BT5 PRELIMS

ENGINEERED WOOD

Wood derivative products manufactured by binding together strands, particles, fibers, or veneers of wood with adhesives to form composite materials. They are engineered to precise design specifications and tested to meet construction standards.

BUILDING BOARD

Thin, broad, long, flat, plain or textured sheets made of wood strips, strands, flakes, fibers, veneer, chips, cement, or other composite material used for paneling, ceiling, flooring, framing, carpentry, and formwork.

COMPOSITE PANEL

A wood panel product consisting of two face veneers bonded to a reconstituted wood core.

VENEER

A thin sheet of wood rotary cut, sliced, or sawn from a log or flitch, used as a superior facing to inferior wood or bonded together to form plywood.

CROSSBAND

A layer of veneer immediately adjacent to and at right angles to the face plies in a plywood panel.

CORE

The center of a plywood panel, consisting of veneers, sawn lumber, or composition board.

BANDING

Solid wood stock extending around the sides of a veneered panel, concealing the core and facilitating the shaping of the panel edges.

PLYWOOD

A wood panel product made by bonding veneers together under heat and pressure, usually at right angles to each other.

PLYMETAL

Plywood clad on one or both sides with sheet metal.

PLYBOARD

An engineered wood board made of wooden strips at its core and thin veneers on both faces, compressed to form a composite board. It is less dense and water resistant than plywood.

LAMINATED VENEER LUMBER (LVL)

An engineered wood product using multiple layers of thin wood assembled with adhesives under heat and pressure using a waterproof adhesive. It is stronger, straighter, and more uniform in size and shape. Used for headers, beams, planks, rimboard, and edge-forming material.

PARALLEL STRAND LUMBER (PSL)

ORIENTED STRANDBOARD (OSB)

A non-veneered wood panel commonly used for sheathing and sub-flooring, made by bonding layers of long, thin wood strands under heat and pressure using waterproof adhesive.

WAFERBOARD

A non-veneered panel product composed of large, thin wood flakes bonded under heat and pressure with a waterproof adhesive.

PARTICLEBOARD / CHIPBOARD

A non-veneered composite wood panel consisting of cellulosic particles made by bonding small wood particles with a synthetic resin under heat and pressure.

STRAWBOARD

A hardboard made of compressed wheat straw, processed at 350–400°F and covered with tough kraft paper.

FIBERBOARD

A fibrous-felted, homogeneous panel made from lignocellulosic fibers, usually wood or cane.

MEDIUM DENSITY FIBERBOARD (MDF)

A composite panel product generally consisting of cellulosic fibers mixed with a synthetic resin or other bonding element and joined together under heat and pressure.

HARDBOARD

A very dense, felted, homogeneous panel made from lignocellulosic fibers consolidated under heat and pressure.

WALLBOARD

A rigid sheet composed of wood pulp, gypsum, or other materials, fastened to the building to provide an interior surface finish.

TEMPERED BOARD

A hardboard impregnated with drying oil or other oxidizing resin and baked to improve its hardness and moisture resistance.

PEG BOARD / PERFORATED BOARD

Tempered hardboard having regularly spaced perforations into which hooks may be inserted for storage or display.

GLUED LAMINATED TIMBER / GLULAM

A structural timber product composed of several layers of dimensioned lumber glued together. It can form large, strong structural members used as columns, beams, and curved or arching structures.

GLUED BUILT-UP MEMBERS

Structural members composed of built-up lumber, plywood, or engineered wood in combination with lumber, with all parts bonded together with adhesives.

GANG NAIL SYSTEM

A wood construction system that uses spiked metal plates to assemble members as in a truss.

UREA-FORMALDEHYDE (UF) RESIN

The most common among the adhesives used in engineered wood product manufacturing.

PHENOL-FORMALDEHYDE (PF) RESIN

A yellow or brown adhesive used for exterior-exposure wood materials.

MELAMINE-FORMALDEHYDE (MF) RESIN

A white, heat- and water-resistant adhesive, often used in exposed surface products in more costly designs.

MDI / POLYURETHANE (PU) RESIN

The most expensive adhesive; generally has waterproofing ability and does not contain formaldehyde.

CAST-IN-PLACE CONCRETE

Concrete deposited, formed, cured, and finished in its final position on site. It is transported in an unhardened state, primarily as ready-mix, and placed in forms.

READY-MIXED CONCRETE

Concrete that is proportioned and mixed off the project site, then delivered to the site in a truck agitator.

