in lattice
form to reduce dead weight.
Lay-board The board that carries the gutter and flashing
in a roof valley.
Leachate Material that has leached from concrete as a
result of tamping or vibration.
Lean-to 81 A form of construction which uses one or
more existing walls from which to take
support.
Lectern Applied to dovecotes. The late form of free-
standing dovecote rectangular on plan and
with a one-way sloping roof and thus shaped
like a lectern.
Ledged and braced 82 A form of door construction that incorporates
horizontal ledges top, bottom and centre, with
diagonal braces between them.
Ledger 99 A horizontal member in scaffolding.
See Putlog, Standard.
Levelling The process of establishing the relative levels
of ground or a construction, or creating a
plane surface.
Lime A white caustic alkaline substance (calcium
oxide) obtained by heating limestone and
used as a plasticiser for mortar.
Limestone Rock with a carbonate of lime constituent,
usually exploited for extracting lime for
farming or mortar and not for limestone
building.
Lintel 83 A structural member located over an opening
in a wall to transfer the loads from above the
opening to the jambs of the opening.
Load-bearing The term used for a wall that is structural, i.e.
a wall that is responsible for holding a
building up. Non-load-bearing walls are
called partition walls.
Lock-rail 88 A middle horizontal rail on a panelled or

lined door set at a height convenient to the
placing of the lock and door knob.
Luffing jib A type of crane where the jib can move
vertically as well as horizontally.
Lumen The SI unit of luminous lux, equal to the
amount of light emitted per second in a unit
solid angle of one steradian from a uniform
source of one candela.
Luminaire The unit containing an electric lamp and its
fittings.
Lux The average through-life lumen output of a
luminaire.
Reference
Figure no.
Manhole 72 A construction used on a drainage run to
allow the physical inspection of a drain.
See Inspection chamber.
Mansard roof 84 A pitched roof where the pitch changes so
that the roof becomes steeper halfway down.
Marble Metamorphosed limestone capable of high
polish – used only for highly decorative
interior work.
Margin The border round a door or window or at the
corner of a building mostly worked on the
stone, sometimes slightly projecting over the
face of the wall. Usually finished in polished
ashlar face or with tooled finish. Not
moulded.
Margin draft Finish of surface at edge of stone corner,
tooled or polished in contrast to rest of face.
Usually narrow, about 1–1½ in (25–37 mm).
Mattresses Willow or heather bundles, or wire mesh
construction similar to gabions, used to
stabilise river banks.
Meeting rail The part of a sash-and-case window where
the top of the bottom sash meets the bottom
of the upper sash. Diagonally checked to
prevent draughts.
Meeting stile On a pair of doors or windows, the edges of
the frames that meet on closing.
See Jamb.
Mid-rail Similar to lock-rail but may be more than one
on panelled door.
Mole 85 A mechanical excavator used for the
construction of tunnels through soft subsoils.
See Tunnelling.
Mortar A mixture of cement, sand and water used
mainly in bricklaying or masonry.
Mortice 86 A hole or recess formed in timber to house a
tenon to make a mortice and tenon joint, or to
house a mortice lock.
Mosaic A pattern produced by an arrangement of
small variously coloured pieces of glass or
stone, etc. set in a mortar matrix.
Mullion 18 A vertical bar dividing the lights in a
window.
See Transom.
Muntin 88 The vertical dividing member between panels
or glazing in door construction.
Reference
Figure no.
Nail sickness Corrosion of nails/fixings to roofing materials
resulting in slipped slates and tiles.
Necking (S) The projecting moulding separating a column
from the capital. A projecting moulding
separating the chimney stack from the cope
or blocking course.
Net area The area remaining after any necessary
deductions i.e. ‘net to gross floor areas’.
Newel 129 The vertical supporting central post of
winding stairs, or the top or bottom
supporting post of a stair string.
Newton The SI unit of force that, acting on a mass of
one kilogram, increases its velocity by one
metre per second every second along the
direction that it acts.
Nib A small projection on a wall. The small
projection on the back of a roof tile which
lies over the top of the tiling batten to prevent
slippage.
Nogged 126 Structural members that have been stiffened
by the addition of noggins, particularly in
studwork partitions.
Noggin 126 A short length of timber fixed between timber
structural studs to improve stiffness and
stability.
See Studwork.
Nosing 129 The projection of the tread over the riser in
stairs construction.
Reference
Figure no.
Oblique projection 101 A method of simulated three-dimensional
drawing which uses a true elevation or
section with lines at 45º representing the third
dimension.
See also Axonometric, Isometric,
Orthographic projection.
Off-cut Short lengths of waste material that could be
used for other purposes.
Ogee A moulding in stone, joinery or plaster
consisting of two reverse curves like the letter
S.
Ogival Shaped like an ogee moulding as in a roof to
a turret.
Opencast A method of mining or tunnelling where the
surface material is stripped to formation
level, and usually replaced on completion of
the work.
Oriel A projecting bay window on an upper floor.
Orientation The relative position particularly of a
building in relation to the site.
Orpiment or Orpanent Gold-coloured pigment used in lime washing
of walls; prominent in 17th and 18th
centuries in mid-Scotland and Northern
England and made from sulphide of arsenic.
Orthographic projection 101 A method of producing drawings where the
elevations and sections are projected from the
plan.
See also Axonometric, Isometric, Oblique
projection.
Outband (S) The face of a rybat or quoin which is long as
compared with the return on the adjacent face
inband.
Overbreak In mining, the material which is excavated in
excess of the payline due to the fracture
nature of the soil.
Overcladding A method of refurbishing a building by
placing additional cladding over the external
construction.
See Rainscreen.
Oversite 60 Concrete placed, usually as part of the ground
floor construction, to provide a level working
platform when foundations have been
completed.
Over-spanning A term used to denote that a structural beam
or unit, continues over a supporting column
or stanchion.
Oxyacetylene plant Equipment used for cutting or welding steel
by burning a combination of oxygen and
acetylene gases.
Reference
Figure no.
Pad foundation 87 Foundations which specifically carry the load
from one structural element of a frame.
Padstone 106 A dense concrete or stone element used at the
ends of beams to prevent shearing stresses
damaging the supporting construction.
Panelling 89 A decorative finish applied mainly to internal
walls consisting of panels of timber, stone,
etc., set out in a regular pattern.
Pantile 90 A clay or concrete roof tile curved to form an
S-shaped section, fitted to overlap.
Paper hanging A decorative process for internal walls using
printed paper with or without a protective
finish.
PAR A term used to indicate that a piece of timber
has been planed all round (on all four sides).
Parapet The upper part of an external wall that
projects above eaves or roof level.
Pargeting Cement and sand rendering applied to the
flue of a masonry chimney to seal against fire
and fumes.
Parliament hinge 91 A hinge designed to allow 180º opening
movement of a door or window.
Parquet A floor finish, usually of wooden blocks,
arranged in a pattern.
Particulate A small particle of a material.
Partition 126 An internal wall which may be load-bearing
or non-load-bearing, which separates rooms
within buildings.
Party wall The wall separating properties having
different ownership or occupants.
Patent glazing 92 A method of creating windows in situ using
preformed glazing bars.
Paternoster A type of passenger lift that moves
continuously. (Current Health and Safety
Regulations largely prohibit their use in new
buildings.)
Pavement In civil engineering a pavement is that part of
a road construction that carries vehicular
traffic.
See Footway.
Paviors Small paving units, e.g. bricks.
Payback The length of time over which the capital
investment in an item of equipment is
recovered through the savings that have been
achieved.
Payline 93 Especially in tunnelling work, the line of an

