Acoustics
The science of sound insulation, isolation, and sound quality control in building.
Air-Supported Membranes
Single-membrane air structures, also known as super pressure structures, are supported by internally pressurizing a sealed fabric skin.
Beam
A spanning element or bridge between two or more points, the strength of which is defined through the cross-sectional properties.
Bending
Bending is the result of material deformation under stress.
Bracing
Bracing or cross bracing is the triangulation of a structure to resist lateral loading and shear.
Building Information Modeling (BIM)
The design and construction process represented as an integrated digital database of coordinated information, which may include structure, cost, and material specifications.
Cable Net
Structures formed by a grid of cables acting under tension to form anticlastic surfaces.
Cantilever
A vertically projecting beam fixed at only one end that requires counterbalance or triangulation to resist bending.
Catenary Curve
A curved profile generated by suspending a chain or cable creates a pure-tension model formed by its own weight acting under gravity.
Climatic Envelope
The building, as defined by its capacity to protect and insulate its inhabitants from heat, cold, wind, rain, snow, etc.
Computer Numerical Control (CNC)
Relates to the use of computer controlled machine tools for fabrication processes such
as cutting, milling, punching, folding, etc.
Column
Bearing elements, typically working in compression that bring load back to ground.
Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD)
Computer simulation of flow behavior, for use in the visualization and study of wind and water movement in relation to engineering structures.
Daylight Factor
A calculation of internal light levels in building based upon the Sky Component (SC) of visible sunlight and diffuse daylight; the Externally Reflected Component (ERC) from other buildings and the Internally Reflected Component (IRC) relating to surface finishes, etc.
Evaporative Cooling
A natural cooling phenomena caused by evaporation of water by warm dry (non humid) air.
Fabrication
Fabrication is the transformation of construction materials through a physical process, such as folding, welding, casting, bending, spinning, weaving, etc.
Finite Element Analysis (FEA)
Computer simulated structural analysis technique, subdividing a constructional element through a meshing technique for physical analyses such as stress analysis.
Structural Forces
Structural forces describe the type of physical action acting upon a given structure or structural element. The main types of describable structural force are compression, tension, torsion, and shear.
Form Finding
Finding and creating new structural forms by extracting geometric information from physical models such as the soap film models of Frei Otto or the hanging chain “catenary” models of Antonio Gaudi.
Formwork
Formwork is the mold in which reinforced concrete or other plastic substrates are cast. Molds are typically timber
or steel, with resin-coated plywood currently used to achieve a very smooth surface finish.
Foundations
Where columns or other bearing elements hit ground level, foundations describe how the building loads are supported, distributed and/or anchored below grade.
Fiber Reinforced Plastic (FRP)
Also known as Fiber Reinforced Polymer, this is the generic description for manmade composite structures formed from long fibers held in a resin matrix. Examples include glass fiber and carbon fiber.
Geodesic Geometry
Invented by Richard Buckminster Fuller and derived from the geometry of an icosahedron imposed onto a spherical surface. A geodesic structure distributes loads evenly across its surface and encloses the most space with the least surface.
Health and Safety
Generic terminology read in conjunction with appropriate legislation to describe the protection of human health and wellbeing during the design, construction and subsequent occupation of buildings.
Insitu Concrete
Describes concrete cast on site and not off site in a factory. Most reinforced concrete structures, including foundations, columns, beams, and slabs are cast Insitu.
Laminating
Laminating is the layering of substrates such as glass and steel to increase strength and create large spanning elements from smaller elements, such as Glue Laminated Timber (Glulam) and Laminated Glass.
Loading
Classification of different loads acting on a structure. Dead (or static) loads describe the self-weight of a structure; Live loads describe the weight of the building’s occupants/furniture; Dynamic (or imposed) loads include wind and snow loading.
Masonry
A generic description for typically low tensile loadbearing materials such as stone, brick and concrete.
Monocoque Structure
Also described as stressed skin, monocoque structures use their surfaces as key structural elements working with their internal structure to resist bending. Airplane wings and contemporary car bodies are good examples, where the skin or bodywork is also the structural framework.
