Expansive clay
Arcilla expansivaClay that can increase substantially in volume as its water content rises.
UNDERSTAND YOUR BUILDING PROJECT
Construction dictionary
Does ‘ring beam’ sound like something at the gym? Does ‘footing’ make you think of footwear? Look up a word from your project and discover what it means, in plain language.
2,147 construction and renovation terms9 specialtiesEasy-to-understand definitions
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Building terms, clearly explained.
2,147 terms found
Exposed conductive part
Masa eléctricaAccessible conductive part of equipment that can become live if its insulation fails.
Extensive green roof
Cubierta extensivaVegetated roof with a relatively lightweight growing medium and plants needing limited maintenance.
External corner bead
GuardavivosProtective profile reinforcing outside corners and helping establish their finished geometry.
External gutter
Canalón exteriorRainwater channel installed outside a roof edge, generally visible from the facade.
External insulation
Aislamiento exteriorInsulation positioned outside the structure or wall that bounds the building’s internal space.
External roller shutter
Persiana exteriorSlatted closure outside an opening regulating daylight, privacy and exposure to incoming solar radiation.
External screen blind
Estor exteriorRoll-up textile screen positioned outside the glazing to regulate solar radiation and visibility.
External works plan
Plano de urbanizaciónDrawing showing the arrangement of access routes, external spaces and surrounding services.
Extinguishing agent
Agente extintorSubstance used to interrupt or reduce combustion through one or more physical or chemical mechanisms.
Extract air
Aire de extracciónAir removed from a space to carry away moisture, odors or other contaminants.
Extract air valve
Boca de extracciónA component of a ventilation installation used to remove indoor air through an opening connected to an exhaust duct.
F/UTP cable
Cable F/UTPTwisted-pair cable with a shared foil screen surrounding the complete group of pairs.
Fabricated reinforcing steel
FerrallaCut and bent steel bars prepared for reinforcing concrete elements.
Facade
FachadaVertical external enclosure of a building combining protection, openings and an outward-facing finish.
Facade alignment
Alineación de fachadaReference line or plane along which a facade is positioned.
Facade anchor
Anclaje de fachadaConnection transferring forces from cladding or subframes to the building’s load-bearing supporting structure.
Facade area
Superficie de fachadaArea of the external enclosure used to measure facade work.
Facade bracket
Ménsula de fachadaProjecting support connecting facade profiles to the wall or the building’s supporting structure.
Facade cavity drainage
Drenaje de cámara de fachadaArrangement collecting and discharging water that reaches the space behind the outer wall leaf.
Facade cladding
Revestimiento de fachadaExternal layer or assembly of units providing a finish and protection to vertical enclosure.
Facade finish coat
Revoco de fachadaFinal mortar coat defining the texture and appearance of a rendered external facade.
Facade HPL panel
Placa HPL de fachadaHigh-pressure laminate panel formulated for external use as a facade cladding material.
Facade mullion
Perfil montante de fachadaVertical profile organising and supporting panels, glazing or other elements within the facade system.
Facade pier
Machón de fachadaVertical wall section between adjacent openings maintaining the continuity of the external enclosure.
Facade plinth
Zócalo de fachadaLower cladding band designed for contact, splash water and moisture near ground level.
Facade reinforcing mesh
Malla de refuerzo de fachadaFabric incorporated into a coating to distribute stresses and help control surface cracking.
Facade render base coat
Enfoscado de fachadaMortar layer applied to level a substrate and serve as a base or finish.
Facade screen
Celosía de fachadaOpenwork element before openings or spaces filtering views, daylight and the movement of air.
Facade sealant
Sellante de fachadaDeformable material closing joints and maintaining continuous protection between external building components.
Facade subframe
Subestructura de fachadaAssembly of profiles and supports carrying cladding and transferring its loads to the building.
Facade transom
Perfil travesaño de fachadaHorizontal profile connecting mullions and potentially supporting the edges of facade infill panels.
Facade water repellent
Hidrofugante de fachadaTreatment reducing surface water absorption without necessarily forming a continuous waterproof membrane.
Facade wind barrier
Cortavientos de fachadaLayer limiting air movement through insulation positioned behind the building’s external cladding.
Face shield
Pantalla facialProtector covering a broad part of the face against specified projectile or splash hazards.
Facing brick
Ladrillo cara vistaBrick manufactured to remain exposed, with appearance and performance suited to that purpose.
Facing brick facade
Fachada de ladrillo cara vistaFacade whose outer finish consists of exposed bricks and joints without additional continuous coating.
Factory-made mortar
Mortero industrialMortar proportioned in a factory with performance characteristics declared by its manufacturer.
Fall protection lanyard
Elemento de amarre anticaídasFlexible component connecting a harness to a compatible anchorage point or system.
Fall-arrest harness
Arnés anticaídasBody equipment distributing forces and connecting a person to a fall protection system.
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Technical references consulted
Definitions written in plain language using technical reference documentation.
- Fundación MUSAAT · Zapata
- Fundación MUSAAT · Zuncho
- ANFAPA · SATE
- CTE: Documento Básico SE-C Cimientos
- CTE: Documento Básico SE-A Acero
- CTE: Documento Básico SE-F Fábrica
- CTE: Documento Básico SE-M Madera
- European Commission JRC: Eurocode 7 geotechnical design examples
- WoodWorks: What is mass timber?
