59 39 main concepts for urban legibility terms terms terms
Partial English project glossary
Air-entrained concrete
Air entrained concrete contains microscopic air bubbles that help alleviate internal pressure on the concrete by providing small pockets for water to expand into when exposed to freeze-thaw conditions. Without these pockets water has no place to escape, leading to cracks and/or scaling in concrete that greatly diminishes the lifespan of a structure. Air is applied into a concrete mix via an air entraining admixture otherwise known as AEA. The amount of air in a mix can be adjusted to meet the specifications of the job at hand.
Example: The primary use of air-entraining concrete is for freeze-thaw resistance.
es: Concreto con aire incorporado
Architectural concrete
Architectural concrete
Architectural concrete is concrete that will be permanently exposed to view and therefore requires special care in selection of the concrete materials, forming, placing, and finishing obtaining the desired architectural appearance.
Example: The primary use of air-entraining concrete is for freeze-thaw resistance.
es: Concreto arquitectónico
Asphaltic concrete
Is a composite material commonly used to surface roads, parking lots, airports, and the core of embankment dams.
Example: The streets of my city are made of asphalt concrete
es: Concreto asfáltico
Axis
It is a straight line that joins two points in space and along which shapes and spaces can be placed.
Example: The main street is the axis of my neighborhood
es: Eje
Backup wall
Division of a geographic space by means of a material construction, exerting some kind of control over the things of people that cross that division.
Example: The slab is supported by a backup wall.
es: Muro de respaldo
Brick courses
Is a layer of the same unit running horizontally in a wall. It can also be defined as a continuous row of any masonry unit such as bricks, concrete masonry units (CMU), stone, shingles, tiles, etc.
Example: A construction has brick courses in the walls.
es: Hilada de ladrillos
Cellular concrete
Cellular concrete is a special engineered concrete manufactured by mixing Portland cement, sand, fly ash, water and pre-formed foam in varied proportions to form a hardened material having an oven-dry density of 50 pounds per cubic foot (PCF) or less.
Example: Cellular concrete consists of cement, water, aggregate and air voids.
es: Hormigón/concreto celular
Colored concrete
Colored concrete, also known as decorative concrete, allows traditional grey concrete to be stained and dyed different colors. Concrete has been colored as far back as the early 1900s and was primarily used by companies who made precast structures for building facades. Today, it can be used to create unique designs, break up large paved areas, or hide potential stains. It’s the fastest growing to market in the concrete business and requires highly skilled technicians who are trained in the application process to manufacture it.
Example: The sidewalk has colored concrete blocks
es: Concreto con color/coloreado
Concrete block
A concrete block is primarily used as a building material in the construction of walls. It is sometimes called a concrete masonry unit (CMU). A concrete block is one of several precast concrete products used in construction.
Example: Concrete block is one of the strongest materials.
es: Bloque de concreto
Cured concrete
Curing of concrete is defined as providing adequate moisture, temperature, and time to allow the concrete to achieve the desired properties for its intended use.
Example: Cured concrete is important to get strength development and durability of concrete.
es: Concreto curado
Dovetail insert
They are perforations used in a construction system
Example: Dovetail grooving inserts are used to machine O-ring dovetail grooves with 66° undercut angles.
es: Inserto de cola de milano
Edge
Urban borders are insurmountable limits, whether natural or artificial, that limit the day-to-day life of those who live next to them.
Example: The most notorious edge in the city of Tecoman is the sea
es: Borde
Exposed concrete
Exposed concrete refers to concrete whose surface is a visible part of the architectural and interior design of the building. Strictly speaking, this refers to concrete surfaces that were in contact with the form work shell when they were produced.
Example: That wall has an exposed concrete finish
es: Concreto expuesto
Gravity load
Gravity loads are the vertical forces that act on a structure. The weight of the structure, human occupancy and snow are all types of loads that needs to have a complete load path to the ground.
Example: Gravity loads are independent of the type of lateral loading and here they are considered part of the structural model.
es: Carga por gravedad
Green concrete
Green concrete is defined as a concrete which uses waste material as at least one of its components, or its production process does not lead to environmental destruction, or it has high performance and life cycle sustainability.
Example: green concrete will be the future of construction
es: Concreto verde
Hanging off (of)
Word used as a constructive term
Example: The bridge is hanging off from the metal structures.
es: Colgado de
Horizontal mortar joints
In masonry, horizontal mortar joints are the spaces between bricks, concrete blocks, or glass blocks, that are filled with mortar or grout. If the surface of the masonry remains plastered, the joints contribute significantly to the appearance of the masonry.
Example: Masonry ties fit in the horizontal mortar joints
es: Juntas de mortero horizontales
Insulating concrete
Insulating concrete form or insulated concrete form (ICF) is a system of form work for reinforced concrete usually made with a rigid thermal insulation that stays in place as a permanent interior and exterior substrate for walls, floors, and roofs.
