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LEARN THE LANGUAGE OF CONSTRUCTION FOR GREAT SUCCESS IN THIS CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY



Learn the Language Required for Your Success in Construction

There are construction projects going on all over the place, including in your neighbourhood. You'll come into contact with general contractors, subcontractors, engineers, and architects when you apply for employment and start working on projects. You may come across terminology and acronyms that are unfamiliar to you during meetings or when documents are discussed. You'll be at a disadvantage if you don't understand these terminology because you won't be able to follow along with the conversation. Your bottom line will suffer if you can't keep up in a conversation, especially when you're negotiating a contract. Additionally, you simply don't have the time to spend hours attempting to find terms on Google when you should be working on your building projects.



But don't worry—we have you covered! In order to make it simple for you to look up and examine the definitions of the 100 terms used in the industry most frequently, we have compiled them into a list. We've included words, phrases, and acronyms related to building structures, architectural blueprints, bidding stages, and contracts in this glossary of construction-related terms. If you can't locate the word you're looking for, let us know in the comments what word you believe we should add in the upcoming edition.


New Call to Action Term for Buildings

1. All-In Rate: Total project costs, including both direct and indirect expenditures.


2. Architect-in-Record: The name of the architectural firm that is included on the permits that have been obtained, yet it is possible that they did not really design the construction project.


3. ASTM (American Society of Testing Materials): An international organisation that develops standards for a variety of industries, including construction, ASTM is a source for technical specifications for goods, materials, systems, and services.


4. The best value approach is a way of selecting contractors for construction projects based on bid pricing and quality evaluations of prior job performance.


5. Bid: A cost estimate often based on the design brief and supporting documentation.


6. Bid Package: Construction documents in which the contractor has compiled the necessary information into an appropriate bid package.


7. Bid-Hit Ratio: This ratio shows how many construction projects you have successfully bid on.


8. Bid Package: Construction paperwork where the contractor has compiled all necessary data into a bid package.


9. The process of evaluating and contrasting contractor bids to choose the best one based on cost and services offered.


10. Bid Solicitation: Informing prospective bidders of an opportunity to submit a bid or to obtain a call for bids.


11. BIM (Building Information Modeling): A process for creating 3-D models that include a building's specifics.


12. Blocking: A technique used in construction to fill in, reinforce, or bring together structural elements.


13. Blueprints: A technical drawing in two dimensions that contains all of the project's specifics.


14. Bill of Quantities (BOQ): A contract document that lists all the materials and labour required to estimate the project's cost.


15. Box Crib: A temporary framework used to strengthen or add support to large objects used in building.


Building engineers are experts in design, construction, and technology assessment.


17. CAD (computer-aided design) software is used in architecture to produce in-depth building models.


18. Cant: An angled line or surface that removes a corner.


19. Catastrophic Failure: An mishap during the building process that results in significant damage and irreversible loss.


20. Change Order: A written record that adjusts or alters the project's specs, cost, or other details as stated in the construction contract.


21. Concrete Cover: Reinforced concrete, as there is the shortest distance between the reinforcement and the exterior concrete surface.


A horizontal platform made of concrete that is used to build a building's floor or ceiling.


23. Construction Build Out: Renovating or altering an existing commercial space so that it can be used for commercial activities.


Construction Drawings: The last-ever preconstruction plans for the entire structure.


25. Construction Estimate: Predicting the building's construction expenses in order to assess the project's viability.


Construction Management at Risk (CMAR) is a technique of project delivery where the construction manager agrees to complete the project within the guaranteed maximum price.


27. Construction management software: This tool, which includes accounting, paperwork, and team workloads, is utilised by construction managers to manage projects effectively.


28. Contract Formation: When an agreement is signed, a contract is formed that outlines the offer and acceptance between the parties.


Cost codes are used to keep track of spending plans and labor-related costs.


30. Cost-Plus Contract: This type of agreement pays the contractor for all permitted costs as well as an additional profit payment.


Course: A continuous masonry row of concrete blocks, stones, or bricks.


32. Cross Bracing: X-shaped reinforcements that give a structure more endurance.


33. Daily Report: A report prepared by the foreman at the conclusion of each day that lists the materials installed, crew information, safety incidents, and work done.


34. Damp proofing is a process used to keep the interior of drywall dry and stop moisture infiltration.


35. Design-Bid-Build is an established project delivery strategy whereby the owner or agency hires different companies to design and build the facility.


36. Design-Build: This project delivery technique entails hiring a single company or business to handle both the building's design and construction.


37. Diagrid: A technology for strengthening structures that uses steel beams arranged in diagonal grids.


38. Encasement refers to the installation of installed hazardous materials or the encasing of underground pipes in concrete.


39. Falsework: A temporary framework used to support a bridge or arch while it is being built or repaired.


40. Field Measurements are measurements made inside the building without consulting the plans.


41. Field Work Order: The document that the general contractor provides to the subcontractor about the completion of work that was not originally specified in the project's scope.


42. Floor Plan: A diagram of the building's layout that shows each room's dimensions from above.


43. A foreman is the top supervisor in charge of the work crews at a construction site. He makes sure that employees accomplish daily chores in accordance with predetermined timetables and makes records of work that has been completed.


44. An elevation sketch is a first angle projection of a structure that shows the front or side of the building facades.


General Contractor: The primary building construction contractor. Their primary duty is project management, and they also handle scheduling, budgeting, and subcontractor management.


46. GMP (Guaranteed Maximum Price): A contract that includes a fixed fee with a price ceiling cap in addition to the contractor being compensated for actual expenses incurred.


HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) is an acronym for the building's heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems.


48. IFB (Invitation for Bid): Contractors are asked to submit a project proposal for the services and goods they have offered.