- Steel Construction Institute / BCSA: Member design
- American Concrete Institute: Self-consolidating concrete
- American Shotcrete Association: About shotcrete
- American Cement Association: types of cement
- NRMCA: Concrete in Practice technical topics
- FHWA: Alkali-silica reaction mechanisms
- American Concrete Institute: Chlorides and reinforcement corrosion
- Concrete Society: Carbonation of concrete
- American Concrete Institute: Guide to estimating prestress losses
- European Commission JRC: Major concepts of the EN Eurocodes
- CTE: Documento Básico SE Seguridad estructural
- CTE: Documento Básico SE-AE Acciones en la edificación
- Steel Construction Institute / BCSA: Composite construction
- Steel Construction Institute / BCSA: Welding
- Steel Construction Institute / BCSA: Steel construction products
- Steel Construction Institute / BCSA: Simple connections
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory: Wood handbook
- USDA Forest Products Laboratory: Wood composite materials
- WoodWorks: Index of mass timber connections
- Structural Timber Association: Timber systems
- Hispalyt: ejecución of fábricas of ladrillo, colocación
- American Cement Association: applications of cement
- ITeC: evaluación técnica of mortero of cal para revoco
- USG: joint compound technical data
- Sika: backer rod and sealant joint geometry
- Natural Stone Institute: varieties of stone
- Natural Stone Institute: technical bulletins
- Tikkurila: common painting problems
- Bona: recoating wood floors
- Placo: soluciones of yesos of terminación
- Kreidezeit: Tadelakt technical information
- Mapei: adhesive classification and selection
- Forbo: linoleum raw materials
- CTE DB-HS: Salubridad
- CTE DA DB-HE/1: Parámetros of la envolvente
- CTE DA DB-HE/2: Condensaciones
- CTE DA DB-HE/3: Puentes térmicos
- CTE DB-HR: Protección frente al ruido
- SOPREMA: Blue roofs and stormwater
- Building Science Corporation: Understanding Air Barriers
- Sika: Single-ply roof membranes
- SOPREMA: Tecnologías of impermeabilización
- Aliaxis: Akasison siphonic roof drainage systems
- ITeC: Evaluaciones DAU of sistemas of fachada
- CSTB: Laboratoire façades
- EOTA EAD 040083-01-0404: External thermal insulation composite systems with rendering system
- US Department of Energy: Guide to cool roofs
- Passive House Institute: Airtightness measurements
- Passive House Institute: Grundlagenwissen Luftdichtheit
- pro clima: Humidity-variable vapour control
- US EPA: Types of green infrastructure
- Saint-Gobain Glass: Acoustic laminated glass
- Saint-Gobain Glass: Solar control and low-emissivity coatings
- Saint-Gobain Glass: Glazing cavities and warm-edge spacers
- IDAE — La bomba of calor en la rehabilitación energética of edificios
- IDAE — Instalaciones of climatización con equipos autónomos
- IDAE — Instalaciones of climatización por agua
- IDAE — Sistemas of intercambio geotérmico of circuito cerrado
- U.S. Department of Energy — Whole-House Ventilation
- U.S. Department of Energy — Heat Pump Water Heaters
- U.S. EPA — Types of Septic Systems
- U.S. EPA — Point-of-Use Reverse Osmosis Systems
- U.S. EPA — Home Water Treatment Guide
- U.S. EPA — HEPA Filters
- Caleffi — Separation in Hydronic Systems
- Caleffi — Hydraulic Separators
- Grundfos — Non-return Valve
- Honeywell — SV2 Safety Shut-off Valves
- CDC — Legionella Control
- CDC — Carbon Monoxide Basics
- Schneider Electric — Electrical Installation Guide: Earthing schemes
- IET — Residual current devices
- Schneider Electric — Arc fault detection devices
- U.S. Department of Energy — Solar Photovoltaic Technology Basics
- Cisco — What is Power over Ethernet?
- INSST — Fichas of selección y uso of EPI
- INSST — Equipos of trabajo y máquinas: Listado of NTP
- Siemens — Aspirating smoke detectors
- DALI Alliance — Introducing DALI
- Schneider Electric — Types of RCDs
- KNX Association — What is KNX?
- U.S. Department of Energy — Solar Integration: Inverters and Grid Services Basics
- CharIN — Technical Details CCS (Basic)
- Televés — PAUs (Cajas), distribución of telefonía
- Fluke Networks — What parameters are tested with the CableIQ?
- Tyco Fire — Solenoid valves for deluge and preaction systems
- Autodesk: architectural drawings
- RICS: New Rules of Measurement
- National Park Service: Preservation Briefs
- HSE: demolition
- ASSA ABLOY: door controls
- EGGER: wood-based boards
- Pilkington: solar control glass
- Festool: circular saws for carpentry
- Pilkington: float glass manufacturing
- Pilkington: toughened and heat-strengthened glass
- Autodesk: clash detection setup
- Autodesk: common data environment
- Bohle: suction lifters for glass
- ISO: air permeability test method
- Barcelona City Council: building works authorisation
- ChovA: roof drain outlets