Building Trades

Heavy machinery and hand tools used to excavate sites and erect buildings.

• Air hammeralso pneumatic hammer, air chisel
  A pneumatic hand tool used to carve stone, break concrete or drive metal fasteners.
• Backhoealso backhoe loader, TLB
  A heavy equipment vehicle featuring a loader bucket on the front and an articulated digging arm on the rear.
• Bellyscraperalso scraper, motor scraper
  A large piece of earthmoving machinery that scrapes, loads, and transports soil in a central hopper. Shop talk
• Bobcatalso skid-steer, skid loader
  A compact skid-steer loader used for moving soil and materials in tight spaces. Shop talk
• Broach
  A heavy, broad chisel used by stonemasons for rough-shaping stone.
• Chutealso debris chute, trash chute
  A sloped trough or tube used to slide materials, debris, or concrete down from a higher elevation.
• Crane operatoralso operator
  A certified tradesperson who drives and operates lifting cranes on a site.
• Crawler crane
  A heavy lifting crane mounted on an undercarriage with caterpillar tracks.
• Door openeralso Automatic door operator
  A motorized mechanism that automatically opens and closes a door.
• Heavy equipmentalso heavy machinery, yellow goods
  Large, heavy-duty vehicles and machines used for earthmoving, lifting, and major construction tasks.
• Heavy machineryalso heavy equipment, yellow goods
  Large industrial vehicles and equipment used to perform major construction and earthmoving tasks.
• Jackhammeralso pneumatic drill, paving breaker
  A heavy pneumatic or electro-mechanical tool used for breaking up concrete and rock.
• Piling rigalso pile driver, drill rig
  A heavy, track-mounted machine used to drill or drive deep foundation piles into the ground.
• Salamanderalso torpedo heater, salamander heater
  A portable forced-air heater used on construction sites to warm unfinished spaces. Shop talk
• Sand jackalso sand box
  A temporary support device that uses confined sand to hold heavy loads and release them slowly.
• Scaffoldalso scaffolding
  A temporary elevated framework used to support workers and materials during construction.
• Steam shovel
  A historic, steam-powered excavating machine used for heavy earthmoving.
• Stud finderalso stud sensor, stud detector
  A handheld tool used to locate hidden framing members behind finished walls.
• Wrecking ball
  A massive steel weight suspended from a crane used to demolish buildings.
• Yellow goodsalso yellow iron
  A collective term for heavy construction machinery and earthmoving equipment. Shop talk

The raw supplies and manufactured products that make up a physical structure.

• Aged R-valuealso long-term thermal resistance, LTTR
  The long-term thermal resistance of a closed-cell foam insulation product.
• Backerboardalso cement board, tile backer
  A rigid panel installed as a stable, moisture-resistant substrate under tile or exterior cladding.
• Backprimealso back-seal
  To coat the unexposed rear surface of wood siding or trim with primer before installation.
• Blanket insulationalso rolled insulation
  A continuous roll of compressible fibrous material used to slow heat transfer between framing members.
• Bottle housealso bottle building
  A structure built using empty glass or plastic bottles set in mortar as the primary wall material.
• Breeze blockalso clinker block, cinder block
  A lightweight masonry unit originally made with coal ashes and cement. Shop talk
• Browningalso browning coat, brown coat
  The base or second coat of plaster applied to a wall before the finishing coat.
• Bullnose
  A masonry unit or tile with a convex, rounded edge used for finishing corners.
• Encapsulation
  The process of sealing off hazardous materials or isolating a building space from moisture.
• Expansion jointalso movement joint, isolation joint
  A designed gap in a structure that absorbs thermal movement and prevents cracking.
• Facesheetalso face sheet, skin
  The thin, exposed outer layer of a composite sandwich panel.
• Firestopalso firestopping
  A specialized material or system used to seal openings and prevent the spread of fire.
• Froth packalso foam kit, two-part foam
  A portable, two-component spray polyurethane foam kit used for small insulation jobs. Shop talk
• Galvalume
  A steel sheet coated with an alloy of aluminum and zinc for extreme corrosion resistance.
• Glazed
  Fitted with panes of glass to seal a building envelope against the weather.
• Light clayalso straw-clay, slip-straw
  A non-structural building material made by coating loose straw with a thin clay slip.
• Nonfriable
  Describes a solid substance resisting being broken down into fine particles by basic human force.
• Opalitealso opal glass
  An opaque, milky glass material historically formed into decorative tiles or bricks.
• Popcorn ceilingalso acoustic ceiling, cottage cheese ceiling
  A textured ceiling surface created by spraying a thick, lumpy compound over drywall.
• Return spring
  The coiled metal mechanism inside a door latch that forces the handle back to its resting position after being pressed.
• RHS
  A rectangular hollow section of steel used for structural framing.
• Rosin paperalso red rosin paper, red rosin
  A heavy, uncoated building paper used as a protective underlayment or slip sheet.
• Sheet rockalso drywall, gypsum board
  A rigid panel of compressed gypsum wrapped in thick paper used to form interior walls and ceilings.
• Sleeved
  Installed within a larger protective pipe or tube.
• Staff
  A temporary exterior wall covering made from a mixture of plaster and fiber.
• Stressable
  Capable of receiving and holding mechanical tension or compression.
• XPSalso blue board, pink board
  Extruded polystyrene, a rigid foam insulation board known for high moisture resistance.
• Z-baralso Z-flashing, Z-purlin
  A metal transition flashing or structural profile bent into a Z shape.

