PLTW CIVIL ENGINEERING AND ARCHITECTURE VOCAB

element of design

a basic visual component or building block of designed objects

deformation

a change in the shape of a structure or structural member caused by a load or force acting on the structure

free-body diagram

a diagram used to isolate a body from its environment

elevated floor

a floor that is above the level of the ground

Axial force

a force that acts along the longitudinal axis of a structural member.

deep foundation

a foundation that transfers building loads into the earth well below the building structure

Ballast

a heavy material installed over a roof membrane to prevent wind uplift and shield sunlight

easement

a limited right to make use of a property owned by another

decking

a material used to span across beams or joists to create a floor or roof surface

drainage fixture unit

a measure of the probable discharge into the drainage system by various types of plumbing fixtures

Baseline

a parallel of latitude running through an arbitrary point chosen as the starting point for all sectionalized land within a given area

built-up roof

a roof membrane laminated from layers of asphalt-saturated felt or other fabric, bonded together with bitumen or pitch

continuous beam

a single beam that is supported by more than two supports such that it has at least two distinct spans

concrete

a solid, hard material produced by combining portland cement, aggregates, sand, water and sometimes additional mixtures

EPDM (ethylene propylene diene monomer)

a synthetic rubber material used in roofing membranes

felt

a tar impregnated paper used for water protection under roofing and siding materials

contrast

a visual principal associated with change made in size, shape, color, or tone of graphic elements

fenestration

all areas in the building that let in light

circuit

the various things found along the path of electrical flow from the source, through the components and back to the source

dead load

the weight of the building or building components

What would the U-factor be of a material with an R-value of 10?

0.10 Btu/h ft^2 F

A floor plan is typically drawn to what scale?

1/4" =1'

A property owner prefers his building to be 65 degrees F inside when the outside temp is 35 degrees F. What is the heat loss through a wall that has no windows or doors, and that has a surface area or 160 ft^2 and an r-value of 23 (round answer to the nearest hundredth)?

208.70 BTU/H ft^2 degrees F

Beam

A structural member, usually horizontal, that carries a load that is applied transverse to its length

at would the total heat gain be through a 500 ft^2 west wall with an r-value of 25ft^2 times degree F times h/Btu and a difference in temperature between the outside and inside of 20 degrees F?

400 btu/hr

Occupancy Category

A category used to determine structural requirements based on occupancy of the building

Arch

A curved structure for spanning an opening, designed to support a vertical load primarily by axial strength.

Air Handling Unit (AHU)

A device used to condition and circulate air as part of a heating, ventilating, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system.

Occupancy group

A specification that indicates by whom or how the structure will be used

The act made it necessary for property owners and architects to make public buildings accessible to individuals with disabilities

ADA

The _________ Act of 1990 provided clear guidelines for universal accessibility for the handicapped

ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)

ASD

Allowable Strength Design

AIA

American Institute of Architecture

Architect

An individual trained in the art and science of designing and constructing buildings.

What method is used to link related ideas graphically as a means of developing a fuller definition of a person, a term, or an idea?

Concept map

The structural component typically constructed from concrete that transfers the load of the structure to the soil is called a _____________.

Footing

The ___________ architectural style is a single story house that originated in the southwest United States

Ranch

A horizontal wood framing member that is placed at the top of windows, doors, and openings in walls is called a __________.

Header

On a section view of a residential exterior wall the structural member found above a door and window opening is referred to as a ______________.

Heading

What is the formula Q= AU change(triangle) T used to calculate?

Heat Loss/ Gain

Which of the following is commonly true for a road profile layout?

Horizontal scale is greater than the vertical scale.

What type of engineer would be responsible for the sizing of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system?

Mechanical Engineer

Allowable Strength

Nominal strength divided by the safety factor.

An exterior elevation drawing of a structure shows _____________.

Overall building height

The American architect Frank Lloyd Wright is known for originating this style of architecture?

Prairie

construction documents

drawings, plans, specifications, etc. associated with a construction project

What view would be used to show the interior detail of a building from the foundation up to the roof peak?

Section

What view would show how the roof level, floor level, and foundation level are connected together?

