| Term | Definition |
| S&P | Shelf and pole. |
| S-Trap | A plumbing fitting used to trap gases from a waste system. |
| S-Wave | Shear wave, produced essentially by the shearing or tearing motions of earthquakes at right angles to the direction of wave propagation; see Seismic Wave. |
| S1E | Lumber, surfaced one edge. |
| S1S | Lumber, surfaced one side. |
| S1S1E | Lumber, surfaced one side and one edge. |
| S1S2E | Lumber, surfaced one side and 2 edges. |
| S2E | Lumber, surfaced two edges. |
| S2S | Lumber, surfaced two sides. |
| S4S | Lumber, surfaced 4 sides. |
| SA | Supply Air. |
| Sabin | The unit of acoustic absorption; one sabin is the absorption of one square foot of perfect sound-absorbing material. |
| Sack | A quantity of cement, 94 pounds, I cubic foot, in the United States for portland or air entraining portland cement or as indicated on the sack for other kinds of cement. |
| Sack Joint | Joint that has been wiped or rubbed with a rag or object such as a rubber heel. |
| Sack mix | The amount of Portland cement in a cubic yard of concrete mix. Generally, 5 or 6 sack is required in a foundation wall. |
| Sacking | Removing or alleviating defects on a concrete surface by applying a mixture of sand and cement to the moistened surface and rubbing with a coarse material such as burlap. |
| Saddle | 1. A built up section of the roof substrate to divert water toward the drains. 2. See Threshold, 2. |
| Saddle | A small second roof built behind the back side of a fireplace chimney to divert water around the chimney. Also, the plate at the bottom of some—usually exterior—door openings. Sometimes called a threshold. |
| Saddle Board | The finish of the ridge of a pitched roof house; also called Comb Board. |
| Saddle Fitting | A fitting used to install a branch line from an existing run of pipe; first a hole is made in the pipe, then the saddle is clamped around the hole. |
| Saddle Tie | A specific method of wrapping hanger wire around main runners or of wrapping tie wire around the juncture of main runner and cross furring. |
| Saddle Valve | Valve body shaped so it may be silver brazed or clamped on to a refrigerant tubing surface; also called Tap-a-Line. |
| Safe, Office | See Office Safe. |
| Safeflower Oil | Oil from seed of thistle-like plant grown mostly in Egypt and India. |
| Safety Arch | See Discharging Arch. |
| Safety Belt | A solid belt that may be attached to a secured lifeline. |
| Safety Can | Approved container of not more than 5-gallon capacity, with a spring-closing lid and spout cover; designed to relieve internal pressure safely when exposed to fire. |
| Safety Chain | Chain installed horizontally in railing assembly to provide for ease in providing temporary opening in railing. |
| Safety Control | Device which will stop the refrigerating unit if unsafe pressures, temperatures, or dangerous conditions are reached. |
| Safety Factor | See Factor of Safety. |
| Safety Glass | Specific type of glass having the ability to withstand breaking into large jagged pieces, usually tempered and laminated. |
| Safety Glasses | Plastic glasses that give protection to the wearer doing work that might send off particles of matter, such as when grinding and chipping. |
| Safety Motor Control | Electrical device used to open circuit to motor if temperature, pressure, or current flow exceed safe conditions. |
| Safety Net | A woven meshed fabric that is suspended below a construction activity to protect materials and people that may fall from dangerous heights. |
| Safety Nosing | Stair nosing with abrasive non-slip strip surface flush with tread surface. |
| Safety Plug | Device which will release the contents of a container before rupture pressures are reached. |
| Safety Relief Valve | A valve designed to release water or steam if the temperature and pressure have risen to the point that an explosion could occur. |
| Safety Switch | A mechanism on a machine or device that prevents that machine from being operated until the mechanism is deactivated. |
| Safety Tread | Stair tread which is covered on the top surface with abrasive or non-slip material. |
| Safety Valve | Pressure release valve preset to be released when pressure exceeds safe operating limit. |
| Safing | Fire-resistant material inserted into a space between a curtain wall and a spandrel beam or column, to retard the passage of fire through the space. |
| Sag | 1. A fresh plaster wall surface has developed a slide. 2. An unevenness or irregularity in a coat of paint, varnish, or lacquer, resulting from too much of the liquid collecting in one spot or area. |
| Sag Pond | A pond occupying depression along a geological fault; the depression is normally due to uneven settling of the ground or other causes. |
| Salamander | A portable source of heat in a building under construction, customarily kerosene or oil-burning, used to temporarily heat an enclosure; often used around newly placed concrete to prevent freezing. |
| Sale-Leaseback | A financing arrangement in which an owner sells real property to an investor and leases it back, usually for the purpose of freeing invested capital. |
| Sales contract | A contract between a buyer and seller which should explain: (1) What the purchase includes, (2) What guarantees there are, (3) When the buyer can move in, (4) What the closing costs are, and (5) What recourse the parties have if the contract is not fulfil |
| Sales Tax | A tax levied on sales of goods and services which is calculated as a percentage of the purchase price and collected by the seller. |
| Salient Angle | Projecting outward from a line, surface or level; the opposite of a reentrant angle. |
| Saline | A solution of salt in water. |
| Saline Water | Those waters having a specific conductivity in excess of a solution containing 6,000 parts per million of sodium chloride. |
| Sally Port | A gate or passage in a fortified place for use by troops making a sortie. |
| Salmon Brick | Relatively soft, under-burned brick, so named because of its color; used mostly where it is protected from the weather and where it does not have to support a great weight. |
| Salt | 1. Sodium chloride, NaCl, used for preserving the freshness of food. 2. Substance that results from reaction between acid and base. |
| Salt Glaze | A glaze produced by the reaction, at elevated temperature, between the ceramic body surface and salt fumes produced in the kiln atmosphere. |
| Salt Spray | A salt fog test environment. |
| Saltpetering | See Efflorescence. |
| Salvage | The saving and utilization of waste materials leftover from a remodeling job or a fire. |
| Salvage Value | The estimated value of an asset at the end of its economic life. |
| Sample Soil | A representative specimen of soil from a site. |
| Samples | Material samples requested by the architect of the general contractor or materials specified for the project. |
| Sampling | The method of obtaining small amounts of material for testing from an agreed-upon lot. |
| San Blast | A system of abrading a surface such as concrete by a stream of sand, or other abrasive, ejected from a nozzle at high speed by water and/or compressed air. |
| Sand | Loose granular material resulting from the natural disintegration of rock or from the crushing of friable sandstone, passing through a #4 sieve but predominantly retained on a #200 sieve; manufactured sand is the fine material resulting from the crushing |
| Sand | Soil particles ranging from 3/1000 inch to 1/5 inch in diameter; 3/1000 inch is the normal lower limit at which the unaided human eye can distinguish an individual particle. |
| Sand Asphalt | A mixture of sand and asphalt cement or cutback or emulsified asphalt; it may be prepared with or without special control of aggregate grading and may or may not contain mineral filler; either mixed-in-place or plant mix construction may be employed; sand |
| Sand Cushion Terrazzo | Terrazzo with an underbed that is separated from the structural floor deck by a layer of sand. |
| Sand Down | Remove the gloss of an old surface finish and smooth it prior to refinishing. |
| Sand Filter | Pool filter using sand as filtering medium. |
| Sand Finish | Rough finish plaster wall. |
| Sand float finish | Lime that is mixed with sand, resulting in a textured finish on a wall. |
| Sand Holes | Tiny pits in the surface of ceramic tile. |
| Sand Mold Brick | See Soft Mud Brick. |
| Sand/Cement Bag Revetment | A retaining wall (bulkhead) built of sand/cement bags. |
| Sandbag | A bag filled with soil or sand to act as a temporary barricade or dam. |
| Sandblast | A system of cutting or abrading a surface such as concrete by a stream of sand ejected from a nozzle at high speed; compressed air is used to propel a stream of wet or dry sand onto the surface; often used for cleanup of horizontal construction joints or |
| Sandblast Masonry | The act or process of abrading or cutting masonry structure surfaces, using sand ejected from a nozzle at high speed by compressed air; effective form of cleaning masonry, but used sparingly because of its inclination to remove the outer, weather resistan |
| Sander | A machine that smoothes or polishes by means of abrasive material usually in the form of a disk or belt; Disk sander or Belt Sander. |
| Sanderson Fabrics | English fabric vendor. Very traditional, exclusive, and fairly high priced. (3 Patriot Centre, 285 Grand Ave., Bldg. 3, Englewood, NJ 07631) |
| Sanding | Rubbing sandpaper or similar abrasive over a surface before applying a finish. |
| Sanding Pole | In gypsumboard joint finishing, a sandpaper holder affixed to the end of a handle with a swivel to aid in the sanding process. |
| Sanding Sealer | A lacquer used as a seal coat over a filler; usually given some filling action by adding inert substances. |
| Sandpaper | Paper with sand or other abrasive stuck to it for smoothing or polishing. |
| Sandstone | A sedimentary rock formed from sand. |
| Sandwich Glass | A pane of glass that contains an inner layer of material between two outer layers of glass to provide additional insulating properties or resistance to breakage. |
| Sandwich Panel | A panel consisting of two outer faces of wood or metal, bonded to a core of insulating foam. |
| Sandwiching | In manufacturing gypsumboard, forming the gypsum core between two plys of paper. |
| Sandy Finish | A surface condition having the appearance of sandpaper; may result from overspray; or a finish with sand or walnut shells. |
| Sanitary Facility | Any single unit or a combination of water closets, urinals, lavatories, bathtubs or showers, together with the room or space in which they are housed. |
| Sanitary Piping | Drain, waste, and vent plumbing systems. |
| Sanitary Sewer | A sewer used only for carrying the liquid or water-borne wastes from plumbing fixtures; does not include storm, surface, or ground water. |
| Sanitary Tee | A fitting in a DWV plumbing system. |
| Sanitizer | One of three groups of antimicrobials registered by EPA for public health uses; EPA considers an antimicrobial to be a sanitizer when it reduces but does not necessarily eliminate all the microorganisms on a treated surface; to be a registered sanitizer, |
| Sap | Most of the fluids in a tree; certain secretions and excretions, such as oleoresin, are excepted. |
| Saponification Number | Number of milligrams of potassium hydroxide needed to neutralize the acid in one gram of substance after it has been saponified. |
| Saponify | To convert an oil or a fat into soap by action of an alkali; when linseed oil paint comes in contact with a surface that contains strong alkali and water, like new concrete floor, the oil is saponified and loses its bonding qualities. |
| Sapwood | The outer zone of wood, next to the bark. In the living tree it contains some living cells (the heartwood contains none), as well as dead and dying cells. In most species, it is lighter colored than the heartwood. In all species, it is lacking in decay re |
| Sarcophagus | A stone coffin. |
| Sash | A single light frame containing one or more lights of glass. The frame that holds the glass in a window, often the movable part of the window. |
| Sash | The framework which holds the glass in a window. |
| Sash Balance | A spring-loaded device for counterbalancing the weight of a vertical sliding sash as on a double-hung window. |
| Sash Bead | A strip with one edge molded, against which a sash slides. |
| Sash Chain | A metal chain adapted for use with vertical sliding sash, attached to the sash and to the counterbalancing sash weight. |
| Sash Cord | Cord or rope used similarly to sash chain. |
| sash curtain | Rod-pocket curtain with a second pocket gathered onto a rod, at the base of the curtain. They are usually sheer. |
| Sash Pole | A wood or metal pole to which a sash pole hook is attached, used to raise or lower a transom or sash beyond hand reach. |
| Sash Pulley | A pulley mortised into a double-hung sash frame over which the sash cord or sash chain passes. |
| Sash Socket | A metal plate, attached to a sash, containing a hole or cup to receive a sash pole hook. |
| Sash Tool | A beveled paint brush for use on windows and other precise cutting in. |
| Sash Weight | A cast iron weight used for counterbalancing the weight of a vertical sliding sash as on a double-hung window. |
| sash window | Window which slides open vertically. Also known as double- hung window. |
| Sash, Transom | See Transom Sash. |
| sashes | Fabric stretched over wooden frame and placed over lower half of window in 17th century to keep out sunlight and give privacy. |
| sateen | A strong cotton or cotton-blend fabric, often striped or in a bright solid color, with a smooth, almost shiny, finish and a close weave. |
| satin | Can be made of silk, cotton, or synthetic fibers. The surface is smooth and shiny and the reverse side matt. It is not the most practical fabric as it tends to spot easily and is difficult to clean. |
| Satin Finish | The dried film of paint or other finishing material which does not have a full luster, but a dull luster like that of satin. |
| Saturated Air | Air that contains all of the moisture vapor it can hold; in saturated air, the dry-bulb, wet-bulb, and dew point temperatures are all equal. |
| Saturated Felt | A felt that is partially impregnated with low softening point bitumen. |
| Saturated Surface Dry (SSD) | A condition of an aggregate which holds as much water as it can without having any water within the pores between the aggregate particles. |
| Saturated Vapor | Vapor condition which will result in condensation into droplets of liquid if vapor temperature is reduced. |
| Saturation | Condition existing when substance contains all of another substance it can hold for that temperature and pressure. |
| Saturation Coefficient | See C/B Ratio. |
| Savanna | A grassy plain in tropical and subtropical regions, with few or no trees. |
| Saw Cut, Concrete | See Concrete Saw Cut. |
| Saw Cutting, Concrete | See Concrete Saw Cutting. |
| Saw Fence | A device on a table saw for guiding lumber being sawed. |
| Saw Kerf | 1. A groove in a piece of wood made by a saw blade. 2. That portion of a log, timber, or other piece of wood removed by the saw in parting the material into two pieces. |
| Saw, Band | See Band Saw. |
| Saw-Tooth Roof | A roof shape that is saw-toothed in section; the vertical planes are usually to accommodate windows. |
| Sawed Control Joints | A joint cut in hardened concrete, generally not to the full depth of the member, by means of special equipment. |
| Sawed Veneer | Veneer produced by sawing. |
| Sawhorse | A frame, usually four-legged, for supporting wood while sawing. |
| SBA | Small Business Administration. |
| SBCCI | Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc. |
| SBS | Sick Building Syndrome. |
| SC Asphalt | See Slow-Curing Asphalt. |
| SC Grade | See Road Oil. |
| Scab | 1. A short piece of lumber used to splice two other pieces together. 2. One who refuses to join a labor union or who participate in practices in opposition to the union. |
| Scaffold | 1. A temporary structure or platform for workmen to stand or sit on when working in high places; also called Staging. 2. A temporary framework structure for the support of concrete forms and other shoring; adjustable metal scaffold is frequently adapted f |
| Scaffolding | The materials used in constructing scaffolds. |
| Scagliola | An imitation marble made by the plasterer; composed of a combination of Keene's cement, glue, isinglass, and coloring material; it takes a high durable polish. |
| Scalamandr | Exclusive high-end fabric vendor. Very expensive. (37-24 24th Street, Long Island City, NY 11101) |
| Scale | 1. A proportion between two sets of dimensions, as between those of a drawing and its original; for example, the scale of a drawing may be expressed as 1/4 inch = one foot. 2. A measuring tool used by architects and engineers in preparing drawings to a pr |
| Scale Drawing | A drawing in which the measurements represented are drawn to a predetermined scale, such as 1/4 inch equals one foot, so that all elements and dimensions in the drawing are proportional in length and width to the actual room, floor, or building depicted. |
| Scalene Triangle | A triangle having three unequal sides. |
| Scaler | A hand cleaning chisel. |
| Scaling | 1. Finish condition in which pieces of the dried finishing material come off exposing the surface below. 2. Prying or chipping loose pieces of rock off a building face or roof to avoid danger of their falling unexpectedly. 3. The breaking away of a harden |
| scalloped heading | A heading with deep, rounded cut-outs, which slots onto a rod or pole. |
| Scallops | The up-and-down uneven effect along the edge of carpet caused by indentations where tacks are driven. |
| Scantling | 1. A small piece of lumber. 2. Lumber with a cross-section ranging from 2 by 4 inches to 4 by 4 inches. |
| scarf drapery | Uncut fabric draped to form an ornamental drapery. |
| Scarf Joint | 1. A glued end connection between two pieces of wood, using a sloping cut to create a larger surface for the glue bond, to allow it to develop the full tensile strength of the wood it connects. 2. A timber spliced by cutting various shapes of shoulders, o |
| Scarfing | A joint between two pieces of wood which allows them to be spliced lengthwise. |
| Scarifier | A piece of thin metal with teeth or serrations cut in the edge, used to roughen fresh mortar surfaces to achieve a good bond for the tile; a scarifier also can be used to roughen the surface of concrete. |
| Scarlet Lake | Pigment made by precipitation of aniline color upon base of alumina hydrate and barium sulphate. |
| Scarp | 1. A cliff, escarpment, or steep slope of some extent formed by a geological fault. 2. A cliff or steep slope along the margin of a plateau, mesa, or terrace. |
| Scarred Faces | Surface blemishes caused by scraping or other marring of ceramic tile. |
| Scavenger Pump | Mechanism used to remove fluid from sump or container. |
| Schedule | 1. A list, catalog, or inventory. 2. A time table of things to be done. 3. A pipe size system originated by the iron industry, giving outside diameters and wall thickness of iron and plastic pipes. |
| Schedule (window, door, mirror) | A table on the blueprints that list the sizes, quantities and locations of the windows, doors and mirrors. |
| Scheduling Software | Computer software used to prepare a construction schedule. |
| Schematic Design Phase | One of the standard phases of architectural service (Schematic Design Phase, Design Development Phase, Construction Documents Phase, Bidding or Negotiation Phase, and Construction Phase-Administration of the Construction Contract). |
| Schematic Diagram | A drawing showing general layout and relationships of the elements, not necessarily to scale. |
| Schematic Drawings | Drawings prepared by architects for the Schematic Design Phase. |
| Schmalzried | Vendor specializing in trimming such as braid, gimp, tassels and more. (1501 Drigon Street, Dallas, TX 75207) |
| Schrader Valve | Spring-loaded device which permits fluid flow in one direction when a center pin is depressed; in other direction when a pressure difference exists. |
| Schumacher | Fabric vendor which emulates European traditional lines. Large assortment, fairly high priced. Parent company of Waverly. (79 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016) |
| Scissors Lift | A low-rise lift utilizing a scissorlike mechanism to raise the platform. |
| SCL | Structural Composite Lumber. |
| Sconce | A wall bracket candle holder or lighting fixture. |
| Score | To cut a surface with a sharp blade before breaking. |
| Scoreboard, Gym | See Gym Scoreboard. |
| Scotch | See Scutch. |
| Scotch Yoke | Mechanism used to change reciprocating motion into rotary motion or vice-versa; used to connect crank-shaft to piston in refrigeration compressor. |
| Scotia | A concave molding. |
| Scour | The erosive action of flowing water in streams that removes and carries away material from the bed and banks. |
| Scour pockets | The erosive action of flowing water in streams that removes and carries away material from the bed and banks in a particular area or pocket. |
| SCPI | Structural Clay Products Institute. |
| SCR | 1. Silicon-Controlled Rectifier. 2. Structural Clay Research, trademark of the Structural Clay Products Research Foundation. |
| Scrap out | The removal of all drywall material and debris after the home is "hung out" (installed) with drywall. |
| Scratch | A defect in a surface made by scraping with a sharp pointed object. |
| Scratch Coat | The first coat of plaster applied to a surface in three coat work; the term originates from the practice of cross-raking or scratching the surface of this coat with a comb-like tool to provide a mechanical key to aid bond with the brown coat. |
| Scratcher | Any serrated or sharply tined object that is used to roughen the surface of one coat of mortar to provide a mechanical key or bond for the next coat. |
| Scratching | The application of a scratch coat and its combing with a scratcher. |
| Screed | 1. A strip of wood, metal, or plaster that establishes the level to which concrete or plaster will be placed. 2. To strike or plane off wet mortar or concrete which is above the desired plane or shape. |
| Screed Guide | Firmly established grade strips or side forms for unformed concrete which will guide the strikeoff in producing the desired plane or shape. |
| Screed, concrete | To level off concrete to the correct elevation during a concrete pour. |
| Screed, plaster | A small strip of wood, usually the thickness of the plaster coat, used as a guide for plastering. |
| Screen | 1.A fixed or movable partition for separating, concealing, or sheltering from drafts, excessive heat or light, or from observation. 2. A white or silver surface for the projection of films. 3. A wood or metal frame with fine wire netting to keep out insec |
| Screen Door | A door consisting of metal or plastic insect screen stretched taut on a light wood or metal frame. |
| Screen Door Latch | A small locking or latching device used on screen doors and operated by a knob or a lever handle. |
| Screw | A spirally grooved metal fastener installed with a screwdriver. |
| Screw Conveyor | A helical conveyor. |
| Screw Cover, Box | See Box, Screw Cover. |
| Screw Gun | A hand held device resembling an electrical drill designed or adapted to mechanically drive and set screws. |
| Screw Jack | A lifting mechanism consisting of a threaded shaft for raising heavy loads. |
| Screw Pump | Compressor constructed of two mated revolving screws. |
| Screw Ring | A metal or plastic ring which is threaded on its inside and used as a connector. |
| Screw, Self-Tapping, Drywall | See Self-Tapping Drywall Screw. |
| Screwable Type Stud | Metal stud fabricated from not lighter than 26 gauge metal with knurled flanges to facilitate easier penetration of self-tapping screws or divergent point staples. |
| Screwdriver | A hand tool for installing screws. |
| Screwless Rose | A door knob rose that has a concealed method of attachment. |
| Screws, Self-Tapping, Drywall | See Self-Tapping Drywall Screws. |
| Scribe | To score or mark along a cutting line. |
| Scribing | 1. Transferring the exact irregularities of a wall or other surface onto a piece of carpet, wood or paper, which is then cut to fit those irregularities. 2. Fitting woodwork to an irregular surface; in moldings, cutting the end of one piece to fit the mol |
| Scrim | 1. A fabric reinforcing that is used between moppings to strengthen parts of the roofing membrane. 2. A durable plain-woven fabric used for carpet backing. 3. Rough textured woven cloth worked into brown or finish coat to add crack resistance to the plast |
| Scrim Back | See Double Back. |
| Scroll | A convoluted or spiral ornamental design in metal or wood work. |
| Scrollsaw | A thin-bladed handsaw in a frame to keep the blade in tension, for cutting curves and irregular designs; a fretsaw |
| Scrollwork | A decoration consisting of spiral lines. |
| Scuffed Paper | A surface scrape usually caused by sliding one gypsum board over the face of another, or by sanding beyond the finished joint. |
| Sculptor | An artist who makes sculptures. |
| Sculpture | The art of creating forms, often representational, in the round or in relief by chiseling stone, carving wood, or casting metal. |
| Sculptured Carpet | A pattern formed when certain tufts are eliminated or pile yarns drawn tightly to the back to form a specific design in the face of the carpet; the result simulates the effect of hand carving; also called Carved Carpet. |
| Sculptured Tile | Tile with a decorative design of high and low areas molded into the finished face. |
| Scum Channel | Perimeter overflow inset into pool wall as surface water collection for filtration. |
| Scupper | (1) An opening for drainage in a wall, curb or parapet. (2) The drain in a downspout or flat roof, usually connected to the downspout. |
| Scutch | In masonry, a bricklayer's cutting tool used for dressing and trimming brick to a special shape; it resembles a small pick; also called a Scotch. |
| Scuttle | A small access opening in a wall, ceiling, or roof fitted with a lid. |
| SDI | 1. Steel Deck Institute. 2. Steel Door Institute |
| SE | Structural Engineer. |
| Seal | 1. Something that confirms, ratifies, or makes secure. 2. An amount of water standing in a drain trap to prevent foul air from rising; see Trap Seal. 3. Close securely or hermetically. 4. Apply a non-porous coating to a surface to make it impervious. 5. A |
| Seal Coating | Coating used to prevent excessive absorption of the first coat of paint by the substrate; a primer. |
