Architectural and Engineering Glossary
P
A term descriptive of a portico having five columns in front.
A structural frame composed of individual members all of which are in the same plane.
Same as flooring.
A board which forms a plancier.
A stone block having tool marks on its surfaces.
Of a structure under stress,that plane along which fracture is most likely to take place,as a result of design or accident or the properties of the structure and its loading.
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A branch of the art of surveying in which the surface of the earth is considered a plane surface;curvature of the earth is neglected,and computations are made using the formulas of plane geometry and plane trigonometry.
Same as dressed lumber.
A playing area for children.
A public square that is usually centrally located,in Spain and in communities of Spanish heritage.
The intertwined branches of a line of trees that form a barrier.
Said of the branches of trees,shrubs,vines,etc.which are united by weaving,braiding,or plaiting.
A pleasure garden intended for enjoyment;often secluded.
In a royal palace,a room of state.
A large nail for fastening the planks of floors to the joists.
1.In suspended ceiling construction,the space between the suspended ceiling and the main structure above.2.A plenum chamber.
In suspended ceiling construction,a material or structural barrier erected in a plenum over a partition;used to reduce sound transmission between adjoining rooms by way of this path over the partition.
A jacket having low flame and smoke producing properties;specifically designed for use in the plenum,1 formed by the space between a suspended ceiling and the structural floor above;such space often is used for return air in a heating and/or cooling system in a building.
In an air-conditioning system,an enclosed volume which (in a supply system) is at a slightly higher pressure than the atmosphere and is connected to a number of branch supply ducts,or which (in a return system) is at a slightly lower pressure than the atmosphere and is connected to a number of return grilles;a plenum.
A backward curved airfoil impeller that is housed in a rectangular plenum;has ducted inlet and outlet connections;it is not enclosed in a typical volute scroll.
Having the appearance of network, weaving,or plaiting,as in Celtic and Romanesque ornamentation.
The proprietary name for a transparent weather resistant acrylic sheet.
Abbr.for “pounds per linear foot.”
On drawings,abbr.for piling.
A hand tool,pincer-like,with scissors action,usually with serrated jaws;used for gripping,holding,bending,and cutting.
1.A square or rectangular base for column,pilaster,or door framing.2.A solid monumental base,often ornamented with moldings,bas reliefs,or inscriptions,to support a statue or memorial.3.A recognizable base of an external wall,or the base courses of a building collectively,if so treated as to give the appearance of a platform.
See skirting block.
A brick having a chamfer,4 on its face or on one of its ends;usually used as one of the bricks in a plinth course.
1.A masonry course which forms a continuous plinth.2.The top course in a brick plinth.
PLMB On drawings,abbr.for plumbing.
Same as floor area ratio.
See plow.
A vaulting,1 in which masonry stretchers are laid in a series of rough triangles.
Same as ground key faucet.
A small bit,1 operated by a power drill,for cutting out plugs used to cover recessed screwheads in a hardwood floor.
Same as point of inflection.
An instantaneous type water heater in a remote location far from other fixtures using hot water.
Any dormer having a point at its apex.
A seldom used term for Gothic Revival.
In masonry,the rough finish that is produced on a stone by repeated impacts of a pointed tool striking its face.
A mason’s trowel used in pointing or removing old mortar from masonry joints.
In a material under tension or compression,the absolute value of the ratio of transverse strain to the corresponding longitudinal strain.
See vibrator.
On drawings,abbr.for “polish.”
An electric receptacle having contacts arranged so that a mating plug can be inserted in it in only one orientation.
A long,slender,tapering piece of wood;a pale,prop,stake,or stay.
A type of construction in which a pole is embedded in the ground and extends upward to serve as a column.
A foundation system using wooden poles,partly buried in excavated holes,for both lateral and vertical support.
A ridgeboard.
A horizontal timber resting on the ends of the tie beams of a roof;supports the lower ends of the common rafters,directly above the wall;raises the rafters above the top plate of the wall.
