Wightman & Assoc: Southwest Michigan > Glossary of Terms

Glossary of Terms

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

A

Abutment - The substructure of a bridge that holds up one end of a span. Acre - Unit of measure equal to 43,560 square feet.
ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act
ALTA/ACSM Survey - (American Land Title Association/American Congress on Surveying and Mapping.) These surveys are for legal purposes as it relates to title insurance to guarantee descriptions of a parcel of land in regard to its location, dimensions and other possible factors.
Aggregate - Typically refers to a specified mixture of rocks, pebbles and sand to produce a desired material usually used as a base course prior to paving operations.
Air Entrainment - On-site test performed by inspectors to determine the amount of entrained air in freshly poured concrete.
Approach - The part of the bridge on the roadway just on either side of the abutments.
Architect - One who designs buildings and/or other structures.
Architectural Drawing - A line-type drawing of a building or structure showing plan and elevation views intended to show the appearance of said structure.
As-Recorded Drawings - The original drawings that are altered during or after the construction process to indicate changes to the original plan.
Assumed North - North as defined by an arbitrary reference or definition.
Astronomic North - North as determined by celestial bodies.
Azimuth - The angle from a north or south reference in a clockwise direction.

B

Backfill - That material used to replace excavated earth to achieve a given grade. Bearing - Quadrantal angle from 0 to 90 degrees either west/east of north or south.
Beginning - Defined starting point or point of origin. Benchmark - Item or object of a known vertical elevation.
Bid - The dollar amount offered by a contractor or other party for a defined amount of work.
Bid Opening - The process of allowing, receiving and tabulating bids within a predetermined span of time.
Bid Price - The total dollar amount stated on a bid. Bid Tabulation - A form summarizing all of the amounts bid.
Bituminous - A tar like substance used in binding together particles of varying sizes for paving purposes. Also known as asphalt or HMA.
Boundary - Lines surrounding a defined parcel.

C

Centerline - The final survey line indicating the center of the final structure.
Chain - A linear unit of measurement equal to 66 feet.
Change Order - An alteration to a contract in either price or quantity due to a change in condition that is typically agreed upon and signed by both the engineer and the contractor. This can be an increase, decrease or whole elimination of a given item on the contract, or it may also include a new item in the contract.
Cofferdam - A structure installed usually consisting of many interlocking steel sheets where the water can be drained and permits the construction of bridge abutments or piers in dry conditions.
Concrete - A mixture of cement, water, sand, and gravel which when mixed together and allowed to set, yields a hard and solid structure. Typically used for applications that require a great amount of compressive strength.
Construction Documents - All plans, specifications, addenda, and other miscellaneous documentation associated with a contract.
Contour - A continuous line on either a map or drawing indicating a given elevation.
Contract - A written agreement between two or more parties.
Contractor - An individual or company that agrees to perform the specified work for a specified price.
CSI - Construction Specification Institute
Curb Inlet - An opening in a curb framed by a steel casting that allows for the flow of water into a drainage system.

D

Deck - The part of the bridge that comes in direct contact with traffic.
Design - The act of creating drawings, elevations, interior and exterior views, and other documents to show or demonstrate the goal or purpose of construction.
Design Load - The maximum amount of weight a given bridge can safely hold as specified by the engineer. Drawings - The graphical illustrations that show the design, elevations and dimensions of the desired building or other structure.
Due North - (See True North.)

E

Earth Grade - The elevation of the completely graded roadway before placing the pavement structure.
Egress - Right of access for exiting or emerging.
Engineer - One who is engaged in a branch of engineering.
Engineer In the Field - (See Inspector)
Estimate - The approximate value or amount of something. Expansion Joint - An intentional gap created in concrete to provide a place for the concrete to naturally expand and contract.

F

Final Acceptance - That action by the owner which accepts the work done by a contractor at the end of a project.
Final Inspection - The final review by the owner, contractor or representative of the site, structure or building upon completion of required work, prior to making the final payment to the contractor.
Final Payment - The payment made after the final acceptance that accounts for all outstanding balances to the contractor.
Flowage Line - Contour line used for water control purposes.

