12/8/2014 Glossary of Structural Engineering Terms | Aleck Associates Ltd, Structural Engineers in London UK ­ Structural consultant ­ structural engineering ­ str… Search site... Home About Us Services Structural Designs for New Buildings Structural Alterations to Existing Buildings Appraisals of Existing Buildings Party Wall Work Services to Contractors Projects Structural Engineering History of Structural Engineering: The Pantheon History of Structural Engineering: St.Peters Rome Do you need an engineer, an architect or a surveyor? Structural Problems and Disasters Glossary of Structural Engineering Terms Abbreviations Used in Engineering and Construction Clients Careers Links Contact Us Factory extension in Perivale, West London. Structural Problems and Disasters Conversion of three shops to restaurant, South London. Extension to bar/restaurant, South London. Alterations and extensions to shops and flats, Chelsea, London. Shop and flat refurbishment, Kensington, London. 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G H chamber: http://www.aleckassociates.co.uk/glossary­of­structural­engineering­terms/ 1/18 12/8/2014 Glossary of Structural Engineering Terms | Aleck Associates Ltd, Structural Engineers in London UK ­ Structural consultant ­ structural engineering ­ str… I J Unit of land area in the Imperial system; 4840 square yards, or the equivalent of a rectangular K L Acre: field one chain wide and one furlong long, approximately 4047 square metres or 0.4047 M N hectares. O P Q R S T A telescopic prop much used as a temporary support in construction. Named U V Acrow: W Y after the American manufacturer who first introduced them to the UK. top Chemicals added to cement based products (concrete, mortar, render, screed etc) to impart various desirable properties such as to increase or reduce curing time, increase strength, Additive: enhance workability and so on. The amount of additives should be watched carefully since in excess or combination they can have undesirable effects. The stones and sand (coarse and fine aggregate respectively) used as a filler in concrete, asphalt Aggregate: etc. Originally, a system by which fresh air is drawn from outside the building and brought to an Air acceptable condition in terms of temperature and humidity before being introduced into the conditioning: building. The name is often also applied to chillers with no air handling, drying or heating capacity. A lightweight aerated cement­based material from which easily handled high insulating Aircrete: building­blocks are made. (Trade name.) All­in ballast: Ballast suitable for making into concrete without the addition of any other aggregate. Steel angle: a steel section whose cross­section is L­shaped. If the vertical and horizontal legs of Angle: the 'L' are the same length it is called an equal angle, if different, an unequal or odd leg angle. Angles are also available in other metals. An amount of rotation. The measurement of angles using 360 degrees in a whole circle, with each degree divided into 60 minutes of 60 seconds each, is of very great antiquity, going back to the Babylonians who used a number system based on 60s rather than tens. A basic form of masonry construction dating back millenia. Brick arches are found spanning over window and door openings in Victorian and older Arch: buildings; their disadvantage is that they exert horizontal thrust at their bearings, which sometimes leads to distortion in poorly designed or maintained arches. Architrave: Timber moulding around a door frame or similar. Arris: A sharp corner at the junction of two planes or surfaces. Timber of triangular cross section (made by cutting a square section diagonally), used for fence Arris rail: rails and forming fillets at the junctions of flat roofs and walls. Ashlar: Smooth sawn stonework used in a wall. A brick arch in which the bricks are cut (traditionally with an axe) to a wedge shape. The Axed arch: mortar joints are of even thickness. As opposed to a rough arch. B: Traditional terraced housing originally comprised rooms between the front and rear external walls. When 'indoor plumbing' became the rage, extensions were Back addition: built at the back of the house to contain the bathroom, wc, kitchen and scullery. The rear wing of a house is still called the back addition, even if it was built at the same time as the rest of the house. Ballast: Mixed size aggregate. Batten: A small timber such as those used to support roof tiles. A horizontal