MODULE 4

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION TERMS

English Vernacular

Andobe anchor --------------------- Liyabe

Aligned --------------------- Kalinya
Alignment --------------------- Asintada
Alternate or staggered --------------------- Uno sinotra
Anchor --------------------- Liyabe
Architect --------------------- Arkitekto
Astragal --------------------- Batidura
Balusters --------------------- Baluster, barandilla
Beam --------------------- Biga
Banisters --------------------- Barandilya
Barrel bolt --------------------- Trankilya
Baseboard --------------------- Rodapis
Bath tub --------------------- Baniera
Bolt --------------------- Pierno
Bottom chord --------------------- Tirante, estunyo
Brace --------------------- Pie de gallo
Brick --------------------- Tisa
Brick (cement) --------------------- Landrillo
Canopy --------------------- Media agua
Cabinet hinge --------------------- Espolon
Carpenter --------------------- Karpintero
Carpentry --------------------- Karpinteria
Cast iron --------------------- Pundido
Ceiling --------------------- Kisame
Ceiling board ---------------------
Ceiling joist --------------------- Kostilyahe
Cement --------------------- Semento
Cement brick --------------------- Ladrilyo
Cement tiles --------------------- Baldosa
Chain bolt --------------------- Baral de cadena
Collar --------------------- Sinturon
Column --------------------- Kolumna, haligue
Concrete --------------------- Konkreto
Concrete slab --------------------- Larga masa
Concrete beam --------------------- Biga
Conductor --------------------- Alulod
Contractor --------------------- Kontratista
Corr. G.I. sheet --------------------- Yiero canalado galbanisado
Closed stringer --------------------- Escalera
Crushed stone --------------------- Escombro
Diagonal brace --------------------- Sinturon
Door --------------------- Pinto
Door fillet --------------------- Batidora
Door head --------------------- Sombrero (pintuan)
Door jamb --------------------- Hamba pintuan
Door sill --------------------- Umbral
Drawbore pin or drawpin --------------------- Punsol
Earth fill --------------------- Escombro
Eave --------------------- Alero/barakilan/sopo
Electrician --------------------- Elektrista
Engineer --------------------- Inhinyero
Exterior siding --------------------- Tabike
Faucet --------------------- Gripo
Fascia board --------------------- Senepa
Feet --------------------- Piye
Fill --------------------- Tambak
Filler --------------------- Tapal, dagdag
English Vernacular
Floor joist --------------------- Soleras
Fillet --------------------- Batidura
Flooring --------------------- Sahig, suelo
Floor sill --------------------- guililan
Flash --------------------- Alahado
Foreman --------------------- Kapatas, Maestro de Obra
Foundation / footing --------------------- Pundasyon
Framework --------------------- Balangkas
Gable roof --------------------- Dos aguas
Girder --------------------- Guililan
Girt --------------------- Sepo
Gravel --------------------- Graba
Grill --------------------- Rehas
Groin --------------------- Eskina, espolon
Groove --------------------- Canal
Gutter --------------------- Alulod, canal
Handrail --------------------- Gabay
Head --------------------- Sombrero
Hinge --------------------- Bisagra
Hip --------------------- Kadena ng bubungan
Hip roof --------------------- Kwatro aguas
Inch --------------------- Pulgada
Jamb --------------------- Hamba
Joist --------------------- Suleras
King post --------------------- pindulo
Laborer --------------------- Piyon
Landing --------------------- Mesa, pahingahan
Lavatory --------------------- Lababo
Laying of CHB or adobe stone --------------------- asinta
Lean-to roof --------------------- Sibe
Level --------------------- Lebel
Machine bolt --------------------- Pierno pasante
Mason --------------------- Kantero
Masonry --------------------- Kanteria
Meter --------------------- Metro
Mitre/miter --------------------- Canto mesa
Masonry fill --------------------- Lastilyas
Mortar --------------------- Paupo
Mortar joints --------------------- Kostura
Moulding --------------------- Moldura
Nailers --------------------- Pamakuan
Nails --------------------- Pako
Nail setter --------------------- Punsol
Newel post --------------------- Tukod
Nut --------------------- Tuerka
Nicolite bar --------------------- Estanyo
Oakum --------------------- Estopa
Open stringer --------------------- Hardinera
Painter --------------------- Pintor
Panel --------------------- Bandeha
Panel door --------------------- De bandeha
Pattern --------------------- Plantilya
Pea gravel --------------------- Grabita
Pendulum (king post) --------------------- Pendulon
Pickwork --------------------- Piketa
Pig lead --------------------- Tingga, estopa
Plain G.I. sheet --------------------- Yiero liso galbanisado
Plain G.I. strap --------------------- Lingueta
Plank board --------------------- Senepa
Plaster --------------------- Palitada
Plastered course --------------------- Kusturada
Plug --------------------- Tapon
Plumb bob --------------------- Hulog
English Vernacular
Plumber --------------------- Tubero
Plumbing --------------------- Tuberia
Plumb line --------------------- Hulog
Post --------------------- Poste, haligi
Projection --------------------- Bolada
Purlin --------------------- Reostra, parikilan
Putty --------------------- Masilya
Quarter round --------------------- Mediacana
Queen post --------------------- Sobre pindulo
Quion --------------------- Kunyas
Rabbet --------------------- Vaciada
Rafter --------------------- Kilo, tahilan, tukod bubong
Reinforcing bar --------------------- Cabilla, bakal
Ridge roll --------------------- Caballete
Riser --------------------- Senepa, takip silipan
Rivets --------------------- Rimatse
Roof --------------------- Atip, bubong
Sand --------------------- Buhangin
Scaffolding --------------------- Andamiyo, plancha
Scratch coat --------------------- Rebokada
Screw --------------------- Turnilyo
Septic tank --------------------- Poso negro
Shape --------------------- Korte
Sheet --------------------- Plantsa
Shower --------------------- Dutsha
Sidings --------------------- Tabika
Sink --------------------- Prigadero
Sketch plan --------------------- Krokis
Slab (rough) --------------------- Larga masa
Slope --------------------- Bahada
Solder --------------------- Hinang
Spacing --------------------- Biento
Split knob --------------------- Poleya
Stairs --------------------- Hagdanan
stake --------------------- Staka
Stringer (open) --------------------- Hardinera
Stringer (closed) --------------------- Madre (de escalera)
Stucco --------------------- Palitada
Stud (vertical) --------------------- Pilarete
Stud (horizontal) --------------------- Pabalagbag, trabe anzo
Temper (metal work) --------------------- Suban, subuhan
Thread --------------------- Roskas
Tinsmith --------------------- Latero
Tinsmithing --------------------- Lateria
Top chord --------------------- Kilo, tahilan
Transom --------------------- Espeho
Tread --------------------- Baytang, perdano
Trellis --------------------- Pergola
Truss --------------------- Truss, kilo
Varnished --------------------- Varnisado
Wainscoating tiles --------------------- Asolehos
Washer --------------------- Pitsa, tsapa
Water closet --------------------- Inidoro
Window --------------------- Bintana
Window grill --------------------- Rehas
Window head --------------------- Sombrero bintana
Window jamb --------------------- Hamba bintana
Window sill --------------------- Pasamano
W.I. strap --------------------- Planchuela
Wood grain --------------------- Haspe
Wiring knob --------------------- Poleya
Wood plank --------------------- Tabla
Wrought iron strap --------------------- Plantsuela
MODULE 5
BUILDING SYSTEMS & CONSTRUCTION
DRAWING STANDARDS

