Architectural and Engineering Glossary

W

Water Cement

Same as hydraulic cement.

Water Channel,condensation Channel

A trough like depression in the top of the interior sill of a glazed opening to collect and drain away condensed moisture which forms on the interior face of the glass.

Water Check

Same as upstand.

Water Closet

4.A small stone basin with a hole at the bottom to carry off water through a drain beneath;usually placed near the altar in an ancient church used by the priest for wash- ing his hands.

Water Closet,W.C.

1.A plumbing fixture used to receive human excrement and to discharge it through a waste pipe,using water as a conveying medium.2.A room containing a water closet,1.

Water Content

Same as moisture content. 

Water Cooler

Same as drinking water cooler. 

Water Course

See damp course.

Water Crack

In plastering,a fine crack in a coat applied before the previous coat has dried,or in a coat having excessive water in the plaster.

Water Curtain

A deluge sprinkler system above a theater proscenium.

Water Deactivation

See deactivation.

Water Distributing

pipe A pipe,in a building,which conveys water from the water service pipe to plumbing fixtures or other water outlets.

Water Filter

A device for the removal of,or reduction of,suspended solid contaminents in water by passing the water through a porous medium.

Water Filtration

See filtration.

Water Fountain

See architectural fountain.

Water Garden

A garden making use of pools in which aquatic and other water-loving plants are grown.

Water Gauge

A manometer filled with water.

Water Hammer

1.In water lines,a loud thumping noise that results from a sudden stop page of the flow.2.In steam lines,water of condensation that is picked up and carried through the steam main at high velocity;when direction of the flow changes,the water particles hit the pipe walls,emitting a banging noise.

Water Harvesting

Any combination of techniques that result in storm water being captured on site for later use.

Water Heater

A device for heating water for domestic use,usually supplied at a temperature in the range between 120F and 140F (approx. 50C and 60C).

Water Joint

1.A joint in a stone pavement where the stones are intentionally placed slightly higher than elsewhere;the raised surface is intended to prevent the settling of water in the joints.2.A saddle joint, 1.

Water Leaf

1.In early Roman and Greek ornamentation,a type of lotus leaf or an ivy motif.2.Similar to water leaf,1 but divided symmetrically by a prominent rib; also called a Lesbian leaf.3.Late 12th cent.capital with a large leaf at each angle,broad,smooth,curving up  toward the abacus corner and then curling inward.

Water Level

A simple device for establishing two points at the same elevation;consists of a water filled flexible hose(from which air has been excluded)with a piece of glass tubing at each end;the water level is observed  through the glass tubing.

Water Lime

Hydraulic lime or hydraulic cement;will set under water.

Water Main

A main supply pipe in a system for conveying water for public or community use,controlled by a public authority.

Water Meter

A mechanical device used to measure the volume of water passing through a pipe or outlet.

Water Mill

A mill,3 that is powered,by running water,such as a stream;also see tidemill.

Water Motor Alarm

In a fire sprinkler system,a hydraulically actuated device that provides a local audible alarm when water flows through  the wet alarm valve.

Water Outlet

1.An opening for the discharge of water that supplies a plumbing fixture,boiler,or heating system,or any device or piece of equipment which is not part of a plumbing system but requires water to operate.2.An opening through which water is discharged into the atmosphere.

Water Pump

A device for raising fresh water from a lower elevation where it is available,to a higher elevation where it can be used; where electricity is not available,pumps are often powered by windmills.

Water Putty

A type of wood filler;a powder which becomes putty like when mixed with water;used to fill small holes and cracks in wood.

Water Ramp

A series of pools,arranged so that water flows from one to another.

Water Repellent

1.Said of a surface that is resistant to,but not impervious to,water penetration.2.A material used to treat a surface to increase its resistance to the penetration of water.
 

Water Resistant

Said of any material capable of withstanding limited exposure to water.

Water Retentivity

That property of a mortar which prevents the rapid loss of water by absorption to masonry units;prevents bleeding or water gain when mortar is in contact with relatively impervious units.

Water Riser Pipe

See riser.

Water Seal

The barrier to the passage of air through a trap,1 in a drain,which is provided by water in the trap;a seal 3.

Water Seasoning

The seasoning of lumber by soaking it in water for a period of time prior to air drying.

Water Service Pipe

That part of a building main installed by,or under the jurisdiction of,a water department or company.

Water Softener

An apparatus which chemically removes the calcium and magnesium salts from a water supply,usually by ion exchange.Also see zeolite.

Water Spotting, White Spots

White marks which are left on a paint  film when droplets of water evaporate,or as a result of sealing in moisture.

Water Spray Fixed System

A fire sprinkler system that sprays water in a predetermined pattern and with a predetermined water-particle size,velocity,and density;usually discharged from especially designed nozzles.

Water Stain

1.Discoloration in converted timber caused by water.2.A water soluble dye used as a stain for wood that is to be finished.

Water Standpipe System

See standpipe system.

Water Stop

A diaphragm used across a joint as a sealant,usually to prevent the passage of water.

Water Struck Brick

See soft mud brick.

Water Supply Fixture Unit (WSFU)

A factor so chosen that the load-producing effects of different kinds of plumbing fixtures and their conditions of service can be expressed as multiples of that factor.

Water Supply Stub

A vertical pipe less than one story in height supplying one or more fixtures.

Water Table

1.A horizontal exterior ledge on a wall,pier,buttress,etc.;often sloped and provided with a drip molding to prevent water from running down the face of the lower portion;also called an offset,1.Also see base course,drip cap.2.Same as groundwater level.

Water Tank

An enclosed storage container,usually pumped to an elevated location,to increase the water pressure in a water piping system.