Architectural and Engineering Glossary
R
Continuous filament yarn composed of regenerated cellulose;similar in chemical structure to natural cellulose fiber but contains shorter polymer units;usually made by the viscose process.
The middle phase of French Gothic architecture in the 13th and 14th cent.,characterized by radiating lines of tracery.
Abbr.for reinforced brick masonry.RC, R/C Abbr.for reinforced concrete.
Same as rapid-curing asphalt.
A series of curves of octave band sound spectra;used to provide a single-number rating of the noisiness of an indoor space.A measured octave-band spectrum is compared with this set of curves to determine the RC level of the space in which the measurements were made.
Abbr.for “residual current device.”
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Abbr.for “reinforced concrete pipe.” 1⁄4
On drawings,abbr.for quarter round.
The section of a sewer between structures.
A prefabricated reach in compartment for cooling food and/or beverages.
Same as anchor pile.
Wood which results from abnormal growth.
Aggregate containing substances capable of reacting chemically with the products of solution or hydration of the portland cement in concrete or mortar under ordinary conditions of exposure;in some cases causes harmful expansion,cracking,or staining.
See reactive aggregate.
The middle desk in a three decker pulpit.
Providing direct access (e.g.,to piping,wiring, air-conditioning controls,etc.)without requiring the removal or movement of a panel or similar obstruction.
Said of a wet alarm valve in a fire sprinkler system in which the piping is filled with water from a water supply of stable pressure;in this condition,there is no water flow from any outlet of the system downstream from the alarm valve sealing assembly.
Same as prefabricated house.
See mill-mixed.
Concrete for delivery to a site in an unhardened state for immediate use.
See mixed glue.
Property in the form of land and all its appurtenances,such as buildings erected on it.
Land,everything growing on it,and all improvements made to it.It usually includes rights to everything beneath the surface,and at least some rights to the airspace above it.
A tapered bit having sharp,spiral,fluted cutting edges along the shaft;used to enlarge an opening,to cut the burrs from the inside of pipe,etc.
A reamer for use in enlarging rivet holes.
1.An inner arch of an opening which is smaller in size than the external arch of the opening and may be different in shape.2. See arrière-voussure.
A girt that runs horizontally along the rear wall of a house;see illustration under timber framed house.
1.A small vault,1 over the space between the tracery or glass of a window and the inner face of the wall.2.An arrière-voussure.
The yard across the full width of a plot,extending from the rear line of a building to the rear property line.
Same as raising piece.
See due care.
A steel bar having ribs or slightly projecting patterns on its surface to provide a greater bond with concrete when used in reinforced concrete.
See rabbet.
Wet shotcrete which bounces off a surface against which it is projected.
Abbr.for “recreation room.”
The formal action taken by an owner in receiving sealed bids that have been invited or advertised in accordance with the owner’s intention to award a contract.
A device which is installed in an outlet box to receive a plug for the supply of electric current to an appliance or portable equipment.
An electrical outlet where one or more receptacles are installed.
A device,usually connected to an electric cord,which is inserted in a receptacle to establish an electric connection with the electrical supply.
Same as retention wall.
1.A channel-shaped,telescoping member which adapts the frame of a window to the size of the window opening;an adapter. 2.The shallow base pan for a shower.
A kind of parlor which usually adjoined an ancient Roman basilica.
1.Any shallow depression in a surface.2.A shallow depression in a floor;a sinkage.
See wall bed.
In masonry,a joint inwhich the mortar is pressed back,about 1⁄4 in.(6 mm) from the wall face,to protect the mortar from peeling.
An arch with a shorter radius set within another of the same shape.
See quirk bead,2.
A round column set into a recessed space that serves as a niche;primarily in a church.
A dormer,part or all of which is set below the main roof surface;also called an inset dormer.
Same as drainage fitting.