excavation shown on the contract drawings
and for which the contractor will be paid, but
which may be exceeded by the overbreak.
Perpend 15 The vertical joint between bricks or blocks in
brickwork or masonry.
Perspective drawing 94 A drawing showing solid objects on a two-
dimensional surface giving the right
impression of relative positions, size, etc.
Petrol interceptor 73 A device used mainly on petrol station
forecourts, to prevent petrol from entering the
drainage system.
PVA (1) Pulverised fuel ash – a by-product of the
electrical generation industry used mainly as
a fill material.
PVA (2) Polyvinyl acetate, a glue used by carpenters;
also used as a bonding agent for other
materials.
Phon A unit of the perceived loudness of sound.
Piano-hinge A continuous hinge that can be cut to the
required length to suit the purpose for which
it is required.
Piend (S) The joint between the faces of a hipped roof.
Pier 1 A vertical construction in masonry, timber or
concrete used to carry loads but not as part of
a frame.
See Abutment, Column, Stanchion.
Pilaster A rectangular column or pier forming part of,
and projecting from, a wall.
Piles, Piling 95 Preformed or in situ columns in the subsoil
providing foundation support for a
construction.
Pipe-jacking A method of installing pipes or tunnel
sections by pushing the pipes through the soil
either with or without excavation from within
the pipes.
See Thrust-boring.
Pitched roof 111 A roof having a pitch angle of more than 10º.
Plan A form of orthographic projection, illustrating

flat planes through building works, i.e. floor
plans.
See also Sections, Elevations.
Plan of Work The standard stages through which design and
construction proceeds (in accordance with the
Royal Institute of British Architects). There
are 12 stages, A to L.
Planned maintenance A maintenance programme that is planned in
advance regardless of the established need of
the items being maintained.
Plant room A room in or on a building, set aside for the
accommodation of plant and equipment.
Plaster beads 96 Metal angles used to provide a neat arris in
plasterwork.
Plasterboards Preformed boards of gypsum plaster between