G

General Contractor - An individual or company having the ultimate responsibility for the work performed.
Gradation - Term that refers to the percentage (by weight) of varying gravel and sand sizes as found in the contract specifications for a given material like 22A gravel, 6AA gravel, 2NS sand, etc.
Grade - Ground surface level or slope indicated in percentage or degrees.
Grade Inspection - A meeting usually held on the job site prior to major design work with the owner, engineer and any other interested parties to determine the basic needs, challenges and purposes of the design.
Grade Separation - A structure that provides for highway traffic, pedestrian traffic, or utilities to pass over or under another highway or the tracks of a railway.
Grade Rod - A graduated rod used in conjunction with a level to determine differences in vertical elevation.
Graphic Scale - A graphical bar scale used to indicate scale on plans or a drawing.

H

Half Section - Two quarter sections of a piece of property that have one border in common.
Hand Hole - Small lidded structures installed for the purposes of access and maintenance.
Hardness Testing - A laboratory test performed to determine the hardness of a material. Head Pressure - The pressure developed by a standing column of water.
Heave - Uplifting of soil due to the freeze/thaw cycle, increased moisture content, displacement by a nearby object, and other influences.
High-Density Concrete - Very high unit weight concrete that is made using heavyweight aggregate.
Highway - A general term denoting a public way for purposes of vehicular travel, including the entire area within the right of way.
Hot-Mix Asphalt (HMA) - mixed asphalt made by heating and drying the aggregates.
HVAC - a single system that heats, ventilates and air conditions.
Hydraulic - Movement through the use of liquids.
Hydrology - The science concerned with all aspects of water.

I

Ingress - Right of access for entering.
Inspection - The act of inspecting the work in progress to determine whether or not the materials and practices are within contract specifications.
Inspector - The one appointed by the engineer or owner to determine if the work performed is within contract specifications.
Inspector's Daily Report (IDR) - The report generated by the Inspector that records construction activity, related events and other miscellaneous items of information for the given day.
Inspectors List - See Punch List.

J

Job Site - the place where a project is constructed.
Joint - A line scored on the surface of concrete by either sawing or just before the finishing process to intentionally provide a place for the concrete to crack in a controlled manner.
Journeyman - A worker that gains skills through apprenticeship training and is paid at the standard rate of the trade.

L

L & M - Labor and materials.
Lake Sand - fine rounded granules of sand.
Laminar Flow - The flow of water in a stream that does not change over time.
Land Drainage - The removal of water from the ground surface and subsurface.
Land Improvements - The process of improving the land for use by such actions as clearing , landscaping, grading, and so on.
Land Use Planning - a defined process whereby a community established how it is and will use specific areas to meet it’s long- and short-term goals.
Letting - The opening and tabulation of bids for a project.
Level - Typically a telescope-type instrument mounted on a tripod and leveled in the horizontal and used with a grade rod to determine differences in elevation. Similar to a transit but cannot record vertical angles.
Lien Bond - The security furnished by the Contractor and the Contractor's Surety to guarantee payment of the debts covered by the bond.
Life Cycle Cost - The cumulative capital and operating costs of a system or other part of a construction project.
Line of sight - An obstructed view between to distinct points.
Lot Line - The boundary of a property legally described as a lot in the property title.

M

Magnetic North - Direction of north defined by the north-seeking end of a magnetic compass.
Meander Line - Line used for mapping or surveying riparian land frontage that is established along a waterway.
Meander Corner - Boundary and meander line point established on the bank of an intersecting or abutting waterway.
Monument - A natural or artificial landmark established as a reference point which is normally done at section corners.
Mortar - A concrete-like mixture that consists of water, sand, cement and other cementatious material.

N

Natural Ground - The ground as it is prior to any improvements or excavations.
Net Line - The line defining the limits of a structure or excavation.
Net Pre-qualification - The current balance of the Bidder's established pre-qualification rating. This is obtained by subtracting the uncompleted work on hand from the established rating.
Non-Controlling Operation - An operation that, if the Contractors expected rate of performance is not met or the scheduled start date is delayed, would not delay the opening to traffic or completion of the entire project. The operation may be on or off the project site. The size of the operation is not a factor.
Non-Pressure Drainage - A drainage system that is designed to meet capacity through gravity flow.
Notice to Proceed - Written notice to the Contractor to begin the contract work. When applicable, the notice will include the starting date of the contract time.
Nuclear Density Gauge - Very accurate tool used to measure the density of asphalt.