Parametric Design
Software-based design approach that uses relational databases to create a dynamic computer model (graphic and informational) and maintains a consistent relationship between elements as that model is changed. See also Building Information Modeling (BIM).
Portal Frame
A portal frame is a simple post and beam structure that has been braced or stiffened at the corners by increasing the surface area contact at the intersection of horizontal and vertical elements. Jean Prouvé used this simple idea to create some of his most notable structures.
Prefabrication
Prefabrication is the pre-making or pre-assembly of building components, typically off site in a controlled environment for improved quality.
Precast Concrete
Reinforced concrete elements produced in a controlled environment either to achieve consistent engineering characteristics or special high quality finishes. Reconstituted Stone and Terrazzo are types of precast concrete.
Reinforced Concrete
Most concrete is cast with steel reinforcing bars “rebars,” steel mesh or cables and is described as reinforced concrete. The steel provides tensile strength that “mass” concrete does not have.
Shell Structures
Deriving their strength through physical form, thin reinforced concrete shell design was pioneered by engineers such as Felix Candela, who experimented with mathematically defined forms such as the hyperbolic paraboloid, and Heinz Isler, who used form finding.
Solar Geometry
The relationship between the movement of the earth in relation to the sun creates a specific sun-path diagram for any given building location at a specific time of the year.
Space Frame
A space frame or (space grid) is a two-wayl spanning element, which typically uses small elements to create stable structural modules, which when repeated can create large spans. Space frames do not have to be flat and a geodesic structure like Buckminster Fuller’s Montreal Expo dome can also be described as a space frame.
Span to Depth
An indicative ratio used to calculate the depth of a beam or truss for a given span and with a specified material.
Stack Effect
This is a natural, “passive” phenomenon, which can be used to heat, cool, and ventilate buildings. The stack effect is the movement of air through buildings based on buoyancy (heat rises) and building height.
Sun-path Diagram
The relative perceived movement of the sun in relation to the earth’s orbit around the sun creates a measurable and predictable “sun-path,” with altitude (alt) used to describe solar elevation (movement in the z dimension) and azimuth to describe movement in the x,y plane.
Sustainability
Sustainability is an integrated design, engineering, and construction approach that maintains earth resources and employs low-energy solutions for the construction and life cycle energy use of buildings.
Tensegrity
Tensegrity is a highly efficient structural system, where compression members are held apart in a pure tensile matrix. Buckminster Fuller and his then student, artist Kenneth Snelson, devised this structural invention in the 1950s.
Tensile Fabric Structures
Structures formed by nonelastic fabric acting under tension to form anticlastic surfaces.
Thermal Bridging
Where thermally conductive material directly connects (or bridges) from exterior to interior environment.
Thermal Comfort
Thermal comfort is a measure of acceptable building temperature in a given location and building type. Human
comfort is the more general term, which includes building temperature, air movement and humidity levels.
Thermal Insulation
Thermal Insulation acts as a barrier to heat flow; keeping buildings warm or cool depending on their location. Thermal Insulation generally uses trapped air, in a cavity, rigid foam, mineral wool, or aerogel to prevent transfer of heat or cold.
Thermal Labyrinth
A thermal “heat sink” beneath a building utilizes a labyrinth of high surface area “crenelated” concrete walls to store heat energy. Drawing air through the labyrinth into the building (based on diurnal temperature differentials) can be used for heating or cooling.
Thermal Mass
Thermal mass is the ability of a material to store heat energy. High-density materials with very few trapped air bubbles, such as brick or concrete, have a high thermal mass.
Trombe Wall
A passive heating strategy that uses the thermal mass of a wall behind a glazed façade to store and release heat energy.
Truss
A truss is a one-way spanning element. The top and bottom chords of a truss are held apart by linear members, unlike the solid flange of a typical beam, thus reducing self-weight and creating large spans. There are many truss types including bowstring, vierendeel and warren.
Wind Rose
A wind rose describes a location specific wind map, which indicates wind direction and wind speed as averaged over time to show prevailing wind characteristics.
Wind Scoop
A wind scoop might be designed to catch air and force it downwards by orientating towards the prevailing wind.
A wind scoop (or cowl) might also use negative pressure to pull air up through a building for ventilation, heating, and cooling.