| Seal Leak | Escape of oil or refrigerant at the junction where a shaft enters a housing. |
| Seal, Shaft | See Shaft Seal. |
| Sealable Equipment | Electrical equipment enclosed in a case or cabinet that is provided with means of sealing or locking so that live parts cannot be made accessible without opening the enclosure. |
| Sealant | 1. A material used for sealing spaces between materials. 2. An elastomeric material that is used to fill and seal cracks and joints; at expansion joints, this material prevents the passage of moisture and allows horizontal and lateral movement. 3. A caulk |
| Sealed Refrigeration Compressor | See Hermetic Compressor. |
| Sealed Unit | See Hermetic System. |
| Sealer | A base coating of paint to seal and equalize suction differences and prevent absorption of subsequent coats. |
| Sealing Compound | 1. Material used to exclude water and solid foreign materials from openings. 2. A substance that prevents water and moisture from entering joints. |
| Seam | 1. A line, groove, or ridge formed at the meeting of two edges of a material. 2. A layer of rock, coal or ore. 3. Treated gypsum board joints. 4. A joint between sections of carpet; see Back Seam, Face Seam, Cross-Seam, Length Seam, and Side Seam. |
| seam allowance | The narrow strip of raw-edged fabric left on each side of a stitched seam. |
| Seam Weld | A weld consisting of a series of overlapping spot welds made by seam welding or spot welding. |
| Seamless Gutter | Rainwater gutter without seams; usually made on a truck containing a forming machine that processes long coils of sheet metal on the building site. |
| SEAOC | Structural Engineers Association of California. |
| Seasoned Loan | A loan that has had a good payment record over an extended period of time |
| Seasoned Lumber | Air- or kiln-dried undefective lumber that is properly stored and is ready for use. |
| Seasoning | Removing moisture from green wood to improve its serviceability. |
| Seat | 1. A piece of furniture for sitting on, such as a chair, stool, bench, or pew. 2. The portion of a chair where one sits. 3. That portion of a valve mechanism against which the valve presses to effect shutoff. 4. A special chair of one in authority. |
| Seat Cut | The cut at the bottom end of a rafter to allow it to fit upon the plate. |
| Seat of a Rafter | The horizontal cut on the bottom end of a rafter which rests upon the top of the plate. |
| Seat, Grandstand | See Grandstand Seat. |
| Seated Connection | A connection in which a steel beam rests on top of a steel angle fastened to a column or girder. |
| Seawall | A structure separating land and water areas, primarily designed to prevent flooding and erosion due to wave action. Bulkhead, revetment, or retaining wall. |
| Second | 1. A unit of measurement of angles, equal to 1/60 of a minute. 2. A unit of measurement of time, equal to 1/60 of a minute. 3. A Second Mortgage. 4. A Second Trust Deed. |
| Second Grade Ceramic Tile | Ceramic tile with appearance defects not affecting wearing or sanitary qualities. |
| Second Growth | New timber that has grown after the removal of all or a large part of the previous stand. |
| Second Law of Thermodynamics | Heat will flow only from material at higher temperature to material at a lower temperature. |
| Second Mortgage | A mortgage recorded after a first mortgage. |
| Second Trust Deed | A trust deed recorded after a first trust deed. |
| Secondary Branch | The second or more drain branch of the building drain. |
| Secondary Clay | See Sedimentary Clay. |
| Secondary Color | The result of mixing two primary colors; red and yellow yields orange; yellow and blue yields green; blue and red yields violet. |
| Secondary Financing | Any additional loan or financing that is junior to a mortgage or deed of trust; a Second Mortgage or Second Truct Deed. |
| Secondary Network | A distribution system wherein the secondary means of an alternating current system are interconnected and supplied through transformers connected in parallel on the secondary side through fuses or automatic switching devices arranged to prevent the feedin |
| Secondary Refrigerating System | Refrigerating system in which the condenser is cooled by the evaporator of another or primary refrigerating system. |
| Section | 1. A drawing showing the kind, arrangement, and proportions, of the various parts of a structure; it shows how the structure would appear if cut through by a plane. 2. Any of several components that could be reassembled to construct an object. |
| Section 12492 | The section number from the Sweets catalog which deals in window coverings. |
| Section Modulus | The ratio of the moment of inertia of a member to the distance from its neutral axis to the outermost fiber. |
| Section of Land | A land area one mile square, equal to 640 acres; there are 36 sections in a township; |
| Section Properties | The physical attributes of structural members including dimensions, area, section modulus, moment of inertia, location of centroid and any other geometric information that affects strength. |
| Security Glass | A glazing sheet with multiple laminations of glass and plastic; designed to stop bullets. |
| Security Grille | Steel grille to prevent intrusion or entry through openings. |
| Security Interest | An interest in property, real or personal, held by a creditor to secure the performance of an obligation. |
| Security System | An interacting or interdirected group of devices, such as alarms and electronic monitors, used to detect breaches of security. |
| Sediment | Soil particles that have been transported away from their natural location by wind or water action. |
| Sediment deposition | The accumulation of soil particles on the channel bed and banks. |
| Sediment load | The soil particles transported through a channel by streamflow. |
| Sedimentary Clay | A clay which has been geologically transported from its place of formation; also called Secondary Clay. |
| Sedimentary Rock | Rock formed from materials deposited as sediments, such as sand or sea shells, which form sandstone, shale, or limestone. |
| Seebeck Effect | When two different adjacent metals are heated, an electric current is generated between the metals. |
| Seepage | Groundwater emerging on the face of a streambank. |
| Seepage | Movement of water through soil without formation of definite channels. |
| Segregation | 1. Varying concentration of concrete ingredients resulting in nonuniform proportions in the concrete mix. 2. The tendency for the coarse particles to separate from the finer particles in handling; in concrete, the coarse aggregate and drier material remai |
| SEIA | Solar Energy Industries Association. |
| Seiche | A wave on the surface of water in an enclosed or semi-enclosed area, such as a lake, bay or harbor. |
| Seismic | Relating to earthquakes. |
| Seismic Creep | Very slow periodic or episodic movement along a fault trace unaccompanied by earthquakes. |
| Seismic Design | The structural design of a structure as it is affected by horizontal and vertical stresses caused by earthquakes. |
| Seismic Hook | In steel reinforcing of reinforced concrete, a 135-degree bend with a six-bar diameter, but not less than 3-inch (76mm) extension that engages the longitudinal reinforcement and projects into the interior of the stirrup or hoop. |
| Seismic Load | A load on a structure caused by movement of the earth relative to the structure during an earthquake. |
| Seismic Wave | One of four distinct waves generated by an earthquake; P-wave, S-Wave, Love wave, and Rayleigh wave. |
| Seismicity | The world-wide or local distribution of earthquakes in space and time; a general term for the number of earthquakes in a unit of time, or for relative earthquake activity. |
| Seismograph | An instrument which produces a continuous record of earth motion. |
| Seismology | The science of earthquakes. |
| Selective Surface | An absorber coating that absorbs most of the sunlight hitting it but emits very little thermal radiation. |
| Selects | These are the accepted or suitable bricks after culling. |
| Self Furring | Metal lath or welded wire fabric formed in the manufacturing process to include means by which the material is held away from the supporting surface, thus creating a space for "keying" of the insulating concrete, plaster, or stucco. |
| Self Furring Lath | Metal lath with dimples that space the lath away from the sheathing behind it to allow plaster to penetrate the lath. |
| Self Priming | Use of same paint for primer and for subsequent coats; the paint may be thinned differently for the different coats. |
| Self Spacing Tile | Tile with lugs, spacers, or protuberances on the sides that automatically space the tile for the grout joints. |
| Self Tapping | Creates its own screw threads on the inside of a hole. |
| Self-Cleaning | Paint in which the rate of chalking is controlled so dirt on surface will be washed away with accumulated chalk. |
| Self-Healing | Any a material that melts with solar heat and seals cracks that were formed earlier from other causes. |
| Self-Inductance | Magnetic field induced in conductor carrying the current. |
| Self-Leveling | Anyviscous material that is applied by pouring and will spread out prior to curing. |
| Self-sealing shingles | Shingles containing factory-applied strips or spots of self-sealing adhesive. |
| Self-Siphonage | The loss of the seal of a trap as a result of removing the water from the trap that is caused by the discharge of the fixture to which the trap is connected. |
| Self-Tapping Drywall Screws | Special screws with a drilling type tip configuration for use with metal framing. |
| Selvage | Also spelled selvedge. 1.The edgeof a sheet material that is finished differently and is expected to be covered in application or cut off. 2. The unsurfaced edge of roll roofing which is covered at the lap when installed. 3. The finished lengthwise edge o |
| selvage | The defined warp edge of the fabric, specially woven to prevent unraveling. |
| Semi-Drying Oils | Oils which dry to a soft, tacky film; the principal semi-drying oil used in the paint industry is soybean oil. |
| Semi-Mat Glaze | 1. A colorless or colored glaze having moderate gloss. 2. A medium-gloss ceramic glaze with or without color. |
| Semi-Vitreous | Three percent to 7 percent water absorption. |
| Semiautomatic Frost Control | Control which starts the defrost part of a cycle manually and then returns the system to normal operation automatically. |
| Semiconductor | Any of a class of solids, such as silicon or germanium, that conduct no electricity when pure or at low temperatures but are highly conductive when containing suitable impurities or at higher temperatures; used for integrated circuits, transistors, and di |
| Semigloss | Sheen on dry finish which is about half way between dead flat finish and full gloss. |
| Semigloss Enamel | An enamel made so that its coating, when dry, has some luster but is not very glossy. |
| Semigloss Paint | A paint made so that its coating, when dry, has some luster but is not very glossy. |
| Semigloss paint or enamel | A paint or enamel made with a slight insufficiency of nonvolatile vehicle so that its coating, when dry, has some luster but is not very glossy. |
| Semihermetic Compressor | Hermetic compressor with service valves. |
| Sensible Heat | Heat which causes a change in temperature of a substance; the degree of molecular excitation of a given mass. |
| Sensible Heat Gain | The addition of heat to an enclosure by conduction, convection or radiation. |
| Sensitive Bulb | Part of a sealed fluid device which reacts to temperature; used to measure temperature or to control a mechanism. |
| Sensor | Material or device which goes through a physical change or an electronic characteristic change as surrounding conditions change. |
| Sensor, Photoelectric | A device that responds to light and transmits a resulting electrical impulse. |
| Separate Contractor | A prime contractor; any contractor who has a direct agreement with the owner. |
| Separation | Division into components or layers by natural causes. |
| Separation Tank | In a swimming pool, a device used to clarify filter rinse or waste water; also called a Reclamation Tank. |
| Separator | 1. Device to separate one substance from another. 2. See Interceptor. |
| Separator, Oil | See Oil Separator. |
| Septic system | An on site waste water treatment system. It usually has a septic tank which promotes the biological digestion of the waste, and a drain field which is designed to let the left over liquid soak into the ground. Septic systems and permits are usually sized |
| Septic Tank | A subterranean, usually concrete, tank in which organic sewage matter is decomposed by anaerobic bacterial action. |
| Septum | That part of the filter element consisting of cloth, wire screen or other porous material on which the filter cake is deposited. |
| Sequence Controls | Group of devices which act in sequential order. |
| Serging | A method of finishing a lengthwise cut edge of carpet to prevent unraveling; distinguished from finishing a cut end which may require binding. |
| Series Circuit | In electrical wiring, the path in which electricity to operate a second lamp or device must pass through the first; current flow travels, serially, through all devices connected together. |
| Serrate | To punch-perforate in a line to allow for shearing by snapping at the perforation. |
| Serrated | Notched or toothed on the edge. |
| Service | The conductors and equipment for delivering energy from the electricity supply system to the wiring system of the premises served. |
| Service Cable | Electrical service conductors made up in the form of a cable. |
| Service Conductors | The electrical supply conductors which extend from the supply main, duct, or transformers of the serving agency to the service equipment of the premises supplied; for overhead conductors this includes the conductors from the last line pole to the service |
| Service Core of Retired Executives (SCORE) | A source for limited managerial expertise provided by the Small Business Administration. |
| Service Disconnect | A switch for, or a means of disconnecting an entire building from electrical service; also called Main Switch. |
| Service Drop | That portion of overhead service conductors between the pole and the first point of attachment to the building or other structure. |
| Service Ell | See Street Ell. |
| Service Entrance Conductors | 1. When overhead, that portion of the service conductors which connect the service drop to the service equipment. 2. When underground, that portion of the service conductors between the terminal box located either inside or outside the building wall, or t |
| Service entrance panel | Main power cabinet where electricity enters a home wiring system. |
| Service Equipment | The necessary equipment, usually consisting of circuit breaker or switch and fuses, and their accessories, intended to constitute the main control and means of cutoff for the electrical supply to a building or structure. |
| Service Head | The external fitting used at the juncture of the electrical service to a building and the mast from the breaker panel. |
| Service Lateral | The underground electrical service conductors between the street main, including any risers at a pole or other structure or from transformers, and the first point of connection to the service entrance conductors in a terminal box inside or outside the bui |
| Service Load | The live and dead structural loads, without load factors. |
| Service Manifold | Chamber equipped with gauges and manual valves, used by service technicians to service refrigerating systems. |
| Service Panel | The main electric panel which houses the main switches and distributes electricity to the branch panels and circuits. |
| Service Pipe | The water pipe coming into the building from the street main. |
| Service Raceway | The rigid conduit, electrical metallic tubing, or other raceway, that encloses the electrical service entrance conductors. |
| Service Sink | A sink with a deep basin to accommodate a scrub pail; used for the filling and emptying of scrub pails, the rinsing of mops, and the disposal of cleaning water; also called a Slop Sink. |
| Service Station | An establishment that services motor vehicles and sells gasoline and oil. |
| Service Valve | A type of valve which provides an opening in a liquid piping system to service and monitor the system. |
| Service Window | An opening in a wall or partition through which business is transacted. |
| Service Wye | A pipe fitting which joins three pipes at a 45 degree angle; a drainage fitting in a plumbing system. |
| Serviceable Hermetic | Hermetic unit housing containing motor and compressor assembled by use of bolts or cap screws. |
| Servo | 1. A servomotor. 2. A servomechanism. |
| Servomechanism | A low power device, electrical, hydraulic, or pneumatic, that controls a more powerful mechanism. |
| Servomotor | The motive element in a servo mechanism. |
| Set | 1.To harden by chemical hydration. 2. A change from a plastic to a hard state. 3. The change in mortar or plaster from a plastic, workable state to a solid, rigid state. 4. The condition reached by a cement paste, mortar, or concrete when it has lost plas |
| Set Back | 1. The distance a building is located from the front property line. 2. See Offset. |
| Set In | The distance a brick is set back from the brick directly below it. |
| Set Match | In a Set Match carpet pattern, the figure matches straight across on each side of the narrow carpet width; in a Drop Match, the figure matches midway of the design; in a Quarter Drop Match, the figure matches one-quarter of the length of the repeat on the |
| Set Off | See Offset. |
| Set Screw | 1. A headless screw used to secure two separate parts in a relative position to one another, preventing the independent motion of either part. 2. A screw to adjust the tension of a spring. |
| Setback Thermostat | A thermostat with a clock which can be programmed to come on or go off at various temperatures and at different times of the day/week. Usually used as the heating or cooling system thermostat. |
| Setoff | An offset against a claim. |
| Sett | A rectangular paving block of stone or wood. |
| Setting Bed | 1. The layer of mortar on which the tile is set. 2. The final coat of mortar on a wall or ceiling. |
| Setting of a Circuit Breaker | The value of the current at which the circuit breaker is set to trip. |
| Setting Time | The time required for a freshly mixed cement paste, mortar, concrete, or plaster to achieve initial or final set. |
| Setting Type Joint Compound | A gypsumboard joint compound that hardens by chemical reaction prior to drying; used for patching and completing joint finishing in a shorter period of time. |
| Setting Up | Initial drying of coating to a point where it is no longer able to flow. |
| Settlement | Shifts in a structure, usually caused by freeze-thaw cycles underground. |
| Settlings | Dregs; sediment. |
| Severability | A rule under which a contract may be divided into its component parts. |
| Sewage | Liquid waste containing animal, vegetable, or chemical matter in suspension or solution. |
| Sewage ejector | A pump used to 'lift' waste water to a gravity sanitary sewer line. Usually used in basements and other locations which are situated bellow the level of the side sewer. |
| Sewer | A subterranean conduit for conveying sewage or storm water. |
| Sewer Brick | Low absorption, abrasive-resistant brick intended for use in drainage structures. |
| Sewer Connection | The juncture where the house drain connects to the public sewer. |
| Sewer lateral | The portion of the sanitary sewer which connects the interior waste water lines to the main sewer lines. The side sewer is usually buried in several feet of soil and runs from the house to the sewer line. It is usually 'owned' by the sewer utility, must b |
| Sewer stub | The junction at the municipal sewer system where the home's sewer line is connected. |
| Sewer tap | The physical connection point where the home's sewer line connects to the main municipal sewer line. |
| Sewer Tile | Glazed waterproof clay pipe with bell joints. |
| Sewing Pole | Any piece of wood or other material, more or less rounded, over which carpet may be laid prior to opening up the fabric in order to facilitate sewing and other related operations; most carpet layers prefer a wooden pole about 4 in. in diameter that has be |
| Sex Bolts | Pairs of bolts, male and female threaded, used for bolting through doors, for example, to attach door closers or surface hinges. |
| Sexagesimal Measure | The division of a circle into 360 degrees, each degree into 60 minutes, and each minute into 60 seconds. |
| Sgraffito | A decorative and artistic medium generally consisting of two layers of differently colored plaster; while still soft, the uppermost layer is scratched away, exposing the base or ground layer; countless variations on the process are possible by modulation |
| Shade | 1. The gradation of color. 2. A color produced by a pigment or mixture with some black in it. 3. A window blind. 4. A device to reduce the glare from a lamp. 5. A screen to provide shelter from light, heat, or sun. 6. A minute variation. |
| Shade-o-matic | Canadian fabricator of vinyl shutters, plus blinds and shades. (335 Eddystone Ave., North York, Ontario M3N-1H8, Canada) |
| Shaded-Pole Motor | Small a-c motor designed to start under light loads. |
| Shading | In carpet, bending or crushing the pile surface so that the fibers reflect light unevenly; not a defect but an inherent characteristic of some pile fabrics. |
| Shading Coefficient | The ratio of total solar heat passing through a given sheet of glass to that passing through a sheet of clear double-strength glass. |
| Shading Lacquer | Transparent colored lacquer used in shading; applied with a spray gun. |
| Shadowing | 1. See Joint Photographing. 2. When preceding coats of paint show through the last coat, the finish is said to be shadowing. |
| Shaft | An unbroken vertical passage through a multistory building, used for elevators, wiring, plumbing, or ductwork. |
| Shaft Seal | Device used to prevent leakage between shaft and housing. |
| Shaft Wall | 1. A wall surrounding a shaft. 2. A fire-rated drywall system which is used to enclose a shaft. |
| Shag Carpet | A carpet made of long coarse or matted fiber; surface consisting of long twisted loops. |
| Shake | 1. In wood, a separation along the grain, the greater part of which occurs between the rings of annual growth; usually considered to have occurred in the standing tree or during felling. 2. A Handsplit Shingle. |
| Shake | A wood roofing material, normally cedar or redwood. Produced by splitting a block of the wood along the grain line. Modern shakes are sometimes machine sawn on one side. See shingle. |
| Shake Roof | A roof covering system made up of thicker, hand-cut cedar wood shingles. |
| Shale | A rock formed of consolidated mud. |
| Shall | A mandatory term as used in most building laws, construction specifications, and building contracts. |
| Shangri-La | A blind and shade combined in one product. Made of polyester, it adjusts like a blind and raises like a shade. Made by Comfortex. |
| Shantung | Unevenly textured raw silk, once hand-woven in ChinaÃs Shantung province. |
| Shared Savings Provision | In a construction contract, when the actual costs including profit and overhead are less than the guaranteed maximum price (GMP), the difference will be shared by contractor and owner on some stipulated percentage basis. |
| Shark Fin | An upward-curled, felt sidelap or endlap. |
| Sharp Luster | A very high gloss. |
| Sharp Sand | Coarse sand of which the particles are of angular shape. |
| Shear | A force effect that is lateral, perpendicular to the axis of a structure. |
| Shear | Force parallel to a surface as opposed to directly on the surface. An example of shear would be the tractive force that removes particles from a streambank as flow moves over the surface of the slope; on the other hand, a floating log that directly strike |
| Shear block | Plywood that is face nailed to short (2 X 4's or 2 X 6's) wall studs (above a door or window, for example). This is done to prevent the wall from sliding and collapsing. |
| Shear Connector | Steel stud or strap, embedded within concrete slab, to transfer horizontal shear loads from slab to supporting structure. |
| Shear Diagram | A graphic representation of the value of the shear stresses at any point along a beam. |
| Shear Panel | A vertical plane that resists lateral forces; see Shear Wall. |
| Shear Plate | In heavy timber construction, a round steel plate used for connecting wood to non-wood materials. |
| Shear Strength | The strength of an element to resist shear. |
| Shear Stud | 1. A piece of steel welded to the top of a steel beam or girder so as to become embedded in the concrete fill over the beam and cause the beam and the concrete to act as a single structural unit. 2. Forged steel headed stud, fusion welded to horizontal st |
| Shear Wall | 1. A wall designed to resist lateral forces parallel to the wall. 2. A wall portion of a structural frame intended to resist lateral forces, such as earthquake, wind, and blast, acting in or parallel to the plane of the wall; see Shear Panel. |
| Shearing | A carpet finishing operation that removes stray fibers and fuzz from loop pile, and produces a smooth level surface on cut pile. |
| Sheathing | The structural covering, usually wood boards or plywood, used over studs or rafters of a structure. Structural building board is normally wed only as wall sheathing. |
| Sheathing Paper | The water resistant paper installed over sheathing and under siding or shingles to insulate in the house; building paper. |
| Sheathing, Roof | See Roof Sheathing. |
| Sheathing, sheeting | The structural wood panel covering, usually OSB or plywood, used over studs, floor joists or rafters/trusses of a structure. |
| Sheathing, Wall | See Wall Sheathing. |
| Shed | A building or dormer with a single pitched roof. |
| Shed roof | A roof containing only one sloping plane. |
| Shed Roof | A single-pitched roof. |
| Shedding | See Fluffing. |
| Sheen | Special type of gloss measured in terms of reflected light at an angle of 30 degrees or less. |
| Sheepsfoot Roller | A towed roller consisting of a steel drum with numerous protruding bulbous steel rods, used for compacting clay soil. |
| sheers | Fine, translucent fabrics such as organdy and voile that filter daylight while preserving privacy. |