The techniques and patterns used to build walls with stone, brick, and mortar.

• Abreuvoir
  A historic term for the gap between stones in masonry that receives mortar.
• Back-butteralso back-parging
  To apply a layer of thinset or mortar directly to the back of a tile or stone before setting it into place. Shop talk
• Batter rule
  A specialized tool used to measure and guide the intentional inward slope of a masonry wall.
• Boastalso boast out, rough out
  To rough out a block of stone using a broad chisel.
• Bondalso masonry bond, brick bond
  The overlapping pattern of bricks or stones laid in a wall.
• Bond timberalso chain timber
  A horizontal wooden beam built directly into a masonry wall to tie the structure together.
• Bricklay
  To construct walls or structures by setting bricks in mortar.
• Cavity wall
  A wall formed by two separate layers of masonry with an air space between them.
• CMUalso cinder block, concrete block
  Concrete masonry unit, the standard hollow rectangular block used in building walls.
• Cofferworkalso rubble masonry
  A traditional masonry wall construction consisting of a rubble core faced with cut stone.
• Concrete masonry unitalso CMU, concrete block
  A standard rectangular manufactured block made of cast concrete, used to build load-bearing walls.
• Copealso coping, coping stone
  A protective cap or covering on the top of a masonry wall designed to shed water.
• Course
  A single continuous horizontal layer of bricks, blocks, or stone in a wall.
• Coursing jointalso bed joint
  The horizontal layer of mortar sitting between two courses of masonry.
• Cyclopean
  A style of stone construction using massive, irregular boulders fitted together without mortar.
• Damp coursealso damp-proof course, DPC
  An impermeable layer built into a masonry wall near the ground to prevent moisture from rising through capillary action.
• Downstrike
  To finish a mortar joint by pressing the trowel into the bottom edge of the wet mortar.
• Drag
  A toothed steel tool used by stonemasons to level and finish the surface of soft stone.
• Dry
  Constructed entirely by stacking stones or masonry units without the use of mortar.
• Dutch corner
  A masonry corner bond constructed by placing a three-quarter length brick at the return.
• English bond
  A bricklaying pattern alternating full courses of headers and stretchers.
• Flemish bond
  A bricklaying pattern alternating stretchers and headers in every single course.
• Gallettingalso garreting
  The practice of pressing small pieces of stone or flint into wet mortar joints.
• Gatheralso gathering
  To taper a masonry structure inward, typically above a fireplace to form the throat of a chimney.
• Grout
  A fluid mixture of cement, sand, and water used to fill gaps in masonry and tile work.
• Hacking
  An older masonry technique where a single course of stone is split into two thinner courses.
• Half-bat
  A brick that has been cut or broken exactly in half across its length.
• Header
  A brick laid flat with its shortest end exposed on the face of a wall.
• Heartalso Hearting
  To fill the hollow interior space of a thick stone wall with rubble and mortar.
• Heartbondalso heart bond
  A masonry bond where two headers meet in the center of a thick wall and are covered by a third overlapping header.
• Inbond
  Describes a masonry unit laid with its longest dimension extending into the thickness of the wall.
• Lum
  A regional Scottish and Northern English term for a chimney stack or its internal flue. Shop talk
• OCRalso one coat render
  One coat render, a premixed exterior plaster applied in a single thick layer.
• Offbear
  To physically remove newly formed bricks or blocks from a moulding machine to a drying area. Shop talk
• Outbondalso stretcher
  A brick or stone laid with its long side parallel to the face of the wall.
• Overhand
  A method of laying brick or block from the opposite side of the finished face.
• Pargealso parging
  A thin coat of cementitious mortar applied to the surface of a masonry wall.
• Pargingalso parge coat
  The process or result of applying a thin coat of mortar to a masonry surface.
• Plain work
  A style of masonry featuring smooth, flat stone surfaces without decorative carving.
• Pointalso tuckpoint
  To fill and finish the mortar joints between bricks or stones in a masonry wall.
• Prismalso masonry prism, test prism
  A small sample of assembled masonry units used to test the compressive strength of a wall system.
• Regrate
  The process of removing the weathered outer surface of an old stone to expose fresh material.
• Rejoint
  The act of filling the gaps between masonry units with fresh mortar after the old material has degraded.
• Renderalso stucco
  The application of a cement or lime mixture to external walls to provide a protective and decorative finish.
• Repointalso tuckpoint
  The process of grinding out degraded mortar from masonry joints and filling them with fresh mortar.
• Reprise
  The continuous return or wrapping of a decorative moulding around an internal corner.
• Reticulated
  A masonry pattern featuring square or diamond-shaped stones laid diagonally to form a net-like appearance.
• Screedalso straightedge
  A straight edge or guide used to level poured concrete or plaster.
• Shiftalso bond offset, stagger
  The deliberate staggering of vertical joints in successive courses of masonry or planking.
• Spicatumalso opus spicatum, herringbone bond
  A traditional masonry pattern where bricks or stones are laid in a herringbone arrangement.
• Stereotomy
  The geometric art and science of cutting solid stone into precise shapes for complex architectural structures.
• Stretcher bondalso running bond
  A masonry pattern where bricks are laid lengthwise with vertical joints offset by half a brick in each successive course.
• Stretching course
  A continuous horizontal layer of masonry laid with their longest sides parallel to the face of the wall.
• Strikealso strike off
  To shape and finish a wet mortar joint flush with or slightly recessed from the masonry face.
• Stroke
  To carve fine, parallel fluted lines into the face of a stone block.
• Thermalalso flame finish
  To apply a high-temperature flame to a stone surface to create a textured, slip-resistant finish. Shop talk
• Tinglealso trig, line dog
  A small support placed under a mason's string line to prevent it from sagging over long distances. Shop talk
• Toe-crushing
  A structural failure where the bottom edge of a brick or masonry wall cracks and spalls under extreme pressure.
• Toothing
  A masonry technique where alternating bricks project from the end of an unfinished wall.
• Wallboxalso beam pocket
  A structural pocket built into a masonry wall to receive and support the end of a beam.
• Whitewash
  An older term describing bricks developing a powdery white crust of salt.
• Workstone
  A dressed block of stone prepared for laying in a masonry structure.
• Wythe
  A continuous vertical section of a masonry wall that is one unit thick.

The weatherproofing systems and cladding that protect a building from the elements.