CONSOLIDATION

The process that compacts fresh concrete to mold it within the forms around embedded items and reinforcement and eliminates stone pockets, honeycombing, and entrapped air.

VIBRATION

The most widely used method for consolidating concrete.

SELF-COMPACTING CONCRETE

Concrete able to flow and consolidate under its own weight and requires no vibration.

CURING

The process in which satisfactory moisture content and temperature are maintained so concrete can develop adequate strength and durability.

SCREEDING / STRIKEOFF

The process that removes excess concrete and evens out the exposed surface to the proper contour and elevation

TRADITIONAL FORMS

A concrete forming technique using temporary forms, typically aluminum, with rigid foam insulation placed inside or between the forms.

TUNNEL FORMS

A forming system where walls, floors, and ceilings are cast at the same time. Best suited to multi-family buildings and attached housing where room dimensions are repeated.

PRECAST CONCRETE

Also called pre-fabricated. Concrete is cast in a reusable mould, cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site, and lifted into place.

LARGE-PANEL SYSTEM

A precast system using large wall and floor concrete panels connected vertically and horizontally, enclosing appropriate spaces for rooms.

FRAME SYSTEM

Precast frames constructed using linear elements or spatial beam-column sub-assemblages.

FLAT PLATE

A concrete slab of uniform thickness, reinforced in two or more directions and supported directly by columns without beams or girders. Suitable for short to medium spans with relatively light live loads.

FLAT SLAB

A flat plate thickened at its column supports with column capitals and drop panels to increase shear strength and moment-resisting capacity. Suitable for heavily loaded spans.

RIBBED SLAB

A reinforced concrete slab cast integrally with closely spaced joists supported by a parallel set of beams. Designed as parallel T-beams and economical for medium spans with light to medium live loads.

DISTRIBUTION RIB

A rib formed perpendicular to the joists of a ribbed slab to distribute possible load concentrations over a larger area.

JOIST BAND

A broad, shallow supporting beam for a ribbed slab.

PAN

A reusable metal or fiberglass mold used in forming a ribbed slab.

WAFFLE SLAB

A two-way concrete slab reinforced by ribs in two directions. It can carry heavier loads and span longer distances than flat slabs.

LIFT SLAB

A method of concrete construction in which floor and roof slabs are cast on or at ground level and, using jacks, lifted into position.

PRE-STRESSED CONCRETE

Concrete reinforced by pre-tensioning or post-tensioning high-strength steel tendons to actively resist a service load. It allows the member to deflect less, carry a greater load, or span a greater distance than a conventionally reinforced member.

PRE-STRESS

To introduce internal stresses to a concrete member in order to counteract the stresses that will result from an applied load.

PRE-TENSION

To prestress a concrete member by tensioning the reinforcing tendons before the concrete is cast.

POST-TENSION

To prestress a concrete member by tensioning the reinforcing tendons after the concrete has set.

BONDED POST-TENSIONING

Post-tensioning in which reinforcing tendons are bonded to the surrounding concrete by injecting grout in the annular spaces around the strands.

UNBONDED POST-TENSIONING

Post-tensioning in which the spaces around the reinforcing tendons are not grouted, allowing the tendons to move relative to the surrounding concrete.

SHEATH

A tube for encasing tendons in a post-tensioned member to prevent their bonding to the concrete during placement.

HOLLOW-CORE SLAB

A precast slab of prestressed concrete plank internally cored to reduce dead weight. Suitable for medium to long spans and uniformly distributed floor and roof loads.

SINGLE TEE

A precast, prestressed concrete slab having a broad, T-shaped cross section. The flange resists compressive stresses while the web resists shear stress.

DOUBLE TEE

A precast, prestressed concrete slab having two stems and a broad cross section resembling TT. Used where large column-open spaces are required.

CURTAIN WALL

An external, lightweight, non-loadbearing wall that is either glazing or cladding and is hung from a metal frame rather than built up from the ground.

GLASS CURTAIN WALL

A curtain wall designed to span multiple floors, considering thermal expansion and contraction, water diversion, ventilation, thermal efficiency, heating, cooling, and daylighting.

WINDOW WALL

A curtain wall bearing on the floor slab. The system is generally used to reduce cost, but must be capable of withstanding wind and seismic loads in mid- to high-rise construction.

STRUCTURAL GLASS / BOLT-FIXED GLASS

A series of glass units held together with patches or bolted connections that support the glass by direct bearing and friction.

STICK SYSTEM

A curtain wall system installed piece by piece on-site, including the glazing.

