"Core Curriculum: Introductory Craft Skills," Vocabulary from Module Five

Learn these words to gain some real-life insights into the construction industry. This list focuses on drawing.

Here are links to our lists for the trainee guide: Module One, Module Two, Module Three, Module Four, Module Five, Module Six, Module Seven, Module Eight, Module Nine
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. specification
    a description of design criteria for a piece of work
    Construction drawings, together with the set of specifications (often abbreviated as specs), detail what is to be built and what materials are to be used.
    The traditional name used to describe a construction drawing is blueprint. This goes back to a 19th century method that involved coating a paper with a special chemical. After the coating dried, an original hand drawing was placed on top of the paper. Both papers were then covered with a piece of glass and set in the sunlight for about an hour. After a cold-water wash, the coated paper turned blue, and the lines of the drawing remained white.
  2. plan
    scale drawing of a structure
    A set of building construction drawing plans almost always includes six major types of drawings. They include the following:
    • Civil
    • Architectural
    • Structural
    • Mechanical
    • Plumbing
    • Electrical
    • Fire protection
  3. site
    the piece of land on which something is located
    Civil plans are also called site plans, survey plans, or plot plans. They show the location of the building on the site from an aerial view.
    A civil plan also shows the natural contours of the earth, represented on the plan by contour lines. It can also include a landscape plan that shows any trees on the property; construction features such as walks, driveways, or utilities; the dimensions of the property; and possibly a legal description of the property.
  4. aerial
    existing, living, growing, or operating in the air
    One part of an architectural plan is a floor plan, also known as a plan view. Any drawing made looking down on an object is commonly called a plan view. The floor plan is an aerial view of the layout of each room.
    The floor plan provides the most information about the project. It shows exterior and interior walls, doors, stairways, and mechanical equipment. A separate roof plan, which is a view of the roof from above the building, shows the shape of the roof and the materials that will be used to finish it.
  5. elevation
    drawing of an exterior of a structure
    Elevation drawings are side views that show height.
    On a building drawing, there are standard names for different elevations. For example, the side of a building that faces south is called the south elevation. Exterior elevations show the size of the building; the style of the building; and the placement of doors, windows, chimneys, and decorative trim.
  6. section
    one of several parts or pieces that fit with others
    Section drawings are cross-sectional views that show the inside of an object or building.
    Section drawings show what construction materials to use and how the parts of the object or building fit together. They normally show more detail than plan views.
  7. feature
    a prominent attribute or aspect of something
    Even more detail is shown in detail drawings, which are enlarged views of some special features of a building, such as floors and walls.
  8. schedule
    a temporally organized plan for matters to be attended to
    Door and window schedules, for example, are tables that list the sizes and other information about the various types of doors and windows used in the project.
  9. structural
    affecting or involved in the building of something
    The structural plans also include a foundation plan, which shows the lowest level of the building, including concrete footings, slabs, and foundation walls.
    The first part of the structural plans is the general notes. These notes give details of the materials to be used and the requirements to be followed in order to build the structure that the architectural plan depicts.
  10. depict
    show in, or as in, a picture
    A related element is the structural floor plan, which depicts a wood or metal joist framing and the underlayment of each floor of the structure.
  11. mechanical
    relating to or concerned with machinery or tools
    Mechanical plans are engineered plans for motors, pumps, piping systems, and piping equipment.
  12. diagram
    a drawing intended to explain how something works
    Piping and instrumentation drawings are schematic diagrams of a complete piping system that show the process flow.
    These drawings also show all the equipment, pipelines, valves, instruments, and controls needed to operate the system.
  13. representation
    a visual or tangible rendering of someone or something
    P&IDs are not drawn to scale because they are meant only to give a representation, or a general idea, of the work to be done.
  14. schematic
    diagram of an electrical or mechanical system
    HVAC drawings include an electrical schematic that shows the electrical circuitry for the HVAC system.
    HVAC plans cover heating, ventilating, and air conditioning systems; they are both mechanical and electrical drawings in one plan.
  15. engineer
    design using scientific knowledge to solve problems
    Plumbing plans are engineered plans showing the layout for the plumbing system that supplies the hot and cold water, for the sewage disposal system, and for the location of plumbing fixtures.
    A plumbing isometric drawing is part of the plumbing plan. It is a type of three-dimensional drawing that depicts the plumbing system.
  16. panel
    electrical device consisting of a flat insulated surface
    Electrical plans include locations of the electric meter, distribution panel, switchgear, convenience outlets, and special outlets.
    More complex electrical plans include locations of switchgear, transformers, main breakers, and motor control centers. They can also include lighting plans, which show the location of lights and receptacles.
  17. legend
    brief description accompanying an illustration
    Electrical plans have an electrical legend, which defines the symbols used on the plan and a key to the abbreviations used on the plan. Depending on the size and scope of the drawings, the legend is often on a separate drawing sheet of its own, rather than on each individual drawing.
