Architectural and Engineering Glossary
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A key that will operate a number of different locks,each of which is different.
An exceptionally well-qualified mason in the Middle Ages;a position more or less equivalent to that of an architect today.
A plan,usually graphic and drawn on a small scale but often supplemented by written material,which depicts all the elements of a project or scheme.
An individual licensed and authorized to install and to assume responsibility for contractual agreements pertaining to plumbing,and to secure any permits required for plumbing installations.
A single electric switch in a wiring system which controls the supply of power to a building,or the action of relays or any other remotely operated devices.
As illustrated in the definition of contract documents,a uniform classification system for construction specifications that is divided into 16 sections,each of which is numbered and named.
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A proprietary master specification for the construction industry developed by the American Institute of Architects.
1.Any heavy bodied,dough like adhesive compound.2.A sealant with putty like properties.3.A protective coating applied by trowel or spray on the surface of thermal insulation to prevent its deterioration and to weather proof it.
See asphaltic mastic.
1.See matte.2.See mattress.3.A very heavy,flexible blanket of steel mesh,woven wire rope,or chain;used to confine fragments of rock during blasting.
A large,thick concrete slab that sustains the load imposed by a number of columns and/or walls;also called a raft foundation or floating foundation.
Same as mat well.
At the entrance of an exterior door,a depression in the floor to hold a fiber doormat.
In comparing two materials or constructions:an exact or approximate replication.
One of a pair of planes used to prepare matchboards;one cuts the tongue along the edge,and the other cuts the groove.
Boards which have a tongue along one edge and a groove along the other;when installed,the tongue of one board fits into the corresponding groove of the adjacent board and holds it securely.Also see dressed and matched boards.
A floor laid with matchboards.
The joint along the edge between two matchboards.
Lumber having dressed edges and prepared for tongue and groove joints.
Same as drop siding.
A system of matchboards,or of sheets of wood veneer,arranged to emphasize grain pattern,as in book matching or herring- bone matching.
The total costs of all materials used on a construction project,including delivery,handling,waste,storage,and taxes.
Same as delivery hose.
A suspended platform,manually or power operated,for conveying building materials and supplies;usually controlled from a point outside the conveyance.
A small piece of material,which is representative of the whole,that a contractor submits to the architect for approval; includes color,finish,and/or texture.
Same as supplier.
An open platform on a vertical hoist,used for lifting materials to upper floors during construction of a building.
Same as hoist tower.
A collective term for all timberwork employed in Classical Roman roof construction.
In wrought iron pipe,a bell and spigot joint.
On drawings,abbr.for “material.”
1.In mortar,the cement paste in which the fine aggregate particles are embedded.2.In concrete,the mortar in which the coarse aggregate particles are embedded.
In some religious settings which do not allow the sexes to mingle,a gallery set aside for women.
A common Japanese pine;used in house construction.
A liquid dip composed of two parts by volume of sulfuric acid to one part by volume of nitric acid and saturated with zinc oxide or sulfate;used to obtain a matte finish on metals.
See flat varnish.
Glass,one or both sides of which have been etched,ground,sandblasted,etc.,to provide diffusion of light.
A surface finish which is dull,with little or no gloss or sheen,and with low light reflectivity.
A tool for loosening soil in digging;shaped like a pickax,but having one of its ends broad instead of pointed.
A layer or slab of concrete,laid directly on the ground,which acts as a footing or the like.
A tree having a trunk diameter greater than that specified in the applicable code.
maturing The aging and/or proper hardening of a material,e.g.,mortar,plaster,concrete, etc.
See boiling tub.
A measure of the developing of strength in concrete;combines the effects of curing temperature and time of hydration.
1.A heavy,wooden mallet.2.See beetle.
A mahlstick.
1.A commemorative edifice for the reception of a monument;a cenotaph.2.A sepulchral chapel to contain tombs.
On drawings,abbr.for “maximum.”
1.The greatest load,3 delivered to an electric system over a definitely prescribed time interval.2.The greatest flow of water (or waste discharge) for all the fixtures in a plumbing system in a building during a definitely prescribed time interval.
In a water distribution system,the highest water pressure that will not result in the premature or accelerated damage of any component in the system.