Example: This insulated concrete form is cut away to show the inner structure of the formwork and the reinforcing bar.
es: Concreto aislado
Journey
It is possible to conceive of circulation as the perceptive thread that links the spaces of a building, or that brings together any set of interior or exterior spaces.
Example: Follow a journey to get to a place
es: Trayecto
Knots
They are meeting points such as street intersections, squares, or roundabouts
Example: My colony knot is the main entrance
es: Nodos
Ladder type systems
It is a construction system used in masonry
Example: If the backup wall is concrete block, there are ladder-type systems that fit in the concrete block mortar joints.
es: Sistemas tipo escalera
Laterally
From side to side, along a plane.
Example: Bricks are placed laterally
es: Lateralmente
Masonry ties
Artifact used in construction to support a brick wall.
Example: To prevent the brick veneer from falling off the building, we use masonry ties.
es: Amarres de mampostería
Metal channel
A metal channel is a roll formed metal strip that has been shaped into a tube or a U, J, or C shape for industrial and manufacturing use. Metal channels are produced by high speed roll forming that converts metal into linear roll formed channel shapes. Metal channels are used for a variety of applications.
es: Canal metálico
Metal decking
Metal decking is corrugated metal sheeting that's used as a structural roof deck or composite floor deck. It will be supported by steel beams or joists. The purpose of metal deck is to support the insulating membrane of a roof or to support and bond with the concrete to create a composite metal floor deck.
es: Tarima metálica
Metal framing
Steel frame is a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal I-beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame. The development of this technique made the construction of the skyscraper possible
es: Estructura metálica
Metal grating
Metal grating is a term used to classify a wide variety of fabricated metal products. While perforated metal and wire mesh are considered grating, this Metal Grating Guide will look closer at the two more common types of metal grating, Bar Gating and Safety Grating.
es: Rejilla metálica
Metal panel
They typically are just a single interlocking layer of prefinished or natural metal that has been rollformed or preformed into the desired profile. Most wall panels of this type can be installed horizontally or vertically in less time and with less of the cost of other metal panel systems
es: Panel metálico
Metal rod
A rod is a bar or a stick, like the curtain rods in your windows or the steel rods inside the structure of a building that help make it sturdy. A rod can be a staff, like a walking stick, or a metal bar used in construction projects.
es: Varilla metálica
Metal roofing
A metal roof is a roofing system made from metal pieces or tiles characterized by its high resistance, impermeability and longevity. It is a component of the building envelope. Zinc, copper and steel alloys are commonly used.
es: Techos metálicos
Metal stud
Structural metal stud framing refers to the construction of walls and planes using cold-formed steel components. There are two main components of metal stud framing, a stud and a track. Heavier gauge metal studs are used in load bearing walls and structural applications such as exterior walls.
es: Perno metálico
Metal tubing
Metal tube (tubing) is made of metallic elements or alloys and is designed for specific industrial applications. Compared to other types of tubing, metal tube is stronger and most robust, making it better suited for structural applications and high-pressure fluid flow.
es: Tubería metálica
Milestones
They are reference points that are recognized by everyone in a site, they are elements that are seen and unlike nodes, they are not penetrated
Example: Limoner is a recognized milestone in the city of Tecoman
es: Hitos
Multi-storey
A multi-storey building is a building that has multiple storeys, and typically contains vertical circulation in the form of ramps, stairs and lifts
Example: New York buildings are multi-storey
es: De varios pisos
Neighborhood
A neighborhood is one of the parts of a town where people live.
Example: All the houses in my neighborhood are white.
es: Colonia
Path
They are conduits that the observer follows normally, occasionally or potentially.
Example: The main street is the path of the neighborhood.
es: Senda
Porous concrete
Pervious concrete (also called porous concrete, permeable concrete, no fines concrete and porous pavement) is a special type of concrete with a high porosity used for concrete flatwork applications that allows water from precipitation and other sources to pass directly through, thereby reducing the runoff from a site and allowing groundwater recharge.
Example: The streets are made of porous concrete.
es: Concreto permeable
Precast concrete
Precast concrete is a construction product produced by casting concrete in a reusable mold or "form" which is then cured in a controlled environment, transported to the construction site and lifted into place ("tilt up"). In contrast, cast-in-place concrete is poured into site-specific forms and cured on site.
Example: The wall is made of precast concrete.
es: Concreto prefabricado
Prestressed concrete
Prestressed concrete is a form of concrete used in construction. It is substantially "prestressed" (compressed) during production, in a manner that strengthens it against tensile forces which will exist when in service.