thick paper widely used for ceilings and
studwork partitions.
See Dry lining.
Platform floor 97 A form of floor construction where a raised
platform is installed above the structural floor
providing a void for the accommodation of
services.
See Access floor, Raised floor.
Platt (S) Landing on a staircase or the flat area at a
front door formed by a square stone flag. The
landing at the top of an outside stair leading
to an upper floor house or flat – hence
‘platties’, the name given to such flats in
Dundee.
Plinth The lower square slab at the base of a
column, or render at the base of a wall.
Plinth block 98 A block of (usually) timber fitted at the
junction of the architrave and skirting in
better-class work.
Pointing The process of filling and weathering the
joints in brickwork or masonry.
Poling board 132 In timbering to excavations, the vertical
boards usually in contact with the soil.
Polished (ashlar) The stone surface tooled to a fine smooth
finish in close-grained stone.
Polymeric sheet Man-made organic compounds (derivation:
polymers) formed by combining long chains
of component molecules.
Porphyry A rock consisting of feldspar crystals
embedded in a compact groundmass, of dark
red or purple and found in some Scottish
Highland areas.
Portal An opening or entrance into a tunnel or
subway.
Portal frame 100 A frame system for single-storey buildings
consisting of rafters and columns only.
Pots Chimney cans.
PPE Personal protective equipment. Equipment
such as overalls, gloves, goggles, issued to
employers for health and safety reasons.
Precast concrete Off-site or on-site preformed concrete units
delivered ready for installation into the
construction.
See In situ.
Prefabricated Manufactured sections of a building, etc.
prior to their installation on a site.
Preload The application of a load less than the
designed working load, in order to assess the
response of a structure or soil.
Prestressed concrete Concrete that has an initial load applied to
partially counter the working loads and thus
make more efficient use of the materials.
Prestressing The methods and procedures used to apply
the initial loading to prestressed concrete.
Prime cost sum A sum of money intended to cover work not

normally carried out by the general
contractor, which has not been measured in
detail but is included in the bill as a lump sum
item.
Priming The first coat of paint to metals or timber to
seal and protect the material and provide a
base for subsequent painting.
Provisional quantities In firm bills of quantities, when the quality of
an item or a group of items of work cannot be
accurately measured at the time of preparing
the bill, the item can be described as a
provisional quantity and remeasured or
omitted on completion of work.
Provisional sum A sum of money for work which cannot be
entirely foreseen or detailed at the time tender
documents are issued.
Psychrometric chart A chart used to determine the effects of
changing temperature and relative humidity
on the internal environment.
Puncheon 132 Vertical struts placed between walings in
timbering to prevent the downward
movement of the walings.
Purlin 111 A horizontal beam along the length of a roof,
supported by walls or principals, and carrying
the common rafters.
Putlog 99 In scaffolding, a short length of scaffold tube
used across the width of the scaffold to
support the boards.
Putt or Clubstone (S) A skewputt, the lowest stone at the foot of a
skew built into the wall below for strength.
Sometimes moulded or decorated.
PVCu Polyvinyl chloride – unplasticised.
Reference
Figure no.
Quoin 15 A corner, especially of brickwork or
masonry. Also used to describe a decorated
corner of masonry especially where different
coloured or textured materials are used.
Reference
Figure no.
Racking back 102 Especially in brickwork or blockwork, the
stepping back of the courses allowing the
ends of a wall to be built in advance of the
centre so facilitating lining up and levelling
the brick courses.
Raft foundation 103 A relatively thin foundation that extends over
the whole area of the building.
Rafter See Hip roof.
Rail The horizontal framing on a panelled or
framed-and-lined door or on window sashes,
as well as ledges on lined doors.
Rainscreen 104 A form of overcladding applied to the
exterior of a building to reduce the pressure
differential and thus minimise pressure-
induced water penetration.
Raised floor 97 See Access floor, Platform floor.
Raking shore 117 A temporary or semi-permanent angled prop
used to transfer loads from an external wall to
the ground or foundation.
See Dead shore, Flying shore, Riding
shore.
Rawlbolt 105 A proprietary fixing device which is inserted
into a drilled hole in concrete or masonry and
which expands in the hole as pressure is
applied to the bolt or similar connection.
Rebate A step-shaped channel or groove cut along
the edge or face or projecting angle of a
length of wood etc., to receive the edge or
tongue of another piece. Also known as a
rabbet.
Relative humidity The relative humidity of air is the ratio,
expressed as a percentage, between the actual
vapour pressure and the saturation vapour
pressure at a given temperature.
Relieving arch 106 An arch in masonry, usually hidden, that
carries some or all of the load above an
opening, allowing decorative treatment to the
exposed facade.
Render The initial coat of plaster that levels the
substrate and forms the base for the float coat
or setting coat of plaster.
Retaining wall 34 A wall or construction that carries
predominantly horizontal loads.
See Counterfort.
Return 107 The continuation of a wall, etc. in a changed
direction, especially at right angles.
Reveal 108 The internal side surface of an opening or

