COSC 175-Exam 2

Bolsters

A bent wire device used in holding reinforcing steel and concrete. Also, the pattern in which masonry units are laid.

Chairs

A bent wire or plastic device used to hold reinforcing bars in place during concrete pouring.

Fire Stop

A block placed between studs of a wall to prevent a draft and the spread of fire.

One-way Slab System

A concrete floor system constructed with the main reinforcing steel spanning in one direction.

Two-way Slab System

A concrete floor system in which the main reinforcing steel spans in two directions.

Slab-on-Grade

A concrete slab supported by ground.

Monolithic Slab

A concrete slab system in which the slab and footings are cast as one continuous unit.

Plot Plan

A drawing showing the location of a building on its plot of land and various details of the land. Also called a site plan.

Site plan

A drawing showing the location of a building on its plot of land and various details of the land. Also called plot plan.

Basement Plan

A drawing showing the top view of the basement, often with foundation details.

Post-and-Beam Framing

A framing method that makes use of heavy timber material for vertical posts in wall sections and horizontal beams supporting floor and roof sections. The floor and roof sections are typically made from plank material 2" thick.

Rough Sill

A horizontal framing member running between studs below a window opening.

Sole Plate

A horizontal framing member that serves as a base for the studs in a wall frame, normally the same size as the studs.

Purlin

A horizontal roof member used to support long rafters or trusses.

Ledger

A horizontal strip of wood attached to the side of a beam to support joists.

Beams

A horizontal structural member used between posts, columns, or walls.

Expansion Joints

A joint formed in concrete or masonry units by a bituminous fiber strip or foam rod and caulk to allow for expansion and contraction in materials caused by temperature changes and shrinkage.

Caissons

A large-diameter shaft (usually from 18"-72" in diameter) that is drilled, then filled with steel reinforcing material and concrete.

Property lines

A line shown on a site plan representing the limits of a plot of land.

Schedule

A list of details or sizes for building components such as doors, windows, or beams.

Legend

A list of symbols and their corresponding meanings, used in a set of prints.

Column Schedule

A list of the details and specifications for all of the columns in a structure.

Steel Pile

A long H-shaped (H-pile) or round (pipe pile) steel member that is hammer-driven into the earth.

Grade Beam

A low foundation wall or a beam, usually at ground level, used to provide support for the walls of a building.

Concrete Masonry Units (CMU)

A masonry unit made of concrete measuring 8" x 8" x 16" long (including mortar joint).

Bearing

A measure of direction expressed as degrees east or west of north or south.

Bird's Mouth

A notch formed by placing two cuts in a rafter, allowing it to sit on the top plate.

Friction Pile

A pile that works on the principle of frictional resistance on the sides of the pile from the soil into which it has been driven.

Drain/Waste/Vent (DWV) System

A piping system used for sewage disposal.

Floor plan

A plan view showing room sizes and locations and many construction details. For simple construction, these may contain all of the needed information.

Foundation Plan

A plan view showing the dimensions and details of a building's foundation system, including footings, walls, and piers.

Benchmark

A point of known elevation, such as a mark cut on a permanent stone or plate set in concrete, from which measurements are taken.

Cripple Jacks

A rafter running between a valley rafter and a hip rafter

Valley Jacks

A rafter running between a valley rafter and the ridge.

Hip Jacks

A rafter running between the plate and a hip rafter.

Common Rafters

A rafter running between the wall plate and the ridge.

Valley Rafters

A rafter running from an inside corner of the building to the ridge board.

Hip Rafters

A rafter running from an outside corner of the building to the ridge board.

Waterstop

A sealing device used at concrete construction joints to serve as a moisture barrier.

Knee Walls

A short wall.

Floating Slab Construction

A slab-on-grade construction method in which the footings, foundation walls, and slab are cast at the same time.

I-Beam

A structural steel shape with narrow top and bottom flanges forming a cross-sectional shape like the letter "I."

Wide-Flange Beam

A structural steel shape with top and bottom flanges wider than the flanges of an I-beam.

Cripple Studs

A stud that does not run the full height of the wall due to the presence of a header or a rough sill.

Collar Beam

A tie between two opposite rafters, well above the wall plate.

Open-Web Steel Joists

A truss type joist with top and bottom chords and a web formed of diagonal members. Some manufacturers make a joist with chords of wood and a steel web and refer to it as a truss joist.

Waffle Slab

A two-way slab system supported by concrete members running in two directions

Detail

A type of drawing showing a specific detail of the construction. These are normally drawn at a large scale than other drawings.

Auger Cast Pile

A type of foundation system that is drilled with a 12"-14" steel auger. As the auger is being raised out of the completed hole, concrete is pumped down the shaft to fill the cavity.