| Sheet Asphalt | A hot mixture of asphalt cement with clean angular, graded sand and mineral filler; its use ordinarily is confined to a surface course, usually laid on an intermediate or leveling course. |
| Sheet erosion | The removal by surface runoff of a fairly uniform layer of soil from a bank slope. |
| Sheet Flashing | Sheet material, commonly metal, used in construction to direct the flow of water or to prevent water penetration. |
| Sheet Floor | Any type of resilient flooring material, such as linoleum, that is manufactured and installed in sheets or rolls. |
| Sheet Flow | Rainwater runoff from land or paving in a continuous sheet in contrast with channeled flow. |
| Sheet Glass | Window glass. |
| Sheet Lath | A type of metal lath formed by punching geometrical perforations in steel sheets; made from heavier gauge steel than expanded laths, they consequently have greater stiffness. |
| Sheet Lead | Cold-rolled lead in a sheet whose thickness is expressed by the weight of one square foot of the finished product. |
| Sheet Metal | Flat rolled metal less than 1/4 inches in thickness. |
| Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association, (SMACNA) | 8224 Old Courthouse Road, Vienna, Virginia 22180, (703) 790-9890. |
| Sheet Metal Brake | A machine for flanging, bending, or folding sheet metal. |
| Sheet Metal Collar | Sheet metal that covers an object or connection. |
| Sheet metal duct work | The heating system. Usually round or rectangular metal pipes and sheet metal (for Return Air) and installed for distributing warm (or cold) air from the furnace to rooms in the home. |
| Sheet Metal Roof | A roof covering of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, or galvanized metal sheets; in high-finish applications, referred to as an architectural roof. |
| Sheet Metal Screw | A screw with a fully threaded shank for attaching two thicknesses of sheet metal together; has a pointed tip that will start in a drilled hole and is self-tapping. |
| Sheet metal work | All components of a house employing sheet metal, such as flashing, gutters, and downspouts. |
| Sheet pile | A pile with a generally slender, flat coss-section that is driven into the ground or bottom of a water body and meshed or interlocked with like members t form a wall or bulkhead. |
| Sheet Piling | Planking or sheeting made of concrete, timber, or steel that is driven in, interlocked or tongue and grooved together to provide a tight wall to resist the lateral pressure of water, adjacent earth or other materials. |
| Sheet Plastic | Plastic in which thickness is very small in relation to length or width. |
| Sheet rock- Drywall-Wall board or gypsum | A manufactured panel made out of gypsum plaster and encased in a thin cardboard. Usually 1/2" thick and 4' x 8' or 4' x 12' in size. The 'joint compound'. 'Green board' type drywall has a greater resistance to moisture than regular (white) plasterboard an |
| Sheeting | 7/8" tongue and groove board. |
| Sheetrock | See Gypsum Board. |
| Sheetrock Beam | A horizontal member constructed of plasterboard. |
| Sheetrock Finishing | The final sanding and coating of gypsum board seams to make ready for painting. |
| Shelf | A horizontal mounted surface upon which objects may be stored, supported, or displayed. |
| Shelf Angle | A steel angle attached to the spandrel of a building to support a masonry facing. |
| Shelf Life | The period of time during which various materials, such as adhesives and sealants, can be stored under specific temperature conditions and remain suitable for use; also called Storage Life. |
| Shelf Pin | A pin for supporting a shelf, inserted in a hole in a vertical member of a cabinet or bookcase; also called a Shelf Support or Shelf Rest. |
| Shelf Rest | See Shelf Pin. |
| Shelf Support | See Shelf Pin. |
| Shelf, Checkroom | See Checkroom Shelf. |
| Shell | A curved, stiff, surface which can carry normal forces by the normal components of tension, compression, or shear forces which can exist within the thickness of the shell. |
| Shell and Tube Flooded Evaporator | Device which flows water through tubes built into a cylindrical evaporator or vice versa. |
| Shell Concrete | Concrete outside the transverse reinforcement confining the concrete. |
| Shell Masonry | The outer portion of a masonry unit as placed in masonry. |
| Shell of Chimney | The outside wall of a chimney. |
| Shell Type Condenser | Cylinder or receiver which contains condensing water coils or tubes. |
| Shellac | A transparent coating made by dissolving lac, a resinous secretion of the lac bug (a scale insect that thrives in tropical countries, especially India), in alcohol. |
| Shelter, Golf | See Golf Shelter. |
| Shelter, Truck | See Truck Shelter. |
| Shelving | Horizontal mounted surface upon which objects may be stored, supported, or displayed. |
| Shepherd Violet Toner | A complex manganese phosphate pigment having extreme acid resistance and light fastness. |
| Sherardizing | A protective coating on metal similar to galvanizing. |
| SHGF | Solar heat gain through fenestration. |
| Shield, Expansion | See Expansion Shield. |
| Shielded Metal-Arc Weld | Welding process where fusion is produced by heating with arc between covered metal electrode and work. Shielding is obtained from decomposition of electrode covering. |
| Shielding | In welding, a method of protecting adjacent work by positioning temporary protective sheets of rigid material; particularly used for machine applications. |
| Shim | A small piece of scrap lumber or shingle, usually wedge shaped, which when forced behind a furring strip or framing member forces it into position. Also used when installing doors and placed between the door jamb legs and 2 X 4 door trimmers. Metal shims |
| Shingle | 1. A small thin piece of building material often with one end thicker than the other for laying in overlapping rows as a covering for the roof or sides of a building or structure. 2. A small unit of prepared roofing material designed to be installed with |
| Shingle Butt | The lower exposed edge of a shingle. |
| Shingle Principle | The overlapping of materials, shingle style, so that impinging water, like rainwater, will run harmlessly down and out. |
| Shingle Roof | 1. Pieces of wedge shaped wood or other material used in overlapping courses to cover a roof. 2. Roof covering of asphalt, asbestos, wood, tile, or slate. |
| Shingle, Cedar | See Cedar Shingle. |
| Shingle, Metal | See Metal Shingle. |
| Shingle, Wood | See Wood Shingle. |
| Shingles, siding | Various kinds of shingles, such as wood shingles or shakes and nonwood shingles, that are used over sheathing for exterior sidewall covering of a structure. |
| Shingling | 1. The pattern that is formed by laying parallel felt rolls on a roof with lapped joints, in which one longitudinal edge overlaps the longitudinal edge of one adjacent felt, and where the other longitudinal edge underlays the other adjacent felt. 2. The a |
| Shingling Hatchet | A roofer's or sider's shingle hammer which has a small hatchet at its opposite end to shape wood shingles. |
| Ship and Galley Tile | A special quarry tile having an indented pattern on the face of the tile to produce an antislip effect. |
| Ship Bottom Paint | Special product designed to prevent corrosion and fouling with marine life on the bottom of ships. |
| Shiplap | 1. A board with edges rabbeted so as to overlap flush from one board to the next. 2. An offset lamination of two layers of gypsumboard. |
| Shiplapped Lumber | Lumber that is edge-dressed to make a lap joint; see Ship Lap. |
| Shipping-Dry Lumber | Lumber that is partially dried to prevent stain and mold in transit. |
| Ships Ladder | Ladder fabricated of metal or wood and inclined between 50° and 77° with steps in place of rungs and provided with railings; usually a standard manufactured item. |
| Shivering | The splintering which occurs in fired glazes or other ceramic coatings due to critical compressive stress; also called Peeling. |
| Shoe | 1. A formed metal section used in attaching metal studs to floor and ceiling tracks. 2. The end section of a channel turned to an angle, usually 90 degrees, to permit attachment, generally to other channels. |
| Shoe Mold | See Base Shoe. |
| Shooting | See Sprouting. |
| Shop Coated | Shop Primed. |
| Shop Drawing Stamp | A rubber imprinting stamp used by architects, engineers, and contractors to indicate their approval, disapproval, or other administrative action on shop drawings. |
| Shop Drawings | Detailed fabrication or construction drawings of specific items of a project provided by subcontractors. |
| Shop Lathe | A machine that rotates an object about a horizontal axis which then can be shaped by a fixed cutter or tool. |
| Shop Painted | Coating of paint applied in shop, usually a primer coat to protect metal from corrosion, which may or may not receive additional coats in the field. |
| Shop Painted, Asphalt-Base Type | Coating of asphalt-based paint applied in shop, usually for use in high humidity areas. |
| Shop Painted, Baked Enamel | Coating of baked enamel applied in shop, usually over a primer on underside of deck where exposed to view. |
| Shop Primed | Shop painted. |
| Shopping Center | One or more sales establishments or stores grouped with associated parking facilities. |
| Shopping Mall | A large suburban building or group of buildings containing various shops with associated passageways. |
| Shore | Temporary support for formwork and fresh concrete that has not developed full strength. |
| Shore | The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, or other body of water, including the zone between high and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach. |
| Shore | The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the water, including the zone between high and low water lines. See also backshore and foreshore. |
| Shore Hardness | The reading of a material's hardness on a durometer similar to the Shore A durometer, the scale of which is 0-100, used on rigid and semi-rigid materials such as polystyrene; consists of a pinpoint depression into the material; both the Shore A and Shore |
| Shoring | 1. Temporary bracing to hold the sides of an excavation and prevent it from caving. 2. The timbers used as bracing against a wall or under a beam for temporary support. |
| Short | Paint that does not have uniform appearance; usually due to the absence of easy brushing liquids. |
| Short circuit | A situation that occurs when hot and neutral wires come in contact with each other. Fuses and circuit breakers protect against fire that could result from a short. |
| Short Cycling | Refrigerating system that starts and stops more frequently than it should. |
| Short Term Debt | Mortgages and loans due in less than a year. |
| Short Time | Short time duty is a requirement of service that demands operation at a substantially constant load for a short and definitely specified time. |
| Shot Blasting | Blast cleaning using steel shot as the abrasive. |
| Shotcrete | A low-slump concrete mixture deposited by being blown from a nozzle at high speed with a stream of compressed air, also called Gunite. |
| Should | As used in most building laws, construction specifications, and building contracts, it means recommended but not mandatory as when shall is used. |
| Shoulder | Area between the tapered edge and the face of a gypsum board. |
| Shoulder Eye Bolt | A bolt type device which has an eye connection as its head. |
| Shove Joint | Vertical joints filled by mortar by pushing the brick when it is laid in the mortar up against the next brick. |
| Shove Joints | Vertical joints filled by shoving a brick against the mortar on the next brick when it is being laid in a bed of mortar. |
| Shovel | A hand implement with a handle and a scoop used for digging, throwing, or lifting material. |
| Shoving | In asphalt paving, a form of plastic movement resulting in localized bulging of the pavement surface; these distortions usually occur at points where traffic starts and stops, on hills where vehicles brake on the downgrade, on sharp curves, or where vehic |
| Show Window | Any window used or designed to be used for the display of goods or advertising material, whether it is fully or partly enclosed or entirely open at the rear, and whether or not it has a platform raised higher than the street floor level. |
| Shower | A bath in which water is showered on the person. |
| Shower Compartment | An enclosure in which water is showered on a person. |
| Shower Diverter Valve | A valve at the bath tub filler tap to divert water to the shower over the tub. |
| Shower Door | A door, usually made of unbreakable plastic or shatterproof glass, used in a shower stall or combination shower/bathtub. |
| Shower Faucet | A water faucet specifically manufactured for use in a shower. |
| Shower Floor, Waterproof Membrane | A membrane, usually made of built-up roofing, to provide a positive waterproof floor over the substrate, which is to receive a tile installation using a wire reinforced mortar bed. |
| Shower Pan | 1. A prefabricated assembly to provide a bottom for a shower, may be made of sheet metal, plastic, or masonry. 2. Terminology used in some areas for a waterproof membrane. |
| Shower Receptor | The floor and side walls of the shower up to and including the curb of the shower. |
| Shower Receptor Liner | Waterproof membrane under the shower floor; also called Shower Receptor Lining. |
| Shower Receptor Lining | See Shower Receptor Liner. |
| Shower Rod | A horizontal pole onto which a curtain is hung to prevent water from splashing out of a shower. |
| Shower Stall | A compartment where water is showered on a person. |
| Shrinkage | 1. In gypsumboard joints, a slight concave depression in the joint treatment usually due to using too thin a mix of joint compound; also called a Starved Joint. 2. The decrease in volume, or contraction, of a material by the escape of any volatile substan |
| Shrinkage Cracking | Cracking of a structure or member due to failure in tension caused by external or internal restraints as reduction in moisture content develops. |
| Shrinkage Temperature Steel | Reinforcing bars laid at right angles to the principal bars in a member, for the purpose of preventing excessive cracking caused by drying shrinkage or temperature stresses in concrete. |
| Shroud | Housing over condenser, evaporator or fan. |
| Shrub Moving | The digging out of a shrub with its root system intact, to relocate it to a different place. |
| Shunt | A conductor joining two points of a circuit, through which more or less of a current may be diverted. |
| Shut-off Valve | A valve used in a supply line to either turn on the liquid or turn it off, seldom used to reduce flow. |
| Shutter | Usually lightweight louvered decorative frames in the form of doors located on the sides of a window. Some shutters are made to close over the window for protection. |
| SI | French. System International d' Unites; International System of Units. |
| Sick Building Syndrome (SBS) | Describes situations in which building occupants experience acute health or discomfort effects that appear to be linked to time spent in a particular building, but where no specific illness or cause can be identified; the complaints may be localized in a |
| Side and End Matched | Wood strip flooring that is tongued and grooved on sides and ends. |
| Side Hill | A slope that crosses the line of work. |
| Side Jamb | The vertical pieces to a window or door opening on which the door or window rest. |
| Side Lumber | A board from the outer portion of the log. ordinarily one produced when squaring off a log for a tie or timber. |
| Side Seams | Seam running the length of the carpet; also called a Length Seam. |
| Side sewer | The portion of the sanitary sewer which connects the interior waste water lines to the main sewer lines. The side sewer is usually buried in several feet of soil and runs from the house to the sewer line. It is usually 'owned' by the sewer utility, must b |
| Side Vent | A vent that connects to the drain pipe through a 45 degree Y or less. |
| Side Yard | The space between a building and the side property line. |
| Side-Grained Wood | Flat-grained lumber. |
| Sidelap | The shortest distance in inches in which horizontally adjacent elements of roofing overlap each other. |
| Sidelight | A tall, narrow window alongside a door. |
| Sidewalk | A walk for pedestrians at the side of a street. |
| Sidewalk Doors | Steel or aluminum doors in the plane of a sidewalk leading to a basement area. |
| Siding | The finish covering of the outside wall of a frame building, whether made of horizontal weatherboards, vertical boards with battens, shingles, or other material. |
| Siding, (lap siding) | Slightly wedge-shaped boards used as horizontal siding in a lapped pattern over the exterior sheathing. Varies in butt thickness from ½ to ¾ inch and in widths up to 12". |
| Siding, bevel (lap siding) | Wedge-shaped boards used as horizontal siding in a lapped pattern. This siding varies in butt thickness from ½ to ¾ inch and in widths up to 12 inches. Normally used over some type of sheathing. |
| Siding, Dolly Varden | Beveled wood siding which is rabbeted on the bottom edge. |
| Siding, drop | Usually ¾ inch thick and 6 and 8 inches wide with tongued-and-grooved or shiplap edges. Often used as siding without sheathing in secondary buildings. |
| Siding, Steel | See Steel Siding. |
| Sienna | A pigment obtained from the earth which is brownish yellow when raw; orange red or reddish brown when burnt. |
| Sieve | A metallic sheet or plate, woven wire cloth, or similar device, with regularly spaced openings of uniform size, mounted in a suitable frame or holder for use in separating material according to size; also called a Screen; in laboratory work an apparatus i |
| Sieve Analysis | Determination of the proportions of particles of the granular material lying within certain size ranges on sieves of different size openings; see Gradation. |
| Sight Gauge | See Sight Glass. |
| Sight Glass | A glass section in piping to enable visual monitoring of the condition of the fluid or its height; also called a Sight Gauge. |
| Sign | A posted command, warning, or direction. |
| Sign, Electric | See Electric Sign. |
| Signage | Any of a group of posted commands, warnings, or directions. |
| Signal Circuit | Any electrical circuit which supplies energy to an appliance which gives a recognizable signal; such circuits include circuits for door bells, buzzers, code-calling systems, and signal lights. |
| Signboard | A sign. |
| Silex | A form of silica used extensively in making paste wood fillers; it is chemically inert and does not absorb moisture or shrink. |
| Silhouette | A blind and shade combined in one product. Made of polyester, it adjusts like a blind and raises like a shade. Made by Hunter Douglas. |
| Silica | SiO2, the common oxide of silicon usually found naturally as quartz or in complex combination with other elements as silicates; various polymorphs and natural occurrences of silica include cristobalite, tridymite, cryptocrystalline chert, flint, chalcedon |
| Silica Gel | Hydrated silica in a hard granular form used as a desiccant; when heated, moisture is released and compound may be reused. |
| Silica Sand | 1. A white fine sand composed of silica. 2. A mineral usually contained in the clay that is used for the making of bricks. 3. An inert pigment made from quartz rock, which is highly resistant to acids, alkalis, heat and light. |
| Silicate of Soda | See Water Glass, 3. |
| Silicate Paints | Those employing silicates as binders; used primarily in inorganic zinc rich coating. |
| Siliceous | Containing silicon or silicate. |
| Silicon | An abundant non-metallic element occurring in silica and silicates, used in the manufacture of glass, in alloys, and in electronic devices. |
| Silicon Carbide | An abrasive, shiny black; very hard and brittle crystals made by fusing silica sand and coke in electric furnace. |
| Silicon-Controlled Rectifier (SCR) | Electronic semiconductor which contains silicon. |
| Silicone | A polymeric substance with high resistance to cold, heat, water, and passage of electricity; used in sealants, lubricants, varnishes, binders, and electric insulators. |
| silk | A natural fabric from silk worms. It dyes well and has a vibrant color range. It fades easily in sunlight, however, and is best used on beds away from the light, or lined and interlined and protected by a blind if used as window curtains. It can be used f |
| silk noil | The waste product of spun silk is mixed with cotton or wool giving a shimmer to the fabric in the form of tiny balls on the surface. |
| Silk Screen Finishing | Process of finishing where paint is forced through open meshes of a fabric screen; parts of the screen are blocked off and do not print, thus producing the design. |
| Silking | A surface defect characterized by parallel hair-like striations in coated films. |
| Sill | 1. The lowest member of the frame of a structure, resting on the foundation and supporting the uprights of the frame. 2. The member forming the lower side of an opening, as a door sill or a window sill. 3. See Threshold, 3. |
| Sill Bolt | Steel bolt placed in the foundation wall or slab to secure the wood sill. |
| Sill Cock | An outdoor water faucet, usually at sill height, used as a hose connection; also called a Hose Bibb or Wall Hydrant. |
| Sill Course | See String Course. |
| Sill High | The height of the window sills. |
| Sill Pan | A sheet metal deflector installed at each end of a wood window or door sill to carry intruded water that has run down the jamb to the exterior. |
| Sill plate (mudsill) | Bottom horizontal member of an exterior wall frame which rests on top a foundation, sometimes called mudsill. Also sole plate, bottom member of an interior wall frame. |
| Sill seal | Fiberglass or foam insulation installed between the foundation wall and sill (wood) plate. Designed to seal any cracks or gaps. |
| Sill Sealer Insulation | Insulation placed between sill plate and supporting concrete or masonry to prevent air leaks. |
| Silt | 1. Sediment deposited by water in a water course. 2. A soil composed of particles less than 1/20 mm in diameter. 3. A heavy soil intermediate between clay and sand. 4. Particles so fine that they are scarcely visible to the naked eye, unless placed in a g |
| Silt Trap | A settling hole or basin that prevents water-borne soil from entering a pond or drainage system. |
| Silver | A greyish-white lustrous malleable ductile precious metallic element, used chiefly in alloys; it has the highest thermal and electrical conductivity of any substance. |
| Silver Brazing | Brazing process in which brazing alloy contains some silver as part of joining alloy. |
| Silver Leaf | Thin leaf made of silver, used mostly for lettering on glass; aluminum leaf is used where silver color is required on wood or metal surfaces as silver would tarnish. |
| Simple Beam | A beam that is supported on two supports and where no bending is transferred from the beam to the support. |
| Simplified Practice Recommendation (SPR) | U.S. Department of Commerce, 14th & Constitution Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20230. |
| Sine Wave, A-C Current | Wave form of single frequency alternating current; wave whose displacement is sine of angle proportional to time or distance. |
| Single Accommodation Sanitary Facility | A room that has not more than one of each type of sanitary fixture, is intended for use by only one person at a time, has no partition around the toilet, and has a door that can be locked on the inside by the room occupant. |
| Single Family Dwelling | A one-family dwelling. |
| Single Fire | The process of maturing an unfired ceramic body and its glaze in one firing operation. |
| Single Hung Window | A window with two overlapping sashes, the lower of which can slide vertically in tracks, and the upper of which is fixed. |
| Single Layer | One layer of gypsum board as the finished wall membrane. |
| Single Lever Faucet | Any of several types of washerless faucets using a single control and springs, balls or cartridges to control flow and temperature. |
| Single Phase Motor | Electric motor which operates on single- phase alternating current. |
| Single Ply | A roofing system consisting of only one layer of material. |
| Single Pole Switch | An electrical switch with one positive contact and two positions, off and on. |
| Single Roll | A single roll of American-made wallpaper is a roll containing 36 square feet of paper; wallpaper usually comes in bolts which contain two or three single rolls. |
| Single Spread | See Spread. |
| Single Stage Compressor | See Compressor, Single Stage. |
| Single Tee | A precast concrete plank with one integral stiffening rib. |
| Single Zone Air Handling System | A system supplying conditioned air to an entire building or to a portion of a building that can be controlled as one zone; a constant volume of air is supplied to the space served. |
| Single-Bevel Groove Weld | See Groove Weld. |
| Single-J Groove Weld | See Groove Weld. |
| Single-Ply Roofing Institute (SPRI) | 175 Highland Avenue, Needham, Massachusetts 02196, (617) 444-0242. |
| Single-Pole, Double Throw Switch, (SPDT) | Electric switch with one blade and two contact points. |
| Single-Pole, Single Throw Switch,(SPST) | Electric switch with one blade and one contact point. |
| Single-U Groove Weld | See Groove Weld. |
| Single-Vee Groove Weld | See Groove Weld. |
| Sinistral | Left handed. |
| Sink | 1. A basin with a drainage system and water supply, used for washing and drainage. 2. A pit or pool used for the deposit of waste. |
| Sink, Darkroom | See Darkroom Sink. |
| Sinking Fund | A fund of money accumulated, and augmented by interest, over time to retire a debt or provide reserves for replacement of wasting assets. |
| Sintering | Heating a powder until it begins to melt, adding to its strength without destroying its porosity, used in manufacturing lightweight aggregates. |
| Siphon | A tube used to transfer liquids from a higher to a lower level by means of atmospheric pressure. |
| Siphonage | A particle vacuum created by the flow of liquids in pipes. |
| Siren | A device, often electrically operated, for producing a penetrating warning sound. |
| Sisal | A strong durable white fiber from the fleshy leaves of the agave plant; used in making rope and twine. |
| Sister Joist | The reinforcement of a joist by nailing, or attaching alongside the existing joist, another joist or reinforcing member. |
| Site | Area of land to be used for a building location. |