recess, such as a doorway or window
aperture.
Reverberation time The length of time required for a sound
emitted from a source to delay to 60 dB.
Ridge 111 The horizontal line of the junction of two
pitched roof surfaces sloping upwards. Also
the topmost horizontal member to which the
rafters are pitched in a cut roof.
Riding shore 117 A temporary or semi-permanent prop which
transfers loads from a structure to another
prop or support other than the ground or
foundation.
See Dead shore, Raking shore, Flying
shore.
Rigid pavement A form of road construction that uses mass or
reinforced concrete as the road base thus
allowing weak spots in the subsoil etc. to be
bridged.
Rim lock Surface-mounted security lock fixed to the
inside face of a door.
Ring main 109 In electrical installations, a continuous loop of
cable that ensures the electrical supply is
available from two directions.
Rise (of arch) 6 The vertical distance between the springing
line and the crown point of the intrados of an
arch.
Rise (of stairs) 129 The vertical distance between the treads of a
staircase.
Riser 129 The vertical component of a step in a
staircase.
See Tread.
Rising butt hinge 110 A hinge which lifts a door as it opens thus
automatically causing the door to close when
it is released. Falling butt hinges are also
available.
Road-base The layer of construction in a road designed
to carry the applied loading, and constructed
over the sub-base, and finished with the
surfacing.
Rodding The process of pushing flexible rods through
a drain in order to clear blockages.
Roll A moulding circular in section such as the roll
finish on a ridge tile; the roll formed by a
joint on metal roofing.
Rooflight 112 A window constructed within the surface of a
pitched roof at the same angle as the roof.
See Dormer window, Lantern light.
Rubble Rough undressed or partially dressed
stonework.
Rybat (S) A quoin stone, a dressed stone used in
forming corners at openings or at the corner
of a building.
Reference
Figure no.
Sand-blasting A method of cleaning or preparing a surface
such as concrete by jetting fine sand with
compressed air to remove the surface
covering.
See Hacking.
Sand-island An artificial island created in shallow water
by pumping dredged material from the
surrounding sea or river bed.
Sandstone Sedimentary rock composed chiefly of fine
grains of sand of a quartz variety. Where it is
formed in laminations, it must be built with
those laminations in their natural position, i.e.
horizontally or ‘on bed’ to prevent the stone
from splitting. Where this precaution has
been omitted the stone is said to be built ‘on
cant’ and splitting of the face usually follows.
Sandwick 113 A column of sand injected into clay or silt in
order to encourage the flow of water to
specific points.
Sarking The rough timber sheeting or boarding laid
over rafters on which the roof covering is
fixed. Scottish from ‘sark’ – a shirt.
Sash-and-case Vertically sliding sash window with side
cases in which the balancing weights are
suspended from ropes or chains.
Sawn timber Timber that is used unplaned as it arrives
from the sawmill.
Scabbling Surface hacking using a small mechanical
hammer.
Scaffolding 99 A temporary construction usually of steel
tubes with couplers arranged in a framework
supporting boarded working platforms.
See Ledger, Putlog, Standard.
Scallop Edge decoration especially on barge boards,
but in a series of circular segments, as on a
scallop shell.
Scalpings Quarry waste material used as hardcore.
See also Hoggin.
Schist A fissile rock of igneous origin.
Screed 120 A levelled layer of concrete or cement mortar
applied to a floor or other surface, either as
the finish or as a base for the finishes.
Scribe To cut a finishing timber to fit over a
moulding instead of mitring such as at
astragal joints.
Sealant 64 Plastic flexible material used to seal joints
between components or elements of
construction.
Seating A dressed top on masonry prepared for
building above as at the end of a sill when it
is built into the wall.
Secant piling 114 A method of constructing diaphragm walls

in advance of excavation by installing bored
piles that interlock with each other.
See Contiguous piling.
Secret-nailed, secret 115 A method of securing finishes such as floor
fixing boarding, to the substrate in such a way that
the fixing is invisible. For example, secret
nailing used to fix tongued and grooved
floorboards.
Section A form of orthographic projection known as
‘first angle projection’, viewing a vertical cut
surface, i.e. detailed section, general
arrangement section, vertical section.
See also Plan, Elevation.
Septic tank A construction for making foul sewage
innocuous using biological processes. Used
for small estates or developments.
Service ducts Horizontal or vertical voids formed during the
construction of the building in order to
accommodate services required by the
building.
Sett Small blocks of stone used in paving.
Setting coat The final coat of plaster finished to receive
decoration.
See Float coat, Render.
Settlement The natural and expected movement of a
building or part of a building as a result of the
compression of the subsoil due to the loading
from the building.
Shear walls Braced multi-storey structures providing
lateral restraint against wind pressures. Either
configured as concrete internal shear cores or
end shear walls.
Shell roof 116 A roof construction, usually curved, that uses
a relatively thin structural membrane.
Shotcrete 118 Sprayed concrete generally where the
concrete aggregate size is greater than 3 mm.
See Gunite.
Shutter 59 A prefabricated individual component of
formwork.
Sill 119 The lower external member of a casement
window that projects beyond the face of the
wall below. Also spelt cill.
Single ply Waterproof layer laid in a single sheet as
opposed to built-up membranes in several
layers. Usually refers to polymeric materials.
Single roof 111 A roof construction consisting of rafters,
ridge and ceiling ties only.
Skeleton frame The basic load-bearing frame of a multi-
storey building from which all other elements
take their support.
Skew The raking top of a gable projecting above the
roof surface. See Putt.
Skip A container used for the disposal of building
waste to authorised sites.
Skirt (S) In roofing, the lower courses of slates laid
along the eaves and exposed prior to the
commencement of the first row of pantiles.
Skirting 60, 98 Timber, plastic, or metal trim used to cover

