Glossary terms

portland cement

cement manufactured from limestone and clay, hardens underwater; most commonly used structural cement

prefabrication

technique in which large units of a building are fabricated beforehand in factories to be assembled on the building site

progressive

progressive collapse: motion of part of a structure causes collapse of adjacent part

quoin

series of cornerstones, one over the other, at exterior building corner

rafter

member supporting a roof of a frame structure

reducer

chemical to reduce the amount of water required to mix with cement for workability

reinforcing

reinforcing bar (rebar): round mild steel rod to increase tensile strength of concrete

ridge

horizontal member along the peak of the roof of a frame structure

scupper

drain pipe through a parapet

seismic

having to do with earthquakes

sheathing

exterior skin to the walls of a frame structure

shell

structural shell: building frame and enclosure, walls, floors, columns, beams, roof

sill plate

horizontal member at the bottom of the studs of a frame wall or partition

soffit

underside of an architectural structure

spall

to crack, splinter, break off in fragments

span

distance between supports of a beam, floor, or roof

square drive

thin self tapping wood to steel screw with square shaped head to apply trim

stick-built

wooden frame construction, cut and assembled in the field; generally wasteful, labor intensive, and slow

strain

deformation of a structure or material due to application of stress (a force)

strength

strength to weight ratio: measure of a structure's strength relative to its weight