BC Ch. 12 Terms

Aggregate

• Used in concrete construction to create a mixture by adding materials like sand and gravel to cement.

Cables

• High-strength, cold-drawn steel strands that apply tension to concrete, crucial for structural integrity.

Casting

• Involves placing fluid concrete into molds, allowing it to harden into specific shapes essential for construction components.

Cast-in-Place Concrete

• Molded directly on-site where it is intended to remain, allowing for custom shapes and integration with structural elements.

Chairs

• Small devices that support reinforcing rods above form surfaces, ensuring concrete flows underneath them for better reinforcement.

Composite and Combination Columns

• Constructed using a combination of steel and concrete, improving load-bearing capabilities and overall strength.

Composite Construction

• Involves using various load-bearing materials in different areas of a building, optimizing structural performance.

Continuous Casting

• The process of pouring concrete without interruption, crucial for large-scale projects requiring uniformity and strength.

Continuous Slipforming

• A technique where concrete is poured continuously as forms move upward, allowing for rapid vertical construction.

Drop Panel

• A structural feature that adds thickness to floor sections above columns, helping resist shearing forces.

Excess Flow Valve

• A safety device that detects sudden increases in flow, such as in a broken line, shutting off flammable gas to prevent hazards.

Falsework

• Temporary structures used to support concrete work until it can support itself, vital for safe construction practices.

Flat Plate Structural System

• A design with a cast-in-place floor that relies solely on columns for support, eliminating the need for beams.

Footing

• Transfers the loads from walls, piers, or columns to the ground, providing a stable foundation critical for building safety.

Formwork

• A mold used in concrete construction to shape poured concrete, necessary for creating distinct structures.

Hollow Tile

• Composed of vertical hollow cells designed to lighten concrete floors, enhancing structural efficiency.

Lally Columns

• Steel pipes filled with concrete to bolster load-bearing capacity, often used in basements and open spaces.

Left-in-Place Form

• Concrete floors generated by casting onto corrugated steel, providing structural support and integration.

Lift Slab

• Construction method where concrete slabs are cast on the ground and subsequently lifted into place for building structures.

Monolithic Construction

• Involves creating a structure from concrete that is bonded together, acting as a single unit for enhanced durability.

Mudsills

• Planks serving as a foundation for formwork shores, crucial for maintaining stability during the concrete setting process.

Mushroom Cap

• A tapered extension on column tops assisting in load transfer from floors to columns, which enhances structural effectiveness.

One-Way Structural System

• Features floors with beams running solely in one direction, simplifying design and construction processes.

Plain Concrete

• Concrete with minimal or no reinforcement, used in applications where additional strength is not critical.

Precast Concrete

• Concrete elements cast at a different location from the construction site, allowing for modular construction methods.

Prestressing

• A technique of introducing engineered stresses into concrete to counteract stresses applied under load, improving resilience.

Pretensioning and Posttensioning

• Methods of tensioning steel tendons either before or after pouring concrete, enhancing concrete’s strength and performance.

Reinforced Concrete

• Concrete that includes steel reinforcement to withstand various forces, making it suitable for most structural applications.

Reinforcing Bars or Rods

• Provide additional strength to concrete, essential for ensuring structural integrity under load.

Reshoring

• The practice of re-adding shores after form removal to support still-curing concrete, maintaining structure integrity.

Skewbacks

• Specifically shaped tiles designed to match and fit around steel beams, aiding in structural cohesion.

Slipforming

• A dynamic pouring method where forms move upward with the concrete, allowing for efficient and continuous construction.

Spalling

• The phenomenon of surface material loss in concrete due to excessive heat exposure, leading to structural weaknesses.

Strands

• Utilize special high-strength, cold-drawn steel cables to provide tension in concrete, instrumental in maintaining structural integrity.

Stressing the Tendons

• Involves stretching steel tendons and securing them once concrete achieves its designated strength, enhancing load-bearing capacity.

Temperature Rods

• Located within concrete to mitigate cracking due to temperature fluctuations, crucial for long-term durability.

Tendons

• High-strength, cold-drawn steel cables utilized to apply tension in concrete structures, improving overall stability.

Two-Way Structural System

• Characterized by floors that have beams running in two directions, providing balanced support and strength.

Underwriters Blocks

• Concrete blocks manufactured per Underwriters Laboratories, Inc. classifications, ensuring compliance with safety standards.

Waffle Concrete

• A distinct structural system utilizing a pattern of closely spaced beams set at right angles, enhancing strength and reducing weight.