| Site Demolition | The act or process of demolishing an old building or structure to make way for new construction. |
| Site Development | On-site and off-site work, including, but not limited to, walks, sidewalks, ramps, curbs, curb ramps, parking facilities, stairs, planting areas, pools, promenades, exterior gathering or assembly areas and raised or depressed paved areas. |
| Site Plan | A plan drawing showing the site and buildings. |
| Sitecast Concrete | Concrete that is cast-in-place. |
| Sitz Bath | See Prerineal Bath. |
| Size | Solution of gelatin-type material, such as resin, glue or starch, used to fill or seal pores of surface and prevent absorption of finishing materials. |
| Sizing | 1. Working material to the desired size. 2. A coating of glue, shellac, or other substance applied to a surface to prepare it for painting or other method of finish. |
| SJI | Steel Joist Institute. |
| Skarf Joint | An end joint in wood formed by joining with adhesive the ends of two pieces that have been tapered or beveled to form sloping plane surfaces, usually to a featheredge, and with the same slope of the plane with respect to the length of both pieces. |
| Skein | A batch of yarn. |
| Skein Dyeing | Immersing skeins of yarn in vats of hot dye. |
| Sketch | A rough drawing representing the chief features of a site, a building , or an object and often made as a preliminary study. |
| Skewback | A sloping masonry surface from which a segmental arch springs. |
| Skid Resistance | 1. A measure of the frictional characteristics of a surface. 2. The ability of an asphalt paving surface, particularly when wet, to offer resistance to slipping or skidding; the factors for obtaining high skid resistance are generally the same as those fo |
| Skim Coat | 1. A thin coat of plaster over any base system; may be the final or finish coat on plaster base. 2. In gypsumboard finishing, a thin coat of joint treatment over the entire surface to reduce surface texture and suction variations. 3. The method of treatin |
| Skim Filter | A swimming pool surface skimmer combined with a vacuum filter. |
| Skimmer | Device that continuously draws swimming pool surface water and surface debris into the filtration system. |
| Skimmer Weir | Part of swimming pool skimmer that adjusts to small changes in water level and assures continuous flow of water into skimmer. |
| Skin Condenser | Condenser using the outer surface of the cabinet as the heat radiating medium. |
| Skin Friction | The resistance of the soil surrounding a pile to vertical movement of the pile. |
| Skinning | A tough layer or skin formed on the surface of a paint or varnish in the container; caused by exposure to air. |
| Skip Trowel | A method of plaster texturing resulting in a rough Spanish Stucco effect. |
| Skippy | Said of paint that causes the brush to skip on the surface, leaving some spots uncoated and others too thickly coated; this condition can be caused by lack of sufficient vehicle, to permit easy, uniform application or by liquids that pull. |
| Skips | 1. In painting, holidays, misses, and uncoated spots on finished surface. 2. In roofing, areas that have been missed by the roofer in applying liquid roofing material. |
| Skirting | Baseboard at a stairway. |
| Skive Edge | In gypsumboard finishing, the outside edges of the paper joint tape that have been sanded to improve adhesion and reduce waviness. |
| Skiving | To pare or slice off in thin layers. |
| Skylight | A more or less horizontal window located on the roof of a building. |
| Skyrise | A skylight honeycomb shade made by Hunter Douglas. |
| Skyscrape | To design or build a very tall building. |
| Skyscraper | A very tall building; compare with Groundscraper. |
| Slab | 1. A cast concrete floor. 2. Flat section of floor or roof either on the ground or supported by beams or walls. |
| Slab Bolster | Continuous, individual support used to hold reinforcing bars in the proper position. |
| Slab Form | 1. The formwork used for the pouring or placing of a concrete slab. 2. A type of manufactured metal decking which is made expressly to receive a final layer of poured concrete. |
| Slab Mesh | Welded-wire fabric in sheets or rolls used to reinforce concrete slabs. |
| Slab on grade | A type of foundation with a concrete floor which is placed directly on the soil. The edge of the slab is usually thicker and acts as the footing for the walls. |
| Slab, concrete | Concrete pavement, i.e. driveways, garages, and basement floors. |
| Slab, door | A rectangular door without hinges or frame. |
| Slab, Precast | A flat, horizontal, molded layer of reinforced concrete, cast and cured in other than its final position. |
| Slack | 1.Extra time in a CPM schedule; also called Float. 2. Hanging loose without tension. 3. Insufficiently diligent; negligent. 4. Slow in business activity. |
| Slag | Concrete cement that sometimes covers the vertical face of the foundation void material. |
| Slag Inclusion | Non-metallic solid material entrapped in weld metal or between weld metal and base metal. |
| Slake | A term denoting the process whereby lime putty is produced from quicklime; slaking consists of adding quicklime to water and allowing the resulting slurry to age for at least two weeks. |
| Slaked Lime | Hydrated lime. |
| Slander of Title | Intentionally and wrongfully placing a cloud on title to real estate. |
| Slash-Grained Wood | Flat-grained lumber. |
| slat | A long, flat piece of wood used at the base of either a roller or Roman shade. |
| Slate | A form of geologically hardened clay, easily split into thin sheets. |
| Slate Flour | Filler used to considerable extent in asphalt mixtures and in roofing mastic. |
| Sledge | See Sledgehammer. |
| Sledgehammer | A large heavy hammer that is wielded with both hands; also called a Sledge. |
| Sleeper | Usually, a wood member embedded in concrete, as in a floor, that serves to support and to fasten the subfloor or flooring. |
| Sleeping Accommodations | Rooms in which people sleep. |
| Sleeve(s) | Pipe installed under the concrete driveway or sidewalk, and that will be used later to run sprinkler pipe or low voltage wire. |
| Slenderness Ratio | The ratio of the unbraced length of a column to the radius of gyration. |
| Sliced Veneer | Wood veneer that is sliced off a log, bolt, or flitch with a knife. |
| Slicker | A tool often used by the plasterer in place of the darby. It is made of a thin board beveled on both sides, about 4' long and 6 to 8 inches wide, held by the thicker edge. |
| Slide | 1. To move in continuous contact with a smooth surface, 2. A fresh tile wall that has buckled or sagged; this condition may be caused by excessive mortar, insufficient lime in the mortar, or excessive moisture in the scratch coat; a slide also may result |
| Slide, Water | See Water Slide. |
| Sliding Glass Door | An exterior glass door mounted above and below on tracks for ease in movement. |
| Sliding Window | A window that moves horizontally in tracks. |
| Sling Psychrometer | Measuring device with wet and dry bulb thermometers; moved rapidly through air it measures humidity; see Hygrometer. |
| Slip | 1. An inadvertent or trivial mistake. 2. A suspension of ceramic material in liquid. 3. A small geological fault. 4. A long, thin, strip of wood. |
| Slip Brick | See Soft Mud Brick. |
| Slip Coating | A ceramic material or mixture other than a glaze, applied to a ceramic body and fired to the maturity required to develop specified characteristics. |
| Slip Covering | A pipe coupling which has no stop to prevent it from slipping over a pipe; used to make water tight joints in plastic or copper pipe during a repair or alteration. |
| Slip Form | A form which is raised or pulled as concrete is placed; may move vertically to form walls, stacks, bins or silos, usually of uniform cross section from bottom to top; or a generally horizontal direction to lay concrete evenly for highways, on slopes and i |
| Slip Glaze | A glaze consisting primarily of a readily fusible clay or silt. |
| Slip Joint | 1. A contraction joint in a concrete or masonry wall that allows lateral movement. 2. A connection in which one pipe slides inside another allowing for expansion and contraction without breaking. |
| Slip Nut | A nut used on P straps; a gasket is compressed around the joint by the slip nut to form a watertight seal. |
| Slip Sheet | A sheet of paper used in a built up roof installation to allow the roofing to move over the substrate. |
| Slip Sill | A masonry sill which fits directly into a masonry opening. |
| Slip-Critical Connection | A steel connection in which high-strength bolts clamp the members together with sufficient force that the load is transferred between them by friction. |
| Slip-Resistant Tile | Tile having greater slip-resistant characteristics due to an abrasive admixture, abrasive particles in the surface or grooves or patterns in the surface. |
| Slippage | The lateral movement between adjacent plies of roofing felt along the bitumen lines resulting in a randomly wrinkled appearance and sometimes exposing the lower plies or even the base sheet to the weather. |
| Slippage Cracks | In asphalt paving, crescent-shaped cracks that are open in the direction of the thrust of wheels on the pavement surface; they result when there is a lack of good bond between the surface layer and the course beneath. |
| Sliver | A Splinter. |
| Slop Sink (Service Sink) | A deeper fixture than an ordinary sink. Custodian's type sink See Service Sink. |
| Slope | The incline angle of a roof surface, given as a ratio of the rise (in inches) to the run (in feet). See also pitch. |
| Slot | An opening in a member to receive a connection with another part. |
| Slot Cut | Description of a tile that has been cut to fit around pipes or switch boxes. This tile is usually in the shape of the letter H or the letter L. |
| slot headings | See cased heading. |
| Slot Weld | A weld made in an elongated hole in one member of a lap or tee joint joining that member to that portion of the surface of the other member which is exposed through the hole; the hole may be open at one end and may be partially or completely filled with w |
| Slot, Anchor | A groove in an object into which a fastener or connector is inserted to attach objects together. |
| Slotted Screwdriver | The most common of screwdriver types, has a flat square blade; also called a Flat Head Screwdriver. |
| Slough | 1. A swamp or backwater. 2. A creek in a marsh or tidal flat. |
| Sloughing (or sloughing off) | Movement of a mass of soil down a bank into the channel (also called slumping). Sloughing is similar to a landslide. |
| Slow Drying | Requiring 24 hours or longer before recoating is possible. |
| Slow-Curing (SC) Asphalt | Cutback asphalt composed of asphalt cement and oils of low volatility. |
| Sludge | 1. A muddy, greasy deposit or sediment. 2. Precipitated solid matter produced by water and sewage treatment processes. |
| Slug | 1. In the English system (feet, pounds, seconds), the slug is that mass which when acted on by a 1 pound force acquires an acceleration of 1 foot per second per second. 2. Detached mass of liquid or oil which causes an impact or hammer in a circulating sy |
| Slugging | 1. Condition in which a mass of liquid enters a compressor causing hammering. 2. The act of adding a separate piece or pieces of material in a joint before or during welding resulting in a welded joint which does not comply with design, drawing, or specif |
| Sluice | 1. A sliding gate or other contrivance for regulating the flow of water in a channel. 2. An artificial water channel. 3. A steep, narrow waterway. |
| Slump | A measure of consistency of freshly mixed concrete, mortar, or stucco; the decrease in height of wet concrete when a supporting mold is removed; a measure of the consistency of plastic concrete, equal to the number of inches of subsidence of a truncated c |
| Slump Cone | A mold in the form of the lateral surface of the frustum of a cone with a base diameter of 8 inches (203 mm), top diameter 4 inches (102 mm), and height 12 inches (305 mm), used to hold a specimen of freshly mixed concrete for the slump test; a cone 6 inc |
| Slump Test | The procedure for measuring slump of concrete, mortar, or plaster with a slump cone. |
| Slurry | 1. A watery mixture of water and any finely divided insoluble material, such as portland cement, slag, or clay in suspension. 2. Cement grout. 3. In making gypsumboard, the gypsum core mixture in its fluid state prior to setting. |
| Slurry Coat | A brushed application of slurry, generally applied to back of adhered veneer units and to backing. |
| Slush Coat | A pure coat of a very soft consistency; also called a Slurry coat. |
| Slushed Joint | Vertical joint filled, after units are laid, by throwing mortar in with the edge of a trowel, used in fireplace and chimney construction; also called a Slush Joint. |
| SM Automatic | High quality fabricator of motorized components for draperies, blinds, and shades. (10301 Jefferson Blvd., Culver City, CA 90232) |
| SMACNA | Sheet Metal & Air Conditioning Contractors' National Association. |
| Small Business Administration | This agency funds small business investment companies and minority small business investment companies that make loans to provide financing for contractors; usually restricted to those with a proven history. |
| Small Calorie | See Calorie, 1. |
| Smalt | Deep blue pigment prepared by fusing together potash, silica and oxide of cobalt, and reducing to powder the glass thus formed; smalt is sometimes applied to freshly coated surfaces to provide unusual decorating effect. |
| Smart Building | A modern office building that is pre-wired for all the telecommunication services and computer links. |
| Smelt | To melt or fuse ore and to separate metal. |
| smocked heading | A handmade heading imitating smocking, in which the pleats are alternately linked to form a honeycomb pattern. |
| smocking tape | A decorator tape in which two or more cords are pulled to create an effect very similar to gathering. |
| Smoke Alarm | A device that emits a warning sound if it detects smoke. |
| Smoke Chamber | The space in a fireplace immediately above the throat where the smoke gathers before passing into the flue and narrowed by corbeling to the size of the flue lining above. |
| Smoke Detector | See Smoke Alarm. |
| Smoke Developed Rating | An index of the toxic fumes generated by a material as it burns. |
| Smoke Shelf | The horizontal area behind the damper of a fireplace. |
| Smoke Test | Test made to determine completeness of combustion. |
| Smoke Vent | A vent or chimney forming a passageway for expulsion of vent gases from gas-burning units to the outside air. |
| Smooth-Surfaced Roof | A built-up roofing membrane that is surfaced with a layer of hot-mopped asphalt or cold-applied asphalt-clay emulsion or asphalt cutback; sometimes consisting of an unmopped inorganic felt. |
| Snake | A flexible tape used by plumbers for clearing stoppages in drain and sewer piping; also called Plumber's Snake. |
| Snap Header | A false header composed of half bricks with the good end showing on the surface. |
| Snap Line | See Chalk Line. |
| Snow Load | The live load of snow accumulating on a roof structure. |
| Soap Brick | A small brick for filling out a course. |
| Soap Dish | A concave vessel, sometimes carved into a sink, which holds a bar of soap when not in use. |
| Soaping Tile | The method of applying a soapy film to newly tiled walls to protect them from paint and plaster during construction. |
| Soapstone | See Talc. |
| Social Obsolescence | Depreciation; economic obsolescence. |
| Social Security | A U.S. government program established in 1935 whereby a portion of one's income goes toward old-age and unemployment insurance and assistance; a provision for the economic security and social welfare of individuals and their families. |
| Society of the Plastic Industry, Inc (SPI) | 1275 K Street, NW, Washington, DC 20005, (202) 371-5200 |
| Socket | 1. An opening to accept a mechanical device. 2. An electrical device to accept a light bulb. |
| Socket Wrench | A wrench with interchangeable sockets for different sizes of nuts and bolts. |
| Sod | The grass covered surface of the ground; turf. |
| Soda Ash | Sodium carbonate is used in swimming pools to raise the pH and increase total alkalinity; it is also used with alum in sand-type filters to produce floc; when chlorine gas is used as a disinfectant, this chemical is used to neutralize hydrochloric acid. |
| Sodium Bicarbonate | Baking soda used to raise total alkalinity of pool water with little change in pH. |
| Sodium Bisulfate | Dry acid that, mixed with water, lowers pH and total alkalinity of pool water. |
| Sodium Fixture | An electric lamp that contains sodium vapor and electrodes between which a luminous discharge takes place, commonly used outdoors. |
| Sodium Hypchlorite | Liquid containing 12 to 15 percent available chlorine used to disinfect pool water. |
| Sodium Thiosulfate | A chemical compound used to remove all chlorine from a test sample to avoid false pH test readings or false bacteria test results. |
| Soffit | 1. The underside part of a member of a structure, such as a beam, stairway, roof, or arch. 2. The undersurface of a horizontal element of a building, especially the underside of a stair or a roof overhang; relatively small in area as compared with a ceili |
| Soffit Board | A special designed and formulated gypsum board for use in exterior over hangs, carport ceilings and other weather protected areas. |
| Soffit Vent | An opening under the eaves of a roof used to allow air to flow into the attic or the space below the roof sheathing. |
| Soft Dollars | That portion of equity investment in a real estate development that is tax deductible in the first year, such as prepaid interest. |
| Soft Mud Brick | Brick produced by molding relatively wet clay, often a hand process; when insides of molds are sanded to prevent sticking of clay, the product is Sand Mold Brick; when molds are wetted to prevent sticking, the product is Water-Struck Brick or Slip Brick. |
| Soft Rot | A special type of decay developing under very wet conditions ( as in cooling towers and boat timbers) in the outer wood layers, caused by cellulose-destroying microfungi that attack the secondary cell walls and not the intercellular layer. |
| Soft Water | Water with a minimal mineral content. |
| Soft-Burned | Clay products which have been fired at low temperature ranges, generally producing relatively high absorptions and low compressive strengths. |
| Softball Backstop | A three-sided enclosure with an overhang, often made of chain link fencing, that prevents the ball from leaving the field and from hitting spectators. |
| Softener, Water | See Water Softener. |
| Softening Point | 1. The temperature point where a hard material becomes soft or viscous. 2. The softening point of bitumen; the asphalt softening point is measured by the ring and ball test; the softening point of coal-tar pitch is measured by the cube in water test. |
| Softening Point Drift | A lowering of the softening point of bitumen, usually caused by long overheating or mixing asphalt and coal-tar pitch; also called Dropback |
| Software, Scheduling | See Scheduling Software. |
| Softwood Plywood Panel | Plywood manufactured from softwood species as Douglas fir, western larch, western hemlock, Sitka spruce, white cedar, or redwood. |
| Softwoods | 1.Generally, one of the botanical groups of trees that in most cases have needlelike or scalelike leaves, the conifers. 2. The wood produced by such trees. 3. The term has no reference to the actual hardness of the wood. |
| Soil | Soil finer than sand but coarser than clay, but not so fine that it can remain suspended in water for long periods. The grain size is considered to be less than .0625 mm. |
| Soil | The loose surface material of the earth's crust; the unconsolidated natural surface material above bedrock. |
| Soil and Waste Pipe | Plastic, copper, cast iron or DWV drainage, water and vent. |
| Soil Bend | A piece of short, curved pipe, like an elbow, used to connect two straight links of pipe in a sewage system. |
| Soil cover (ground cover) | A light covering of plastic film, roll roofing, or similar material used over the soil in crawl spaces of buildings to minimize moisture permeation of the area. |
| Soil Gases | Gases that enter a building from the surrounding ground, such as radon, volatile organics, and pesticides. |
| Soil Investigation | See Geotechnical Investigation. |
| Soil Pipe | A plumbing line that carries waste water from water closets and urinals. |
| Soil Report | A geological report by a geological engineer providing information on subsurface soil conditions. |
| Soil Stack | A vertical pipe used to carry human waste from toilets; the vertical main piping of a DWV system. |
| Soil Structure Interaction | The effects of the properties of both soil and structure upon response of the structure. |
| Soil Test | See Geotechnical Investigation. |
| Soil, Heavy | See Heavy Soil. |
| Soils Engineer | A professional engineer whose area of expertise is in soil analysis, foundation design, drainage, and the effects of other site conditions on the design of structures. |
| Sol-Air Temperature | The combined solar and convective sources of heat at the outside surface of a wall or roof. |
| Solar Array | An array of panels for collecting heat from the sun for use in a solar heating system. |
| Solar Collector | See Collector, 2. |
| Solar Heat | Heat created by visible and invisible energy waves from the sun. |
| Solar Heat Gain through Fenestration | The amount of heat gain through a particular cladding system or window. |
| Solar Panel | A battery of solar cells. |
| Solar Screen Title | Tile manufactured for masonry screen construction. |
| Solar System | The sun and the celestial bodies whose motion it governs; the sun, with the planets, moons, asteroids, and comets that orbit it. |
| Solarium | A glass enclosed porch or room with exposures to the sun, used for relaxation or therapy. |
| Solder | A fusible alloy, usually of lead and tin, used to join less fusible metals or wires. |
| Soldering Iron | A pointed or wedge-shaped tool that is heated electrically or by other means, used in soldering. |
| Solderless Pressure Connector | A device which establishes the connection between two or more conductors or between one or more conductors and a terminal by means of mechanical pressure and without the use of solder. |
| Soldier | A brick laid on its end, with its narrow face toward the outside of the wall. |
| Soldier Course | Oblong tile or brick laid with the long side vertical and all joints in alignment. |
| Sole or sole plate | See Plate. |
| Sole Ownership | A business owned entirely by one person. |
| Sole Plate | The horizontal piece of dimension lumber to which the bottom of the studs are attached in a wall of a light frame building. |
| Sole Proprietor | The sole owner of a business. |
| Sole Proprietorship | Same as sole ownership. |
| Solenoid | A cylindrical coil of wire acting as an electromagnet when a current flows. |
| Solenoid Valve | A valve that is actuated by an electric solenoid. |
| Solid | 1. Firm and stable in shape and volume. 2. Having three dimensions. 3. Of the same substance throughout. 4. Without cavities. 5. One of the three states of matter; compare with Liquid and Gas. 6. Nonvolatile portion of paint. |
| Solid Block | A concrete masonry block with small or no internal cavities. |
| Solid bridging | A solid member placed between adjacent floor joists near the center of the span to prevent joists or rafters from twisting. |
| Solid Casting | Forming castings by introducing a body slip into a porous mold which usually consists of two major sections, one section forming the contour of the inside of the object and allowing a solid cast to form between the two mold faces. |
| Solid Core | An object with no internal cavities. |
| Solid Core Door | A flush door with no internal cavities. |
| Solid Door | A door which is constructed with solid materials. |
| Solid Masonry Unit | A unit whose net cross-sectional area in every plane parallel to the bearing surface is 75% or more of its gross cross-sectional area measured in the same plane. |
| Solid Mopping | The mopping of a continuous roof surface area with no areas left unmopped. |
| Solid Slab | A concrete slab, without ribs or voids, that spans between beams or bearing walls. |
| Solids Volume | In paint, percentage of total volume occupied by nonvolatiles. |
| Solubility | 1. Degree to which a substance may be dissolved. 2. A measure of the purity of an asphalt cement; the portion of the asphalt cement that is soluble in a specified solvent such as trichloroethylene; inert matter, such as salts, free carbon, or non-organic |
| Soluble | Describes the property of a substance to dissolve in another and form a solution; for example, sugar is soluble in water. |
| Soluble Salts | A mineral that is usually present in the clay used for the making of bricks. |
| Solution | The process by which a substance (solid, liquid, or gas) is homogeneously mixed with a liquid, called the solvent, and the mixture being incapable of mechanical separation into its components; alloys and amalgams are solutions of metals in metal; brines a |
| Solution Dyeing | Adding dye or colored pigments to synthetic material while in liquid solution before extrusion into fiber. |
| Solvent | 1. Having the money to pay all legal debts. 2. Able to dissolve or form a solution. |
| Solvent Adhesive | An adhesive having a volatile organic liquid as a vehicle, not including water-based adhesives. |
| Solvent Balance | Ratio of amounts of different solvents in a mixture of solvents. |
| Solvent Cement | A solvent adhesive that contains a solvent that dissolves or softens the surfaces of plastic pipe being bonded so that the pipe assembly becomes essentially one piece of the same pipe of plastic. |
| Solvent Release | Ability to permit solvents to evaporate. |
| Solvent Wash | Cleaning with a solvent. |
| Sone | Calculated sound loudness rating. |
| Sonotube | Round, large cardboard tubes designed to hold wet concrete in place until it hardens. |
| SOP | Standard Operating Procedure. |
| Sound | 1. Deformation waves that are traveling in the air or other elastic materials. 2. Sound is a rapid fluctuation of air pressure. |
| Sound Absorbing Material | Acoustic insulation, usually made of glass fiber, placed in flutes of deck to provide increased sound absorption through perforations in deck. |
| Sound Absorption | 1. The process of dissipating or removing sound energy. 2. The property possessed by materials, objects, and structures such as rooms, of absorbing sound energy. |