• Apron flashing
  A piece of sheet metal installed at the base of a wall or chimney to shed water onto the roof.
• Architectural panel
  A metal roofing system designed primarily for visual appeal on steep slopes.
• Architectural shinglealso dimensional shingle, laminated shingle
  A premium asphalt roof shingle built with multiple layers to create a textured look.
• Asphalt shinglealso composition shingle, comp shingle
  A waterproof roofing element made of a fiberglass or felt mat coated with bitumen and topped with mineral granules.
• Barrier boardalso thermal barrier, fire barrier board
  A rigid, fire-resistant panel installed within a roof assembly to protect combustible materials from heat and flame.
• Bermuda seam
  A metal roofing profile with horizontal step-down seams running parallel to the eaves.
• BIPV
  Building-integrated photovoltaics, solar power materials that replace conventional building materials.
• Built-up roofalso tar and gravel roof, BUR
  A flat roof covering made of alternating layers of bitumen and reinforcing fabrics.
• Cladder
  A specialized tradesperson who installs exterior finishing systems and protective facing on buildings.
• Claddingalso siding, veneer
  The non-loadbearing exterior skin applied to a building to shed water and provide aesthetic appeal.
• Closed-cut valley
  A roof valley installation where shingles from one plane cross the center and the other side is trimmed.
• Combing ridge
  A topmost course of roofing slates or tiles that projects above the peak of the roof.
• Counter battenalso counterbatten
  A vertical wooden strip fastened to a roof deck to create an airspace beneath the horizontal roofing battens.
• Curb appeal
  The visual attractiveness of a property as seen from the street. Shop talk
• Dimensional shinglealso Architectural shingle, Laminated shingle
  An asphalt roofing shingle manufactured with multiple layers to create a textured, shadow-line appearance.
• Doghousealso Doghouse dormer
  A small, gabled roof structure built to cover a roof penetration, window, or equipment. Shop talk
• Double coverage
  A roofing application method that results in two continuous layers of material over the entire deck.
• Double lock standing seam
  A metal roofing joint where adjacent panel edges are folded over twice to create a watertight seal.
• Drip edge
  A metal flashing installed at roof perimeters to direct water away from the fascia and underlying wood.
• Edge ventingalso eave venting
  A ventilation system installed along the perimeter of a roof.
• Expansion cleatalso sliding cleat
  A concealed metal clip that secures roof panels while allowing them to slide.
• Eyebrowalso eyebrow dormer
  A low, curved window or dormer that projects through the slope of a roof.
• Feathering stripalso horse-feathers
  A tapered wooden strip used to level out old shingles before laying a new roof.
• Flat lockalso flat seam
  A low-profile sheet metal seam made by folding and hooking two panel edges together.
• Gable roofalso pitched roof
  A roof with two sloping sides that meet at a top ridge, creating triangular end walls.
• Gravel stop
  A metal flashing edge that keeps loose gravel from washing off a flat roof.
• Ice dam
  A ridge of solid ice that forms at the lower edge of a roof and prevents meltwater from draining off.
• Interlayment
  A waterproof sheet material installed between successive courses of roofing materials like wood shakes.
• Kneecapalso rib cover, transition cap
  A custom metal cover trim installed over a bent panel rib on a metal roof.