Section

The drawing that shows vertical relationships between structural materials and the construction method for a framing crew is called a (an) _______________

Section Drawing

Which of the following is NOT a utility?

Septic system

A homebuyer wishes to build a house that will have many south facing windows. She would like to make sure these windows are not obstructed. What drawing should she consult?

Site Plan

Which site would generate the most runoff from a given rainfall?

Sloping, clayey soil

The line on an electrical plan that goes from the switch to the lighting fixture is known as a _____________.

Switch Leg

A window or door schedule table references the floor plan and assigns a letter or number to a door or window on the plan or elevation. This notation is called a(n) _____________.

Tag

ASCE

The American Society of Civil Engineers

Aesthetics

The quality of an object that deals with art, beauty, and taste.

Abet

The recognized accreditor for college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and technology.

Beam Analysis

The use of physical laws and mathematics to compute internal forced, stresses, and deformations.

egress

exits or a way out

nonportable Water

Water not safe for drinking, personal, or culinary utilization

force

an agent that causes stress on an object

dome

an arrangement of several arches whose bases form a circle and whose tops meet in the center

circuit breaker

an electrical safety switch that automatically opens a circuit when excessive amperage occurs

civil engineer

an engineer trained in the design and construction of public works, such as bridges or dams, and other large families

curtain wall

an exterior building wall that is supported entirely by the frame of the building, rather than being self-supporting or load bearing

electric meter

an instrument used to measure electric power

charrette

an intensive workshop in which various stakeholders and experts are brought together to address a particular design issue

column

an upright structural member acting primarily in compression

drain

any pipe that carries wastewater or water-borne wastes in a building drainage system

A client survey that incorporates the design requests for a building is generated in an interview with the ___________.

architect

An architect's chief role in developing a structure is __________.

art and design

A design process that is used to represent room locations, spatial relationships and traffic flow within a building is referred to as ___________.

bubble diagramming

CMU

concrete masonry unit. a block of hardened concrete, w or w/o holes, designed to be laid the same as bricks

cast-in-place concrete

concrete that is poured in its final location

floor joists

horizontal structural members used to carry the floor and ceiling loads

When water stops flowing in a pipe, the pressure in the pipe ___________.

increases

Access to (and from) a roadway from (and to) a building is referred to as ____________.

ingress abd egress

Building code

legal requirements designed to protect the public by providing guidelines for structural, electrical, plumbing, and mechanical areas of a structure.

form

the shape and structure of something as distinguished from its substance or material

An elevation is a(n) __________ drawing depicted one side of a building and is used to show information including building height and materials such as siding and roofing

orthographic projection

ducts

pipes, typically made of sheet metal, used to conduct hot or cold air in the HVAC system

drainage system

piping within a building that conveys sewage, rainwater, or other liquid wastes to a point of disposal

Documentation for an architect that consists of sketches, working drawings, renderings and a list of previous clients is referred o as a(n)

portfolio

drainage

removal of groundwater or surface water, or of water from structures, by gravity or pumping

The designers of the Leaning Tower of Pisa did not intend the structure to lean. What did these civil engineers fail to properly account for?

soil type

Bearing walls

solid walls that provide support for each other and for the roof of a structure

emphasis

stress or prominence given to an element of a design

design load

the applied load determined by the required load combinations

design temperature differential

the difference between the indoor temperature winter and the outdoor design temperature in winter.

deflection

the distance a beam or structure deforms under loading, typically due to bending in a beam

facade

the exterior face of a building

fascia

the finish board covering the edges of rafters and eaves

foundation

the lower part of a building, which transfers structural loads from he building to the soil

footing

the lowest, widest part of the foundation that distributes the load over a broad are of the soil

compression strength

the maximum compressive stress a material can withstand without failure

Balance

the pleasing or harmonious arrangement or proportion of parts or elements in a design or composition

Building envelope

the portion of a building that encloses the treated environment, including the walls, ceiling or roof, and floor

design principals

the rules that describe how designers might put together various design elements to create an aesthetic finished product

An evaluation process that takes into account the factors that will influence and determine the successful implementation of a proposed project is referred to as _______________.

viability analysis

An empty lot in your town has been put up for sale. You are interested in purchasing this property and developing a site. By what means can the allowable use of property be determined?

zoning laws