the joint between the base of an internal wall
and the floor.
Sleeper wall 120 In timber ground floor construction, a wall
that supports the floor joists. May be of
honeycombed or hit-and-miss construction to
aid ventilation of timbers.
Slenderness ratio A ratio between the height and minimum
dimensions of a vertically used structural
member such as a column.
Slewing The horizontal swinging movement of a load
being transported by a crane.
Slip-forming A method of constructing reinforced concrete
where the formwork moves either
continuously or intermittently as the concrete
is cast. Most frequently used for the
construction of lift shafts.
Slurry A semi-liquid mixture of fine particles such
as cement or bentonite and water.
Sneck (S) A small stone built into a rubble masonry
wall to fill a gap and achieve a level bed to
receive the next course above.
Soakaway 127 A construction in the soil either hollow or
filled with free-draining material, that stores
water until such time as it can percolate into
the surrounding soil.
Soaker 57 Plastic, lead, or other metal profiled to fit
alongside and under roof tiles or slates to
prevent water penetration at the abutment of a
roof to a wall. The exposed edge is weathered
by the flashing.
Soffit 6, 49 The underside of a floor or eaves.
Soil stabilisation Procedures used to improve the load-bearing

capabilities of soils or to reduce the flow of
water in soils.
See Vibro-compaction.
Solar energy Energy from the sun which is deemed to be
recoverable.
Soleplate Timber (usually) member secured to a floor to
receive the studs of a studwork partition.
Space frame 121 A large-span roofing system that consists of a
three-dimensional array of struts and ties.
Spalling The flaking and lamination of the surface of
concrete or masonry usually due to frost
damage.
Spandrel 122 The space between the shoulders of adjoining
arches and the ceiling or moulding above.
Also used to describe the partial infill, from
floor to sill height, between columns in a
framed structure.
Spoil Excavated material or arisings that may be
disposed of as waste or placed in spoil-heaps
for reuse.
Sprinkler 123 In fire protection, an installation that

automatically discharges water or other
extinguisher, in the event of a significant
temperature rise, or smoke.
Square necked or Rubble masonry built with header stones
Squared-and-snecked through the wall, stretchers on the surface and
rubble (S) snecks to allow frequent breaking of the
horizontal beds.
Squint-quoin 15 A corner or angle on masonry that is not a
right angle.
Stack ventilation (passive A method of inducing ventilation into a
stack ventilation) building by installation of a vertical pipe or
stack with inlets at each room, and an outlet
at high level, and using natural convection to
propel the air.
Stanchion 124 Particularly in structural steel frames, the
vertical members supporting cross beams and
floors.
See Column.
Standard 99 A vertical member in tubular scaffolding.
See Ledger, Putlog.
Start (S) A tall vertical stone, sometimes built in cant
(see sandstone), employed at the sides of
door and window openings, usually in late
Victorian building in conjunction with tails or
tie stones.
Stile or Style The vertical members of a panelled or framed
door or window sash or window case.
Stillage A working platform used on pitched roofs
consisting of timber boards supported on a
timber framework.
Stop The plate placed on door stiles and lintels
against which a door is closed.
Stop-block A baulk of timber, or rarely, a block of
concrete, positioned near the edge of an
excavation to prevent vehicles from
approaching too closely to the excavation.
Stop-chamfer The splayed finish at the end of a chamfer in
masonry.
Strap A long flat timber piece such as that used for
fixing pantiles on a roof or for fixing lead on
a flashing or in producing a level surface for
lath in a plaster wall (a brander).
Stressing tendon In prestressed concrete, the metal rod or cable
that imparts the stress to the concrete.
Stretcher 15 The long side of a brick.
See Header.
String 129 The inner or outer supporting member for a
staircase.
String course A recessed or projecting continuous band or
moulding on the external face of a wall.
Strip foundation 87 A foundation that extends for the full length
of a wall.
See Pad foundation.
Structural integrity In any construction, ensuring that the

structure is sound under all conditions, and
that loads are properly distributed throughout
the structure to the foundations or other
support.
Structural walls The main walls in a building that take the
weight of everything above it. In a house they
are usually the ones around the outside.
Strut 132 A structural member that carries
predominantly compressive stresses.
Stucco Lime-based ornamental plasterwork/render
over brick; may be channelled to imitate
masonry.
Studwork 126 A method of constructing partitions using
vertical timber or metal studs usually at 400
mm or 600 mm centres, with a head piece
and soleplate, and stiffened with noggins.
Sub-base In road construction, the layer of material
immediately beneath the road-base.
Subsidence The unexpected movement of a building or
structure as a result of failure of part of the
structure or the soil beneath the structure.
Subway 127 A short tunnel constructed beneath a road or
similar to provide safe passageway for
pedestrian traffic.
Surface water Rainwater run-off from roofs, roads, or
similar paved surfaces.
Surfacing In roadworks, the final layer of material that
covers the road-base, and includes the
wearing course, and the base course.
Suspended ceiling 128 A ceiling separated by a void from the
structural floor above.
System building The name given to a form of construction that
uses prefabricated elements that are
assembled on site with minimum in situ work.
Reference
Figure no.
Tail (S) A single rybat at a stone door or window
opening used in conjunction with a start to
provide a bond with the adjacent masonry.
Tamping A method of compacting concrete by
repeatedly lifting and dropping a tamping
board on the surface.
Tarmacadam (bitumen A material widely used in road construction
macadam) consisting of a gravel or limestone aggregate
in a tar or bituminous matrix.
Tenon 86 A projecting tongue of wood made for
insertion into a corresponding cavity or
mortice in another piece.
Terracotta Unglazed brownish-red earthenware used
chiefly as an ornamental building material.
Terrazzo A flooring material of marble or other stone
chips set in cement mortar and given a
smooth surface by grinding with abrasive.
Also available as preformed tiles.
Thermoplastics Synthetic resins or other materials which
soften on heating and harden again on
cooling.
Tessellated tiles Small tiles normally used as a panel with
intricate design to paths/wall panels as a
mosaic.
Thrust-boring Another term for pipe-jacking.
Tifting (S) The pointed ends of the slates, sometimes
with small pieces of slate inserted, at an open
verge, designed to tilt the slates up to prevent
rainwater running down the gable.
Tilting fillet 49 A timber batten fixed immediately behind the
fascia at the eaves of a pitched roof, to ensure
that the tiles or slates are fixed at the correct
angle.
Timber framed housing House construction based around a
prefabricated timber frame.
Timbering (trench) 132 A generic term for the provision of support to
the sides of excavations. Originally due to the
sole use of timber, but now applied to the use
of any suitable material.
See Poling board, Waling.
Timbermen Persons responsible for timbering
excavations.
Timpan (S) Gable built above wallhead at front of
building to support chimney and increase
attic floor space.
Toeboard 99 A board fixed on edge along the side of a
working platform to prevent materials etc
being kicked from the platform.
See Scaffolding.
Tongued and grooved 130 A form of jointing between boarding where