• Low-slope roofalso flat roof
  A roof surface installed with a pitch of 2/12 or less.
• Nail sickalso nail sickness
  A condition where a roof or structure is failing because the fastening nails have rusted away. Shop talk
• Nail sickness
  The failure of a roof caused by the rusting and degradation of its fasteners. Shop talk
• Open valley
  A roof valley where the shingles are cut back to expose a continuous metal flashing down the center.
• Pan formeralso roll former, panel machine
  A roll-forming machine that shapes flat metal coil into roofing panels.
• Pargetingalso pargetry
  A traditional method of applying decorative plaster to the exterior walls of a building.
• Recoveralso roof over, overlay
  To install a new roof membrane or shingle layer directly over an existing roof system.
• Ridge course
  The final, uppermost row of roofing material that caps the peak of a roof.
• Ridge tile
  A specially shaped tile designed to cap the apex of a pitched roof.
• Ridge vent
  An exhaust vent installed along the peak of a sloped roof to release hot air.
• Roof assembly
  The complete system of interacting components that form a building's roof, from the structural deck up to the weatherproofing layer.
• Screen wallalso equipment screen
  A non-structural barrier built to hide rooftop equipment or block wind.
• Scuttlealso roof hatch, scuttle hole
  A small hatch providing access to a roof or attic space.
• Seam
  The line or joint where two pieces of building material meet and are fastened together.
• Shed roofalso skillion roof, lean-to roof
  A roof featuring a single, continuous sloping plane with no ridges or valleys.
• Sideboardingalso siding, cladding
  The exterior timber cladding or siding applied to the walls of a structure.
• Snow guardalso snow brake, snow clip
  A roof-mounted device that prevents accumulated snow from sliding off in large sheets.
• Spandrelalso spandrel panel
  An exterior architectural panel that conceals structural floor slabs or ceiling voids.
• Square
  A standard unit of measurement in roofing equal to 100 square feet of surface area.
• Square tab shinglealso three-tab shingle, 3-tab shingle
  A standard asphalt roofing material cut with uniformly sized and spaced lower sections.
• Standing seam
  A metal roofing system where continuous panels are joined by raised interlocking seams.
• Starter stripalso starter course
  The foundational first layer of roofing material applied along the eave edge.
• Steep-slope roof
  A roof surface installed at a pitch of 2:12 or greater.
• Step flashing
  Overlapping L-shaped metal pieces used to seal the joint where a sloped roof meets a vertical wall.
• Straw nail
  A long-shanked nail used to fasten overlapping tiles at roof ridges and hips.
• Striationalso striated panel
  A series of shallow, parallel grooves stamped into metal roofing panels.
• Tear-offalso strip-off
  The complete removal of an existing roof system down to the bare wooden deck. Shop talk
• Torchalso torching
  To point or fill the inside joints of roof slates or tiles with mortar.
• Undercloak
  A rigid board or tile installed at the roof verge to support the mortar bed.
• Undertile
  Positioned or installed beneath a layer of roofing or flooring tiles.
• Upstand
  The vertical portion of a flashing or roof covering that turns up against a wall or parapet.
• Valley board
  A flat timber installed in the internal angle of a roof to support metal flashing.
• Valley piece
  A specialized roofing tile or shingle shaped to fit the internal intersection of two roof slopes.

