Architectural and Engineering Glossary
W
1.Abbr. for watt.2.On drawings, abbr. for “west.”3.On drawings, abbr. for “width.”
Abbr.for water closet.
On drawings, abbr. for “with.”
On drawings,abbr.for “without.”
Abbr. for “wiring around frame.”
A rigid building board made of wood chips bonded together with an adhesive resin.
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A concrete slab which is reinforced by ribs in two directions, forming a waffle like pattern.
The fineness of a material, as determined by the Wagner turbidimeter apparatus and procedure; for a material such as portland cement, expressed as the total surface area in square centimeters per gram.
A ceiling of semicylindrical shape, as a barrel vault.
An assembly for positioning and handling a pneumatic drill; consists of a mast with a carrier for the drill and a wheeled carriage for moving and positioning the unit.
A structure, separate from a main building such as a church, once used as a temporary shelter for horse drawn wagons before the use of automobiles; usually had at least one open side so that the wagons could be driven directly into the shed without having to open doors.
A stage mounted on wheels or rollers, usually powered; moves horizontally for the quick change of an entire theatrical setting.
A semicylindrical vault; a barrel vault.
Having a continuous round arched vault or ceiling, as in barrel vaulting.
See parting slip.
A decorative or protective facing,such as wood paneling, that is applied to the lower portion of an interior partition or wall. Also see falling wainscot.
The molding which finishes the upper edge of a wainscot.
Quartersawn oak, often specially selected, used in wainscoting.
The narrowest thickness of the slab in concrete stairs.
An instrument by which a person or organization who has or may have a right of mechanic’s lien against the property of another relinquishes such right.Also see mechanic’s lien and release of lien.
A horizontal timber or beam used to brace or support an upright mem- ber, as sheeting, formwork for concrete, etc.
A pedestrian path or passageway.
To imbed panels of insulation in hot bitumen or adhesive by walking on them immediately after application.
A refrigerated cooler or freezer large enough for one or more persons to enter. walking beam pivot A type of retractable center pivot.
Same as American basement.
1.An apartment building or commercial building without an elevator. 2.An apartment or office above the entry floor in such a building.
A passageway along the wall of a castle; usually behind the parapet of the curtain wall, 2.
The usual path taken in climbing stairs,approximately 18 in. (46 cm) from the center line of the handrail.
1.A passage or lane designated for pedestrian traffic, esp.one connecting various parts of an industrial plant or along roofing. 2.A garden footpath.
1.A structure which serves to enclose or subdivide a building, usually presenting a continuous surface except where penetrated by doors, windows, and the like. 2.A rampart.3.A retaining wall.For specific types, see battered wall, bearing wall, blank wall, blind wall, boarded wall, board wall, breakaway wall, cavity wall, common wall, composite wall, counterwall, curtain wall, dead wall, dry wall, dry stacked surface bonded wall, fire wall, gable end wall, hollow wall, load bearing wall, masonry bonded hollow wall, mud wall, non load bearing wall, partition, party wall, retaining wall, serpentine wall, spandrel wall, springing wall, street wall, structural wall, sustaining wall, veneered wall.
A wrought iron clamp, often decorative,on the exterior side of a brick building wall that is connected to the opposite wall by a tie rod to prevent the walls from spreading apart; same as anchor, 10.
A blind arcade used as an ornamental dressing to a wall.
A metal member which acts as a beam anchor.
A bed which folds and stands vertically when not in use, usually swung into a closet or recess; esp. used in apartment houses.
1.A frame or box which is set into a brick, masonry,or stone wall to receive a timber beam or joist. 2.In electrical wiring,a metal box which is set in a wall for switches, receptacles, etc.
1.A bracket which is fixed to a wall and used to support a structural member.2.A bracket used to support a scaffold. 3.A bracket used to support piping,an electrical component, or a lighting fixture.
A nonstructural material used as the exterior covering for the walls of a building; see cladding.
A brace or tie to hold together two walls, or the two parts of a double wall.
A cleanout,1 mounted on a wall;used where a drainage line is concealed behind a partition;a removable panel provides access to the cleanout.
A bracket that is used to anchor a wall.
A column which is embedded, or partially embedded,in a wall.
Any material or assembly which is used as a wall facing and is not an integral part of the wall.
A crane having a horizontal arm (with or without a trolley); supported from a sidewall or line of columns of a building; has a maximum swing of a half circle.
A dormer whose face is integral with the face of the wall below,breaking the line at the cornice of a building.
Same as wall clip.
A concrete form which is erected to provide the necessary shape, support, and finish for a concrete wall.
A self contained,vented furnace, complete with air grilles, which is permanently attached to a wall; furnishes heated air directly to the surrounding space, either by gravity or by a mechanical blower.
Strips of wood or metal, masonry tiles, etc.,applied to the rough surface of a wall so as to provide a flat plane upon which a surface material, or assembly, such as lath and plaster,wood paneling, wainscoting, etc., may be installed. Also see furring.
A portion of a wall that projects above the roof line in the form of a gable.
A garden of plants set in the joints of a stone wall, where soil pockets have previously been arranged.