one side of a board has a continuous groove
and the other a continuous tongue. The boards
can be secret-nailed by nailing through the
tongue.
Toothing 102 A term used to describe the vertical end of
unfinished brickwork where the headers are
left projecting over the bricks in the course
below. Toothing is necessary where the bond
is to be continued at a later date.
Torch (S) To point with mortar the vertical joints of
pantiles, mostly from the underside, to
prevent ingress of rain or snow.
Transom 18 The horizontal member separating the lights
in a window.
See Head, Jamb, Mullion.
Trap A hard igneous rock.
Tread 129 The horizontal member in a stairs
construction.
See Riser.
Tremie pipe 131 A tube with a funnel at the top used to place
concrete through water thus avoiding
separation of the concrete materials.
Trimmed joist 133 In timber floor construction, a joist shortened
because of an opening and secured to a
trimmer.
Trimmer 133 In timber floor construction, the joist forming
the edge of an opening in a floor connected to
the trimming joist or joists.
Trimming joist 133 In timber floor construction, a full length joist
that runs at the side of an opening.
See Trimmer, Trimmed joist.
Trussed rafter 111 Prefabricated roof trusses for pitched roofs
that eliminate the need for on-site cutting of
timbers. The trusses are fabricated using
gang-nailing.
See Cut roof.
Tuber basket A wicker basket.
Tunnelling The formation of a conduit underground or
underwater.
See Mole, Subway.
Turnpike (S) Circular staircase with central stone newel.
Typanum Area above a door arch and below its lintel.
Reference
Figure no.
Underpinning A procedure for providing support for a
structure that has suffered, or is likely to
suffer, subsidence.
Under-reaming 134 In piling, a technique that allows the base of a
pile to be enlarged to form a base two to three
times the area of the pile shaft.
Upstand An element rising vertically above a
horizontal flat area such as a roof.
uPVC 44 Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride.
U-value The thermal transmittance of one or more
construction elements, expressed in W/m²K.
Reference
Figure no.
Valley 135 The internal angle formed by the intersecting
planes of a pitched roof. Also the structural
member that forms the valley.
Valley rafter See Hip roof.
Vapour barrier A vapour-resistant membrane used to prevent
moisture passing through the construction.
Veneer A thin covering of any material disguising the
fact that it is not made solidly of that
material.
Verge 62 (1) The edge of a pitched roof that overhangs
a gable.
(2) A projecting plate at the foot of a door
designed to cast rainwater running down
the face of a door away from the foot and
the threshold step.
Vibro-compaction 136 A method of soil stabilisation that improves
the density of the soil by compression the soil
and adding stable material.
V-jointed The jointing on lining boards where the
vertical edges of each board are chamfered to
provide a V-shaped groove at each joint.
Such boards are normally jointed using a
tongue in one side and a groove in the other
on each board so that the tongues fit into the
grooves.
Voussoir 6 Each of the tapered or wedge-shaped
members of a masonry arch.
Reference
Figure no.
Waling 132 A horizontal member used to support the
poling boards in timbering to excavations.
Wall plate 111 The timber member placed at the top of a
wall and which carries the ends of the rafters.
See Birdsmouth.
Wall tie 20 A metal or plastic device used to tie the inner
and outer leaves of a cavity wall.
Wallhead (S) The top of the wall on which the roof rests.
Warping joint In rigid pavement construction, a special
jointing method used to prevent the corners
of concrete slabs from warping due to
temperature changes.
Water bar 54 A metal or plastic strip fitted to the threshold
at the bottom of a door to prevent moisture
being blown through the gap at the
door/threshold interface.
Water hammer Noise and vibration in water pipes resulting
from the vibration of (usually) ball valves
caused by high water pressure or faulty valve.
Water table 137 The natural level of groundwater in the soil.
Wattle Partition built of vertical timber poles with
tree branches or similar material woven
through. Sometimes covered with clay and
known also as ‘rice’.
Weather strip A strip of any material used to cover and
protect a joint in construction, from the
effects of weather.
Wellpoint 137 In dewatering, a small-diameter borehole
from which accumulated water can be
pumped.
Wet-bulb thermometer A thermometer which has the bulb wetted by
a wick thus recording the temperature as it is
affected by evaporation.
See Dry-bulb thermometer.
Wet riser 138 In fire protection, a vertical water main that
extends from the ground to the top storey of a
building, permanently filled with water to
ensure a readily available supply for
firefighting purposes.
Whin or Whinstone (S) Various types of stone, usually diorite, noted
for their hard impervious composition and
difficulty for working. Also known as
greenstone.
Winder 42 A tread on a bend in a dog-leg staircase that
tapers from the newel to the string.
Window board 119 Also known (incorrectly) as a window sill,
used to cover the wall construction at the
bottom of a window.
4 Figures
FIGURE 1 Abutment/Pier
FIGURE 2 Abutment details

