Cantilever Walls
Walls that extend beyond the structure that supports them.
Collapse Zone
The area extending horizontally from the base of the wall to one and one-half times the height of the wall.
Compression
Those vertical and/or horizontal forces that tend to push the mass of a material together. For example, the force exerted on the top chord of a truss.
Fire-Resistive Construction
Another term for Type I construction; construction that maintains its structural integrity during a fire.
Fire Wall
Fire-rated wall with a specified degree of fire resistance, built of fire-resistive materials and usually extending from the foundation up to and through the roof of a building, that is designed to limit the spread of a fire within a structure or between
Gang Nail
Form of gusset plate. These thin steel plates are punched with acutely V-shaped holes that form sharp prongs on one side that penetrate wooden members to fasten them together.
Green Wood
Wood with high moisture content.
Gusset Plates
Metal or wooden plates used to connect and strengthen the intersections of metal or wooden truss components roof or floor components into a load-bearing unit.
Heavy Fire Loading
Presence of large amounts of combustible materials in an area or a building.
Lightweight Steel Truss
Structural support made from a long steel bar that is bent at a 90-degree angle with flat or angular pieces welded to the top and bottom.
Lightweight Wood Truss
Structural supports constructed of 2- x 3-inch or 2- x 4-inch (50 mm by 75 mm or 50 mm by 100 mm) members that are connected by gusset plates.
Load-Bearing Wall
Wall that is used for structural support.
Masonry
Bricks, blocks, stones, and unreinforced and reinforced concrete products.
Noncombustible Construction
Another term for Type II construction; construction made of the same materials as fire-resistive construction except that the structural components lack the insulation or other protection of Type I construction.
Nonload-Bearing Wall
Wall, usually interior, that supports only its own weight.
Ordinary Construction
Another term for Type III construction; construction that requires that exterior walls and structural members be made of noncombustible or limited combustible materials.
Partition Wall
Interior non-load bearing wall that separates a space into rooms.
Rain Roof
A second roof constructed over an older roof.
Roof Covering
Final outside cover that is placed on top of a roof deck assembly.
Situational Awareness
Awareness of immediate surroundings.
Tension
Those vertical or horizontal forces that tend to pull things apart; for example, the force exerted on the bottom chord of a truss.
Veneer Walls
Walls with a surface layer of attractive material laid over a base of common material.
Wood-Frame Construction
Another term for Type V construction; construction that has exterior walls, bearing walls, floors, roofs, and supports made completely or partially of wood or other approved materials of smaller dimensions than those used for heavy-timber construction.
assembly
two or more interconnected structural components combined to meet a specific function or design requirement
attic
an open space between the roof and ceiling of a building
balloon frame
a type of wood frame construction in which the studs in exterior walls extend from the basement or foundation to the roof
bar joist
a joist constructed of steel with bars in the verticle web space
beam
a horizontal structural component subjected to vertical loads
bowstring truss
a roof assembly with a curved (arched) top chord and a horizontal bottom chord
butterfly roof
a V-shaped roof in which the two sides slope toward a valley in the middle
chord
the main structural members of a truss as distinguished from diagonals
cockloft
an open space between the roof and ceiling of a commercial or industrial building, usually found under flat roofs
column
a vertical supporting member
course
horizontal layer of masonry units
curtain board
nonload-bearing interior wall extending down from a roof or ceiling to limit the horizontal spread of fire or heat
curtain wall
nonload-bearing exterior wall used as a weather barrier but not for structural support
decking
planks or panels of plywood or OSB that form the substrate of a roof assembly
drywall
gypsum wall board. a fire resistive wall covering known as sheetrock
eave
the edge of a pitched roof that overhangs an outside wall
engineered I-Beam
a wooden I-beam consisting of continuous wooden upper and lower chords separated by a web of OSB or similar sheetrock
fire door
a rated assembly consisting of a solid-core door, frame, and hardware used to confine a fire to one room or section of a building
fire load
total potential heat release if a building and its contents burn
flat roof
a roof that is flat or nearly flat relative to the horizon
gable roof
a pitched roof characterized by square cut ends and sides that slope down from the ridge line to the eaves
gable wall
a wall rising to meet a gable roof at the end of a building
gambrel roof
a roof characterized by a single ridge line from which roof sections on both sides of the ridge descend at two different pitches
girder
a horizontal structural member used to support beams or joists
glue-Lam beam
a wooden structural member composed of relatively short pieces of lumber glued and laminated together under pressure to form a long, extremely strong beam
gypsum board
interior finish material consisting of calcinated gypsum, starch, water and other additives sandwiched between two shhets of specially treated paper. drywall.
header course
course of bricks laid with the ends facing outward
hip roof
a pitched roof in which the ends are all beveled so that there are no gable walls
HVAC
abbreviation for heating, ventilation and air conditioning
interstitial space
an accessible or innaccessible space between layers of building materials, such as an attic or cokloft
joists
horizontal structural members used to support a ceiling or floor
lamella arch
an arch constructed of short wooden members connected in a specific geometric pattern
mansard roof
a roof characterized by steeply sloped facets surrounding a flat or nearly flat center section
mortar
a mixture of sand, cement, and water used to bond masonry units into a solid mass
open web joist
a joist constructed with a web composed of materials such as bars or tubes that do not fill the entire web space
oriented strand board (OSB)
a wooden structural panel formed by gluing and compressing wood strands together under pressure
parallel chord truss
a truss constructed with the top and bottom chords parallel
parapet
a wall at the edge of some roofs
party wall
a wall shared by two adjoining buildings, usually a load-bearing wall and a fire wall
pitch
the ratio of rise to span of a roof assembly
pitched roof
a roof that is sloped to facilitate runoff
plate
the top or bottom horizontal member of a frame wall
platform construction
frame type construction in which each floor interrupts the exterior studs forming an effective fire stop at every floor
plywood
a wooden structural panel formed by gluing and laminating very thin sheets of wood together under pressure
rafters
beams that span from a ridge board to an exterior wall plate to support roof decking
rated assembly
two or more construction components combined to form an assembly that has a specific fire-resistance rating
rebar
short for reinforcing bar. placed in concrete forms before cement is poured to add strength
reinforced concrete
concrete that has been poured into forms that contain an interconnected network of steel rebar
sawtooth roof
a roof with a profile of vertical and sloping surfaces that resemble a saw blade. Common in older industrial buildings
sheathing
plywood, OSB, or wooden planking applied to a wall or roof over which a weather resistant covering is applied
shed roof
a pitched roof that slopes in one direction only from the ridge
spalling
degradation of concrete due to prolonged exposure to high heat.
stud
a vertical structural member in a frame wall
truss
a wooden or metal structural unit made up of one or more triangles in a flat plane.