member that carries vertical loads along its length. It would traditionally have been Beam: timber (the word originally meaning "tree trunk") but a modern beam might more often be reinforced concrete or steel. (Fr. poutre, f) A steel component designed for use as a beam; "Universal Beam". A levelling base point of known level. The Ordnance Survey has set up bench marks around the Bench­mark: UK. Contractors often establish 'temporary bench marks' ('TBM') at convenient points around the site. Bending The bending force in, for example, a beam. The units of bending moment are those of force x moment: distance, for example, kiloNewton­metres. Berm: An earth bank left against a retaining wall during excavation, until it is propped. Bessemer A kind of steel­making plant, no longer in use. converter: http://www.aleckassociates.co.uk/glossary­of­structural­engineering­terms/ 2/18 12/8/2014 Glossary of Structural Engineering Terms | Aleck Associates Ltd, Structural Engineers in London UK ­ Structural consultant ­ structural engineering ­ str… Bill of quantitiesA list of all the quantities of each component and operation required in a construction project. (BOQ): The BOQ enables all the tenderers to price exactly the same work, and makes it simple to work out the value of the work done at any time during the job. For small jobs the benefit of a BOQ may be outweighed by the cost of producing it. Blinding: A layer of concrete covering the ground so that steel reinforcement can be laid out without becoming contaminated. Building unit of a regular size usually made of solid or aerated ("aircrete") Block: concrete. Blockwork: Built with blocks. Threaded fastener used (with a nut and washers) for connecting building Bolt: components, particularly steel and/or timber. The arrangement or pattern of bricks (or other masonry units) in a wall. Each unit should overlap the unit below by at least one quarter of a unit's length, and sufficient bonding bricks Bond: should be provided to prevent the wall splitting apart. Common bond patterns are Flemish, Stretcher, English and English Garden Wall. A proprietary type of plaster with good adhesive properties. It must be used with care as it is Bonding plaster: hygroscopic, i.e. it will readily absorb atmospheric or rising moisture. A timber gutter lined with lead or some other waterproof material. (Fr. chèneau Box gutter: (m) encaissé). Brace, Bracing: Diagonal members (or rigid membranes) providing rigidity to a structure. Bressemer, A timber lintel flush with the surface of the brickwork above it. Bresumer etc.: Building unit of a regular size usually made of baked clay. Can also be calcium silicate or concrete. The standard size of metric bricks in the UK is 65 x 102.5 x 215mm, designed to be Brick: used with a 10mm mortar joint. The equivalent theoretical size of imperial bricks, used with a 3 5 3 5 /8 inch joint, is 2 /8 x 4 /16 x 8 /8 inches. Clay bricks are of course of great antiquity as evidenced by archaeology and the bible. (Fr. brique, f). Brick guard: Steel mesh panel used on scaffolding to make sure that loose bricks cannot fall off the scaffold. A metal or plastic component to tie together the two leaves of a cavity wall. Older galvanized Brick tie: ties tend to rust away and have to be replaced. Bricklayer: A skilled trade which requires years of training and practice. (Fr. maçon, m). Brickwork: Made of bricks. (Fr. maçonnerie, f). Bucket­handle Recessed in the half­round shape of an old­fashioned metal bucket handle. pointing: The first Building Control was introduced, in London, after the Great Fire (1666) when District Surveyors were engaged to enforce the Building Regulations which prevented the spread of fire Building from house to house – the Regulations had existed before but had often been ignored. The Control: system now covers the whole UK and includes rules on most aspects of building as it affects public safety and health, enforced by Building Control Officers. See links for details. Not to be confused with Town Planning. Building Plumbing, electrical wiring, ventilation, gas supply and other support systems in a building. services: C: Calcium silicate Smooth bricks made by compressing and heating a mixture of sand, or ground flint, and lime. bricks: Popular in the mid 20th century but less used now, because of their tendency to shrink. The rise in the middle of a roadway for drainage, or the similar shape given to a beam so that it Camber: will become level when loaded.