| Sound Absorption Coefficient | The ratio of sound energy absorbed to the sound energy hitting a surface. |
| Sound Attenuating Insulation | A special width unfaced mineral fiber product used to improve the sound transmission loss. |
| Sound Attenuation | A process in which sound is reduced as its energy is converted to motion or heat. |
| Sound Knot | A knot that is solid across its face, at least as hard as the surrounding wood, and shows no indication of decay. |
| Sound Transmission Class (STC) | A single number rating of the sound insulation value of a partition or wall. It is derived from a curve of its insulation value as a function of frequency; the higher the number, the more effective the sound insulation. |
| Sound Transmission Coefficient | A measure of reduction in sound transmission through certain assemblies of materials used in floors, walls, and ceilings. |
| Sound Transmission Loss (STL) | The decrease or attenuation in sound energy, in decibels, of airborne sound as it passes through a building material; in general, transmission loss increases with frequency, the higher the frequency, the greater the sound transmission loss. |
| South Pole | 1. The southernmost point of the earth's axis of rotation. 2. The pole of a magnet that points to the south. |
| Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc (SBCCI) | 900 Montclair Road, Birmingham, Alabama 35213, (205) 591-1853. |
| Southern Forest Products Association (SPA) | PO Box 641700, Kenner, Louisiana 70064, (504) 443-4464. |
| Sovereign Immunity | The doctrine that the sovereign is immune to litigation, originally applied to monarchs and now applied to governments. |
| Soybean Oil | Oil made from seed of soybean, a leguminous annual plant. |
| Spa | 1. A resort with mineral springs. 2. A unit designed primarily for therapeutic use which is not drained, cleaned, or refilled for each individual; it may include, but is not limited to, hydrojet circulation, hot water, cold water, mineral baths, air induc |
| SPA | Southern Forest Products Association. |
| Spa Pool | A pool, not under medical supervision that incorporates water jets and/or an aeration system used for hydro massage. |
| Space | 1. An area. 2. A distance. 3. A volume. 4. The region beyond the earth's atmosphere and beyond. 5. An amount of area set aside for some purpose, such as storage space or dining space. 6. A definable area, such as a room, toilet room, hall, assembly area, |
| Space Dyeing | In carpet making, alternating bands of color applied to yarn by rollers at predetermined intervals prior to tufting. |
| Space Frame | A truss that spans with two-way action; also called aSpace Truss. |
| Space heat | Heat supplied to the living space, for example, to a room or the living area of a building. |
| Space Truss | See Space Frame. |
| Spacer Strip | A metal strip or bar inserted in the root of a joint prepared for a groove weld to serve as a backing and to maintain root opening during welding. |
| Spacers | T-shaped and Y-shaped, they are used in installation to separate tile on walls an floors. They are manufactured in various thicknesses from 1/16" to 1/2". |
| Spacing | The distance between individual members or shingles in building construction. |
| Spacing Mix | A dry or dampened mixture of one part portland cement and one part extra-fine sand; this mix is used as a filler in the joints of mounted ceramic mosaic tiles to keep them evenly spaced during installation. |
| Spackle | Trademark; a white powder which, when mixed with water, forms a paste used in filling or repairing cracks in plaster or gypsumboard. |
| Spackling Compound | Kind of plaster which is used to fill surface irregularities and cracks in plaster; this compound when mixed with paste paint makes what is known as Swedish Putty. |
| Spading Tool | A thin-bladed shovel which is used to place and tamp concrete. |
| Spall | A fragment, usually in the shape of a flake, detached from a larger mass by a blow, by the action of weather, by pressure, or by expansion within the larger mass. |
| Spall, Pile | See Pile Spall. |
| Span | The clear distance that a framing member carries a load without support between structural supports. The horizontal distance from eaves to eaves. |
| Spandrel | 1. The wall area between the head of a window on one story and the sill of a window on the floor above. 2. The area of a wall between adjacent arches. |
| Spandrel Beam | A beam that runs along the outside edge of a floor or roof. |
| Spandrel Glass | Opaque glass manufactured especially for use in spandrel panels. |
| Spandrel Panel | A curtain wall panel used in a spandrel. |
| Spar Varnish | A very durable varnish designed for severe service on exterior surfaces; resistant to rain, sunlight and heat; so named because of its suitability for the spars of ships. |
| Spark Arrestor | A mesh grill at the top of a chimney flue to prevent emission of hazardous sparks. |
| Spark-Proof Tools | Tools made of bronze beryllium. |
| Spatter | In arc and gas welding, the metal particles expelled during welding and which do not form a part of the weld. |
| Spatter Finish | Finish which provides a spattered or spackled effect. |
| Spec home | A house built before it is sold. The builder speculates that he can sell it at a profit. |
| Special Conditions | A contract document that revises or clarifies the general conditions, and describes specific conditions of the project or site. |
| Special Door | A door that has a unique use, such as a bank vault door. |
| Special Steep Asphalt | A roofing asphalt that has a softening point of approximately 220°F (104°C) and that conforms to the requirements of ASTM Standard D 312, Type IV. |
| Special-Purpose Tile | A tile, either glazed or unglazed, made to meet or to have specific physical design or appearance characteristics such as size, thickness, shape, color, or decoration; keys or lugs on backs or sides; special resistance to staining, frost, alkalis, acids, |
| Specialties | A designation of construction materials or components required to finish off the structure; denotes incidental items which are needed to complete construction of the building, such as roof specialties or concrete specialties. |
| Specialty Contractor | A contractor who follows a recognized trade; trade contractor or subcontractor; a specialty contractor commonly installs certain specific items such as flooring, windows, or terrazzo. |
| Specific Gravity | The specific gravity of a substance is its mass (in grams) per cubic centimeter, or it is the weight of a given volume of the substance divided by the weight of an equal volume of water at a temperature of 39.1° F. Hence, one may calculate the specific gr |
| Specific Heat | The quantity of heat, in BTUs, needed to raise the temperature of 1 pound of material 1°F. |
| Specific Humidity | See Humidity Ratio. |
| Specific Latent Heat | Latent heat per unit mass. |
| Specific Latent Heat of Fusion | The quantity of heat, in joules, required to change unit mass (e.g. 1 kilogram) of a substance from the solid to the liquid state at the melting point. |
| Specific Latent Heat of Vaporization | The quantity of heat, in joules, required to change unit mass (e.g. 1 kilogram) of a substance from the liquid to the vapor state at the boiling point. |
| Specific Performance | 1. The performance of a legal contract substantially in accordance with its terms. 2. A lawsuit to require complete performance of a contract. |
| Specific Volume | Volume per unit mass of a substance. |
| Specification Code | A building code where all allowable and required materials and methods are specified in detail; compare with Performance Code. |
| Specifications | A detailed description of particulars such as size of stone, quality of materials, contractor performance, terms, quality control, etc. |
| Specifications or Specs | A narrative list of materials, methods, model numbers, colors, allowances, and other details which supplement the information contained in the blue prints. Written elaboration in specific detail about construction materials and methods. Written to supplem |
| Specified Lateral Forces | Lateral forces corresponding to the appropriate distribution of the design base shear force prescribed by the governing code for earthquake-resistant design. |
| Speckled Glaze | A glaze containing granules of oxides or ceramic stains that are of contrasting colors. |
| Specks | Any dark dots on the tile less than 1/64 inch in diameter, and noticeable at a distance of more than 3 feet. |
| Spectral Colors | Band of colors produced when ray of sunshine is bent by glass prism. |
| Spectrum | The band of colors, as seen in a rainbow, arranged in a progressive series according to their refrangibility or wavelength. |
| Specular Gloss | Mirror-like reflectance. |
| Speculation | Assumption of unusual business risk in hopes of obtaining commensurate gain. |
| Speculum | A reflector in an optical instrument. |
| Spelter | Zinc, with impurities, cast into slabs for commercial use. |
| Sphagnum | Atypical mosses that grow only in wet acid areas, combined with other decomposed plant debris to form peat moss. |
| Sphere | A solid figure, or its surface, with every point on its surface equidistant from its center; a ball shape. |
| Spheroid | A shape resembling a sphere. |
| Sphinx | Any of several ancient Egyptian stone figures having a lion's body and a human or animal head. |
| SPI | The Society of the Plastic Industry, Inc. |
| Spike | A very large nail. |
| Spike Knot | A knot cut approximately parallel to its long axis so that the exposed section is definitely elongated. |
| Spillway | An overflow channel for a pond or a terrace channel. |
| Spinner, Roof | See Roof Spinner. |
| Spiral | A continuously coiled bar or wire, used for reinforcing in a concrete column. |
| Spiral Balance | A spring-loaded metallic spiral that provides the counterweight for a doublehung window. |
| Spiral Column | A concrete column with a continuous spiral of wire around the longitudinal steel. |
| Spiral Reinforcing | Continuously wound reinforcing in the form of a cylindrical helix. |
| Spiral Spacers | Usually made of channels or angles, punched to form hooks, which are bent over the coiled spiral to maintain it to a definite pitch. |
| Spiral, Column | See Column Spiral. |
| Spiral-Grained Wood | Wood in which the fibers take a spiral course about the trunk of the tree instead of the normal vertical course. The spiral may extend in a right- handed or left-handed direction around the tree trunk; spiral grain is a form of cross grain. |
| Spire | A tapering cone shaped structure surmounting a church roof or tower; a steeple. |
| Spirit Level | A device for establishing a horizontal line or plane by means of centering a bubble in a slightly arched glass tube. |
| Spirit Stain | A stain made by dissolving a dye in an alcohol. |
| Spirit Varnish | A varnish made by dissolving a resin in a solvent; it dries primarily by evaporation rather than by oxidation. |
| Spitout | A glaze defect of the pinhole type developed in the decorating kiln, due to evolution of minute gas bubbles from body or glaze. |
| Splash | 1. A daub or a spot from a splashed liquid. 2. To dash a liquid on a wall or floor. 3. A Splash Wall |
| Splash block | A small masonry block laid with the top close to the ground surface to receive roof drainage from downspouts and to carry it away from the building. |
| Splash System, Oiling | Method of lubricating moving parts by agitating or splashing oil in the crankcase. |
| Splash Wall | The wall of a tile drainboard or bathtub. |
| Splay | 1. An inclined surface, as the slope or bevel at the sides of a door or window. 2. To make a beveled surface or to spread out or make oblique. |
| Splay Angle | Where two surfaces come together forming an angle of more than 90 degrees. |
| Splice | 1. Joining of two members by overlapping, soldering, or by adhesives. 2. Joining of two similar members in a straight line. 3. Joining two lengths of rope by interweaving the strands. 4. Connection of one reinforcing bar to another by lapping, welding, me |
| Splice, Compression | See Compression Splice. |
| Spline | A thin strip of wood used to reinforce joints; also known as a Feather or Tongue. |
| Spline Joint | A type of connecting strip fitted into slots in each member, used in cabinetmaking. |
| Splinter | A long, thin, sharp, broken fragment of a material such as wood, metal, or glass; a Sliver. |
| Split | A tear in the membrane, usually resulting from tensile stress of movement of the substrate; see Crack, 3. |
| Split Astragal | An astragal that is split through the middle, allowing each door leaf to operate independently. |
| Split Face Block | A concrete block with a roughened face. |
| Split Jamb | A door frame fabricated in two interlocking halves, to be installed from the opposite sides of an opening. |
| Split L Cut | An improper L cut that is made by splitting a tile instead of cutting it. |
| Split Receptacle | An electrical outlet where each of the two plugs are on different circuits. |
| Split Ring | A shear-resisting connector for timbers consisting of a metal ring set in circular grooves in two pieces; the assembly is held together by bolts. |
| Split Sheet | See Nineteen-Inch Selvage. |
| Split System | An air conditioning system consisting of two pieces of equipment, an indoor and an outdoor unit; the indoor unit consists of an evaporative coil, provision for heating, and an air handler; the outdoor unit consists of a compressor and an air cooled conden |
| Split-Phase Motor | Motor with two stator windings; both windings are in use while starting; one is disconnected by centrifugal switch after motor attains speed; motor then operates on other winding only. |
| Splitting | Tearing or cracking completely through a roof membrane, usually caused by expansion, contraction, deflection, and shearing stresses in the underlying deck construction. |
| Spodumene (Alpha Spodumene) | A lithium mineral of the theoretical composition Li2O Al2O34SiO2(monoclinic crystallization) which on heating inverts to beta spodumene, a form having very low thermal expansion. |
| Spoil | The earth materials that are removed when excavating. |
| Spokeshave | A hand tool consisting of a blade set between two handles for shaping concave or convex shapes. |
| Sponge Float | A plasterer's or concrete mason's finishing float that has a sponge surface, for producing a slightly textured finish on the plaster or concrete. |
| Spool | A reel for winding rope, cord, cable, or wire. |
| Spool, Insulator | See Insulator Spool. |
| Spot Grounds | Pieces of wood attached to the plaster base at various intervals for gauging plaster thickness. |
| Spot Mopping | 1. In roofing, the application of bitumen in small spots or daubs. 2. An applied mopping pattern in which the hot bitumen is applied in circular areas of about 18 inches in diameter, with a grid of unmopped perpendicular bands. |
| Spot Repair | Preventive maintenance; repainting of small areas. |
| Spot Welding | A resistance-welding process wherein coalescence is produced by the heat obtained from resistance to the flow of electric current through the work parts held together under pressure by electrodes; the size and shape of the individually formed welds are li |
| Spot Zoning | The assigning of a particular zoning classification to a parcel of property that is different to the pattern of classification of surrounding property. |
| Spotlight | A light or lamp which directs a narrow intense beam of light on a small area. |
| Spots | Any dark dots on the face of the tile more than 1/64 inch in diameter. |
| Spotting | In gypsumboard finishing, to cover fastener heads with joint compound. |
| Spout | 1. A pipe or conductor through which a liquid is discharged or conveyed in a stream. 2. A pipe carrying rainwater from a roof. |
| SPR | Simplified Practice Recommendation. |
| Spray Application | The use of mechanical equipment to apply ceiling or wall texture materials. |
| Spray Booth | An area in a building or structure used for spray painting; blocked off by walls to prevent dust and dirt from work surface. |
| Spray Cap | Front enclosure of spray gun equipped with atomizing air holes. |
| Spray Coating | A coat of paint or other material applied to a surface by use of a spray gun. |
| Spray Cooling | Method of refrigerating by spraying expendable refrigerant or by spraying refrigerated water. |
| Spray Gun | An apparatus resembling a gun for applying a substance such as paint to a surface. |
| Spray Head | Combination of needle, tip, and air cap. |
| Spray Loss | See Drift, 2. |
| Spray Pattern | Configuration of spray when gun is held steady. |
| Spray Texture | A mechanically applied material used to produce various decorative finishes; may contain aggregates for different effects. |
| Spray Transfer | A mode of metal transfer in gas metal-arc welding in which the consumable electrode is propelled axially across the arc in small droplets. |
| Sprayed Fireproofing | Fire resistant substances sprayed on construction elements. |
| Sprayed Insulation | A plastic foam of polyurethane sprayed on a surface to insulate. |
| Spread | The quantity of paint or adhesive per unit area applied to a surface, usually expressed in pounds of adhesive per thousand square feet of area or square feet per gallon of paint; Single Spread refers to application of adhesive to only one adherent; Double |
| Spreader | Distribution of poolwater inside filter. |
| Spreading Rate | Area of surface over which unit volume of paint will spread, usually expressed in square feet per gallon. |
| Spreadsheet | 1. An outsize tabular sheet used by accountants to distribute figures to diverse accounts. 2. A computer program allowing manipulation and flexible retrieval tabulated numerical data. |
| SPRI | Single-Ply Roofing Institute. |
| Spring Isolator | An isolating device for setting mechanical equipment using coil springs to prevent vibration transmission into the building structure. |
| Spring tide | A tide that rises highest and falls lowest from mean sea level, occuring at new or full moon. |
| Spring-Board | Flexible board for competition diving. |
| Spring-Loaded | A device that contains a compressed or stretched spring pressing one part against another. |
| Springer | The brick or stone from which an arch springs. |
| Springer Points | The starting points from which the under curves of an arch start. |
| Springs Industries | Blind and shade fabricator. Parent company of Graber, Nanik, and Bali brands. (P.O. Box 70, Ft. Mill, SC 29716) |
| Springwood | The portion of the annual growth ring that is formed during the early part of the growing season. It is usually less dense and weaker mechanically than latewood; Earlywood. |
| Sprinkle Mopping | 1. A throwing of heated bitumen in a random pattern onto the roof surface from a mop or broom, the bitumen consisting of bead size granules. 2. In roofing, the installation of insulation by dipping the mop into hot bitumen and sprinkling it onto the deck. |
| Sprinkler Head | The outlets from which water is sprayed from a fire sprinkler or irrigation system. |
| Sprouting | Temporary condition on new carpets where strands of yarn work loose and project above the pile; can be remedied by careful clipping or spot shearing. |
| Spud | The removal of roofing gravel and heavy accumulations of bitumen by means of chipping and scraping. |
| Spur Gears | Meshing gears that are on parallel axes. |
| Square | 1. A tool used by tradesmen to obtain accuracy in laying out right angles. 2. An area measuring 10 feet by 10 feet. 3. An area measure of 100 square feet; usually applied to roofing material; sidewall coverings are often packed to cover 100 square feet an |
| Square | A unit of measure-100 square feet-usually applied to roofing and siding material. Also, a situation that exists when two elements are at right angles to each other. Also a tool for checking this. |
| Square Cut | A saw cut perpendicular to the length of a member. |
| Square Edge | A square factory formed edge; not tapered or otherwise deformed. |
| Square Fixture | A fixture with four sides of equal length. |
| Square Footage | The area of a building or parcel of land, expressed in square feet. |
| Square Groove Weld | See Groove Weld. |
| Square Manhole | A square vertical access shaft from the surface to underground. |
| Square Tub | A bathtub in the shape of a square. |
| Square-tab shingles | Shingles on which tabs are all the same size and exposure. |
| Squash Court | A four-walled interior court for playing squash, a game played with balls and racquets. |
| Squeegee | A rubber edged implement mounted on a handle for spreading, pushing, or wiping liquid material on, across, or off a surface. |
| Squeegie | Fine pea gravel used to grade a floor (normally before concrete is placed). |
| Squirrel Cage | Fan which has blades parallel to fan axis and moves air at right angles or perpendicular to fan axis. |
| SR | Styrene Rubber. |
| SS Glass | Single strength window glass. |
| SSD | Saturated Surface Dry |
| SSPC | Steel Structures Painting Council. |
| Stability | 1. The ability of a material or structure to remain unchanged. 2. Ability to restore to original condition after being disturbed by some force. 3. The ability of an asphalt paving mixture to resist deformation from imposed loads; stability is dependent up |
| Stack | 1. Any structure or part thereof which contains a flue or flues for the discharge of gases; a chimney. 2. The vertical main pipe of a soil, waste, or vent pipe system. |
| Stack (trusses) | To position trusses on the walls in their correct location. |
| Stack Bond | A brick bond consisting of all headers or all stretchers with all vertical joints lined up; also called plumb joint bond, straight stack, jack bond, jack on jack. and checkerboard bond. |
| Stack Effect | Pressure-driven airflow produced by convection as heated air rises, creating a positive pressure area at the top of a building and a negative pressure area at the bottom of a building; the stack effect can overpower the mechanical system and disrupt venti |
| Stack Vent | 1. The continuation of the soil or waste stack, becoming a vent when it is above the highest horizontal or fixture branch that is connected to the stack; siphonage, aspiration, and back pressure are all relieved by air which enters the system through the |
| stackback | The space taken up by pleated curtains or draperies when open; it is also the area on either side of a window, where curtains or draperies are stacked back. |
| Stacking Tile | A method of installation whereby glazed tiles are placed on the wall so that they are in direct contact with the adjacent tiles; the width of the joints is not maintained by the use of string or other means; the tile may be set with either straight or bro |
| Stadia Rod | A graduated rod used by land surveyors in observing and recording elevations and distances. |
| Staff | Plaster casts made in moulds and reinforced with fiber; usually wired or nailed into place. |
| Staff Plaster | A kind of stiff plastering held together with fibrous material, now used for precast plaster moldings. |
| Staff Room | A room used by staff personnel. |
| Stage, Band | See Band Stage. |
| Stage, Theater | See Theater Stage. |
| Staggered Splices | Splices in steel reinforcing bars which are not made at the same point. |
| Staggered Studs | Wood wall studs on a plate thicker than the studs with the studs on each side of the wall being staggered, for the purpose of lessening sound transmission from one side of the wall to the other. |
| Staging | See Scaffold, 1. |
| Stain | 1. A defective discoloration. 2. A discoloration in wood that may be caused by such diverse agencies as micro- organisms, metals, or chemicals. 3. Materials used to impart color to wood. 4. |
| Stain Wax, Penetrating | See Penetrating Stain Wax. |
| Stain, shingle | A form of oil paint, very thin in consistency, intended for coloring wood with rough surfaces, such as shingles, without forming a coating of significant thickness or gloss. |
| Stain, Wood | See Wood Stain. |
| Stained Glass | 1. Glass colored or stained for use in windows. 2. Colored glass in a lead framework. |
| Stainless Grab Bar | A length of metal used as a handrail, constructed of stainless steel, attached to a wall in a bathroom, in a shower, above a bathtub or near a water closet; aids people in the use of bathroom fixtures. |
| Stainless Steel | An alloy of steel with chromium and other metals that is practically immune to rusting and ordinary corrosion |
| Stainless Tile | A thin square or rectangular unit used as a finish for walls, floors or roofs, constructed of stainless steel. |
| Stair carriage | Supporting member for stair treads. Usually a 2-inch plank notched to receive the treads; sometimes called a "rough horse." |
| Stair carriage or stringer | Supporting member for stair treads. Usually a 2 X 12 inch plank notched to receive the treads; sometimes called a "rough horse." |
| Stair Formwork | The support for freshly poured or placed concrete for a stair system. |
| Stair Horse | See Carriage. |
| Stair landing | A platform between flights of stairs or at the termination of a flight of stairs. Often used when stairs change direction. Normally no less than 3 ft. X 3 ft. square. |
| Stair Pan | A stair assembly constructed to hold precast or cast-in place masonry or stone in sheet metal pans at the treads. |
| Stair Rail | A handrail at a stairway. |
| Stair Reinforcing | The reinforcing steel used in the construction of a concrete stair. |
| Stair rise | The vertical distance from stair tread to stair tread (and not to exceed 7 ½"). |
| Stair Stringer | One of the structural supporting members of a stairway. |
| Stair Tread | The horizontal surface of a step in a stairway. |
| Stair Tread, Ceramic Tile | Ceramic tile installed on the horizontal surface of a stairway. |
| Stair Tread, Metal-Pan Concrete Filled | Section formed from sheet metal to receive concrete fill which will function as a stair tread. |
| Stair Tread, Steel Grating | Tread fabricated from metal grating. |
| Stair Tread, Steel Plate | Tread fabricated of floor plate. |
| Stair, Access | A stair system to provide specific access to roofs and mechanical equipment rooms. |
| Stair, Concrete | A stair system constructed from concrete. |
| Stair, Marble | A stair system constructed of or faced with marble. |
| Stair, Metal | A single or series of metal steps connected by landings. |
| Stair, Terrazzo | A stairway with terrazzo as the wearing surface. |
| Stairs, Box | Stairs built between walls, and usually with no support except the wall. |