The major elements of a building include the following: (1) the foundation,
which supports the building and provides stability; (2) the structure, which
supports all the imposed loads and transmits them to the foundation; (3) the
exterior walls, which may or may not be part of the primary supporting
structure; (4) the interior partitions, which also may or may not be part of the
primary structure; (5) the environmental-control systems, including the
heating, ventilating, air-conditioning, lighting, and acoustical systems; (6) the
vertical transportation systems, including elevators, escalators, and stairways;
(7) communications, which may include such subsystems as
intercommunications, public address, and closed-circuit television, as well as
the more usual telephone-wiring systems; and (8) the power, water supply,
and waste disposal systems.1

Construction Drawing Standards

Taken from “The National Building Code of the Philippines”
(P.D. 1096 Rule 1 Article 3.2.1 – Architectural Documents)
Required Sheets
A. Republic of the Philippines
B. Office of the Building Official
C. District / City / Municipality
D. Land Use and Zoning
E. Line and Grade
F. Architectural
G. Structural
H. Electrical
I. Mechanical
J. Sanitary
K. Plumbing
L. Electronics
M. Geodetic Engineer

Title Block Contents

A. Logo / Firm
B. Architect-in-charge
a. PRC Registration no. / Date / Place
 b. PTR no. / Date / Place
c. TIN
d. UAP no.
C. Important: These drawings as instruments of service are the
properties of the Architect. It shall be unlawful for any person,
without a written consent from the Architect or the author of the
said documents, to duplicate or make copies of said documents
(R.A. 9266 Sec.33, Art IV)
D. Engineer (same information required as Architect)
E. Project Title / Location
F. Owner / Signature / Address
G. Drawn by/ Checked by / Approved by / Dates / Revisions
H. Sheet contents
I. Sheet no.