O

Offset - A set perpendicular distance to a given boundary, line or point.
Owner - The individual, company or organization that owns real property.

P

Pay Estimate - A document generated to approximate the dollar amount of work performed to date and used to pay the contractor on a bi-weekly or monthly basis as the project progresses.
Pile - A long member usually made of steel that is driven into the ground for load-bearing purposes in the installation of structures. Plans - Term to refer to all drawings, sections, elevations and otherwise for constructing and finishing the project.
Plat - A survey map that is typically a subdivision. PLSS - Public Land Survey System.
Point of Beginning (P.O.B.) - The starting and ending point of a defined boundary.
Pole - A linear measurement equivalent to 16.5 feet.
Preliminary Drawings - The drawings preceding the final accepted set of drawings for purposes of review, comment and acceptance and are not intended for construction.
Prime Contractor - The main contractor that has the ultimate responsibility for the work performed.
Professional Engineer - A licensed individual who is engaged in professional engineering.
Proposal - Typically a document written between the bidder and the owner to outline and specify the scope of work to be performed.
Punch List - Typically the final items of work that need to be completed prior to the final acceptance.

Q

QA/QC - Quality Assurance/Quality Control measures taken to assure the work being performed meets the industry standards for good practice.
Qualified Products List - A listing of specific materials which have been pre-qualified for use on projects.
Quarter Crown - The area of a road between the center line and the parallel curb or shoulder.
Quiet Title Suit - Action by a court to determine clear title to real property.

R

Range - North or South tier of a PLSS township.
Reinforcing Bar - A steel bar with surface deformation and placed in concrete to increase its tensile strength.
Right-Of-Way - Land defined by a corridor or as a strip for road, utility or other purposes acquired by dedication, grant or easment. Roadbed - The portion of the roadway between the outside edges of finished shoulders, or the outside edges of berm immediately back of curbs or gutters, when constructed.
Roadside - The portion of the right-of-way outside of the roadway.
Roadway - The portion of the right-of-way required for construction, limited by the outside edges of slopes and including ditches, channels, and all structures pertaining to the work.
Rod - Linear measurement equivalent to 16.5 feet.

S

Scope of Work - The amount of work required to complete the work specified as outlined in the contract documents.
Scour - The action of water that removes sediment from a stream, channel bottom or river bank. This process can pose a serious threat to structures such as bridges, culverts, etc.
Sheet Piling - Refers to the installation of interlocking sheets of metal by either impact or vibration.
Site - Location of the construction or project.
Slump - An on-site qualitative test performed by inspectors to determine the overall water content of freshly poured concrete.
Specifications - A detailed list of items to be performed and what standards are to be used.
Subcontractor (Sub) - Individual or company hired by the prime contractor to perform a portion of the contract work.
Subdivision - Surveyed land divided into lots, blocks and streets on a recorded and approved plat.

T

Total Station - An electronic transit that can digitally record precise distances and angles for surveying purposes.
Township - A PLSS unit consisting of 36 sections.
Transit - A telescope-type surveying instrument mounted on a tripod used for measuring precise angles in the vertical and the horizontal.
Troxler - Device used by inspectors to determine the in-place compaction of gravels, aggregates or backfill.
True North - North as defined by celestial observation.

U

UBC - Uniform Building Code
Undercut Bank - A soil bank that is undermined by flowing water.
Unimproved Property - a property that has been cleared or improved in any way.
Utility - Properties of railway, telegraph, telephone, water, sewer, electric, gas, petroleum, cable television and similar companies.
Utility Survey - A survey performed to identify the location of utilities.

V

Value Engineering - A process that considers function, requirements, materials, and cost to conduct a project in a way that maximize all aspects for the least cost. Variance - A legal exception to a zoning ordinance. Top of Page

W

Water Main - The large water pipe to which smaller supply pipes are connected.
Watershed - A geographic area that drains to a specific water body.
Witness Corner - Reference monument to an inaccessible corner by a directional and distance offset.
Work Order - A written order by the Engineer requiring performance by the Contractor.

Z

Zone - A geographic area defined by a public authority and subject to predetermined uses and restrictions.
Zoning Ordinance - An ordinance that regulates property.

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