| Stairway | One or more flights of stairs including the landings leading from one floor to another. |
| Stairwork | A unit of horizontal treads, vertical risers, that make up a system of steps from one level to another. |
| Stake | 1. A stout stick or post sharpened at one end and driven into the earth as a support or boundary marker. 2. Something that is invested for gain or loss; an interest or share in a financial undertaking. 3. A Mormon territorial jurisdiction comprising a gro |
| Stake, Side | On a road job, a stake on the line of the outer edge of the proposed pavement; any stake not on the center line. |
| Stake, Slope | In earthwork, a stake marking the line where a cut or fill meets the original grade. |
| Stall | 1. A booth or counter in a market or building for the sale of goods. 2. A compartment for one domestic animal in a stable. 3. A compartment for one person in a shower bath; a stall shower. 4. A space marked off for parking one car. |
| Stall Torque | In an electric motor, the torque developed when starting. |
| Stall, Shower | A compartment where water is showered on a person. |
| Stanchion | An upright, vertical support or strut. |
| Stand Oil | Heat-thickened vegetable oil, or combination of vegetable oils, such as linseed and tung. |
| Stand Pipe System | A system of piping installed for fire protection purposes having a primary water supply constantly or automatically available at each hose outlet. |
| Standard | 1. A stanchion or support. 2. A criterion accepted by custom or general agreement. 3. A level of quality or quantity established by authority for size, weight, value, or extent. |
| Standard Air | See Standard Conditions. |
| Standard Conditions | Used as a basis for air conditioning calculations, temperature of 68°F. (20°C.), pressure of 29.92 inches of mercury and relative humidity of 30 percent; also called Standard Air. |
| Standard Dimension | The specified dimension of units. |
| Standard Dimension Ratio (SDR) | The ratio of pipe or tubing diameter to wall thickness. |
| Standard Grade Tile | Highest grade of all types of ceramic tile. |
| Standard of Living | The degree of comfort available to people. |
| Standard Operating Procedure | A standard or prescribed method to be followed routinely for the performance of designated operations or in designated situations. |
| Standard practices of the trade(s) | One of the more common basic and minimum construction standards. This is another way of saying that the work should be done in the way it is normally done by the average professional in the field. |
| Standardize | To bring into conformity with a standard. |
| Standing Finish | The finish woodwork of the openings and the base, and all of the interior finish work. |
| Standing Seam Roof | A sheet metal roof system that has seams that project at right angles to the plane of the roof. |
| Standpipe | A pipe that extends the full height of a building, with hose connections, used to provide water exclusively for the fighting of fires; see Dry Standpipe and Wet Standpipe. |
| Stanley Knife | Trademark; a hand tool with removable blades; see Board Knife. |
| Stannous | Containing or relating to tin. |
| Staple | Double pointed, U-shaped metal fastener used for same purposes as nails, but providing additional head holding power. |
| Staple Fibers | Relatively short natural or synthetic fibers ranging from approximately 1-1/2 to 7 inches in length, which are spun into yarn, as contrasted with continuous filament. |
| Staple Gun | A spring-loaded or pneumatic devise for driving staples. |
| Star Drill | 1. A drill bit for cutting holes into concrete. 2. A cold chisel, driven by hammer, with a cross-shaped head for cutting holes in concrete. |
| Starch | An additive in the core that improves bond between the core and facing paper of gypsumboard. |
| Starch Coating | Protective coating for surfaces coated with flat paint; it also can be used on wallpapers made with colors that do not smear when wet; the coating is made by soaking ordinary laundry starch in a small quantity of cold water to break up lumps; boiled water |
| Starter | A device that insures that a motor does not receive too high a current when starting up. |
| Starter strip | Asphalt roofing applied at the eaves that provides protection by filling in the spaces under the cutouts and joints of the first course of shingles. |
| Starter, Fluorescent Lamp | See Ballast, 1. |
| Starter, Magnetic | See Magnetic Starter. |
| Starting Relay | Electrical device which connects or disconnects starting winding of electric motor. |
| Starting Torque | In an electric motor, the amount of torque available, when at 0 speed, to start and accelerate the load. |
| Starting Winding | Winding in electric motor used only briefly while motor is starting. |
| Starved Joint | 1. A glue joint that is poorly bonded because an insufficient quantity of adhesive remained in the joint. 2. See Shrinkage 1. |
| Statement of Changes in Financial Position | A financial schedule that shows how funds were obtained and where funds were used; also called Statement of Sources and Application of Funds. |
| Statement of Sources and Application of Funds | See Statement of Changes in Financial Position. |
| Stateroom | A private passenger compartment on a ship or train. |
| Static | 1. Stationary, not acting or changing; passive. 2. Concerned with bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium. 3. In spot, seam and projection welding, the force between the electrodes under welding conditions but with no current flowing and no movement in th |
| Static Bending | Bending under a constant or slowly applied load; flexure. |
| Static Force | Static Load. |
| Static Friction | The tangential surface resistance between two bodies in contact which move or tend to move with respect to each other. |
| Static Head | . Pressure of fluid expressed in terms of height of column of the fluid, such as water or mercury. |
| Static Load | A non-moving load imposed on a structure. |
| Static Pressure | Condition that exists when an equal amount of air is supplied to and exhausted from a space; at static pressure, equilibrium has been reached. |
| Static vent | A vent that does not include a fan. |
| Statical Moment | The product of a given area and the distance from its centroid to a point of rotation. |
| Statically Determinant Structure | A structural frame in which the bending moments and reactions can be determined by the laws of statics alone. |
| Statically Indeterminant Structure | A structural frame in which the bending moments and reactions cannot be calculated from the equations of statics. |
| Statics | The science of bodies at rest or forces in equilibrium. |
| Station Yards of Haul | In hauling excavated earth or fill, the number of cubic yards material multiplied by the number of 100 foot stations through which it is moved. |
| Stationary | Remaining in one place; not portable; fixed in position. |
| Stationary Blade Compressor | Rotary pump which uses a non- rotating blade inside pump to separate intake chamber from exhaust chamber. |
| stationary curtains/draperies | Curtains/draperies in which the heading does not move; they may be held open by tiebacks, holdbacks, or reefing, or they may be sheer curtains that are permanently closed, such as a sash curtain. |
| Stator | A stationary part in a machine in or about which a rotor revolves. |
| Stator, Motor | See Motor Stator. |
| Statute of Frauds | A statute that requires certain contracts to be evidenced by a writing. |
| Statute of Limitations | The period of time after a cause of action arises before the expiration of which a plaintiff must file suit, or lose the right to do so. |
| Statute of Repose | A statute of limitations, measured from the completion of a work of improvement, protecting builders, contractors, architects, and engineers from liability for defects for an indefinite time in the construction of the improvement. |
| Stay-Tackling | Temporary tacking of the carpet in stages during a long stretch with the power stretcher or knee kicker, to hold the stretch until the end of the carpet can be kicked over the pins. |
| STC (Sound Transmission Class) | The measure of sound stopping of ordinary noise. |
| Std | Standard. |
| Steam | The invisible gaseous state of water, produced by boiling. |
| Steam Bending | The process of forming curved wood members by steaming or boiling the wood and bending it to a desired shape. |
| Steam Boiler | A boiler for producing steam. |
| Steam Clean | The act or process of cleaning a structure with a machine that provides pressurized steam through a nozzle. |
| Steam Curing | Curing of concrete or mortar in water vapor at atmospheric or higher pressures and at temperatures between about 100° F and 420° F (40° C and 215° C). |
| Steam Distilled Wood Turpentine | Turpentine made from pine tree stumps by treating shredded chips with live steam to produce a distillate which is fractionated to yield turpentine, pine oil, and solid residue. |
| Steam Heating | Heating system in which steam from a boiler is piped to radiators in space to be heated. |
| Steam Jet Refrigeration | Refrigerating system which uses a steam venturi to create high vacuum (low pressure) on a water container causing water to evaporate at low temperature. |
| Steam Kettle | A metallic vessel for creating and holding steam, used in a commercial kitchen. |
| Steam Meter | An instrument for measuring the passage of steam. |
| Steam Sterilizer | A machine using steam to sterilize implements. |
| Steam Table | See Bain-Marie |
| Steam Trap | A device that allows the passage of a condensate or air, but prevents the passage of steam. |
| Steamer, Electric | See Electric Steamer. |
| Steatite Porcelain | A vitreous ceramic whiteware for technical application in which magnesium metasilicate (MgO, SiO2) is the essential crystalline phase. |
| Steatite Talc | Massive talc or the pulverized product, thereof having the general formula 3MgO 4Si O2H2O. |
| Steel | Iron compounded with other metals to increase strength and wearing or rust resistance. |
| Steel Access Door | Fabricated small steel door and frame, usually flush with adjoining surface to provide access to concealed equipment or system components for inspection and maintenance purposes. |
| Steel Access Hole Cover | Sheet metal used to cover access hole in deck to facilitate welding operation. |
| Steel Access Panel | Removable panel, usually flush with adjoining surface to provide access to concealed equipment or system components for inspection and maintenance purposes. |
| Steel Adjusting Plate | Sheet steel or segments of deck used to fill narrow areas where regular deck units cannot be accommodated. |
| Steel Anchor Bolt | Steel bolt used to secure wood construction to concrete or masonry construction. |
| Steel Anchor Bolt, Foundation | Bolts that tie sill plate and frame of structure to its foundation. |
| Steel Anchor Bolt, High-Strength | High strength steel bolt used to secure wood construction to concrete or masonry construction. |
| Steel Angle | An L-shaped member constructed of steel, often used as a lintel or carrying shelf for masonry. |
| Steel Angle Lintel | Lintel made of structural steel angle. |
| Steel Angle Sill | Steel angle in concrete or masonry used as a sill. |
| Steel Base Plate | Foundation plate of metal on which heavy piece of machinery or column rests; plate is usually set on masonry or concrete. |
| Steel Bearing Plate | Flat steel plate attached to supporting building component to uniformly transmit loads to that supporting component. |
| Steel Bolt | Metallic pin or rod having a head at one end and threads to receive a nut on the other used for holding members or parts of members together; head may be round, square, flat, oval, hexagonal, or other shapes. |
| Steel Bolt, Common Grade | Bolt made of carbon grade steel for use in ordinary bolted connections in contrast to high strength bolted connections. |
| Steel Bolt, High-Strength | Quenched and tempered or heat-treated steel bolts with higher tensile strengths. |
| Steel Bolt, Interference Body | High strength bolt with hardened steel ribs on the bolt shank to facilitate driving of bolts in misaligned holes. |
| Steel Bolt, Load Indicator | High strength bolt with manufactured notch between bolt tip and threads designed to react to opposing rotational torques applied by installation wrench so bolt tip automatically shears off when proper tension of bolt is achieved. |
| Steel Bolt, Stainless | Stainless steel bolt used in ordinary bolted connections in contrast to high strength bolted connections. |
| Steel Bolt, Tamperproof | Steel bolt with a head that prevents bolt from being removable. |
| Steel Bolt, Weathering | Bolt made of steel to be compatible with weathering steel. |
| Steel Box Beam | A hollow built-up horizontal structural member. |
| Steel Cant Strip | Sloped sheet metal strip used as perimeter of roofing membrane to transition membrane from horizontal to vertical surface. |
| Steel Closure Plate, Deck | Sheet metal plate used to close openings formed between flutes of composite deck and abutting walls or partitions. |
| Steel Cofferdam | A watertight steel enclosure from which water is pumped to expose the bottom of a body of water and permit foundation construction. |
| Steel Column | Long relatively slender vertical load bearing steel member. |
| Steel Column Closure | Sheet metal used to close openings around structural steel penetrations of deck. |
| Steel Conduit | A pipe, tube, or channel used to enclose electric wires or direct the flow of a fluid. |
| Steel Control Joint Cover | Exposed linear steel device to cover and conceal a control-joint. |
| Steel Corner Guard | Steel covering over lower portion of exterior corner of intersection of walls or at corner of column to protect from damage. |
| Steel Cover Plate and Frame | Sheet steel used to cover non-lapping end joints of deck. |
| Steel Crane Rail, Overhead, Top Running | Special structural steel shape to support rolling crane. |
| Steel Deck Institute (SDI) | PO Box 3812, St. Louis, Missouri 63122, (314) 965-1741. |
| Steel Door Institute (SDI) | 30200 Detroit Road, Cleveland, Ohio 44145, (216) 899-0010. |
| Steel Embedment Angle | Steel angle embedded in concrete or masonry; used to anchor or support other materials. |
| Steel Embedment Plate | Rolled steel plate embedded in concrete or masonry; used to anchor or support other materials. |
| Steel End Closure | Formed sheet metal at 90 degrees to deck profile to contain wet concrete or gypsum fill during placement at slab edges. |
| Steel Eye Bolt | Steel bolt comprised of a threaded shank with a lopped head designed to accept a hook, cable, or rope. |
| Steel Fire Escape | Continuous unobstructed route of escape from building in case of fire constructed of steel components, usually located and mounted on exterior of building and composed of stairs, ladders, and landings. |
| Steel Float | A concrete finisher's tool used to apply the final finish on a concrete slab, also used to apply stucco or plaster. |
| Steel Floor Deck | Sheet steel formed to fluted or ribbed profile to span between supports to support floor system and live loads. |
| Steel Floor Deck, Cellular | Steel floor deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads, but after concrete cures does not necessarily perform a structural function in completed construction; deck is fabricated of two sheets to form linear voids which may |
| Steel Floor Deck, Cellular, Wire Raceway | Steel floor deck fabricated of two sheets to form linear voids and serve as a raceway for conductors. |
| Steel Floor Deck, Composite | Steel floor deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads, but after concrete cures and reaches design strength, acts together with concrete to support dead and live loads; deck and concrete are interlocked by shape of deck. |
| Steel Floor Deck, Form | Steel floor deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads, but after concrete cures and reaches design strength, does not perform structural function in completed construction. |
| Steel Floor Deck, Non-Cellular Form | Steel floor deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads, but after concrete cures and reaches design strength, does not perform a structural function in completed construction. |
| Steel Floor Plate | Steel plate usually with raised pattern to provide nonslip wearing surface. |
| Steel Floor Plate, Patterned | Steel plate with raised pattern wearing surface. |
| Steel Floor Plate, Raised Tread | Steel plate with raised tread wearing surface. |
| Steel Forms | A temporary structure for the support of concrete while setting. |
| Steel Frame | 1. Frame made of steel. 2. A structural steel framed structure. |
| Steel Grate | A screen made from sets of parallel steel bars placed at right angles to each other, and which allows water to drain. |
| Steel Grid Walkway | Walkway fabricated of steel grid placed over roof surface to protect roofing surface from damage from traffic. |
| Steel Gutter | A shallow channel constructed of galvanized sheet steel, positioned just below and along the eaves of a building for collecting and diverting water from a roof. |
| Steel Hatch | An opening in a floor or roof having a hinge or completely removable cover constructed of steel.Steel Joist Bridging.Diagonal or longitudinal structural steel members used to keep joists properly spaced, in lateral position, vertically plumb, in order to |
| Steel inspection | A municipal and/or engineers inspection of the concrete foundation wall, conducted before concrete is poured into the foundation panels. Done to insure that the rebar (reinforcing bar), rebar nets, void material, beam pocket plates, and basement window bu |
| Steel Joist | Open web, parallel chord, load-carrying members suitable for direct support of floors and roof decks, utilizing hot rolled or cold formed steel. |
| Steel Joist Girder | Steel joist of deeper and heavier construction used as primary framing members to support other structural members at points along its span. |
| Steel Joist Institute (SJI) | 1205 48th Avenue North, #A, Myrtle Beach, South Carolina 29577, (803) 449-0487. |
| Steel Joist, DLH Series | Long span steel joist of deeper and heavier construction for longer spans. |
| Steel Joist, K Series | Open web, parallel chord, load-carrying members suitable for direct support of floors and roof decks, utilizing hot rolled or cold formed steel. |
| Steel Joist, LH Series | Steel joist of deeper and heavier construction for longer spans. |
| Steel Ladder Cage | Open steel framework enclosing ladder on open side to prevent falls from ladder; commonly required by safety codes on high ladders. |
| Steel Lag Screw | Threaded wood screw with square head, to be turned by wrench; usually longer and heavier than common wood screw with coarser thread and larger head for heavier wood construction. |
| Steel Lintel | 1. In steel construction, a steel member over an opening to carry loads above the opening. 2. A steel member placed within a masonry wall or partition to support masonry or other construction over the opening. |
| Steel Lock Washer | Split steel washer which compresses when bolt or screw is tightened to prevent loosening of tightened nut or screw. |
| Steel Nut, Common Grade | Nut made of carbon grade steel for use with carbon grade bolts in contrast to high strength bolted connections. |
| Steel Nut, High-Strength | Nut made of alloys for use with high strength bolts. |
| Steel Nut, Self-Locking | Nut with locking pin that slides along bolt threads. Reversing direction of locking allows nut to be removed without damaging nut or bolt. |
| Steel Nut, Weathering | Nut made of steel to be compatible with weathering steel. |
| Steel Pile | A long, slender, piece of steel driven into the ground to act as a foundation. |
| Steel Pin and Roller | Joint used in steel bridge construction to allow for rotation and movement. |
| Steel Pipe, Seamless S | eamless steel pipe manufactured by a spinning process. |
| Steel Plate | Sheet steel of a heavier thickness. |
| Steel Plate Column Wainscot | Steel covering over lower portion of column to protect it from damage. |
| Steel Pole | A long steel pole installed vertically in the ground. |
| Steel Rail Standard | Vertical component of railing system supporting handrail. |
| Steel Repair | The act or process of restoring steel. |
| Steel Ridge Plate | Sheet metal plate, placed over ridge formed when two differing roof slopes intersect. |
| Steel Rivet | Metallic pin or rod having head at one end which is inserted through holes in materials to be fastened together; protruding end is flattened (mushroomed) to tie two pieces together. |
| Steel Roof Deck | Sheet steel formed to fluted or ribbed profile to span between supports to support roofing system and live loads. |
| Steel Roof Deck Diaphragm Action | In-plane action of roof deck system such that columns framing into roof from below and above are maintained in their same position relative to each other. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Acoustical | Steel roof deck with vertical faces perforated to increase room sound absorption properties and flutes filled with sound absorbing material. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Cellular | Sheet steel formed to fluted or ribbed profile to span between supports to support roofing system and live loads; deck is fabricated of two sheets to form linear voids which may be used to contain electrical conductors. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Composite | Steel roof deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads, but after concrete cures, acts together with concrete to support dead and live loads; deck and concrete are interlocked by shape of deck or by mechanical means. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Form | Steel roof deck which during construction supports wet concrete and construction loads. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Non-Cellular | Steel roof deck which during construction supports wet concrete loads, but after concrete cures and reaches design strength, does not perform structural function on completed construction. |
| Steel Roof Deck, Vented | Steel deck with perforations or slots to aid in curing and exiting of moisture from concrete or gypsum fill placed on deck. |
| Steel Roof Panel | A rectangular sheet of steel used in roof covering applications. |
| Steel Roof Walkway | Fabricated steel walkway used over roof surfaces. |
| Steel Screw | Steel pin or rod having head at one end and helically threaded with pointed end on other for penetrating material by being turned used for holding members or parts of members together; head may be round, square, flat, oval, hexagonal, or other shapes. |
| Steel Screw, Self-Tapping | Type of screw which drills its own hole through two pieces to be joined, then taps a thread in both pieces while fastening them together. |
| Steel Screw, Tamperproof | Steel screw with a head that prevents removal. |
| Steel Sheet Piling | A steel plank in close contact or interlocking with other steel planks to provide a tight wall to resist the lateral pressure of water, adjacent earth, or other materials at excavations. |
| Steel Shingle | A roof covering or wall finishing unit made of steel applied on roof systems or exterior wall coverings. |
| Steel Ships Ladder | Ladder fabricated of steel inclined between 50 degrees and 77 degrees with steps in place of rungs and provided with railings. |
| Steel Siding | Formed and finished steel panels used as exterior wall coverings. |
| Steel Sill Angle | Steel angle used as a sill. |
| Steel Square | A carpenter tool which establishes a right angle between two components; the large arm of the square is called the Body or Blade; the smaller arm, at a 90 degree angle to the blade, is called the Tongue; the point where the outside edges of the blade and |
| Steel Stair | Flight or series of connected stair flights fabricated of steel members extending between two or more floors within given floor area. |
| Steel Stair, Spiral | Stair of steel construction with a closed circular plan, uniform sector shaped treads and supporting center column. |
| Steel Strap | A steel plate fastened across the inner section of two or more timbers. |
| Steel Stringer | Steel member upon which stair treads bear. |
| Steel Structures Painting Council (SSPC) | 4516 Henry Street, #301, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213, (412) 687-1113. |
| Steel Stud | 1. Steel pin or rod having head at one end for driving into material used for holding members or parts of members together. 2. In light gage construction, a vertical framing member similar to a 2x 4 stud. |
| Steel Sump Pan | Sheet metal pan forming low point in roof deck to collect water and receive roof drain. |
| Steel Tank | A receptacle manufactured from steel for holding, transporting or storing liquids. |
| Steel Tank Institute (STI) | 570 Oakwood Road, Lake Zurich, Illinois 60047-1559, (708) 438-8765. |
| Steel Toggle Bolt | Steel bolt and nut assembly to fasten objects to hollow construction; assembly from only one side; nut has pivoted wings that close against spring when nut end of assembly is pushed through hole and spring open on other side in void of construction assemb |
| Steel Toilet Partition Support Framing | Framing, usually above a ceiling used to support ceiling-hung toilet partitions. |
| Steel Transom | A steel transverse piece in a structure, lintel; a steel horizontal crossbar in a window, over a door, or between a door and a window or fanlight above it. |
| Steel Valley Plate | Sheet metal plate, placed over valley formed when two differing roof slopes intersect. |
| Steel Wainscot | Steel covering over lower portion of wall or partition to protect from damage. |
| Steel Washer | Flat ring of steel which may be plain split, toothed, or embossed, used in threaded connections to distribute loads, span large openings, relieve friction, or prevent loosening. |
| Steel Washer, High-Strength | Flat ring of steel which may be plain split, toothed, or embossed, used in threaded connections to distribute loads, span large openings, relieve friction, or prevent loosening, made of high strength steel; often used with high strength bolts. |
| Steel Washer, Load Indicator | Compressible washers with direct tension indicator capable of indicating achievement of minimum bolt tension of high strength bolts. |
| Steel Washer, Weathering | Washer made of steel to be compatible with weathering steel. |