The skeletal components and load-bearing elements that hold a building upright.

• Airspacealso cavity
  A deliberate empty cavity between building layers used for insulation or drainage.
• Angle baralso angle mullion
  A vertical structural member situated at the corner of a multi-sided window.
• Ashlaringalso ashlering
  The short vertical timber framing installed in garrets to cut off the sharp angle where the roof meets the floor.
• Balloon framealso Chicago construction
  An older style of timber construction where the wall studs run continuously from the foundation sill to the roof plate.
• Barrel vaultalso tunnel vault, wagon vault
  A continuous arched ceiling or roof structure that resembles a cylinder cut in half lengthwise.
• Base cap
  A decorative molding applied to the top edge of a baseboard.
• Baseboardalso skirting board, mopboard
  A board or molding installed along the bottom of an interior wall.
• Battenalso furring strip, Battening
  A narrow strip of wood used to cover joints or support other materials.
• Blind nailingalso secret nailing, concealed nailing
  A fastening technique where the nail head is concealed by the next piece of material.
• Brace upalso shore up, prop
  To install temporary or permanent supports to stabilize a structure.
• Bulb tee
  A structural T-shaped beam with a thickened, rounded bottom edge.
• Butmentalso abutment
  The solid mass of masonry or concrete that supports the lateral pressure of an arch or bridge. Shop talk
• Button punch
  A mechanical method of crimping overlapping metal sheets together to prevent them from sliding.
• Cantilever
  A structural beam or slab that is anchored at only one end and extends outward into space.
• Channelalso C-channel, parallel flange channel
  A steel or aluminum framing component that looks like the letter C when viewed from the end.
• Clearalso clear opening, clearance
  The unobstructed distance between two interior surfaces, such as walls or support columns.
• Clearspanalso clear span
  An interior architectural space that is entirely free of structural support columns.
• Counterlath
  A lath placed on the opposite side of a studded wall to balance the structure.
• Crawl spacealso crawlspace
  A low-clearance area beneath the ground floor of a building used for utility access.
• Dead-air spacealso Dead airspace, Air cavity
  An unventilated cavity within a wall or structure that provides thermal insulation.
• Dead loadalso Static load
  The permanent, stationary weight of a building's structural elements and fixed equipment.
• Design load
  The maximum combination of forces a structure is engineered to safely support.
• Dwangalso nogging, blocking
  A horizontal framing member installed between vertical wall studs to add rigidity and provide fixing points. Shop talk
• Eyebar
  A straight metal tension member with a looped head at each end.
• Facadismalso facade retention
  A construction practice where the original exterior face of a building is preserved while a completely new structure is built behind it.
• Footplatealso sole plate, base plate
  A horizontal timber or steel plate that distributes a concentrated load from a post.
• Frame upalso rough frame
  To construct the wooden or steel skeletal structure of a building. Shop talk
• Free-hanging
  Suspended without intermediate support points or attachments to adjacent surfaces.
• Furalso furr
  To apply thin strips of wood or metal to a surface to make it level or create an airspace.
• Fur outalso furr out
  To build out a wall or ceiling surface using thin strips to achieve a plumb or level finish. Shop talk
• Interdome
  The structural cavity located between the inner ceiling and the outer shell of a domed roof.
• Intertiealso nogging, dwang
  A secondary horizontal framing member that connects and stabilizes vertical uprights.
• Jack postalso lally column, telepost
  A telescoping steel column used to temporarily or permanently support structural loads.
• Jamb
  The vertical side piece of a door, window, or fireplace opening.
• Joistingalso joistwork
  The complete assembly of joists supporting a floor or ceiling.
• Joistworkalso joisting
  The structural framework of parallel joists in a building.
• Kneepiecealso knee brace
  An angled timber bracket used to reinforce the joint between two intersecting roof members.
• Ledgeralso ledger board
  A horizontal structural board securely attached to a wall to support joists or rafters.
• Live load
  The temporary or moving weight that a structure must be designed to support.
• Lookout
  A short wooden joist that extends outward from the exterior wall to support the roof overhang.
• Megatall
  A skyscraper that exceeds 600 meters in architectural height.
• Modular buildingalso prefab, volumetric construction
