A

Aggregate - Coarse or medium-grained particulate material that contains sand, crushed stone, and gravel, or recycled concrete. Aggregates are used in foundations, concrete mixes, railroads, and tarmac roads.

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B

Beam – A usually horizontal member that supports the ends of other joists, rafters or a wall above. Most likely, a beam is supported at each end by a column or post.

Bearing Wall - A wall that supports weight above. The weight can come from perpendicular joists, walls, or braces above.

Blocking – Pieces of wood placed between joists to help stabilize them.

Bottom Chord – The bottom member of a truss.

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C

Cantilever – When a member is placed in a structure such that it is suspended out into space.

Column/ post – A vertical member that supports a header or a beam.

Construction Documents – The papers used by the contractor to build a structure.

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D

Dead Load – The weight of the building itself. The dead load on a beam supporting the second floor would include the weight of beam, joists, sheathing and flooring and anything else in the floor system.

Details – Refers to individual cross sections or elevations that show the specific information needed for assembling connections in a structure. An example of a structural detail would be a picture drawn to show the connection of a joist to a beam.

Drawings – Refers to all of the pages in a set of construction documents that illustrate the floor plans, framing plans, structural notes, and details.

Drywall – A building material made from gypsum plaster sandwiched by thick paper. It is commonly installed on the inside of homes. It is able to absorb some sound and serves as a fire break.

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E

Elevated Slab – Concrete that is usually 6 to 12 inches thick that serves as a floor above ground level.

Elevation/ Elevation View – The perspective of a portion of the structure from the side. Architectural elevations would show the side of a home or the interior walls of a structure with all of the finishes labeled.

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F

Floor Plan – A drawing of the layout of a home.

Floor System – Refers to all of the members that make up a floor.

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H

Header – A beam that is located below the elevation of the joists or beams, usually over a doorway or window.

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J

Joist – Members that span horizontally between walls, beams, and other joists. They can be spaced at 12”, 16”, 19.5”, or even 24” apart.

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L

Live Load – The weight put on a structure by the people and furniture inside of it. A house is usual designed for 40 lbs per square foot; a deck is designed for 60 lbs per square foot.

Load-bearing Wall – A wall in a building that holds up joists or walls above. Removal of a load bearing wall could lead to collapse.

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M

Member – Any piece of the structure. A beam, a post, a stud, a joist, a rafter, etc. Basically, any piece of wood that is a part of your house.

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N

Non-bearing Wall - A wall that does not support any of the structure above it. It will likely be located very close to a bearing wall, or oriented parallel to the joists above it.

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P

Plan View – Drawings in a set of construction documents that show the building from a top view.

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R

Rafter – Joists that are used to frame the roof structure. They are usually sloped when installed.

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S

Sheathing – Plywood placed on the tops of joists or on wall studs.

Slab on Grade – Concrete that is poured in a thin layer, usually between 4 and 6 inches thick directly on top of the ground.

Stud – A vertical member inside of a wall. They are usually spaced at 16” on center.

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T

Top Chord – The top member of a truss.

Truss – An assembly of members consisting of a top chord, a bottom chord, and webs.

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W

Webs – members that make up the interior of a truss.

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