| Steel Washer, Welding | Washer made of steel to be used for welding in steel fabrication. |
| Steel Welding | A localized heating of two pieces of steel to melting until there is a fusing of the material. |
| Steel Welding Washer | Washer for containing arc spot welds on thin sheet metal (thinner than 0.028 inch). |
| Steel Window Institute (SWI) | 1300 Summer Avenue, Cleveland, Ohio 44115, (216) 241-7333. |
| Steel Wood Screw | Steel screw with threads designed for penetration of wood and similar materials. |
| Steel Wool | An abrasive material consisting of a mass of fine steel shavings, used for polishing and burnishing. |
| Steel, Structural | Steel that is rolled in a variety of shapes and manufactured for use as structural load-bearing members. |
| Steep Asphalt | A roofing asphalt that has a softening point of approximately 190°F (88°C) and that conforms to the requirements of ASTM Standard D 312, Type III. |
| Steep Slope Roof | Roofing that is over 1-1/2 inches per foot slope or pitch. |
| Steeple | A spire, as on a church. |
| Steeplejack | A person who climbs tall structures, usually with safety rigging, for painting and repairs. |
| Stem | The vertical part of a concrete or masonry retaining wall. |
| Stenciling | Placing a design on a wall or other surface by applying the finish through a template cut out of thin, flat paper or metal. |
| Step Flashing | Flashing and counterflashing installed where a sloping roof meets a vertical wall, as at a chimney. |
| Step flashing | Flashing application method used where a vertical surface meets a sloping roof plane. 6" X 6" galvanized metal bent at a 90 degree angle, and installed beneath siding and over the top of shingles. Each piece overlaps the one beneath it the entire length o |
| Step Ladder | A short free-standing ladder with flat steps. |
| Step Return | A bottom step, the nosing of which extends out considerably over the riser; it is frequently wider than the rest of the stairs, and is usually curved at the ends; also called a Bullnose. |
| Stepped Foundation | A benched foundation on a sloping site with all bottoms flat to prevent sliding. |
| Stepping Stone | 1.A raised stone used in crossing a stream. 2. Spaced flat stones used as a walk in a garden. |
| Steri Lamp | Lamp with a high-intensity ultraviolet ray used to kill bacteria; used in food storage cabinets and in air ducts. |
| Sterilizer | One of three groups of antimicrobials registered by EPA for public health uses; EPA considers an antimicrobial to be a sterilizer when it destroys or eliminates all forms of bacteria, fungi, viruses, and their spores; because spores are considered the mos |
| Sterilizer, Medical | See Medical Sterilizer. |
| Stethoscope | Instrument used to detect sounds and locate the origin. |
| STI | Steel Tank Institute. |
| Stick | 1. A woody piece of twig or branch of a tree. 2. A slender piece of wood. 3. To pierce with a pointed instrument. 4. Adhesive quality. |
| Stick built | A house built without prefabricated parts. Also called conventional building. |
| Stick Shellac | Shellac which comes in sold stick form; used extensively for furniture patching. |
| Stick, Hook | See Hook Stick. |
| Stick-Built | Construction of a wood framed building piece by piece on-site as contrasted to prefabrication. |
| Sticker | A piece of metal channel inserted in concrete or masonry walls for the attachment or support of wall furring channels. |
| Sticker Stain | A brown or blue stain that develops in seasoning lumber where it has been in contact with the stickers. |
| Stickers | Strips or boards used to separate the layers of lumber in a pile and thus improve air circulation. |
| Stickyback | A transparent decal containing technical information that can be adhered to a tracing. |
| Stiff Mud Brick | Brick produced by extruding a stiff but plastic clay through a die. |
| Stiffback | A structural member placed on top of ceiling joists at midspan to line up the joists before plastering or drywall installation. |
| Stiffener | A horizontal metal shape tied to vertical members (studs or channels) of partitions or walls to brace them. |
| stiffener | Interfacing such as crinoline or buckram used to stiffen handmade curtain, shade, or valance headings, tiebacks, or cornices. |
| Stiffener Plate | A steel plate attached to a structural member to support it against heavy localized loadings or stresses. |
| Stiffness | The quality of resistance to deformation on the part of a material, a component member of a structure, or the whole structure. |
| Stile | A vertical framing member in a panel door. |
| Stile | An upright framing member in a panel door. |
| Still Water | A part of a stream where the gradient is so gentle that no current is visible. |
| Stillson Wrench | Pipe wrench. |
| Stilts | Adjustable extensions worn on the shoes of workers, such as plasterers or painters, to enable reaching higher than normal areas. |
| Stipple Finishing | Finish obtained by tapping surface with stipple brush before paint is dry. |
| Stippling | The method of shading by the making of separate marks or points. |
| Stipulated Sum Contract | A construction contract where the contract sum is a lump sum agreed amount; also called a Lump Sum Contract. |
| Stirrup | Reinforcing bars used in beams for shear reinforcement; typically bent into a U-shape or box-shape and placed perpendicular to the longitudinal steel. |
| Stirrup Pump | A portable hand pump stabilized with a foot bracket, used especially for fire-fighting. |
| Stirrup Tie | A stirrup that forms a complete loop, as differentiated from a U-stirrup, which has an open top. |
| Stock Dyeing | Dyeing raw fibers before they are carded (combed) or spun. |
| Stockholder’s Equity | Section of the balance sheet also known as Net Worth or Equity; representing the claim of the holders of common stock on the assets of the business. |
| Stoke | A unit of kinematic viscosity, equal to the viscosity of a fluid in poises divided by the density of the fluid in grams per cubic centimeter. |
| Stone | 1. Earthy or mineral matter of indeterminate size or shape such as rock. 2. Use of a carborundum stone to eliminate jagged and flaked edges of tile or masonry due to cutting |
| Stone Facing Guard | Steel components applied to face of vertical stone construction to protect it from damage. |
| Stone Paver | Blocks of rock processed by shaping, cutting or sizing, used for driveways, patios and walkways. |
| Stonemason | A mason who builds in stone. |
| Stonemasonry | Stonework; the work of a stonemason. |
| Stoneware | A vitreous or semivitreous ceramic ware of fine texture, made primarily from nonrefractory fire clay. |
| Stonework | Masonry of stones and mortar. |
| Stool | A flat molding fitted over the window sill between jambs and contacting the bottom rail of the lower sash. |
| Stool | A wood molding that provides an interior ledge at the sill of a window. |
| Stool | The flat molding fitted over the window sill between jambs and contacting the bottom rail of the lower sash. Â Also another name for toilet. |
| Stoop | A small unroofed porch. |
| Stop | A molding covering the crack between a door or window and its frame. |
| Stop box | Normally a cast iron pipe with a lid (@ 5" in diameter) that is placed vertically into the ground, situated near the water tap in the yard, and where a water cut-off valve to the home is located (underground). A long pole with a special end is inserted in |
| Stop Box or Curb Box | An adjustable cast iron box that is brought up to grade with a removable iron cover; by inserting a shutoff rod down into the stop box it is possible to turn off the water supply at the curb cock. |
| Stop Notice | A charge against construction funds in the hands of a property owner or a construction lender for the value of work or materials incorporated into a construction project; this is a lien on funds to be paid whereas a mechanic's lien is a lien on property; |
| Stop Order | A formal, written notification to a contractor to discontinue some or all work on a project for reasons such as safety violations, defective materials or workmanship, or cancellation of the contract. |
| Stop valve | A device installed in a water supply line, usually near a fixture, that permits an individual to shut off the water supply to one fixture without interrupting service to the rest of the system. |
| Stop, Door | See Door Stop. |
| Stop, Gravel | See Gravel Stop. |
| Stops | Moldings along the inner edges of a door or window frame. Also valves used to shut off water to a fixture. |
| Storage Life | See Shelf Life. |
| Storage Tank | A large receptacle used for the holding, transporting, or storage of liquids or gases. |
| Storage Tank Removal | The act or process of removing an old storage tank. |
| Store | 1. A room or building for retail sales; a shop. 2. A reserve supply of goods. |
| store Marquise | 18th century French blind in lightweight material tightly gathered -- now a general term for a shirred window panel. |
| Store Room | A room in which items are stored. |
| Storefront | 1. The facade which is constructed on the street side of a building or structure into which persons can enter and transact business. 2. A steel or aluminum tube frame and glass wall. |
| Storm Drain | A drain used for carrying rain water, cooling water, and sub-surface water, but not waste or sewage. |
| Storm Sash | An extra window usually placed on the outside of an existing window as additional protection against cold weather and air infiltration; also called a Storm Window. |
| Storm sash or storm window | An extra window usually placed outside of an existing one, as additional protection against cold weather. |
| Storm Sewer | A sewer used for conveying groundwater, rainwater, surface water, or similar nonpollutional wastes. |
| Storm Surge | An increase in water level above the normal water level on the open coast due to the action of wind stress and atmospheric pressure on the sea surface. |
| Storm Water Drainage System | The piping system used for conveying rainwater or other precipitation to the storm sewer or other place of disposal. |
| Storm Window | See Storm Sash. |
| Story | That part of a building between any floor and the floor or roof next above. |
| Story | That part of a building between any floor or between the floor and roof. |
| Story | The space within a building between two adjacent floor levels or between a floor and a roof. |
| Story High | The height between floors or floor joists. |
| Story Pole | 1. A rod or pole that is the height of the story marked on it from joist to joist and also has the brick courses and any openings marked on it. 2. In ceramic tile installation, a long strip of wood marked at the appropriate joint intervals for the tile to |
| Straight Arch | See Jack Arch. |
| Straight Joint | The usual style of laying tile where all the joints are in alignment. |
| Straight Peen Hammer | A hammer where the face opposite the flat face is shaped for cutting or grooving metal; the peen is flat and is perpendicular to the handle. |
| Straight Polarity | The arrangement of direct current arc-welding leads wherein the work is the positive pole and the electrode is the negative pole of the welding arc. |
| Straight Sheathing | Wood sheathing with the individual boards running at a 90 degree angle to the studs, joists, or rafters. |
| Straight-Grained Wood | Wood in which the fibers run parallel to the axis of the piece. |
| Straight-Line Depreciation | A method of calculating depreciation in which the same amount is depreciated each year. |
| Straightedge | 1. A straight piece of lumber or metal that is used to rod mortar, align tile, or provide a straight or flush surface. 2. A flat wooden tool or rod, perfectly true, used to straighten the brown coat or screeds. |
| Strain | 1. Change in shape of a material due to stress. 2. To exert to the utmost. 3. To filter. |
| Strain Release | Movement along a fault plane; can be gradual or abrupt. |
| Strainer | Device such as a screen or filter used to retain solid particles while liquid passes through. |
| Strainer Basket | Device in skimmer and input side of pump used to catch large pieces of debris in pool water. |
| Strandboard | See Oriented Strand Board. |
| Stranded Conductor | A number of fine wires twisted around a center wire or core, used as a single electric conductor. |
| Stranded Wire | Fine wires twisted together in a group to create a larger stronger cable or wire. |
| Strap Channel | A U-shaped or L-shaped iron plate for connecting two or more timbers. |
| Strap Hinge | A surface hinge of which one or both leaves are of considerable length. |
| Strap Tie | A metal plate that fastens two parts together as a post, rod, or beam. |
| Strap, Malleable | See Malleable Strap. |
| Strap, Steel | See Steel Strap. |
| strapwork | An ornamentation of crossed, interlaced and scrolled straps resembling leather often used to decorate walls in the 17th century. |
| Stratification of Air | Condition in which there is little or no air movement in room; air lies in temperature layers. |
| Strawberry | A small bubble or blister in the flood coating of a gravel-surfaced roof membrane. |
| Streambank | The side slopes of a channel between which the streamflow is normally confined. |
| Streambank erosion | Removal of soil particles from a bank slope primarily due to water action. Climatic conditions, ice and debris, chemical reactions, and changes in land and stream use may also lead to bank erosion. |
| Streambank failure | Collapse or slippage of a large mass of bank material into the channel. |
| Streambank protection works | Structure(s) placed on or near a distressed streambank to control bank erosion or to prevent failure. |
| Streambed | See bed. |
| Streamflow | The movement of water through a channel. |
| Street | A public way to accommodate automobiles. |
| Street Ell | A 45 or 90 degree pipe elbow with male threads on one end and female threads on the other end; also called a Service Ell. |
| Street Removal | The act or process of removing old asphalt from a roadway. |
| Street Tree | A tree, planted in a specially prepared well, in the sidewalk or parkway adjacent to a public way like a street. |
| Strength | Capacity to resist force. |
| Strength Design | A design theory used for most reinforced concrete designs; a design in which members are designed to fail; safety is not provided by limiting stresses, but by using a factored load that is greater than the actual load. |
| Strength Design | The nominal strength multiplied by a strength reduction factor. See Section 1909.3. |
| Strength of Materials | A branch of mechanics and experimental physics dealing with stresses, strains, and the general behavior or materials and structural elements under the action of forces and moments. |
| Strength Ratio | In wood, the hypothetical ratio of the strength of a structural member to that which it would have if it contained no strength-reducing characteristics such as knots, slope-of-grain, shakes, or other defects. |
| Strength Reduction Factor | A factor introduced into the calculation of strength design in reinforced concrete, which increases actual loading, providing an added factor of safety. |
| Strength, Early | Concrete or mortar strength during the first 72 hours after placement. |
| Strength, Required | See Required Strength. |
| Stress | 1. The internal force of a body that resists external force. 2. The intensity of force per unit area. |
| Stress Diagram | A graphic representation of the value of the stresses in a structural member. |
| Stress Relief | See Perimeter Relief. |
| Stress-Grade Lumber | Structural lumber that has been graded and stamped with information to indicate the specific load it will support. |
| Stress-Relief Heat Treatment | Uniform heating of a structure or portion thereof to a sufficient temperature, below the critical range, to relieve the major portion of the residual stresses, followed by a slow uniform even cooling. |
| Stressed-Skin Panel | A panel consisting of two face sheets of wood or metal bonded to perpendicular spacer strips. |
| Stretch | The width of the area on which a painter will normally apply paint across a ceiling or down a side wall. |
| Stretcher | A brick that is laid on its flat side and shows its face on the surface of the wall. |
| Stretcher, Hospital | See Hospital Stretcher. |
| Stria | A striped surface effect obtained by loosely twisting two strands of one shade of yarn with one strand of a lighter or darker shade. |
| Strict Liability | Liability without fault, imposed by the courts for social reasons to distribute the risk of injury to consumers by imposing on the manufacturers of products liability for injury caused by the use of those products even though the manufacturer is not shown |
| Strike | 1. An organized refusal by employees to work until some grievance is remedied. 2. A metal plate or box that is pierced or recessed to receive the bolt or latch when projected; also called the Keeper or Strike Plate. |
| Strike | The plate on a door frame that engages a latch or dead bolt. |
| Strike Plate | See Strike, 2. |
| Strike Slip Fault | A geological fault which runs parallel to the strike of associated strata. |
| Striking In | Materials used in finishing are said to strike in when they soften undercoats and sink into them. |
| Striking Joints | A process of removing excess grout from the joints by wiping with a sponge or cloth or scraping, compacting or rubbing with a curved instrument. |
| String | 1. A light cord or twine. 2. See Stringer |
| String Course | A horizontal course of brick or stone on the face of a building; when continuous with a row of window sills or lintels, is referred to as a Sill Course or a Lintel Course; also called a Belt Course. |
| String Level | A small spirit level attached to a string line for establishing level lines on a construction site. |
| String Wire | Wire used on open stud construction, placed horizontally around building to support weather-proofing paper. |
| String, stringer | A timber or other support for cross members in floors or ceilings. In stairs, the support on which the stair treads rest; also stringboard. |
| String, stringer | A timber or other support for cross members in floors or ceilings. In stairs, the supporting member for stair treads. Usually a 2 X 12 inch plank notched to receive the treads. |
| Stringer | 1. The sloping wood or steel member supporting the treads of a stair. 2. A long horizontal timber in a structure supporting a floor. |
| Stringer Bead | A type of weld bead made without appreciable transverse oscillation. |
| Stringing Mortar | The procedure of spreading enough mortar on a bed to lay several masonry units. |
| Stringline | A string used to establish a line or to mark a line on a construction site. |
| Strip | 1. Complete removal of an old finish with paint removers. 2. The removal of wallpaper. 3. To remove forms from set concrete surfaces. 4. To damage the threads of a bolt or screw. 5. A long, narrow, piece of a material. |
| Strip Flooring | Hardwood flooring laid in strips, usually tongued and grooved. |
| Strip flooring | Wood flooring consisting of narrow, matched strips. |
| Strip Footing | See Continuous Footing. |
| Strip Lath | A narrow strip of diamond mesh metal lath sometimes applied as reinforcement over joints between sheets of gypsum lath, at the juncture of two different base materials, and at corners of openings. |
| Strip Mopping | The mopping of roofing bitumen in parallel bands, generally about 8 inches in width with 4 inch unmopped spaces. |
| Strip, Cant | See Cant Strip. |
| Strip, Chamfer | See Chamfer Strip. |
| Striping | Edge painting prior to priming. |
| Stripping | 1. The technique of sealing the joint between built-up roofing membrane and metal using one or two plies of felt or fabric and hot or cold applied bitumen.2. The method of taping the joints between insulation board. |
| Strips | Bands of reinforcing bars in flat slab or flat plate construction. |
| Stroboscope | An instrument used for determining speeds of rotation by shining a flashing bright light at measured intervals so that a rotating object appears stationary. |
| Stroheim & Romann | Fabric vendor. (31-11 Thompson Ave., Long Island, NY 11101) |
| Stroke | A single pass with a spray gun in one direction. |
| Struck Joint | In masonry, a mortar joint which is formed with a recess at the bottom of the joint; it is the reverse of the weathered joint; this joint is used extensively, but chiefly for interior wall surfaces, since it is inferior for outside joints, because of its |
| Structural Bond | The interlocking pattern of masonry units used to tie two or more wythes together in a wall. |
| Structural Clay | A term applied to various sizes and kinds of hollow and practically solid building units, molded from surface clay, shale, fire clay or a mixture of these materials and laid by masons. |
| Structural Clay Products Institute (SCPI) | |
| Structural Component | A member of a structural system. |
| Structural Composite Lumber | Lumber in small pieces glued together to make structurally sound larger members, as in glued laminated beams or columns. |
| Structural Defects | 1. Defects in a structure that pertain to the structural elements which may cause an unsafe condition. 2. In tilework, cracks or laminations in the body of the tile which detract from the aesthetic appearance or the structural soundness of the tile instal |
| Structural Design | The design of the structural system, analysis of support of all dead and live loads, and calculation of sizes and arrangement of all members. |
| Structural Diaphragms | Structural members, such as floor and roof slabs, which transmit inertial forces to lateral-force-resisting members. |
| Structural Engineer | A civil engineer who specializes in the design and analysis of structures. |
| Structural Engineers Association of California (SEAOC) | |
| Structural Fee | The amount of money charged for structural engineering work. |
| Structural floor | A framed lumber floor that is installed as a basement floor instead of concrete. This is done on very expansive soils. |
| Structural Frame | The columns and girders, trusses, beams and spandrels which directly connect to the columns and all other members necessary to the stability of the building; secondary members are those members of the floor or roof panels which are not connected to the co |
| Structural Glazed Tile | A hollow clay masonry unit with glazed faces. |
| Structural Lightweight Concrete | See Concrete, Structural Lightweight. |
| Structural Lumber | 1. Wood members of a structural system which are manufactured by sawing, resawing, passing lengthwise through standard planing machine, crosscutting to length, but without further manufacturing. 2. Lumber that is 2 or more inches thick and 4 or more inche |
| Structural Lumber Exposed To View | Structural lumber which is exposed to view in finished spaces or at the exterior of the building. |
| Structural Pipe | Pipe used in a structure to transfer imposed loads to the ground. |
| Structural Plywood | The highest grade of plywood; plywood of exterior structural grade, secured to top side of floor joists used to create rigidity in building superstructure and also to provide a smooth and even surface to receive finish floor covering. |
| Structural Plywood Diaphragm | Structural plywood sheathing on floors, roofs, or walls which provides shear strength to resist wind and earthquake loads. |
| Structural Shear Wall | Wall constructed of studs and structural-use panel sheathing that in its own plane resists shear forces resulting from applied wind, earthquake, or other transverse loads or provides frame stability. |
| Structural Steel | Steel hot-rolled into variety of shapes for use as load-bearing structural members. |
| Structural Steel Door Frame | Door frame fabricated of structural steel shapes, such as channel. |
| Structural Steel Tubing | Hollow structural tubing, usually circular, square, or rectangular. |
| Structural Steel, Carbon Grade | Steel having either (1) no specified minimum content of alloying elements; (2) specified minimum copper content not exceeding 0.40 percent, or (3) maximum specified percentage contents as follows. manganese 1.65, silicon 0.60, copper 0.60. |
| Structural Steel, Corrosion Resistant | Steel having chemical composition specifically developed to impart higher mechanical property values and with resistance to atmospheric corrosion than is four times greater than that of conventional carbon structural steel; this steel weathers (oxidizes). |
| Structural Steel, High-Strength | Steel having chemical composition specifically developed to impart higher mechanical property values than is obtainable from conventional carbon structural steel. |
| Structural Steel, Quenched and Tempered | Steel which is quenched (rapidly cooled) and tempered (reheated, quench hardened, or normalized ferrous alloy to temperature below transformation range, followed by cooling of alloy at rate desired); primarily used for welded bridge construction. |
| Structural Subflooring | Flat sheet material of structural use panel secured to top side of floor joists used to create rigidity in building superstructure and serve as base to receive flooring. |
| Structural System | All of the supporting parts of a building taken as an integrated whole. |
| Structural Timbers | Pieces of wood of relatively large size, with a cross section greater than 4 inches x 6 inches, the strength of which is the controlling element in their selection and use. |
| Structural Trusses | Assemblages of wood, steel, or reinforced concrete members subjected primarily to axial forces. |
| Structural Tube | A hollow metal product used to carry imposed loads in a building or structure. |
| Structural Tubing Railing | A metal railing made of structural metal tubing. |
| Structural Underlayment | Flat sheet material of structural use panel secured to top side of floor joists used to create rigidity in building structures and to provide smooth and even surface to receive finish floor covering. |
| Structural Use Panel | Flat sheet material of either plywood, oriented strandboard, waferboard, or particleboard. |
| Structural Use Panel Roof Sheathing | Flat sheet material of structural-use panels secured to exterior side of roof rafters or trusses, used to create rigidity in building superstructure and serve as base to receive roofing. |
| Structural Wall Sheathing | Flat sheet material of structural-use panel secured to exterior side of exterior wall studs, used to create rigidity in building superstructure and serve as base to receive siding or veneer construction. |