FIGURE 3 ‘Acrow’ prop

FIGURE 4 Agrément Certificate
(Continued)
FIGURE 4 (continued)
(Continued)
FIGURE 5 Anchors
FIGURE 6 Arch
(Continued)
FIGURE 7 Architrave
FIGURE 8 Atrium
(Continued)
FIGURE 9 Auger
FIGURE 10 Backflap hinge

FIGURE 11 Balanced flue
FIGURE 12 Boning rod

FIGURE 13 Box gutter
FIGURE 14 Breakwater
FIGURE 15 Bricks cut for bonding purposes

FIGURE 16 Butt hinges

FIGURE 17 Caissons
FIGURE 18 Casement window
FIGURE 19 Catchpits
FIGURE 20 Cavity ties
FIGURE 21 Chamfer
FIGURE 22 Chimney breast

FIGURE 23 Cladding: Pitched roofs

FIGURE 24 Cleats
FIGURE 25 Circular cofferdam supported by ring walings
(Courtesy: Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd)

FIGURE 26 Columns
FIGURE 27 Common joists
FIGURE 28 Composite floors
FIGURE 29 Conduit
FIGURE 30 Contiguous piling
(Courtesy: Soil Mechanics Limited)
FIGURE 31 Coping
FIGURE 32 Corbel
FIGURE 33 Cornice
FIGURE 34 Counterfort retaining wall
FIGURE 35 Coving details

FIGURE 36 Crosswall construction

FIGURE 37 Cut roof construction
FIGURE 38 Dado
FIGURE 39 Diaphragm wall (cavity)
FIGURE 40 Diaphragm wall (retaining)
Diapraghm cut-off walling tied back with ground anchors

(Courtesy: Cementation Ground Engineering Limited)
FIGURE 41 Dog
FIGURE 42 Dog-leg stairs with winders
FIGURE 43 Dormer windows

FIGURE 44 Double glazing/uPVC window
FIGURE 45 Double Roman tile

FIGURE 46 Dowels
FIGURE 47 Dry riser

FIGURE 48 Dumper
FIGURE 49 Eaves details

FIGURE 50 Electro-osmosis
FIGURE 51 End supports and restraints for timber first floor joists
FIGURE 52 Espagnolette bolts

FIGURE 53 Expanded metal lathing

FIGURE 54 External door details (before Part M Building Regulations

requirement for level access and typical of most stock)
FIGURE 54 (cont.) External door details (Part M Building Regulations

requirement for level access)
FIGURE 55 One-hour fire door construction
FIGURE 56 Fire stops
(Continued)
FIGURE 57 Flashing details
FIGURE 58 Footings (typical 19th-century)

FIGURE 59 Formwork to isolated beam
(Continued)
FIGURE 60 Foundation/wall details

FIGURE 61 Gabion
FIGURE 62 Gable details

FIGURE 63 Gang-nailed truss

FIGURE 64 Gaskets/sealants
FIGURE 65 GRC cladding

FIGURE 66 Grillage foundations

FIGURE 67 Groyne
FIGURE 68 Gully
FIGURE 69 Hip roof details

FIGURE 70 Hipped end
FIGURE 71 Infilling panels

FIGURE 72 Inspection chambers

FIGURE 73 Interceptor
(Courtesy: Condor Products)

FIGURE 74 Internal door details
FIGURE 75 Joggle joint

FIGURE 76 Jointing and bedding of drainpipes

FIGURE 77 Joist hanger
Pressed steel junction between truss and timber beam
Courtesy: Expamet Products
FIGURE 78 Knapped flint
Indigenous knapped flint with ‘exotic’ limestone enchancement.