ARCHTECTURAL DOCUMENTS (NBC Art. 3.2.1 Rule I)

A. Location plan
 two-kilometer radius: commercial, industrial and institutional
complex
 half-kilometer radius: residential buildings
 Drawn at any convenient scale
 Showing prominent landmarks or major thoroughfares
B. Site Development Plan and / or location plan at scale 1: 200 M.
standard or any convenient scale for large scale development showing
position of building in relation to the lot
C. Floor Plans: minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
D. Elevations - at least four (4): minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
E. Sections – at least two (2): minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
F. Foundation Plan: minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
G. Floor – framing Plan: minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
H. Roof – framing Plan: minimum scale – 1: 100 M.
I. Details of footing / columns at any convenient scale
J. Details of structural members at any convenient scale

GRAPHIC AND INFORMATION ELEMENTS

A. Notes
 Clear orderly lettering
 Group notes and styles of leaders
 types
B. Sheet composition
C. Titles
 Alpha numeric
 Graphical
D. Symbols
 North arrow
 Elevation callouts
 Sectional callouts
 Column callouts/bubbles
 Room callouts
 Door callouts
 Detail callouts
 Wall callouts
 Elevation bullets/reference
E. Dimensions
MODULE 6
LAYOUT AND EXCAVATION
TERMS
 Spirit level - instrument or tool capable of vertical and horizontal line
check
 Plumb bob – used for vertical line check
 Plastic hose filled with water – a method of leveling (horizontal)
batter boards without transit
 3-4-5 multiples w/ the use of steel tape measure – a manual method
of squaring the corners of building lines in building layout
 Sheet pilling – a barrier formed to prevent the movement of soil to
stabilize foundation
 Stakes (istaka)
– Are wooden sticks used as posts sharpened at one end driven into the
ground to serve as boundaries or supports of the batter boards
– Wooden vertical members usually 2” x 2” lumber sharpened at one
end
 Batter Board
– Wooden horizontal members usually 2” x 2” or 2” x 4” nailed to the
stakes which serves as the horizontal plane where the reference point
of the building measurements are established.

LAYOUT
 Process of transferring the building dimensions from 2-D plan
drawings to 3-D physical quantities projected on the ground of the
site
 Sometimes called “staking out”
 Process of relocating the point of boundaries and property line of the
site where the building is to be constructed

Layout Method and Procedure

1. Secure a building permit before beginning the
construction.
2. Relocate boundaries of the construction site.
3. Clear the site of any existing structure, trees and other
elements that will obstruct the construction work.
4. Construct and allocate space for laborer’s quarters,
construction office and storage for materials and
working tools.
 5. Apply for a temporary connection of electric and
water supply. Construct a temporary fence around the
construction site.
6. Determine the building setback which is normally
parallel from the road line.
7. Verify the measurement in the plan.
8. Drive stakes into the ground
9. Fix batter boards into horizontal position with the aid
of a level instrument
10. After establishing the reference points and lines of the
footing, transfer the intersecting points of the string
on the ground by the aid of a plumb bob and indicate
the size and width to be excavated.

ARRANGEMENT OF STAKES
1. center to center
2. center to outside face
3. outside face to outside face
4. inside to inside

TYPES OF STAKING
1. Stakes and full batter board
2. Stakes and partial batter board
3. Stakes only

EXCAVATION
Types:
1. MINOR EXCAVATION
2. MAJOR EXCAVATION
Minor excavation
Excavation under this category are those construction having independent
footing and hollow block wall footing where the digging of the soil for the
footing extend to a depth from 1.00 to 1.50 meter and about half a meter
depth for the wall footing.