| Structural Wood Member | Member of a wood structural system. |
| Structure | That which gives form to something and works to resist changes in the form due to the action of various forces; a building. |
| Structure Borne Sound | A condition in which the sound waves are carried by a solid material. |
| Strut | 1. A compression member; a column; it can be placed at any angle, not just vertically. 2. An element of a structural diaphragm, used to provide continuity around an opening in the diaphragm. |
| Stub Out | A capped pipe or conduit provided for future connection or extension of water, gas, electrical, or other utility. |
| Stub Tie | A method of attaching metal lath to furring channels, where the wire is twisted and cut off at the twist. |
| Stub Truss | A truss which has one end truncated by being cut vertically. |
| Stub, stubbed | To push through. |
| Stucco | 1. A cement plaster used for coating exterior walls and other exterior surfaces of buildings. 2. A plaster used for interior decoration and finish work. 3. A manufacturing term for calcined gypsum prior to addition of water. |
| Stucco | Most commonly refers to an outside plaster made with Portland cement as its base. |
| Stucco | Refers to an outside plaster finish made with Portland cement as its base. |
| Stucco Edge | In gypsumboard, a break in the fold or lapped seal between the face and back papers during the manufacturing process which allows the wet slurry to ooze onto edges and face. |
| Stucco Lath | Wood or metal lath strips which form the base for the application of a cement plaster on an exterior wall surface. |
| Stucco Mold | A wood or metal molding to retain the edges of stucco and provide a finish as at doors and windows. |
| Stucco Netting | Galvanized woven fabric or chicken wire used in the lathing process for exterior stucco over light wood framing construction. |
| Stucco Netting | See Woven Wire Fabric. |
| Stud | 1. A vertical wall framing member, wood or steel, may be load bearing or non load bearing. 2. A vertical member to support sheathing of concrete forms. 3. A headed steel device used to anchor steel plates or shapes to concrete members. |
| Stud | A vertical wood framing member, also referred to as a wall stud, attached to the horizontal sole plate below and the top plate above. Normally 2 X 4's or 2 X 6's, 8' long (sometimes 92 5/8"). One of a series of wood or metal vertical structural members pl |
| Stud | One of a series of slender wood or metal vertical structural members placed as supporting elements in walls and partitions. (Plural: studs or studding.) |
| Stud framing | A building method that distributes structural loads to each of a series of relatively lightweight studs. Contrasts with post-and-beam. |
| Stud Removal | The act or process of demolishing and carrying away old stud walls from a building or structure. |
| Stud Shear | A hand tool for cutting metal studs. |
| Stud shoe | A metal, structural bracket that reinforces a vertical stud. Used on an outside bearing wall where holes are drilled to accommodate a plumbing waste line. |
| Stud, Screwable Type | See Screwable Type Stud. |
| Studding | The framework of a partition or wall of a house; usually referred to as 2 by 4's. |
| Studio Apartment | A small living unit consisting of a combination living-dining-kitchen-sleeping room and a bathroom |
| Stuffer Warp | Yarn which runs lengthwise in the carpet but does not intertwine with any filling yarns; serves to give weight, thickness and stability to the fabric; also called Stuffer Yarn. |
| Stuffer Yarn | See Stuffer Warp. |
| Style | A distinctive manner in respect to appearance, as in the Greek style or the modern style. |
| Stylobate | A continuous rectangular base on which a row of architectural columns are placed. |
| Styrene-Butadiene Resin | Synthetic rubber resin; liquid styrene and butadiene gas, copolymerized to form chemical-resistant product with excellent film-forming properties. |
| Styrene-Rubber (SR) Pipe & Fittings | Plastics containing at least 50% styrene compounding materials but not more than 15 percent acrylonitrile. |
| Sub-bidder | A subcontractor who submits a bid to a prime contractor. |
| Subbase Course | The course in the asphalt pavement structure immediately below the base course; if the subgrade soil is of adequate quality, it may serve as the subbase. |
| Subcontractor | 1. A contractor whose contract is with the general contractor, not the owner. 2. An individual or entity contracting to perform part or all of another's contract. |
| Subcontractor List | A list of the subcontractors a general contractor contemplates using, submitted for the owner's approval, as required by some construction contracts. |
| Subcooling | Cooling of liquid refrigerant below its condensing temperature. |
| Subdiaphragm | A portion of a larger wood diaphragm designed to anchor and transfer local forces to primary diaphragm struts and the main diaphragm. |
| Subdivider | One who divides a tract of land into building lots, streets, and open spaces. |
| Subdivision | The division of a tract of land into building lots, streets, and open spaces. |
| Subfloor | A wood floor which is laid over the floor joists and on which the finished floor is laid. |
| Subfloor | Boards or plywood laid on joists over which a finish floor is to be laid. |
| Subfloor | The framing components of a floor to include the sill plate, floor joists, and deck sheeting over which a finish floor is to be laid. |
| Subflooring | Certain material, like plywood, that is installed on the floor joists of a building or structure, onto which the walls and finished flooring is attached. |
| Subgrade | The soil prepared to support a structure or a pavement system; it is the foundation for the pavement structure; also called Basement Soil or Foundation Soil. |
| Subgrade, Improved | Subgrade, improved as a working platform (1) by the incorporation of granular materials or stabilizers such as asphalt, lime, or portland cement, prepared to support a structure or a pavement system, or (2) any course or courses of select or improved mate |
| Subjacent Support | The right of land to be supported by the land adjacent to or below it. |
| Subject Property | The property that is the subject of a real estate appraisal report. |
| Sublease | Lease of property by a tenant to a subtenant; also called Subletting. |
| Subletting | See Sublease. |
| Sublimation | Conversion of a solid to a gas by heating and from a gas to a solid by cooling, for example, dry ice (carbon dioxide). |
| Submarginal | Falling below the accepted or required standard of quality. |
| Submarine | Of or below water. |
| Submersible Pump | A centrifugal pump, usually driven by electricity or compressed air, that will operate when submerged. |
| Submission Agreement | An agreement to submit an existing dispute to arbitration. |
| Submittal Schedule | A time schedule prepared by a contractor showing when each of the specified submittals will be sent to the architect or owner. |
| Submittals | Various documents submitted by the contractor to the owner or architect, such as shop drawings, material samples, subcontractor list, and insurance certificates. |
| Subordination Clause | A provision in a mortgage or trust deed that acknowledges that it is subordinate to another loan or will allow a future loan to be a superior lien on the property. |
| Subpoena | A legal order requiring a person to appear in a court, arbitration hearing, or deposition to give testimony. |
| Subpoena Duces Tecum | A subpoena requiring the production of specified documents. |
| Subpurlin | A small roof framing member that spans between joists and purlins. |
| Subrogation | The assumption by a third party, such as an insurance company, of another's legal right to collect a debt or damages. |
| Subsidiary Ledger | A supporting ledger consisting of a group of similar accounts, the total of which is in agreement with a controlling account in the general ledger. |
| Subsoil Drain | A drain used for collecting sub-surface or seepage water and carrying the water to where it can be disposed. |
| Substance | Any form of matter or material. |
| Substantial Compliance | A doctrine that may excuse minor violations of licensing statutes. |
| Substantial Performance | The doctrine that a contract is enforceable by a party who has not strictly complied with all requirements of a contract, but who has substantially complied therewith. |
| Substitutions | A substitution of materials for those originally specified for the project. |
| Substrata | Substrate. |
| Substrate | 1. A lower level, upon which other materials are applied, such as paint, flooring, or roofing. 2. The underlying support for ceramic tile or other finish-type installation. 3. The base or concealed layer of gypsum board in a composite assembly. |
| Subsubcontractor | An individual or entity contracting to perform part or all of a subcontractor's contract. |
| Subsurface Investigation | See Geotechnical Investigation. |
| Subsurface Right | The right to use the subterranean part of a parcel of land, such as for tunneling, extraction of minerals, and pipe lines, usually given in the form of an easement. |
| Subterranean | Below the surface of the earth. |
| Subterranean Termite | See Termite. |
| Subway | 1. An underground railway. 2. A passage under a street for pedestrians or utility lines. 3. An underpass. |
| Suction | The power of absorption possessed by a plastered surface. |
| Suction Diffuser | A centrifugal pump which forces water out of an area or surface. |
| Suction Feed | 1. In a sandblast gun, one in which the abrasive is siphoned to the nozzle. 2. In a spray gun, one in which the fluid is siphoned to the spray head. |
| Suction Line | Tube or pipe used to carry refrigerant gas from evaporator to compressor. |
| Suction Lines | In a swimming pool, pipework supplying the main circulating pump. |
| Suction Piping | That portion of the circulation piping located between the pool structure and the inlet side of the pump and usually including the main outlet piping, skimmer piping, vacuum piping, and surge tank piping. |
| Suction Pressure | Pressure in low-pressure side of a refrigerating system. |
| Suction Pressure Control Valve | Device located in the suction line which maintains constant pressure in an evaporator during the running portion of a cycle. |
| Suction Service Valve | Two-way manually operated valve located at the inlet to compressor; it controls suction gas flow and is used to service unit. |
| Suction Side | Low-pressure side of the system extending from the refrigerant control through the evaporator to the inlet valve of the compressor. |
| Suction Spotting | Spotting of paint job caused by oil in new coat being absorbed by spots or porous areas of surface. |
| Suction Valve | Valve in refrigeration compressor which allows vaporized refrigerant to enter cylinder from suction line and prevents its return. |
| Sue and Labor Clause | A clause in a property insurance policy that authorizes the insured to expend funds to protect the insured property. |
| Sulfate Attack | Deleterious chemical or physical reaction between sulfates in ground water or soil and certain constituents in cement, which result in expansion and disruption of the concrete. |
| Sulfate Resistance | Ability of cement paste and aggregate to withstand sulfate attack. |
| Sulphuric Acid | A dense corrosive oily colorless fluid that is a vigorous oxidizing and dehydrating agent; also called Oil of Vitriol. |
| Summary Judgment | A judgment awarded on the basis of affidavits and legal briefing rather than on the basis of evidence introduced at a trial. |
| Summer | 1. A horizontal beam such as a lintel. 2. A stone cap on a pier. |
| Sump | A sump is a specially made receiving tank to receive wastes or sewage by gravity; from the sump the wastes or sewage is lifted by pump or ejectors to be discharged into the building drain or building sewer. |
| Sump | Pit or large plastic bucket/barrel inside the home designed to collect ground water from a perimeter drain system. |
| Sump Pot | See Main Outlet. |
| Sump Pump | A small capacity pump that empties pits receiving groundwater, sewage, or liquid waste. |
| Sump pump | A submersible pump in a sump pit that pumps any excess ground water to the outside of the home. |
| Sunburst | Fabric radiating from the center of a semi-circular window. |
| Sundays | Place skipped when applying finishing materials to a surface. |
| Sundial | An instrument showing the time by the shadow of a pointer (called a gnomon or stylus) cast by the sun on a graduated disc. |
| Sunshade | A device that protects from the sun's rays, such as an awning or eyebrow. |
| Superchlorination | Heavy dose of chlorine added to pool water to burn out nitrogen compounds when bacteria, algae, or ammonia build-up cannot be reduced by normal treatment. |
| Superconductivity | The property of zero electrical resistance in some substances at very low absolute temperatures. |
| Superelevation | The additional elevation of the outer side of a curved section of a roadway to overcome centrifugal forces of vehicles. |
| Superheat | 1. Temperature of vapor above its boiling temperature as a liquid at that pressure. 2. The difference between the temperature at the evaporator outlet and the lower temperature of the refrigerant evaporating in the evaporator. |
| Superheater | Heat exchanger arranged to take heat from liquid going to evaporator and using it to superheat vapor leaving evaporator. |
| Superimposed Load | Loads and stresses added to the dead load of the structure; live load. |
| Superintendent | 1. An individual who is at the top level of a construction team in the field. 2. A person with executive oversight, often of a board or building complex. |
| Superstructure | 1. The part of a building above the foundation. 2. In bridge construction, the concrete deck or traffic surface of the bridge. |
| Supervision | A contractor's scheduling, watching, and directing of workers during the execution of work. |
| Supplementary Conditions | A part of the contract documents that may supplement, delete, add to, or amend the general conditions. |
| Supplementary Drawings | Additional drawings which augment the contract drawings. |
| Supplier | One who supplies construction materials to a project. |
| Supply Air Duct | The duct from a heating, cooling, or ventilation system carrying the treated air to the space of use. |
| Supply Tank | Separate tank connected directly or by a pump to the oil-burning appliance. |
| Supports | 1. The structural foundation for essential building elements. 2. Devices for supporting and securing pipe, fixtures, and equipment. |
| Surcharge | 1. An increase in the lateral earth pressure of a retaining wall, caused by a vertical load behind the wall. 2. A load placed over an area to compact it or change its characteristics. |
| Surety | One who undertakes to guarantee performance by another; usually an insurance company. |
| Surety Bond | A bond guaranteeing the performance of a contract or an obligation; see Performance Bond, Labor and Material Bond, and Completion Bond. |
| Surface | The outside layer of a material or body. |
| Surface Bolt | A door bolt that is mounted on the surface of a door with the bolt sliding into a keeper in the top or side of the door frame or into the sill or floor. |
| Surface Depression | A mark or indentation on the gypsum board surface. |
| Surface Drying | Drying of a finishing material on top while the bottom remains more or less soft. |
| Surface Hinge | One having both leaves applied to the surface of the door. |
| Surface lumber | Lumber that is dressed by running it through a planer. |
| Surface Metal Raceway | Similar to a wireway, used for electrical conductors and communication wiring. |
| Surface Moisture | Free moisture retained on the surfaces of aggregate particles which becomes part of the mixing water in the concrete mix. |
| Surface Plate | Tool with a very accurate flat surface. |
| Surface Preparation | All operations necessary to prepare a surface to receive a coating of paint. |
| Surface Rights | The right to use the surface of real property, usually in the form of an easement. |
| Surface runoff | That portion of rainfall that moves over the ground toward a lower elevation and does not infiltrate the soil. |
| Surface Skimmer | In a swimming pool, a device designed to continuously remove surface film and water and return it through the filter as part of the recirculation system, usually incorporating a self-adjusting weir, a collection tank, and a means to prevent air lock of th |
| Surface Tension | The tension of the surface film (meniscus) of a liquid, tending to minimize its surface area. |
| Surface Water | Water carried by an aggregate except that held by absorption within the aggregate particles themselves; water in addition to SSD water. |
| Surface Waters | Rain water collected and running on the surface of the land rather than being confined to drains and water courses. |
| Surfacer | A paint used to smooth the surface before finish coats are applied. |
| Surfacing | In welding, the deposition of filler metal on a metal surface to obtain desired properties or dimensions. |
| Surfacing, ACM | Asbestos-containing material that is sprayed-on, troweled-on or otherwise applied to surfaces, such as acoustical plaster on ceilings and fireproofing materials on structural members, or other materials on surfaces for acoustical, fireproofing, or other p |
| Surficial | Relating to a surface. |
| Surge | 1. To rise or fall rapidly, as electrical current. 2. Regulating action of temperature or pressure before it reaches its final value or setting. |
| Surge Arrestor | A electrical device that minimizes or eliminates the deleterious effect of a sudden rise in voltage or current; also called a Surge Suppressor. |
| Surge Chamber | In airless spray equipment, a device to eliminate uneven fluid flow. |
| Surge Suppressor | Surge Arrestor. |
| Surge Tank | Container connected to the low-pressure side of a refrigerating system which increases gas volume and reduces rate of pressure change. |
| Surgical Chronometer | An instrument used to measure time with great accuracy, used in medical applications. |
| Surgical Light | A light source used by surgeons for its illumination abilities for close work. |
| Surgical Scrub | Sterilized clothes worn by physicians in surgery. |
| Surgical Station | The area in a hospital where surgeons operate and the location of necessary implements for surgeries. |
| Surgical Table | A surface where surgery is performed. |
| Surplus | The earnings of a business from previous years which were allowed to accumulate in the business. |
| Surround | An area or substance that surrounds something, such as the frame around a wall opening. |
| Surveillance System | An interacting system of devices, such as cameras, that detect presence in and often videotape an area. |
| Survey | 1. To examine some topic or material to determine its condition, situation, or value. 2. The precise measurement of a parcel of land to determine all its dimensions, both vertical and horizontal. |
| Surveying | A branch of applied mathematics, including geometry and trigonometry, that aids in determining and delineating the form, extent and position of land. |
| Suspended ceiling | A ceiling system supported by hanging it from the overhead structural framing. |
| Suspended Ceiling | A finish ceiling that is hung on wires from the structure above. |
| Suspended Ceiling Removal | The act or process of removing the modular units and skeleton frame of an old suspended ceiling. |
| Suspended Structure | A structure supported principally by tension members or carrying its loads principally in tension. |
| Suspended Unit Heater | A unit heater that is hung from the roof framing of an open space like a factory or workshop. |
| Suspension Bridge | A bridge with roadway suspended from cables supported by structures at each end. |
| Suspension of Work | The temporary stopping of the work, a right reserved by owners in some construction contracts. |
| Suspension System | A system, usually incorporating heavy gage wire, designed to support the finished ceiling membrane in place at a pre-determined distance below the structural framing. |
| Sustainability | 1. Capable of supporting the weight for a long period. 2. Ability to keep up, prolong, keep going for a long time. |
| Sustainable Architecture | Architectural design based on the principles of sustainable development. |
| Sustainable Building | Construction that is based on energy conservation and reduction in use of non-renewable resources. |
| Sustainable Development | Construction utilizing materials that are replaceable, like wood, and minimizing use of non-replaceable materials and energy resources. |
| SW | Severe Weather; see Grade SW Brick. |
| swag | A sweeping drape at the top of a window, appearing to hang from points at either side. The term is often used to include the cascades that hang at the sides. Also known as a festoon. |
| Swage | 1. A tool used for metal forming by holding it on the work or the work on it and striking with a hammer or sledge. 2. To increase or decrease the diameter of a pipe by using a special tool which is forced around the pipe. |
| Swaging | Enlarging one tube end so end of other tube of same size will fit within. |
| swags and tails | A decorative pleated arrangement of fabric hung at the top of curtains to hide the track. Swags are draped horizontally while tails hang on either side of the curtain. |
| Swale | A low-lying, often depressed and swampy, area of land; an open ended swale can be created for use as a land drainage device. |
| Swale Excavation | The digging up of low-lying land such as a small meadow, swamp, or marshy depression. |
| Swamp Cooler | Evaporative type cooler in which air is drawn through porous mats soaked with water. |
| Swash Plate-Wobble Plate | Device used to change rotary motion to reciprocating motion; used in some refrigeration compressors. |
| Sway Brace | Diagonal bracing to prevent lateral movement caused by horizontal forces. |
| Sway brace | Metal straps or wood blocks installed diagonally on the inside of a wall from bottom to top plate, to prevent the wall from twisting, racking, or falling over "domino" fashion. |
| Sweat Out | A defective condition occasionally occurring in gypsum plaster; characterized by a soft, damp area remaining after the surrounding area has set hard. Often caused by insufficient ventilation which inhibits normal drying. |
| Sweat Soldering | Method of soldering in which the parts to be joined are first coated with a thin layer of solder (tinned) then joined while exposed to heat. |
| Sweating | 1. Condensation of moisture from air on cold surface. 2. Method of soldering in which the parts to be joined are first coated with a thin layer of solder; see Tinning. |
| Swedish Putty | See Spackling Compound. |
| Sweet Water | Tap water. |
| Sweets | The company which assembles the specifications of building supplies made by major manufacturers. Very helpful for architects and contractors. Web site at http://www.sweets.com |
| SWI | Steel Window Institute. |
| Swimming Load | Number of people using pool at a given time. |
| Swimming Pool | A tank of concrete, steel, or plastic suitable for swimming. |
| Swimming Pool, Private | All constructed or prefabricated pools which are used as a swimming pool in connection with a single family residence, and available only to the family of the householder and their private guests. |
| Swimming Pool, Public | Any constructed or prefabricated pool other than a private swimming pool. |
| Swing Bridge | A moveable bridge, being pivoted in the middle to move out of the way of river traffic. |
| Swing Gate | The operable member of a fence system that is hinged for opening and closing. |
| Swing Joint | A joint in a threaded pipe line which permits motion in the line of a plane normal to the direction of one part of the line. |
| Swirl Texturing | A method of applying gypsumboard texturing material in a decorative circular pattern. |
| Switch | A device that completes or disconnects an electrical circuit. |
| Switch | A device used to continue, disrupt, or redirect an electrical current. |
| Switch Plate | A cover plate covering an electric switch. |
| Switch, Dimmer | See Dimmer Switch. |
| Switch, Fusible | See Fusible Switch. |
| Switch, Oil | See Oil Switch. |
| Switch, Safety | See Safety Switch. |
| Switch, Transfer | See Transfer Switch. |
| Switchboard | A large dead-front, single panel, frame, or assembly of panels, designed and manufactured as a unit, and which may house bussings, externally operable fused switches, circuit breakers, or other protective or regulating devices and associated instrumentati |
| Switchgear | A freestanding assembly including primary (disconnect) switches, secondary (feeder) switches, and overcurrent protection device (fuses and circuit breakers). |
| Swivel | A device joining two parts so that the moving part can pivot freely. |
| Sylphon Seal | Corrugated metal tubing used to hold seal ring and provide leakproof connection between seal ring and compressor body or shaft. |
| Symbol | A mark, sign, or character taken as the conventional representation of some object, idea, function, or process; for example, the letters standing for the chemical elements or mathematical constants. |
| Symmetrical | Having identical parts on both sides of a center line. |
| Symphony shade | Honeycomb shade made by Comfortex. |
| Syndicate | A combination of individuals or commercial firms to promote some common interest. |
| Synergy | A combined effect or action. |
| Synthesis | The process of combining a set of component elements into a whole. |
| Synthetic Fiber | A fiber made by a chemical process. for example, nylon, polyester, dacron, rayon, acetate, and acrylic. |
| synthetic interlining | Usually composed of 85% viscose and 15% polyester, synthetic interlinings are cheaper than the cotton equivalents but lack some of their qualities. They do not have the same softness or body and so will not drape as well. While cotton interlinings will ad |
| Synthetic Resin | A solid or liquid organic compound made by polymerization, the material of which a plastic is made, including epoxy resin, acrylic resin, and many other polymers; chemical compounds react to form synthetic resins. |
| Synthetic Rubber | Made by polymerizing hydrocarbons; see Neoprene. |
| Synthetic Wall Mud | An alternative to conventional plaster mortar, contains a lightweight aggregate in place of sand; available in 50 pound bags. |
| System | An ordered assemblage. |
| Systematic Errors | Cumulative errors. |