Glossary of Structural Engineering Terms Aleck Associates Ltd, Structural Engineers in London UK Structural consultant structural engineering. An explanation of some terms used in structural engineering, architecture and construction in the UK. Issuu is a digital publishing platform that makes it simple to publish magazines, catalogs, newspapers, books, and more online. Easily share your publications and get. The database recognizes 1,746,000 software titles and delivers updates for your software including minor upgrades. Fr. French equivalent terms, nouns are masculine or feminine. Access chamber Underground chamber enabling access to drains or other underground services. Acre Unit of land area in the Imperial system 4. Acrow A telescopic prop much used as a temporary support in construction. Fabric Yard To Kg Converter' title='Fabric Yard To Kg Converter' />Named after the American manufacturer who first introduced them to the UK. Additive Chemicals added to cement based products concrete, mortar, render, screed etc to impart various desirable properties such as to increase or reduce curing time, increase strength, enhance workability and so on. The amount of additives should be watched carefully since in excess or combination they can have undesirable effects. Aggregate The stones and sand coarse and fine aggregate respectively used as a filler in concrete, asphalt etc. Fabric Yard To Kg Converter' title='Fabric Yard To Kg Converter' />Air conditioning Originally, a system by which fresh air is drawn from outside the building and brought to an acceptable condition in terms of temperature and humidity before being introduced into the building. The name is often also applied to chillers with no air handling, drying or heating capacity. Aircrete A lightweight aerated cement based material from which easily handled high insulating building blocks are made. Trade name. All in ballast Ballast suitable for making into concrete without the addition of any other aggregate. Angle Steel angle a steel section whose cross section is L shaped. If the vertical and horizontal legs of the L are the same length it is called an equal angle, if different, an unequal or odd leg angle. Angles are also available in other metals. An amount of rotation. The measurement of angles using 3. Babylonians who used a number system based on 6. Arch A basic form of masonry construction dating back millenia. Brick arches are found spanning over window and door openings in Victorian and older buildings their disadvantage is that they exert horizontal thrust at their bearings, which sometimes leads to distortion in poorly designed or maintained arches. Architrave Timber moulding around a door frame or similar. Arris A sharp corner at the junction of two planes or surfaces. Arris rail Timber of triangular cross section made by cutting a square section diagonally, used for fence rails and forming fillets at the junctions of flat roofs and walls. Ashlar Smooth sawn stonework used in a wall. Axed arch A brick arch in which the bricks are cut traditionally with an axe to a wedge shape. The mortar joints are of even thickness. As opposed to a rough arch. Back addition Traditional terraced housing originally comprised rooms between the front and rear external walls. When indoor plumbing became the rage, extensions were built at the back of the house to contain the bathroom, wc, kitchen and scullery. The rear wing of a house is still called the back addition, even if it was built at the same time as the rest of the house. Ballast Mixed size aggregate. Batten A small timber such as those used to support roof tiles. Beam A horizontal member that carries vertical loads along its length. It would traditionally have been timber the word originally meaning tree trunk but a modern beam might more often be reinforced concrete or steel. Fr. poutre, f A steel component designed for use as a beam Universal Beam. Bench mark A levelling base point of known level. The Ordnance Survey has set up bench marks around the UK. Contractors often establish temporary bench marks TBM at convenient points around the site. Bending moment The bending force in, for example, a beam. The units of bending moment are those of force x distance, for example, kilo. Newton metres. Berm An earth bank left against a retaining wall during excavation, until it is propped. Bessemer converter A kind of steel making plant, no longer in use. Bill of quantities BOQ A list of all the quantities of each component and operation required in a construction project. The BOQ enables all the tenderers to price exactly the same work, and makes it simple to work out the value of the work done at any time during the job. For small jobs the benefit of a BOQ may be outweighed by the cost of producing it. Blinding A layer of concrete covering the ground so that steel reinforcement can be laid out without becoming contaminated. Block Building unit of a regular size usually made of solid or aerated aircrete concrete. Blockwork Built with blocks. Bolt Threaded fastener used with a nut and washers for connecting building components, particularly steel andor timber. Bond The arrangement or pattern of bricks or other masonry units in a wall. Visio Windows 7 64-Bit. Each unit should overlap the unit below by at least one quarter of a units length, and sufficient bonding bricks should be provided to prevent the wall splitting apart. Common bond patterns are Flemish, Stretcher, English and English Garden Wall. Bonding plaster A proprietary type of plaster with good adhesive properties. It must be used with care as it is hygroscopic, i. Box gutter A timber gutter lined with lead or some other waterproof material. Fr. chneau m encaiss. Brace, Bracing Diagonal members or rigid membranes providing rigidity to a structure. Bressemer, Bresumer etc. A timber lintel flush with the surface of the brickwork above it. Brick Building unit of a regular size usually made of baked clay. Can also be calcium silicate or concrete. The standard size of metric bricks in the UK is 6. The equivalent theoretical size of imperial bricks, used with a 38 inch joint, is 2 58 x 4 31. Clay bricks are of course of great antiquity as evidenced by archaeology and the bible. Fr. brique, f. Brick guard Steel mesh panel used on scaffolding to make sure that loose bricks cannot fall off the scaffold. Brick tie A metal or plastic component to tie together the two leaves of a cavity wall. Older galvanized ties tend to rust away and have to be replaced. Bricklayer A skilled trade which requires years of training and practice. Fr. maon, m. Brickwork Made of bricks. Fr. maonnerie, f. Bucket handle pointing Recessed in the half round shape of an old fashioned metal bucket handle. Building Control The first Building Control was introduced, in London, after the Great Fire 1. District Surveyors were engaged to enforce the Building Regulations which prevented the spread of fire from house to house the Regulations had existed before but had often been ignored. The system now covers the whole UK and includes rules on most aspects of building as it affects public safety and health, enforced by Building Control Officers. See links for details. Not to be confused with Town Planning. Building services Plumbing, electrical wiring, ventilation, gas supply and other support systems in a building. Calcium silicate bricks Smooth bricks made by compressing and heating a mixture of sand, or ground flint, and lime. Popular in the mid 2. Camber The rise in the middle of a roadway for drainage, or the similar shape given to a beam so that it will become level when loaded. Cantilever Overhanging beam, roof or floor. Casement A window which is hinged rather than sliding. Cast iron A brittle material no longer much used in structural engineering. Cavity tie See brick tie.