UNIT PANEL SYSTEM

A series of prefabricated units that interlock with the adjacent frame and are often pre-glazed.

UNIT AND MULLION SYSTEM

Also called the semi-unitized system; a hybrid of the stick and unit system.

POINT-LOADED STRUCTURAL GLAZING SYSTEM

A system where glass is supported by four-point brackets, with joints sealed with silicone.

ANNEALED GLASS

Standard float glass. Annealing is the process of slowly cooling glass to relieve internal stresses. It is not safety glass and breaks into large, sharp pieces.

TEMPERED GLASS

A strong, break-resistant safety glass that, when broken, shatters into small granular pieces.

LAMINATED GLASS

A sealed, double-pane glass unit with a vacuum or gas in the space between the panes.

FLOAT GLASS

Glass made by floating molten glass on a bed of molten tin. It is the clearest glazing option.

TINTED / HEAT-ABSORBING GLASS

Glass with colour added during manufacture to provide colour and light- or heat-reducing capabilities.

COATED GLASS

Glass with a chemical film applied to one surface.

LOW-EMISSIVITY GLASS

Glass coating that reflects long-wave, infrared energy.

CERAMIC FRIT

A ceramic coating fused to the base glass during the heat treating process, used to create opaque or spandrel glass.

SELF-CLEANING GLASS

Glass with a photocatalytic coating that reacts with sunlight to break down and dislodge organic dirt.

CLADDING

The application of one material over another to provide a skin or layer intended to control the infiltration of weather elements or for aesthetic purposes. It is a control element, not necessarily a waterproof condition.

LAP-SEAM METAL PANELS

Metal sheets that are typically ship-lapped with adjacent panels. Gutters or sealant tape are typically included at panel edges.

COMPOSITE METAL WALL PANELS

Panels with two sheets of metal adhered to a core material. They are usually stronger than lap-seam panels and provide built-in insulation.

FOAMED-INSULATION CORE PANEL

Metal facings with insulation foamed into place during fabrication.

LAMINATED-INSULATION CORE PANEL

Metal facings laminated to preformed insulation boards.

HONEYCOMB CORE PANEL

Metal facings bonded to a honeycomb core.

FLAT PLATE METAL WALL PANEL

Metal plate panels bent to the desired profile. They have very high impact resistance and durability compared to other types of panels.

METAL-FACED COMPOSITE PANEL

Panels consisting of metal facings adhered to a thin thermoplastic core.

ALUMINUM

A corrosion-resistant metal available with a variety of finishes and a wide range of colours.

STAINLESS STEEL

A long-lasting metal available in finishes including high reflectivity, smooth, brushed, and embossed.

WEATHERING STEEL

Steel in plate form used for cladding, with a self-arresting oxidation that creates a rich and changing texture.

ZINC

A metal well-known for its high corrosion resistance and natural blue-gray or pewter appearance when combined with titanium and copper.

INSULATION

In non-insulated metal panels, insulation is typically provided by batt insulation set within the stud wall behind the metal panel cladding.

AIR AND MOISTURE BARRIER

A secondary barrier system commonly required for drainage and rainscreen metal panels to control air and moisture.

MOISTURE PROTECTION

Metal panel systems can be barrier systems, drainage systems, or rainscreen systems. The design of metal panel joints is critical for watertight performance.

FIRE-STOPPING

A component that may be included at floor levels in metal panel wall systems for fire safety.

PITTING

When protective coating on metal panels is attacked by weather and pollution, resulting in a pitted appearance.

TILT-UP CONSTRUCTION

A building construction technique using concrete. Modular concrete elements are formed on a concrete slab, then after curing, they are tilted from horizontal to vertical with a crane and braced into position.

TILT-SLAB / TILT WALL

Another name for tilt-up construction. The walls are created horizontally in large slabs of concrete called panels, then lifted into position.

REVEALS

Style accents and other desired shapes that can be molded into the concrete panels.

BONDBREAKER

A chemically reactive material sprayed on form surfaces to prevent the cast concrete from bonding with the form or slab, allowing the cast element to separate after curing.

REBAR GRID

A grid constructed inside the forms after the form release is applied; rebar size and spacing are generally specified by the engineer.

STACK CAST

Casting concrete slabs one on top of the other when space is at a premium.

TILT-UP PANEL

A large concrete panel created horizontally and then lifted or tilted up into position around the building slab.

ADVANTAGES OF TILT-UP

Savings in construction costs, fast construction schedule, safety, aesthetics, durability, fire safety, ease of maintenance, repairs and expandability, security, and reduced operating costs.