  A construction method where large volumetric sections of a structure are built off-site.
• Noggingalso blocking, dwang
  A horizontal bracing piece installed between vertical wall studs to stiffen the frame.
• On the levelalso level
  A state where a structural element is perfectly horizontal and true. Shop talk
• Pancake
  The progressive structural collapse of a building where floors fall flat upon one another. Shop talk
• Plugalso wall plug, wood plug
  A wooden block inserted into a masonry wall to provide a solid anchor point for nails or screws.
• Plumb
  Perfectly vertical and aligned with the direction of gravity.
• Pony wallalso half wall, stub wall
  A short interior or exterior wall that does not extend entirely from the floor to the ceiling.
• Porte cochèrealso coach gate
  A covered structure extending from the entrance of a building over an adjacent driveway.
• Post and lintelalso trabeated system
  A fundamental structural system consisting of vertical supports carrying horizontal beams.
• Queen post
  One of a pair of vertical timber supports in a roof truss that span longer distances than a single central post.
• Quicken
  To sharpen the radius of a curve or increase the steepness of an incline.
• Raising piecealso wall plate
  A length of timber laid on top of a masonry wall or frame to support structural beams.
• Raising platealso top plate, wall plate
  A continuous horizontal timber at the top of a wall that supports the bottom ends of roof rafters.
• Restressable
  Describing a post-tensioning system where the steel cables can have their tension adjusted after initial installation.
• Restumpalso reblock
  The process of replacing the deteriorated wooden or concrete pillars that support a raised building.
• RSJalso I-beam, H-beam
  A rolled steel joist used to support heavy loads in structural framing.
• Set fair
  The act of applying a smooth, final coat of plaster over a rough base layer.
• Sillalso sill plate, mud sill
  The lowest horizontal structural member of a building, window, or door frame.
• Slab hut
  A rustic building constructed from rough-split timber slabs set vertically or horizontally.
• Sleeperalso sleeper joist, furring strip
  A horizontal strip of wood laid over a concrete slab or subfloor to support the finished flooring.
• Snow load
  The downward force exerted on a building by accumulated snow and ice.
• Spanalso clear span
  The unsupported distance between two structural supports.
• Split slabalso sandwich slab
  A concrete floor system built in two layers with a waterproofing membrane sandwiched between them.
• Spring beam
  A heavy structural beam that spans a large opening without intermediate columns.
• Spuralso spur brace, strut
  A short diagonal brace used to reinforce a structural post or frame.
• Star platealso pattress plate, masonry star
  A star-shaped metal anchor plate fixed to the exterior of a masonry wall.
• Static load
  A constant, stationary force applied to a structure over an extended period.
• Steelalso structural steel, iron
  Structural steel components used to frame or reinforce a building. Shop talk
• Steelwork
  The complete assembly of structural steel components in a building.
• Stiffeneralso stiffener plate
  An additional structural element attached to a beam or plate to prevent buckling.
• Strongbackalso stiffback
  A stiffening member attached perpendicular to framing joists to prevent sagging and distribute loads. Shop talk
• Strut
  A structural member designed to resist longitudinal compression loads.
• Studalso wall stud
  A vertical framing member that forms the core framework of a wall.
• Subdeckalso subdecking
  The structural layer installed directly over joists to support the final walking surface.
• Subflooralso subflooring
  The structural layer resting on the floor joists that supports the finished flooring.
• T-beamalso tee beam
  A load-bearing structural member with a cross section that looks like a capital letter T.
• Tempo
  A temporary, fabric-covered steel frame structure used as a seasonal shelter.
• Toedalso toe-nailed
  Secured by nails or screws driven at an angle through the end of a framing member.
• Torselalso tassel, tossel
  A timber plate or block built into a masonry wall to support the end of a beam or joist.
• Tread
  The horizontal surface of a stair step where a person places their foot.
• Valley rafter
  A heavy diagonal framing member that forms the internal intersection of two roof slopes.
• Voidalso void space
  An intentional empty space built into a structure between walls, floors, or ceilings.
• Wall platealso top plate, raising plate
  A horizontal timber laid flat along the top of a wall to support roof trusses or floor joists.
• Widespan
  Describing a structural frame or roof that crosses a large distance without interior support columns.

