Urinal
UrinarioA component of the sanitary installation used to collect urine and direct it into the drainage network.
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
Usable floor area
Superficie útilUsable internal area calculated under the applicable method and excluding certain building elements.
User access point
Punto de acceso al usuarioComponent linking the shared telecommunications network with an individual user's internal network.
Utility knife
CúterHand tool with a replaceable sharp blade, used for cutting suitable materials.
UTP cable
Cable UTPTwisted-pair cable without an overall conductive screen or separate screens around individual pairs.
Vacuum insulation panel
Panel de aislamiento al vacíoPanel with a core enclosed in a sealed envelope whose vacuum reduces heat transfer.
Vapour barrier
Barrera de vaporLayer limiting the passage of water vapour through a building construction element.
Vapour diffusion
Difusión de vaporMovement of water vapour through materials caused by differences in partial vapour pressure.
Vapour diffusion resistance factor
Factor de resistencia a difusión de vaporRatio of a material’s vapour diffusion resistance to that of air with the same thickness.
Vapour pressure
Presión de vaporPart of the air pressure attributable to water vapour present within the air mixture.
Vapour retarder
Freno de vaporLayer moderating vapour diffusion without restricting it as strongly as a high-resistance vapour barrier.
Variable action
Carga variableAction whose magnitude or presence changes substantially with time or use.
Variable refrigerant flow system
Sistema de caudal de refrigerante variableClimate control adjusting refrigerant delivered to multiple units according to their needs.
Vault
BóvedaCurved structure spanning a space and transferring loads through arch or surface action.
Vaulted roof
Cubierta abovedadaRoof with a curved surface shaped as a vault above the internal space.
Veneered board
Tablero chapadoSubstrate board faced with a thin wood veneer.
Venetian plaster
Estuco venecianoDecorative finish of overlapping thin layers producing a polished effect and tonal variations.
Ventilated facade
Fachada ventiladaFacade with outer cladding separated from the enclosure by a ventilated air cavity.
Ventilated facade cavity
Cámara ventilada de fachadaSpace behind cladding connected to outside through openings that allow air to be renewed.
Ventilated ridge
Cumbrera ventiladaRoof ridge detail permitting air discharge while maintaining protection against rain entry.
Ventilation
VentilaciónRenewal of indoor air to remove contaminants and provide fresh outdoor air.
Ventilation airflow rate
Caudal de ventilaciónAir volume introduced or extracted by an installation per unit of time.
Ventilation fire damper
Compuerta cortafuegos de ventilaciónA component of a ventilation installation used to limit fire spreading through a duct by closing automatically.
Ventilation stack effect
Efecto chimenea de ventilaciónAir movement caused by density differences between indoor air and outdoor air.
Ventilation tile
Teja de ventilaciónSpecial roof tile with an opening allowing ventilation beneath the roof covering.
Ventilator silencer
Silenciador de aireadorComponent attenuating noise through a ventilation opening while retaining the intended air passage.
Vertical circulation core
Núcleo de comunicaciónArea grouping stairs, lifts and access routes between floors.
Vertical ground heat exchanger
Captador geotérmico verticalA component of a climate control installation used to exchange heat with the ground through pipes placed in deep boreholes.
Vertical sliding sash window
Ventana de guillotinaWindow that opens by vertically sliding one or more guided sashes.
Vertically perforated brick
Ladrillo perforadoBrick with perforations passing through the unit perpendicular to its bed face.
Vibrating plate compactor
Placa vibranteCompactor that compacts surfaces through vibration transmitted by a metal plate.
Vibrocompaction
VibrocompactaciónDensification of granular soils using a vibrating probe inserted into the ground.
Video entry system
VideoporteroSystem combining voice, video and door-release control between the entrance and a home.
Vinyl flooring
Suelo vinílicoPVC-based floor covering supplied in rolls, tiles or planks for installation.
Visual inspection
Inspección visualChecking element condition by direct observation, which alone cannot rule out hidden defects.
Vitrification
VitrificaciónFormation of a glassy phase during firing that helps densify the ceramic body.
Voice control
Control por vozInterface interpreting spoken instructions to activate functions of compatible equipment or systems.
Voice evacuation system
Megafonía de evacuaciónSystem of loudspeakers and control equipment broadcasting messages to guide people out of a building.
Void ratio
Índice de huecosRatio of the volume of voids to the volume of solid soil particles.
Volatile organic compounds
Compuestos orgánicos volátilesOrganic substances able to evaporate under defined conditions and present in some products.
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Use the dictionary as you review the materials, work and terms in your quote.
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 de fábricas de ladrillo, colocación
- American Cement Association: applications of cement
- ITeC: evaluación técnica de mortero de 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 de yesos de terminación
- Kreidezeit: Tadelakt technical information
- Mapei: adhesive classification and selection
- Forbo: linoleum raw materials
- CTE DB-HS: Salubridad
- CTE DA DB-HE/1: Parámetros de 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 de impermeabilización
- Aliaxis: Akasison siphonic roof drainage systems
- ITeC: Evaluaciones DAU de sistemas de 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 de calor en la rehabilitación energética de edificios
- IDAE — Instalaciones de climatización con equipos autónomos
- IDAE — Instalaciones de climatización por agua
- IDAE — Sistemas de intercambio geotérmico de 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 de selección y uso de EPI
- INSST — Equipos de trabajo y máquinas: Listado de 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 de 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