  18. indicate
    designate a place, direction, person, or thing
    Most construction drawings have an arrow indicating North.
  19. visualize
    imagine; conceive of; see in one's mind
    It is important for a builder to be able to visualize a finished project before starting it. Detail drawings help builders visualize different parts of the structure long before they measure a board or hammer a nail. By visualizing, builders can plan ahead and anticipate potential problems.
  20. format
    the organization of data according to preset specifications
    Most construction drawings are laid out in a fairly standardized format.
    There are five parts to a construction drawing:
    • Title block
    • Border
    • Drawing area
    • Revision block
    • Legend
  21. title
    a general or descriptive heading for a section of a work
    The title block has two purposes. First, it gives information about the structure or assembly. Second, it is numbered so the print can be filed easily.
    Generally, a title block contains the following:
    •Company logo - Usually preprinted on the drawing.
    •Sheet title - Identifies the project.
    •Date - Date the drawing was checked and readied for seal, or issued for construction.
    •Drawn by - Initials of the person who drafted the drawing.
    •Drawing number - Code numbers assigned to a project.
    •Scale - The ratio of the size of the object as drawn to the object's actual size.
  22. border
    a line that indicates a boundary
    The border is a clear area of approximately half an inch around the edge of the drawing area.
    The border is there so that everything in the drawing area can be printed or reproduced on printing machines with no loss of information.
  23. revision
    the act of altering
    A revision block is located in the drawing area, usually in the lower right corner inside the title block or near it. Different companies put the revision block in different places. This block is used to record any changes (revisions) to the drawing.
  24. termination
    a place where something ends or is complete
    Dimension lines - Establish the dimensions (sizes) of parts of a structure. These lines end with arrows (open or closed), dots, or slashes at a termination line drawn perpendicular to the dimension line.
    •Property lines - Indicate land boundaries.
    •Cut lines - Lines around part of a drawing that is to be shown in a separate cross-sectional view.
    •Section cuts - Show areas not included in the cutting line view.
    •Break lines - Show where an object has been broken off to save space on the drawing.
    •Hidden lines - Identify part of a structure that is not visible on the drawing.
  25. identify
    give the name or characteristics of
    Leaders and arrowheads - Identify the location of a specific part of the drawing. They are used with words, abbreviations, symbols, or keynotes.
    The lines commonly used on a drawing are sometimes called the alphabet of lines. Here are two more types:
    •Center lines - Show the measured center of an object, such as a column or fixture.
    •Object lines - Identify the object of primary interest or the closest object.
  26. generate
    bring into existence
    A CAD system generates drawings from computer programs.
    Computer-aided drafting (CAD) has the following advantages over hand-drawn construction drawings:
    •It is automated.
    •The computer performs calculations quickly and easily.
    •Changes can be made quickly and easily.
    •Commonly used symbols can be easily retrieved.
    •CAD can include three-dimensional modeling of the structure.
  27. discrepancy
    a difference between conflicting facts or claims or opinions
    A request for information (RFI) is used to clarify any discrepancies in the plans.
  28. symbol
    an arbitrary sign with a conventional significance
    Some plans use keynotes instead of symbols.
    A keynote is a number or letter (usually in a square or circle) with a leader and arrowhead that is used to identify a specific object.
  29. grid
    a pattern of regularly spaced horizontal and vertical lines
    The gridline system shown on a plan is used like the grid on a map. On a drawing such as a floor plan, a grid divides the area into small parts called bays.
    A gridline system makes it easy to refer to specific locations on a plan. Suppose you want to refer to one outlet, but there are a dozen on a plan. Simply refer to "the outlet in bay C-8".
  30. exterior
    the outer side or surface of something
    To do accurate work, workers need to know how to read dimensions on construction drawings. This means they need to know whether the dimensions measure to the exterior or the interior of an object.
  31. approximate
    not quite exact or correct
    Not-to-scale drawings give relative positions and sizes. The sizes are approximate and are not accurate enough for construction.
  32. architect
    someone who creates plans to be used in making something
    An architect's scale translates the large measurements of real structures (rooms, walls, doors, windows, duct, etc.) into smaller measurements for drawings.
    Like the architect's scale, a metric scale can have a number of scales on it and is used to generate drawings.
  33. accommodate
    have room for; hold without crowding
    The engineer's scale is used mainly for land measurements on site plans, which means the scale must accommodate very large measurements.
    Each engineer's scale is set up as multiples of 10 and the measurements are taken in decimals. This is different from the architect's scale in that a unit is represented by a portion of an inch.
  34. proportional
    having a constant ratio
    Orthographic drawings are used for elevation drawings. They show straight-on views of the different sides of an object with dimensions that are proportional to the actual physical dimensions.
  35. interpret
    make sense of; assign a meaning to
    By correctly interpreting the drawing elements, symbols, and scales that are used workers can visualize the entire project, detect inconsistencies or errors early, and possibly avoid costly mistakes or rework.
Created on Sat Oct 31 14:50:40 EDT 2015 (updated Thu Nov 05 16:13:25 EST 2015)

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