Floor Systems-Wall Systems

Pre-cast

pre-made concrete framing and is connected through dowels.

Chord

principal member of a truss which extends from one end to the other primarily to resist bending (Upper or Top chord, and Lower od Bottom chord).

Dormers

projecting surfaces built out from a sloping roof and housing a vertical window or ventilating louver.

Valley jack

rafter framing that extends from a valley rafter to a ridge.

One-way solid slab & beam

reinforcements run in one direction only

Flat roof

requires good waterproofing and drainage not suitable in the Philippines.

Rafter framing

roof framing for Hip roofs

Rafters

roof framing that has no web members.

Trusses

roof framing that has web members

Shed

roof, Lean-to roof, or Pent roof roof shape having only one sloping plane

Barrel roof

semi-cylindrical roof covering a space similar to barrel vault

Floor Joist

series of parallel beams of timber, reinforced concrete, solid bridging, or steel used to support floor & ceiling loads, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls. The widest dimension is vertically oriented.

Scab

short flat piece of lumber which is bolted, nailed, or screwed to two butting pieces in order to splice them together.

Block bridging, Solid bridging, Solid strutting

short members (boards) which are vertically fixed between floor joists to stiffen the joists.

Dado joint

similar in shape and purpose to the rabbet joint

Concrete slab on grade

slab placed over a base supported directly by the ground

Two-way solid slab & beam

slab supported on four sides

Hip roof/Hip and Valley roof

slopes upward from all four sides of a abuilding, requiring a hip rafter at each corner

Wood Joist System

small joist members closely spaced together (60mm or 12", 16", 24").

Cross bridging, Diagonal bridging, Herringbone

strutting diagonal bracing, in pairs, between adjacent floor joists to prevent the joists from twisting.

Composite Decking

tensile reinforcement for concrete. Shear studs slows the concrete to anchor itself onto the metal deck and beams.

Monolithic

concrete framing that is cast in place.

Metal Decking

corrugated steel plates used as a working platform during construction & eventually as framework for site cast concrete slab. Fastened to each other along their sides with screws, weld, or button punching standing seams.

Bridging Floor

floor suspended by common joists, without girders.

EXTERIOR WALLS

forms part of the envelope of the building with one side exposed to the weather or earth. Also called External wall.

Hip Rafter

forms the junction of the sloping sides of a hip roof.

Form Decking

formwork for an RC slab. No need to be removed when concrete is cured.

Gable roof/Pitch roof

has a single slope on each side of a central ridge

Gambrel roof

has two pitches on each side

Pavillion roof

hipped roof that usually has 4-6 sloping surfaces, terminating in a peak

Ledger, Ribbon/Ribband

horizontal member which is housed in the studs of balloon framing & carries joists.

Sill

horizontal timber at the bottom of the frame of a wood structure, which rests on the foundation.

FLOOR

is a level base surface of a room/hall upon which one stands. It can be constructed of wood, concrete, or steel.

Hip jack rafter

jack rafter extending from a wall plate to a hip rafter.

Mortise and Tenon

joint for building wooden framework where great strength and rigidity are needed. Made by cutting a hole or mortise in one piece and a tenon or tongue in the second piece to fit the hole in the other.

Dovetail

joint used for cabinet work and furniture work and is strong and durable. Made by cutting a pin in the shape of a dovetail in one piece to fit a groove similarly in the other piece.

Coped

joint used when fitting one piece of molding at right angles to the second piece.

Common/Bridging Joist

joists on which floorboards are laid; neither supports a joist nor is it supported by another joist.

Principal Joist

large joist that carries much of the floor load.

Wood Plank & Beam

larger beams spaced further apart & spanned with structural planking or decking.

Balloon frame

lightest form of framings. The studding and corner posts are set up in continuous lengths from first floor line or sill to roof plate. Lacks rigidity and is liable to sway and tremble in heavy winds.

Rabbet joint

made by cutting a shoulder or edge from one piece to receive the other piece. Used in window or doorframes, or in shelf and drawer construction

Halved joint

made by cutting half the thickness of the wood from each piece at the ends to be joined to bring the sides flush. It maintains a level surface at the joint

Butt or Square Joint

made by placing full thickness of wood directly against the second piece. It should be squared and the sides against which it butts smooth so that the pieces will be perpendicular to each other

Oblique joint

made when the two pieces do not meet at right angles. One piece is cut at an angle to fit to other and the two pieces nailed securely together

Scarfed Splice

combines the features of the tension and compression splice.

Binding Joist, Binder

beam which supports the common joists of a wood floor above and the ceiling joists below; commonly joins two vertical posts.

