Terms - Intro to domestic buildings and simple construction

• Vernacular Building


  A type of local or regional construction, using traditional materials and resources from the area where the building is located
• Deleterious


  Harmful or damaging, especially to health or well-being
• Flexibility


  The ability to change or be changed easily according to the situation, or the ability to bend without breaking
• Buildability


  The main objective of buildability is to ensure the build reflects the design 100%, but also that the project progresses on time and within budget. Buildability embraces the whole construction process – manufacture, installation, logistics, scheduling, cost, etc.
• Embodied Energy


  The sum of all the energy required to produce any goods or services, considered as if that energy were incorporated or 'embodied' in the product itself
• Recyclability


  The ability of a material to reacquire the properties it had in its original state and be reused or remanufactured into additional products
• Reclaimability


  The ability of being used again
• Biodegradability


  The process of an object breaking down quickly and safely into harmless compounds by using the action of microorganisms
• Modular Construction


  A process in which a building is constructed off-site, under controlled plant conditions, using the same materials and designing to the same codes and standards as conventionally built facilities
• Volumetric Systems


  A form of off-site construction in which buildings are put together by connecting a series of fairly large pre-built sections, or 'modules
• Panelised Construction Systems


  These are systems where flat panels of varying materials are used for floor, wall, and roof structures. They are often used as part of a hybrid approach, combining modules for M&E systems, frames, and prefabricated panelised construction forms and pods for smaller rooms like WCs
• Hybrid/Semi-volumetric Construction


  This method combines modern construction methods of volumetric/modular units and panel systems. Areas that are highly utilized such as kitchens and bathrooms can be created as volumetric units, while the rest of the building is constructed using panels
• Sub-assemblies and Components


  Sub-assemblies are individual components or groups of components that are brought together to form a larger assembly or finished product. They represent distinct functionalities within a product and are designed to seamlessly integrate with other sub-assemblies to create a complete and functional end product
• Ductility


  The quality or state of being ductile; especially the ability of a material to have its shape changed (as by being drawn out into wire or thread) without losing strength or breaking
• Strength to Weight Ratio

  This is the strength of the material divided by the mass (also commonly referred to as weight, on planet earth) of the material. To be more exact, specific strength is a material's strength divided by its density
• Specific Strength


  Specific strength is a material's strength (force per unit area at failure) divided by its density. It is also known as the strength-to-weight ratio or strength/weight ratio or strength-to-mass ratio
• Thermal Expansion


  Thermal expansion is the tendency of matter to change its shape, area, volume, and density in response to a change in temperature, usually not including phase transitions
• Coefficient of Linear Thermal Expansion


  The relative expansion (also called strain) divided by the change in temperature is called the material's coefficient of linear thermal expansion and generally varies with temperature
• Sacrificial Timber


  A sacrificial timber is a timber which is purposely oversized to enhance its fire resistance
• Sinter


  Sinter is the material produced by sintering, which is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass of material by pressure or heat without melting it to the point of liquefaction
• Regulation 7


  This term can refer to different regulations depending on the context. For instance, in the context of building regulations, Regulation was the vehicle by which the government amended the Building Regulations following the fire at Grenfell Tower. In the context of university regulations, Regulation could refer to the framework under which the University can investigate and respond to reports of student misconduct
• Life-cycle costing


  Life-cycle costing is the process of compiling all costs that the owner or producer of an asset will incur over its lifespan. These costs include the initial investment, future additional investments, and annually recurring costs, minus any salvage value
• Cradle to Grave


  This term refers to the entire lifecycle of a product, from its creation to its disposal
• Cradle to Gate


  This term refers to the lifecycle of a product from the moment it's produced to the moment it enters the store
• Cradle to Site


  A cradle-to-site study defines the embodied energy of individual building components as the energy required to extract the raw materials, process them, assemble them into usable products, and transport them to the site
• Dead / Static Loads

  Loads that remain relatively constant over time, comprising the weight of a building's structural elements
• Imposed / Live Loads

  Temporary or movable loads that act on a structure during its intended use
• Super-imposed / Environmental Loads

  Additional loads added to the dead and live loads, including loads from finishes, partitions, services, and expected occupancy
• Vector

  A quantity that has both magnitude and direction, used to represent physical quantities like force or velocity
• Kilonewton (kN)

  A unit of force equal to one thousand newtons, commonly used in engineering and construction
• Load Bearing

  Structures where the load is transferred vertically downward through the walls, including the roof's weight
• Column / Strut

  A column is a compressive member of the frame structure, while a strut is a compressor member of the truss structure
• Beam


  A horizontal member spanning an opening and carrying a load, such as a brick or stone wall above the opening
• Tie

  A structural element used to connect or bind different parts of a building together
• Shortening

  The vertical compression or reduction in height that occurs in a building's structural elements due to the loads they carry
• Lengthening

  The process of extending or increasing the length of a structure or its components
• Distortion

  Deformations in the building materials arising from factors such as moisture and thermal movement
• Deflection

  The degree to which a structural element bends or displaces under the influence of external forces
• Buckling

  The sudden deformation of a structural member that is loaded in compression, when the compressive load reaches a critical value
• Eccentric Loads

  Loads whose line of action is offset from the axis of a member