Architectural and Engineering Glossary
M
A varnish containing between 5 and 15 gal oil per 100 lb (0.5 and 1.5 liter oil per kg) gum;used for interior paints and varnishes.
Same as mezzorelievo.
Steel neither very hard nor very soft,usually contains from 0.25 to 0.5% carbon.
Steel having a carbon content between 0.3 and 0.6%.
Liquid asphalt composed of asphalt cement and a kerosene type diluent of medium volatility.
A house of worship for some Protestant faiths;also may serve as a center of community activity;usually a notably plain structure,often having a square floor plan.
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The outer stile of a lock gate which meets,at the middle of a gate- way,the corresponding stile of the companion gate.
In a double-hung window,the horizontal member at the top of the lower sash or the horizontal member at the bottom of the upper sash.
One of the abutting stiles in a pair of doors or sashes.
Built of unusually large stones.
A thickly populated urban region usually consisting of one or more large cities and surrounding suburbs.
1.In many Greek temples,a space divided off and sometimes subterranean,where only the priest was allowed to enter.2.The great central hall of a palace.
Visible to the unaided eye.
In painting,a vehicle made of oil of turpentine and pale drying oil in equal proportions.
Same as mihrab.
See methyl ethyl ketone.
A colorless alkyd type synthetic resin which is resistant to alkalies and most acids;used for surfacing plywood,chip board,etc.
A melon like ribbed dome (either an exterior or interior dome),especially found in Islamic architecture.
On drawings,abbr.for “membrane.”
In structural engineering,a component part of a structure,complete in itself.
In built-up roofing,a weather resistant (flexible or semiflexible) covering consisting of alternate layers of felt and bitumen;fabricated in a continuous covering and surfaced with aggregate or asphaltic material.
A process in which either a liquid sealing compound (e.g., bituminous and paraffinic emulsions,coaltar cut- backs) or a nonliquid protective coating (e.g., sheet plastics) functions as a film to restrict evaporation of mixing water from a fresh concrete surface.
A lath and plaster membrane that provides resistance to fire and extreme heat.
Direct and shear forces that act entirely within a thin concrete shell.
See membrane.
In the design of thin shells,a theory assuming that a shell cannot resist bending because it deflects,and that the only stresses in any section are shear stress and direct compression or tension.
A membrane applied to a surface to make it impervious to water.
On drawings,abbr.for “memorandum.”
An architectural or sculptural object or plaque commemorating a person or an event.
An arch commemorating a person or event,popular during the Roman Empire,and again at the time of Napoleon and later.
A cemetery,usually having grave markers flush with the ground in large open meadows bordered by groves of trees.
A flat marker,usually of metal or stone and often inscribed,affixed to or set into a surface;used to serve as a memorial or to commemorate a special event.
A stone or tablet set up,or placed on or in a wall,to commemorate some person or event.
In a church,a stained glass window dedicated to the memory of a person or family.
The quality of a material that enables it to return to its original shape after it has been compressed or stretched.
In a public building,a room containing toilet and lavatory facilities for the use of men.
A steel strip,usually predrilled with staggered screw holes;used to strengthen joints in wood construction.
A prehistoric monument consisting of a single large standing stone,sometimes rudely sculptured.
1.The stone slab or other piece forming the top of an altar.2.The upper surface of an altar.
Same as menhir.
Same as keystone of an arch.
1.The process or art of measuring. 2.The branch of mathematics dealing with the determination of length,area,or volume.
Abbr for mechanical equipment room.
The use of rooms,stores,markets,buildings,or structures for the display and sale of merchandise.
Obsolete name for wrought iron bars and rods.
A pipe which is not of standard full weight;usually 5 to 8% lighter.
A high-intensity electric discharge lamp consisting of an electric arc in mercury vapor in a sealed tube,which in turn may be enclosed in an outer glass envelope;the light produced appears blue white,but contains only violet,blue,green,and yellow components; usually operates slightly above atmospheric pressure.
Same as mercury contact switch.
An electric-discharge lamp consisting of an electric arc in mercury vapor in a sealed tube,which in turn may be enclosed in an outer glass envelope;the light produced appears to be blue-white,but contains only violet,blue,green,and yellow components.The lamp is said to be “low pressure” if the partial pressure of the vapor is below 0.001 atmosphere,and “high pressure” if about an atmosphere.
A wall-mounted switch used in interior electric wiring;contains a sealed glass tube of mercury which provides a silent contact when the switch is turned on.