Example: Prestressed concrete is used in a wide range of building and civil structures.
es: Concreto pretensado
Reinforced concrete
It consists of the combination of two materials, concrete and reinforcing steel. These materials are combined in order to form structural elements such as beams, columns, walls, foundations, slabs, among others.
Example: the walls of the building are made of reinforced concrete
es: Concreto armado
Relief angle
The angles are attached to the concrete frame of the building to support the masonry at that floor level; however, just as importantly, the angle provides a break in the veneer to allow for the expansion and contraction of the masonry and the concrete structure.
Example: The relief angle (shelf angle) supports the weight of the brick veneer at each floor.
es: Ángulo de relieve
Steel angle
Steel Angles are the most basic type of roll-formed steel. They are formed by bending a single angle in a piece of steel. Angle Steel is 'L' shaped; the most common type of Steel Angles are at a 90 degree angle. The legs of the “L” can be equal or unequal in length.
es: Ángulo de acero
Steel beam
A steel beam is a structural steel product that is made to support heavy loads. Steel beams come in different sizes and types, hence their different applications in the construction of structures and buildings. The specifications of a structure determine the geometry, size and shape of beams.
es: Viga de acero
Steel column
A steel column is a vertical structure member used in construction to provide essential support. They may carry loads in compression or they may transfer loads from things like beams, ceilings, floor slabs or roof slabs to floors or foundations. Steel columns may also carry bending moments near cross-section axes
es: Columna de acero
Steel framing
Steel frame is a building technique with a "skeleton frame" of vertical steel columns and horizontal I-beams, constructed in a rectangular grid to support the floors, roof and walls of a building which are all attached to the frame. The development of this technique made the construction of the skyscraper possible
es: Estructura de acero
Steel joist
Steel joist means an open web, secondary load-carrying member of 144 feet (43.9 m) or less, designed by the manufacturer, used for the support of floors and roofs. This does not include structural steel trusses or cold-formed joists.
es: Vigueta de acero
Steel member
Steel members are connected to one another through the use of bolted or riveted plates which attach to the beam webs or they may be welded directly to each other
es: Miembro de acero
Steel plate
Steel Plate, or structural steel is simply steel sheet material that can be customarily cut and welded to develop a more elaborate product. It is made by compressing multiple steel layers together into one; forming a plate of steel.
es: Placa de acero
Steel reinforcement
Steel reinforcement are steel bars that are provided in combination with plain cement concrete to make it reinforced concrete. Hence these structures form steel reinforced cement concrete structure (R.C.C). Steel reinforcement is commonly called as 'rebars'.
es: Refuerzo de acero
Steel reinforcing
Reinforcing steel typically consists of carbon steel, which is hot rolled with deformation patterns (The ribbed profiles you see on the rebar and wire), allowing for a stronger bond to the concrete. The steel bars and mesh are produced from iron ore and recycled steel in different steel mills around the world.
es: Acero de refuerzo
Steel rod
Steel rods, called rebars, placed in the lower portion of a concrete slab prevent that slab from cracking when subjected to that tensile bending force. From: Construction Process Planning and Management, 2010.
es: Varilla de acero
Steel sections
Steel sections are the bread and butter of steel fabrication. Designers, architects and engineers choose different sections for their aesthetics and structural qualities – their choices determined by size, weight and profile. Steel is extremely versatile and can be moulded to many different shapes.
es: Secciones de acero
Supports
A structural support is a part of a building or structure that provides the necessary stiffness and strength in order to resist the internal forces (vertical forces of gravity and lateral forces due to wind and earthquakes) and guide them safely to the ground.
Example: A building needs supports to stand firm.
es: Soportes
Tie something back to
Action on construction elements
Example: The stirrups are tied to the rods of the fortress.
es: Atar algo a
Transfers
It is the action of a construction that is mainly transmitted by the columns or the structure.
Example: The column transfers the load to the ground
es: Transferencias (de cargas)
Unreinforced concrete
Construction term that refers to the lack of concrete reinforcement.
Example: The floor of the septic box is typically made of unreinforced concrete thick enough to withstand uplift pressure when the tank is empty.
es: Concreto no reforzado
Urban legibility
Urban legibility is a consequence of the characteristics of the functional and perceptual physical-spatial structure of each locality.
es: Legibilidad urbana
Urban plot
Organization composed of forms and spaces whose position in space and their interrelationships are regulated by a type of plot or by a three-dimensional field.
Example: The colony has an irregular plot
es: Trama
Wedge anchor
Wedge anchors are a unique type of concrete anchors, designed to anchor objects into concrete applications. Concrete Wedge Anchors are installed into a pre-drilled hole using the appropriate Concrete Drill Bit, where the wedge is expanded by tightening the nut.
Example: The UCAN Hook Wedge Anchor is a high grade steel fastener, designed primarily for wire mesh installation.