The initial excavation, grading, and ground preparation required before building begins.

• Adequately wet
  A regulatory safety standard for dampening asbestos-containing materials.
• Air drainalso dry area
  An empty trench or space left around a foundation wall to keep it dry.
• Berm
  A constructed mound or bank of earth used for drainage control, landscaping, or barrier purposes.
• Borrow pitalso borrow area
  An excavation area where soil or gravel is dug up for use as fill on another part of the site.
• Breakthroughalso holing through
  The moment when an excavation or tunnel connects with an adjacent void or the opposite heading.
• Breast downalso heading and benching
  A traditional tunneling method where workers excavate the top section of the face first before removing the lower portion.
• Cut and cover
  A shallow tunneling method where a trench is excavated, roofed over, and buried.
• Deadmanalso Deadman anchor
  A heavy object buried in the ground to serve as a secure anchor point for a retaining wall or guy wire.
• Dry well
  An underground structure that collects surface runoff and allows it to slowly percolate into the surrounding soil.
• Earthmoving
  The process of excavating, transporting, and grading soil and rock to prepare a construction site.
• Entrenchalso trench
  To excavate a deep, narrow channel in the ground for utilities or foundations.
• Fascine
  A bundle of sticks or pipes used to stabilize earthwork or control erosion.
• Fill soilalso fill dirt, fill
  Earth brought in to raise the grade or fill depressions on a construction site.
• Green-gray
  A hybrid approach to infrastructure that combines natural elements with traditional engineering.
• Groundwater level
  The underground depth at which soil and rocks are completely saturated with water.
• Hoarding
  A temporary, solid perimeter fence erected around a construction site to protect the public and secure materials.
• Injection
  The process of pumping liquid materials into soil, rock fissures, or concrete cracks under high pressure.
• Manlock
  A pressurized airlock chamber that allows workers to safely enter and exit compressed-air environments.
• Neatlinealso neat line
  The theoretical boundary line defining the exact intended dimensions of an excavation or concrete pour.
• Oversitealso oversite concrete
  A layer of concrete poured over the ground beneath a suspended ground floor.
• Polymeric sandalso poly sand
  A granular material mixed with binder additives that hardens when exposed to moisture.
• Punchalso dolly, pile follower
  A heavy steel or timber block placed on top of a pile to protect it while driving it into the ground.
• Running sandalso quicksand
  Water-saturated sand that flows like a liquid into excavations.
• Setalso follower
  A temporary extension block used in pile driving to transfer hammer blows to a pile below the machine's reach.
• Starlingalso sterling
  A protective enclosure of driven piles built around a bridge pier or similar water structure.
• Swale
  A shallow, graded depression used to manage and direct surface water runoff.
• Trackhoealso excavator, crawler excavator
  An excavator mounted on continuous crawler tracks rather than wheels. Shop talk
• Viaduct
  A multi-span bridge structure carrying a road or railway over a valley, gorge, or other low ground.
• Waterworkalso waterworks
  The traditional term for civil engineering infrastructure that controls, treats, or supplies water.
• Wellpoint
  A perforated pipe driven into the ground to pump out groundwater and lower the water table.
• Wing wall
  A retaining wall attached to a bridge abutment or culvert to hold back surrounding soil.