Major excavation
Building construction that requires wide excavation or total extraction of the
soil is classified into two categories depending upon the condition or location
of the site. When the area of the construction site is big that there is enough
space to accommodate working activities, storing of materials and dumping
ground for the excavated soil.
Building construction on a busy commercial center with adjacent existing
structure is considered to the most complicated among the various
construction works since this requires careful study and analysis of the right
approach.

Possible Problems to be encountered:

1. The manner of the excavation to be employed which will not affect or
damaged the adjoining structure.
2. The kind of equipment to be used in the digging and extracting the
ground may not be a problem but the place where to station the
equipment during the operation.
3. How and where to dispose the extracted soil involves the effective
manner of maneuvering the payload and dump trucks in hauling without
obstructing the pedestrian and vehicular traffic flow.
4. Where to dispose the underground water to be drained by the water pump
during the process of construction which might cause muddy road and
create inconvenience to traffic.
5. The kind of sheeting and bracing to be used in shoring or underpinning
to protect the adjoining structure must be considered.
3 Major Parts of a Building:
 Superstructure – which is the above ground portion of the building.
 Substructure – which is the habitable below-ground portion.
 Foundation – which are the components of the building that transfer its
load into the soil.

3 Types of Substructures:
 Slab on fill
 Crawlspace
 Basement

2 Basic Types of Foundations:

 Shallow foundations are those that transfer the load to the earth at the
base of the column or wall of the substructure.
 Deep foundations transfer the load at a point far below the substructure.

Foundation is that portion of the structural elements that carry or support

the superstructure of the building.
Footing is that portion of the foundation of the structure which directly
transmits the column load to the underlying soil or rock, footing is the lower
portion of the foundation structure.
Foundation bed - refers to the soil or rock directly beneath the footing.
Pile foundation – when a foundation bed is too weak to support a raft
footing, there is an urgent need to provide a suitable materials where to
transfer the excess load to a greater depth wherein piles is the answer.
Pile – is a structural member of small cross-sectional area with reasonable
length driven down the ground by means of hammers or vibratory generator.
Pile is distinguished from a caisson by being driven into place rather than
drilled & poured.
Piles are generally driven closely together in clusters containing from two to
twenty-five piles. Each cluster is latter joined at the top by a reinforced
concrete pile cap.
Pile cap – distributes the load of the column or wall equally among the piles.
Caissons – is similar to a column footing in that it spreads the load from a
column over a large enough area of soil.

 Foundation wall – that part of the building foundation which forms the
permanent retaining wall of the structure below grade.
 Grade beam – that part of a foundation system w/c supports the exterior
wall of the superstructure and bears directly on the column footing.
 Retaining wall – a wall or laterally braced, that bears against an earth or
other fill surface and resists lateral and other forces.
 Cantilever wall – a reinforced concrete wall which resist overturning by
the use of cantilever footing.
 Gravity wall – a massive concrete wall that resist overturning by virtue
of it’s own weight.
 Bearing wall – a wall capable of supporting an imposed load.

Footings are classified into two types:

Wall footing or strip footing – is a strip of reinforced concrete wider than
the wall which distributes the load to the soil.
A steel percentage equals to 0.2 to 0.3% of the cross sectional area of
concrete is said to be adequate except on unusual cases.

Column footing – is classified into the following types:

1. Isolated or independent footing – is a kind of footing represents
the simplest and most economical type, in the form of:
 Square block footing
 Square slope footing
 Square stepped footing
2. Combined footing – is used when two or more columns are spaced
closely to each other that their footing will almost or completely
merge. It’s either :
  Rectangular
 Trapezoidal
3. Continuous footing – is sometimes classified as wall footing which
support several columns in a row. It’s either:
 Inverted slab footing
 Inverted tee footing
4. Raft or mat footing – it’s occupies the entire area beneath the
structure and carry the wall and the column loads.

Post – refers to a piece of timber either cylindrical, square or other

geometrical cross section placed vertically to support a building.
Column – refers to vertical structure use to support a building made of stone,
concrete, steel or combination of the above materials.
Storey – is the space in a building between floor levels or between a floor and
a roof above.
Reinforced concrete column are classified as:
 Short column – when the unsupported height is not greater than ten times
the shortest lateral dimension of the cross section.
 Long column – when the unsupported height is more than ten times the
shortest lateral dimension of the cross section.