Ledger strip, Ribbon strip

a beam which carries joists flush with the upper edge of the beam. It is a strip of lumber which is nailed to the side of the beam forming a seat for the joists & helping support them.

Bridging

a brace, or a system of braces, placed between joists to stiffen them, to hold them in place, and to help distribute load.

Saw tooth roof

a development of the shed roof made into a series of lean-to roofs covering one building. Commonly used in factories where extra light is required through the clerestories formed in the vertical portion of the roof

Dome

a hemispherical form of roof usually found in observatories

Collar beams

a horizontal member which ties together two opposite common rafters, usually at a point about halfway up the rafters.

Soleplate

a horizontal timber which serves as a base for the studs in a stud partition.

Miter joint

a joint between two pieces which come together at a corner. It is a finish joint and should not be used where strength is an important requirement. Made by cutting the two ends at angles complementary to each other usually 45 degrees and then butting them together. It is then secured by clamp nails or finishing nails, corrugated fasteners or dowels, or by gluing

Girder

a large or principal beam of steel, reinforced concrete, or timber used to support concentrated loads of isolated points along its length.

Pyramidal roof

a roof hipped equally on all sides, to have a pyramidal form

Queen-post truss

a roof truss having two vertical posts between the rafters and the tie beam. The upper ends of the vertical posts are connected by a straining piece such as a tie rod or cable.

Cripple

a structural element that is shorter than usual, as a stud above a door opening or below a window sill.

Fink truss, Belgian truss, French truss

a symmetrical truss used in supporting large sloping roofs; It is in the form of 3 isosceles triangles.

Howe truss

a truss having upper and lower horizontal members between which are vertical and diagonal members.

Butterfly roof

a two-shed roof where the slopes meet at the center of the building

King post

a vertical member extending from the apex of the inclined rafters to the tie beam between the rafters at their lower ends.

Valley

an intersection of two-inclined roof surfaces toward which rainwater flows.

Stud

an upright post or support, especially one of a series of vertical structural members which act as the supporting elements in a wall or partition.

Sleeper Joist

any joist resting directly on sleepers.

Web

any members that joins the top and bottom chords (Vertical web members, and Diagonal web members).

Jack rafter

any rafter that is shorter than the full length of the roof slope, as one meeting a hip or a valley.

WALL

any various upright construction presenting a continuous surface and serving to enclose, divide, or protect an area.

INTERIOR WALLS

any wall within the building and can be referred to as Partitions.

Scarf joint

the ends of two pieces of timber are united to form a continuous piece. The mating surface may be beveled, chamfered, or notched before bolting, gluing, or welding.

Platform frame

the ground and second floor level structures are supported by their respective platforms.

Ridge

the horizontal line of intersection at the top between two sloping panes of a roof.

Rake

the inclined usually projecting edge of a sloping roof.

Eave

the overhanging lower edge of a roof.

ROOF

the top covering of a building including all materials and constructions necessary to support it. It provides protection from the weather and can be regarded as the "oldest component of buildings".

Soffit

the underside of an overhanging roof eave.

Partition, Cap, Head, Plate

the uppermost horizontal member of a partitions. The top plate of a partition on which the joists rests.

Scabbed or Fished Splice

two pieces of timber are squared at their ends and fitted together. It keeps the splice straight and to prevent buckling.

Rafter roof

two-sided pitched roof curving gradually down from the ridge, in the form of a gothic arch. Also called Whaleback roof

King-post trusses

type of truss where that structural support for a roof formed by two inclined rafters joined at the apex of their intersection. It is a horizontal tie beam.

Acoustical Decking

used as an acoustic ceiling. Perforated cells are filled with glass fiber.

Plain joint

used in very hasty construction for temporary framing and is made by lapping one piece over the other and nailing them together. It is not a very strong joint.

SPLICES

used to connect two or more pieces of timber that the joint will be as strong as a single timber of equivalent sizes.

Scissors truss

used to support a pitched roof. The ties cross each other and are connected to the opposite rafters at an intermediate point along their length

Heavy framing

uses a frame. Walls are just covers. Type of framing used in the Philippines. The floor joists are carried by girders, and the roof trusses or rafters by girts which frame into posts.

Cellular Decking

welding a corrugated sheet to a flat steel sheet. Creates a series of spaces/raceways for electrical & communications wiring.

Floor extension

wood flooring framing extensions that are parallel to joists

Floor extension

wood flooring framing extensions that are perpendicular to joists

Light framing

wood framing where walls are part of the support of the building.

Fishplate

wood or metal piece used to fasten together the ends of two members with nails or bolts.