Rough grading

Rough grading is about leveling, sloping, or shaping the construction site through a process of
excavation and filling, i.e., adding, removing, or relocating topsoil, in order to establish the
proper contours, level the ground to create a proper slope for drainage, and finally set a solid
foundation and prevent future damage.

Evacuation
All construction projects require an emergency evacuation plan, which outlines basic
procedures to follow in the event of an emergency such as fire or explosion, bomb threat,
hazardous material spill, incident, or natural disaster that may require the evacuation of the
building. Also, copies of the floor plan indicating the route and exits to use in the emergency
evacuation event should be posted throughout the building.
When there is an emergency event occurs, there should be alarm sounds, and all employees
should immediately evacuate the building and reassemble as outlined by the emergency
evacuation procedure, which keeps a safe distance away from the building. All employees are
to remain assembled pending further instructions.

Back-fill
It is the process of filling the excavated hole by returning the same excavated materials (such as
soil) into the hole.

Footings
Footing is a kind of shallow foundation, which has different types such as pad, strip, isolated,
combined, etc.
The function of footing is to transfer loadings from the superstructure, through columns or
walls, to the contacted soil ground.
Footings are usually constructed with reinforced concrete, brickwork, masonry, timber, etc.

Piers
Piers usually appear in bridge structures, which is a large-diameter cylindrical column shaft that
supports the superstructure and transfers large super-imposed loads to the foundation.
Piers are the intermediate support for adjacent ends of two bridge spans.

Formwork
Formwork is a temporary mold, in which concrete or similar materials is poured and cast into
structural shapes such as beams, slabs, columns, walls, etc.
In most cases, formwork is a temporary mold. However, some formwork will become a part of
the structure, and permanently present there.
Rebars
Rebar is reinforced steel, it is a steel bar used in reinforced concrete in order to enhance the
tensile, bending, torsion, and shear stresses of concrete, resulting in resisting cracking and
breaking.
There are two types of rebar, which are round rebar and deformed rebar.

Drainage tile
Drainage tile is a perforated pipe set in a trench and covered with gravel. It is designed to
collect and redirect water seepage away from the house.

Foundation Waterproofing / Damp proofing

Foundation waterproofing or dam proofing is a type of moisture control applied to building
walls and floors to prevent soil moisture from passing into the interior spaces.

Sill plate
A sill plate is a board which anchored horizontally between the foundation and the vertical
members.

Floor joist
Floor joist is the horizontal structural member that spans an open space between beams, which
subsequently transfers the load to vertical structural members.

Bearing Wall
A bearing wall is a structural wall that carries the vertical loadings (compression) above it.

Sub-floor
A sub-floor is a structurally solid layer beneath the flooring material, which is attached between
the floor joists and the finish floor.

Finish floor
A finish floor is the uppermost surface layer of flooring before any finishes have been applied.

Stud
A stud is a vertical repetitive framing member which forms part of a wall or partition.

Drywall
A drywall is a gypsum panel extruded by thick sheets, which acts as interior walls or ceilings.

Exterior Sheathing
The exterior sheathing is a framework of a structure, which is designed to protect the floor,
ceiling, roof, and wall.
Exterior Cladding
Exterior Cladding is the component attached to the primary structure of a building to form non-
structural, external surfaces.

Stucco
Stucco is a mixture of cement, aggregates, water, and hydrated lime, which is used as a
decorative coating for walls and ceilings.

Masonry Course
A masonry course is a layer of the same unit running horizontally in a wall.

Masonry Tie
Masonry tie is the horizontal mortar joints attached to the structure.

Weeping Course
A weeping course is a pipe that provided holes or gaps along the bottom of the brick veneer
which allows water to drain out from the wall.

Fiberglas Batts vs Rigid Insulation

Rigid insulation is commonly used for basement wall insulation, as it resists the moisture given
off by basement masonry walls.
Fiberglas batts are typically used to insulate between wall studs, floor and ceiling joists, and
roof rafters.

Vapor Barrier
A vapor barrier is made of plastic or foil sheet, which is used to prevent wall and ceiling
assemblies from getting wet.

Building Paper/Housewrap
Housewrap is a synthetic and lightweight material that goes over the sheathing and behind the
siding, which is used to prevent the entry of moisture into the wall cavity from outside.

TF&G Roof
TF&G Roof is a plywood tongue and groove product, which is used as load-bearing components
for roof, wall, and floor assemblies.

Rafter
A rafter is a structural component that is used as part of roof construction, which runs from the
ridge or hip of the roof to the wall plate of the external wall.

Roof Pitch
Roof pitch is the method contractors use to measure the steepness and angles of a roof.
Collar Tie
A collar tie is a tension tie in the upper third of opposing gable rafters that are intended to
resist rafter separation from the ridge beam during periods of unbalanced loads.

Gangnail Truss
Gangnail Truss is a truss made with light timber sections joined together with metal nail plates.

Ice and Water Shield

Ice and water shield is a waterproof membrane that provides protection against ice backup,
and against shingle failure or shingle blow-off.

Eaves Trough
Eaves trough is one of the components of the water discharge system for the building, which is
used to prevent water from dripping or flowing off the roofs in an uncontrolled and
directionless manner.

HVAC
HVAC stands for heating, ventilation, and air conditioning. It is the use of various technologies
to control the temperature, humidity, and purity of the air in an enclosed space.

Roof Vents
Roof vent is a system that allows air to circulate through the attic.

Stack Vents
A stack vent is the extension of the waste stack to provide venting.

Flashing
Flashing refers to thin pieces of impervious material installed to prevent the passage of water
into a structure from a joint or as part of a weather-resistant barrier system.

Skylight
A skylight is a roof opening covered with translucent or transparent glass or plastic designed to
admit daylight. Skylight frames are made of wood, metal, vinyl, or a combination of these
materials.

Finish Grading
Finish grade means the final grade of the site after excavating or filling which conforms to the
approved final grading plan.
Hardscaping vs Landscaping
Landscape is all of the soft or living things in a construction project such as grass, plants, trees,
and flowers, while hardscape is a term that refers to non-living elements, or all of the hard
surfaces that surround a construction project, such as the drives, walkways, patios, etc.