Types of columns are:

 Tied column – has reinforcement consisting of vertical or longitudinal
bars held in position by lateral reinforcement called lateral ties.
 Spiral column – is the term given where a circular concrete core in
enclosed by spirals with vertical or longitudinal bars. The vertical
reinforcement is provided with evenly spaced continuous spiral held
firmly in position by at least three vertical bar spacers.
 Composite column – where structural steel column is embedded into
the concrete core of a spiral column.
 Combined column – with structural steel encased in concrete of at least
7 cm. thk. Reinforced with wire mess surrounding the column at a
distance of 3 cm. Inside the outer surface of the concrete covering.
 Lally column – is a fabricated steel pipe provided with flat steel bars or
plate which hold a girder, girts or beam. The steel pipe is sometimes filled
with grout or concrete for corrosion.
MODULE 7
FLOOR FRAMING
 Scab – a short flat piece of lumber which is bolted, nailed or screwed to
two butting pieces in order to splice them together.
 Fish plate – a wood or metal piece used to fasten together the ends of
two members with nails or bolts.
 Splice plate – a metal plate used for fastening two or more member
together.
 Cogged joint – a carpentry joint by two uneven timbers, each of which is
notched at the place where they meet.
 Notching – joining of timbers, usually meeting or crossing at right angles,
by cutting a dap in one or both pieces.
 Crosslap joint – a joint connecting two wood members which cross each
other, half the thickness of each is cut so that the thickness will the same
as that of each member.
 Square splice–a type of half lapped used to resist tension.
 Bridle joint – a joint in which two tongues project from the sides of the
tenoned member, these tongues fit into corresponding slots in the
mortised member.
 Tenon – the projecting end of a piece of wood, or other materials which
is reduced in cross section, so that it may be inserted in a corresponding
cavity in another piece in order to form a secure joint.
 Yacal – lumber preferred when in contact with concrete.
 Board foot – the volume of a piece of wood one inch. Thick, one foot
wide and one foot long.
 Boliden salt – treatment in wolmanized lumber.
 Dap – a notch in a timber for receiving another timber.
 Dado – a rectangular groove cut across the full width of a piece of wood
to receive the end of another piece.
 Solignum – trade name for anti-termite surface application on wood.

Wood floor system

Floor framing is that platform structure of the building suspended by posts,
columns, walls and beams.
The design of a platform floor system depends upon the following
considerations:
1. Live load – refers to those movable loads imposed on the
floor.
2. Dead load – refers to the static load such as the weight of the
construction materials which generally carry the live load.
 3. Types of materials to be used – the choice from the various
construction materials such as lumber, concrete, and steel.
4. The sizing and spacing of the structural members – depends
upon its strength and capability to carry the load at a certain
spacing.
5. Span of the supports – pertains to the distances between the
posts, columns or supporting walls.
The platform - floor framing structure is classified into the following types:
1. The plank and beam floor type
2. The panelized-floor system
3. The conventional floor framing system

The different parts of a platform floor system are:

 Girder – is a principal beam extending from wall to wall of a building
supporting the floor joists of floor beams.
 Sill – that part of the side of a house that rests horizontally upon the
foundation.
 Floor joists – are those parts of the floor system placed on the girders
where the floor boards are fastened.
 Header and trimmer – header is a short transverse joists that support the
end of the cut-off joist at a stair well hole. Trimmer is a supporting joist
which carries an end portion of a header.
 Flooring – the tongue and groove which is popularly known as t & g is
generally specified for wood flooring.
 Tail beam or tail piece – a short beam, joist or rafter which is supported
by a header joist at one end and a wall at the other.
 Ledger strip – a strip of lumber which is nailed to the side of the beam,
forming a seat for the joists.
 Draftstop plate – is a piece of lumber uses to dress up the edge of the
joists.
 Sole plate – a horizontal timber which serves as a base for the studs in a
stud partition.
 Sill plate – a horizontal timber, at the bottom of the frame of a wood
structure which rest on the foundation.
 Top plate – a horizontal timber at the upper portion of the studs in a stud
partition.
 Cripple stud – in a building frame, a structural element that is shorter than
usual, as a stud above and below opening.
 Block or solid bridging – short members which are fixed vertically
between floor joists to stiffen the joists.
 Cross bridging – diagonal bracing in pairs, between adjacent floor joists
to prevent the joists from twisting.
 Hanger or stirrup – a metal seat, attached to a girder to receive and
support a joist.
 Balloon framing – construction has studs continuous to roof supporting
second floor joists.
 Western framing – that has sub-floor extended to the outer edge of the
frame and provide a flat work surface at each floor.