FIGURE 79 Lantern light
FIGURE 80 Lattice girder

FIGURE 81 Lean-to
FIGURE 82 Ledged & braced

FIGURE 83 Lintels
(Continued)
FIGURE 84 Mansard roof
FIGURE 85 Mole
Soft tunnelling mole

FIGURE 86 Mortice and tenon
FIGURE 87 Pad and strip foundations

FIGURE 88 Panelled door details

FIGURE 89 Panelling
FIGURE 90 Pantile
FIGURE 91 Parliament hinge
FIGURE 92 Patent glazing

FIGURE 93 Payline
FIGURE 94 Perspective drawing

FIGURE 95 Piling
FIGURE 96 Plaster beads
FIGURE 97 Platform/raised/access floor

FIGURE 98 Plinth block

FIGURE 99 Pole scaffold materials

FIGURE 100 Portal frame

FIGURE 101 Drawing
Oblique projection
FIGURE 102 Racking back and toothing of brickwork
FIGURE 103 Raft foundation

FIGURE 104 Rainscreen cladding

FIGURE 105 Rawlbolts
FIGURE 106 Relieving arch
FIGURE 107 Return

FIGURE 108 Reveal

FIGURE 109 Ring main

FIGURE 110 Rising butt hinge

FIGURE 111 Roof details
(Continued)
FIGURE 112 Rooflight
(Courtesy: Ubbink) (Continued)

(Courtesy: Ubbink) (Continued)

(Courtesy: Ubbink)
FIGURE 113 Sandwick
(Courtesy: Spencer King Civil Engineering Ltd) (Continued)

FIGURE 114 Secant piling
FIGURE 115 Secret fixing

FIGURE 116 Types of shell roof

FIGURE 117 Dead/raking/riding shores
(Continued)
(Continued)
FIGURE 118 Shotcrete
Shotcrete being applied in slope stabilisation using hydraulic arm and

controlled by remote control
(Courtesy: Aliva Limited)
FIGURE 119 Sills
Proprietary cavity closer and insulation not shown.

FIGURE 120 Sleeper wall
(Continued)

FIGURE 121 Space frame

FIGURE 122 Spandrel

FIGURE 123 Sprinkler
FIGURE 124 Stanchion

FIGURE 125 Strutting

FIGURE 126 Studwork partitions

FIGURE 127 Subway and soakaway
Precast concrete subway unit being positioned
(Courtesy: Mono Concrete Limited)

FIGURE 128 Suspended ceiling

FIGURE 129 Timber stairs

FIGURE 130 Tongued and grooved joint

FIGURE 131 Diaphragm wall

FIGURE 132 Trench timbering

FIGURE 133 Trimmed joist (historic)

FIGURE 134 Under-reamed pile
FIGURE 135 Valley: interlocking tiles
(Continued)

FIGURE 136 Vibro-compaction
(Courtesy: Keller Ltd)

FIGURE 137 Well point systems

FIGURE 138 Wet riser

FIGURE 139 Scottish chimneyheads

FIGURE 140 Scottish roof ridges and chimney cans

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Paper 0119V8-0

Glossary of Building Technology

z Explain the specialist terminology.

z Extend your range of technological knowledge.

z Explain how a common construction language aids communication between

It is important for students, unfamiliar with construction or terminology used in

Building professionals have a tendency to focus strongly on their own specialised

Terminology is arranged in alphabetical order covering relevant building terms which

Agrément Certificate 4 Issued by the British Board of Agrément,

Anhydrous lime Chemical name for quicklime.

Ashlar Accurately dressed blocks of stone, built in

Bellcast The slight flattening of the pitch of a roof at

Brace The diagonal member at the back of a

Chainman A person nominated to assist a surveyor,

Composite floor 28 A floor construction which uses more than

Cruck A timber roof support consisting of a short

Diaphragm wall 40 A form of retaining wall usually constructed

Dragon tie A timber member used in roof work to

Float coat In plastering the layer of plaster immediately

Grease trap In drainage, a trap that allows the separation

Hoarding Continuous boarding used to surround and

Lock-rail 88 A middle horizontal rail on a panelled or

Payline 93 Especially in tunnelling work, the line of an

Plan A form of orthographic projection, illustrating

Plasterboards Preformed boards of gypsum plaster between

Prime cost sum A sum of money intended to cover work not

Reveal 108 The internal side surface of an opening or

Secant piling 114 A method of constructing diaphragm walls

Skirting 60, 98 Timber, plastic, or metal trim used to cover

Soil stabilisation Procedures used to improve the load-bearing

Sprinkler 123 In fire protection, an installation that

Structural integrity In any construction, ensuring that the

Tongued and grooved 130 A form of jointing between boarding where

FIGURE 2 Abutment details

FIGURE 3 ‘Acrow’ prop

FIGURE 4 Agrément Certificate

FIGURE 10 Backflap hinge

FIGURE 11 Balanced flue

FIGURE 12 Boning rod

FIGURE 13 Box gutter

FIGURE 15 Bricks cut for bonding purposes

FIGURE 16 Butt hinges

FIGURE 18 Casement window

FIGURE 20 Cavity ties

FIGURE 22 Chimney breast

FIGURE 23 Cladding: Pitched roofs

FIGURE 25 Circular cofferdam supported by ring walings

(Courtesy: Gleeson Civil Engineering Ltd)

FIGURE 27 Common joists

FIGURE 28 Composite floors

FIGURE 30 Contiguous piling

(Courtesy: Soil Mechanics Limited)

FIGURE 34 Counterfort retaining wall

FIGURE 35 Coving details

FIGURE 36 Crosswall construction

FIGURE 37 Cut roof construction

FIGURE 39 Diaphragm wall (cavity)

FIGURE 40 Diaphragm wall (retaining)

Diapraghm cut-off walling tied back with ground anchors

FIGURE 42 Dog-leg stairs with winders

FIGURE 43 Dormer windows

FIGURE 44 Double glazing/uPVC window

FIGURE 45 Double Roman tile