The legal agreements, permits, and administrative documents that govern a project.

• As-builtalso record drawing, red-line drawing
  A revised set of drawings submitted upon completion of a project to reflect all changes made during construction.
• BIM
  Building Information Modeling, a digital representation of a building's physical and functional characteristics.
• Builder's remedy
  A legal mechanism allowing developers to bypass local zoning laws if a municipality fails to meet state housing quotas.
• Building sitealso jobsite, site
  The designated physical land area where construction activities take place.
• Construction unit
  A standardized grouping of materials and labor used to estimate costs for repetitive building tasks.
• Contracteealso owner, client
  The party in a construction agreement who receives and pays for the work.
• CP
  A contract package grouping specific scopes of work for bidding and execution.
• Distributablealso Indirect cost, General conditions
  A project cost that cannot be tied to one specific task and is spread across the entire budget.
• ECC
  An Environmental Compliance Certificate required for construction projects.
• General contractoralso GC, prime contractor
  The primary entity responsible for overseeing a construction project and managing subcontractors.
• IPDalso Integrated Project Delivery
  Integrated Project Delivery is a collaborative construction contract model.
• LFalso lin ft
  A unit of measurement for length, standing for linear feet.
• Net-zeroalso zero energy
  A building standard where a structure produces as much renewable energy as it consumes over a year.
• Planning permissionalso planning consent, zoning approval
  Formal approval from a local government authority required before beginning construction or altering land use.
• Practical completionalso substantial completion
  The milestone when a building is finished enough for the owner to move in and use it.
• Pull
  To officially obtain a required building permit from the local regulatory authority. Shop talk
• Punch listalso snag list, snagging list
  A master document tracking minor defects and incomplete tasks that a contractor must fix before final payment.
• Rehabilitatealso rehab
  The extensive restoration and repair of a deteriorated building to make it fully functional and code-compliant.
• Scaff tagalso scaffold tag
  A physical inspection label attached to scaffolding to indicate its safety status.
• Self-build
  A construction project where the property owner acts as the general contractor or primary laborer.
• STP
  Subject to planning, a condition where a contract depends on receiving municipal building approval.
• Submittal
  A package of technical documents or physical samples submitted to the architect or engineer for approval before fabrication.
• Subtrade
  A specialized area of construction work handled by a subcontractor rather than the general contractor.
• Subtraderalso subcontractor, sub
  A specialized contractor hired to perform a specific portion of the work on a construction project.
• UBC
  The Uniform Building Code, a historic set of construction standards used primarily in the western United States.
• WFR
  The wall-to-floor ratio, a metric comparing the total exterior wall area to the total floor area.

The informal jobsite chatter, worker titles, and jokes shared among the crew.

• Cookalso heater, rivet heater
  A historic ironworker who heated rivets in a forge before they were driven. Shop talk
• Dodgyalso Sketchy, Janky
  Of questionable safety, quality, or structural integrity. Shop talk
• Flare
  To angle a spray can while painting to create a widening, fading line. Shop talk
• Hardhat
  A rigid protective helmet worn on construction sites, or a slang term for a construction worker. Shop talk
• Riveter
  A tradesperson who specializes in installing heavy steel rivets to join structural members.
• Sidewalk superintendentalso fence hanger
  A bystander who loiters near a construction site to watch the work and offer unsolicited advice. Shop talk
• Sky hookalso board stretcher, striped paint
  A non-existent tool that veteran workers send gullible apprentices to fetch as a prank. Shop talk
• Smokoalso morning tea, smoke break
  A scheduled mid-morning rest break on Australian and New Zealand jobsites. Shop talk