49. Integrated Labor Delivery: This building method involves bringing in project labour during the design stage, with subcontractors handling 80% to 100% of the work.


50. Integrated Project Delivery (IPD): A construction paradigm in which the owner, architect, and builder enter into a single multi-party contract. According to the contract, all parties will split the project's rewards and risks.


51. Job costing is an accounting technique used to monitor finished construction work and assess if the volume of activity is in line with the project budget.


52. Joint: A construction interface between two distinct building parts that are not physically connected to one another but may overlap or align with it.


53. Joist: Horizontal components that are attached perpendicularly to beams to serve as weight transfer points.


54. Lean Construction: A way of managing projects that reduces waste while maximising value that involves all stakeholders sharing relationships and goals.


55. Lease-leaseback: A form of project delivery in which a school leases a site to a contractor who then develops a building for the school to utilise. The constructed building will subsequently be leased back to the school by the contractor. The building's title would pass to the school at the end of the lease.


Lien: A claim on the owner's property made by the contractor when they are not paid for the completed work.


57. Lift Slab Construction: This method of building involves casting concrete slabs at ground level and then lifting the slabs into position with hydraulic jacks.


Low Bid Procurement is a construction procurement strategy in which the lowest offer is immediately approved and the job is given to them.


Contracts with a single price provided for the full construction project are known as lump sum contracts (number 59).


A pneumatically-driven tool used to drill holes in the ground for building materials like pipelines and heat pump systems.


Using precast concrete panels that are bolted together to create concrete structures, monocrete construction is a construction technique.


Negotiated procurement is a method of government contracting in which a contractor is picked without a formal bid process or formal advertising.


Pay Applications: A construction document outlining the contractor's payment terms.


64. Performance Gap: A performance gap occurs when actual outcomes do not match the expected job progress.


Precast concrete, which is made off-site and shipped to the construction site for final assembly, is 65.


The project manager is in charge of overseeing every aspect of the management of the construction project. They keep an eye on finances, timetables, and project deliverables.


67. Public-Private Partnership: A form of project delivery in which a government agency works with a private corporation to finance, build, and maintain construction projects while the private makes profits from the project.


Punch List: A document that lists construction work that does not adhere to the client's requirements. It is made toward the conclusion of the project since the contractor must finish the work in order to be paid.


Purchase Orders (PO): In the construction industry, a purchase order is a written statement from the buyer expressing their desire to buy goods and services from the seller, such as a supplier.


70. Purlin: A horizontal, longitudinal beam used to support the rafters on roof structures.


71. RFI (Request for Information): This draught document includes a broad description of the services offered by possible suppliers or providers.


RFP (Request for Proposal): A document sent to vendors asking for a summary of their prices and product lines for particular services.


RFQ (Request for Quote): A document with established project specifications that asks the vendor for the price to meet these parameters.


Rim joists are joined to the ends of the main joists in flooring to provide lateral support.


75. RTT (Request for Tender): A formal request for bids from suppliers to provide goods and services for the construction project.


76. Rubblization: Unwanted concrete is broken down into small pieces throughout the construction process and used as the foundation for new surfaces.


77. Schedule of Values: A project's work item list that assigns each item a value based on the total cost of the project's work.


78. Scope Creep: Scope creep occurs when alterations and revisions are performed on a regular basis or when the project's original scope is uncontrolled exceeded.


Scope of Work (SOW): A description of the project's work that is included in the agreement.


Drawing that depicts the building's view as if it were cut on a vertical plane is called a "section drawing" (80).


Shiplap is a term for the wood panels that cover the sides of buildings, barns, and other structures.


Shop drawings are blueprints created by a contractor that show how components are made.


Shoring is a construction technique that supports the structure while it is being worked on using wooden or metal supports.


Bulldozers create a pile of earth as they excavate a location, and the soil can later be utilised for grading.


85. Soul Source Procurement: A procurement strategy in which a single contractor is chosen to complete the project's needs without the use of a competitive procedure.


86. Requirements: The requirements specify the materials and level of workmanship required for the building design.


A subcontract is a written agreement between a contractor and a subcontractor that specifies the precise work services required for the project.


88. Subcontractor: A subcontractor is a someone who specialises in a particular area of building or construction, such as plumbing or electrical work. They are contract employees that the general contractor has hired.


89. Submittals: Information for architects and engineers, including material data, shop drawings, and product data, allowing them to confirm that the right products were installed.


90. A superstructure is a building that is erected above another structure.


A document called a "takeoff" specifies the different kinds and amounts of supplies that will be needed for the construction project.


92. Target Value Design: This design approach incorporates all significant stakeholders, including the owner, subcontractors, designers, and contractors. The construction project will be designed to adhere to the owner's objectives and financial constraints.


93. Tender: A contractor's or supplier's proposal in response to a request for bids regarding the materials and services they can provide for the project.


Construction tools called ties are used to join disparate materials inside cavity walls.


95. Materials and Time Contracts: A system of contracting in which the contractor is compensated for actual expenses, including labour and supplies.


96. Underpinning is a construction method that uses beams, concrete, or base pining to reinforce an existing structure's foundation.


97. Unit Price Contracts: A contract in which the contractor is compensated in accordance with the projected number of items needed for the project and the unit costs of those items.


Virtual Design and Construction (VDC) is the term used to describe all multidisciplinary project models, including engineering modelling, visualisations, costing, and analysis models.


99: Voided Biaxial Slab: Concrete blocks that use less concrete because to internal voids that nonetheless maintain strength and longevity.


Governmental restrictions on how land can be utilised are known as zoning.


You can better comprehend the meaning of specific construction techniques, projects, and contracts by understanding the building definitions and acronyms listed above. Many of these terms are also frequently used in other fields, including engineering, architecture, and cost estimation.

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