A contractor hired to manage a project and to hire subcontractors. (If a customer serves as their own general contractor then this means they undertake the management tasks and the hiring of subcontractors.)

glass felt

nounConstruction

glass fibers bonded into a sheet with resin and suitable for impregnation with asphalt in the manufacture of bituminous waterproofing, roofing membranes and shingles.

glaze coat

nounConstruction

a thin protective coating of bitumen applied to the lower plies or top ply of a roof membrane when application of additional felts or surfacing are delayed.

gravel stop

nounConstruction

Flashing installed to prevent the gravel surfacing from being washed off a roof by heavy rain.

green-gray

adjectiveConstruction

Of infrastructure: combining natural systems with traditional engineering.

groundwater level

nounConstruction

The level, at a particular site, below which the subsoil and rock masses of the earth are fully saturated with water.

half-bat

nounConstruction

A bat (brick with one whole end) that is exactly half the length of the original brick.

hand-tab

verbConstruction

To spot-apply asphalt-based adhesive to shingles for securement and wind resistance.

header

nounConstruction

A brick that is laid sideways (on its largest face), for example at the top of a wall or within the brickwork, with its smallest side showing (oriented so that that side is wider than it is tall).

heart

verbConstruction

To fill an interior with rubble, as a wall or a breakwater.

heart bond

nounConstruction

A bond in which no header stone stretches across the wall, but two headers meet in the middle, and their joint is covered by another stone laid header fashion.

heartbond

nounConstruction

A bond in a stone wall in which two headers meet in the middle of a wall and another header covers the joint between them.

hearting

nounConstruction

Material used as fill between walls of greater structural integrity, especially in masonry.

hoarding

nounConstruction

A temporary fence-like structure built around building work to add security and prevent accidents to the public.

honeycomb sandwich

nounConstruction

A composite structure made up of a honeycomb core sandwiched between two facesheets.

hook pin

nounConstruction

A pin with a hooked head, used to pin together the frame of a floor or roof.

hot patch

nounConstruction

A repair for cracks and potholes in a paved surface involving filling them with hot, molten asphalt concrete.

hydration

nounConstruction

The chemical reaction by which a substance (such as cement) combines with water, giving off heat to form a crystalline structure in its setting and hardening.

ice dam

nounConstruction

A mass of ice formed at the transition from a warm to a cold roof surface, frequently formed by refreezing meltwater at the overhang of a steep roof, causing ice and water to back up under roofing materials.

inbond

adjectiveConstruction

Of a brick or stone: laid with its length across the thickness of a wall.

initial setting time

nounConstruction

Of concrete, the moment in time that cement turns into paste after mixing with water and begins to lose its plasticity.

injection

nounConstruction

The act of inserting materials like concrete grout or gravel by using high pressure pumps.

interdome

nounConstruction

The interstitial space between the inner and outer shells of a dome or cupola.

interlayment

nounConstruction

a felt, metal, or membrane sheet material used between courses of steep-slope roofing to improve the weather and water-shedding characteristics of the primary roof covering during times of wind-driven precipitation.

intertie

nounConstruction

In any framed work, a horizontal tie other than sill and plate or other principal ties, securing uprights to one another.

IPD

nounConstruction

Initialism of integrated project delivery.

jack post

nounConstruction

A telescoping steel post used for the temporary support of ceilings, walls, and trenches.

jumpform

nounConstruction

A kind of formwork; a temporary mold, made from planks, into which concrete is poured, in order to create vertical concrete structures that rise with the building process.

key

nounConstruction

An object designed to fit between two other objects (such as a shaft and a wheel) in a mechanism and maintain their relative orientation.

kneecap

nounConstruction

A metal cover trim that fits over a panel rib after it has been cut and bent.

kneepiece

nounConstruction

An angular piece of timber strengthening a joint where two roof timbers meet.

ledger

nounConstruction

A board attached to a wall to provide support for attaching other structural elements (such as deck joists or roof rafters) to a building.

LF

nounConstruction

Initialism of linear feet.

lookout

nounConstruction

A joist that extends in cantilever out from the exterior wall (or wall plate) of a building, supporting the roof sheathing and providing a nailing surface for the fascia boards.

low-slope roof

nounConstruction

According to ASTM standard E 1918-97, a roof whose uppermost part is installed at a slope of 2/12 or 1:6 (9.5 degrees) or less.

manlock

nounConstruction

An airlock through which workers pass into a chamber of compressed air, especially used in mines.

megatall

nounConstruction

A building approximately between 600 meters and 900 meters tall, (between 2000 feet and 3000 feet tall). A building taller than a supertall.

metallic waterproofing

nounConstruction

finely graded iron particles combined with an oxidizing catalyst. When mixed with water (or water, cement and sand), the finely distributed particles expand, creating a waterproof layer that becomes part of the surface to which it is applied.

modified bitumen

nounConstruction

composite sheets consisting of a polymer modified bitumen often reinforced with various types of mats or films and sometimes surfaced with films, foils or mineral granules.

modular building

nounConstruction

A method where structures are prefabricated in sections, or modules, off-site in a factory setting before being transported and assembled at the final location.

moisture scan

nounConstruction

The use of a mechanical device (capacitance, infrared or nuclear) to detect the presence of moisture within an assembly.

mole run

nounConstruction

a meandering ridge in a roof membrane not associated with insulation or deck joints.

monolith

verbConstruction

To create (something) as, or convert (one or more things) into, a monolith.

mop-and-flop

nounConstruction

an application procedure in which roofing elements (insulation boards, felt plies, cap sheets, etc.) are initially placed upside down adjacent to their ultimate location; coated with adhesive or bitumen; and turned over and adhered to the substrate.