Copper Piping

A type of pipe used extensively for water distribution

Columns

A vertical structural member

Balloon Framing

A wall framing method in which wall studs run the entire height of the building, from foundation to roof plate.

Platform Framing

A wall framing method in which wall studs run the length of a single story. Also called western framing.

True North

Actual North, as opposed to the arbitrary Plan North.

Assumed Benchmark

An arbitrarily chosen benchmark

North Arrow

An arrow shown on a plan view drawing indicating the orientation of the structure.

Plan North

An assumed north direction (differing from True North) that is aligned with the building orientation.

Cleanouts

An opening in the waste pipe of a plumbing system for rodding out the drain. Also: an opening at the lower part of a fireplace for removing ashes.

Stringer

Angled member that supports stairs.

Blocking

Bridging members placed between wall studs to provide structural support and to prevent fire from spreading from floor-to-floor.

Prestressed Concrete

Concrete in which steel is tensioned (stretched) and anchored to compress the concrete.

Cast-in-Place Concrete

Concrete that is cast at the construction site in its permanent location.

Precast Concrete

Concrete that is cast into members in a factory and then transported to the construction site.

Reinforced Concrete

Concrete that is cast with steel reinforcement bars, which provide additional strength.

Architectural drawings

Drawings showing the materials and construction processes that define the structure, typically created as plan, elevation, section, and detail drawings.

Structural Steel

General name for several types of mild steel normally used in construction.

Ribbon

In balloon framing, the member attached to the studs and used to support joists.

Stirrups

In reinforced concrete beams, a thin reinforcing bar wrapped around the main reinforcing bars to hold them in position. Stirrups also provide additional reinforcement against shear.

Ties

In reinforced concrete columns, thin reinforcing bars wrapped horizontally around the primary, vertical bars. The ties keep the larger bars from moving as the concrete is cast.

Run

In roof construction, the horizontal distance from the wall supporting the bottom of the rafter to the ridge board. In stair construction, the total horizontal length of the stairway.

Rise

In roof construction, the vertical distance from the top plate to the ridge of a roof. In stair construction, the vertical distance between floors.

Elevation

In surveying, the height of a survey marker above sea level; a measurement on a plot or foundation referenced to a known point. In architectural drafting, the drawing of the front, sides, or rear view of a structure.

Loadbearing Partitions

Interior walls that carry the ceiling or floor load from above.

Contour lines

Lines drawn on the site plan to indicate the changing elevation of the land. All of the points along a single contour line are at the same elevation.

Splicing

Method of connecting two reinforcing bars at their ends to produce a single, long bar.

Rafter

One of a series of structural members of a roof. These of a flat roof are sometimes called roof joists.

Joist

One of a series of wood or metal framing members used to support a floor or ceiling.

Brass Pipe

Pipe made primarily of copper and zinc, used for corrosive materials.

Distribution Pipes

Pipes that deliver supply water to plumbing fixtures

Posttensioned Concrete

Prestressed concrete in which the pretensioning steel is stressed after the concrete is cast.

Pretensioned Concrete

Prestressed concrete in which the pretensioning steel is stressed before the concrete is cast.

Keyway

Slotted joint in concrete used to connect portions cast at different times, such as a groove in the footing where the foundation wall is to be poured.

On Center (O.C.)

Spacing measurement referring to the distance between the centers of adjoining studs, joists, or other building components.

Footings

The base of a foundation wall or column. The footing is wider to provide a larger bearing surface.

Ridge Board

The board at the peak of a roof.

Bridging

The bracing of joists by members that connect between the sides of adjacent joists.

Frost Line

The depth below the ground surface subject to freezing.

Span

The distance between supports for joists, beams, girders, and trusses.

Setback

The distance from the property boundaries to the building location, required by zoning.

Top Plate

The horizontal framing member running above wall studs.

Tread

The horizontal member of a stair.

Header

The horizontal structural member over a door or window opening. Also: a structural member nailed to the top of the sill plate at its exterior edge, onto which the floor joists are attached.

Topography

The locations and details of land features.

Waterproofing

The process of protecting foundation walls from underground water.

Riser

The vertical member of a stair.

Winders

Triangular (pie-shaped) treads used to change direction of a staircase.

Control Valves

Valve in a water distribution system used to stop the flow.

Section

View showing the building as if it were cut apart. These show walls, stairs, and other details not clearly shown in other drawings. They are usually drawn to a scale larger than that used for the elevations and plan drawings.

Sill Plate

Wood board attached to the top of a foundation wall, onto which the wall frame is attached.

Delta

the central angle formed by the radii of a curve meeting the curve at the points of tangency.