Building construction terms are critical to a project’s success in the highly competitive and ever-changing construction industry. This is especially true in the field of steel construction, where precise knowledge of specialized vocabulary can significantly improve communication efficiency, project quality, and construction safety.
Xinguangzheng, a professional contractor in the steel construction industry, will compile a list of 170 construction terms for you. These cover everything from basic building concepts to project management, construction safety, environmental and sustainability, core steel construction vocabulary, and construction processes, helping you to build a complete body of knowledge at once.
Table of Contents
Basic Architectural Terms(30 articles )
Blueprint: A detailed architectural design drawing that defines the structure, dimensions, appearance, etc. of a building.
Scope of Work: A formal document that defines the tasks, deliverables, schedule and responsibilities of a project.
Bid: A quotation and construction program submitted by a contractor to undertake a construction project, stating costs and terms of completion.
Change Order: A formal document that modifies the scope of an original contract, documenting changes in design, materials, or schedule.
Subcontractor: A firm or individual who is contracted by the general contractor to perform a specific construction or speciality task.
Load-Bearing: A structure or component that bears and transmits loads to ensure building stability.
General Contractor (GC): The main contractor responsible for the overall implementation and management of a construction project.
Project Manager: Coordinates project planning, execution, and supervision to ensure that the project is completed on time and budget.
Design Drawings: Drawings showing the appearance, structure and details of a building, an important reference in the planning stage.
Construction Drawings: Detailed drawings to guide on-site construction, including specifications for each part of the building.
Bill of Materials (BOM): A list of materials and quantities required for the construction of a building to facilitate purchasing and cost control.
Schedule: The start and end time of each phase and task of a project.
Contract: A legal agreement between the owner and the contractor regarding the scope, duration and cost of the work.
Cost Estimate: An estimate of the cost of a project (materials, labour, equipment).
As-Built Drawings: Drawings documenting the actual state of completion of construction of a building, showing deviations from the original design.
Acceptance: The final confirmation of the quality of a project by the owner or a third party after the project is completed.
Cash Flow: The inflow and outflow of project funds used to keep construction on track.
Building Permit: A legal document authorizing the commencement of construction by local government authorities.
Building Inspection: On-site review of a project by an inspector for compliance with safety and code requirements.
Catastrophic Failure: The sudden and irreversible destruction of a building or component under external forces or extreme conditions.
Specialty Contractor: A contractor who is professionally qualified in the areas of electrical, water supply and drainage, HVAC, fire protection, etc.
Strength: The ability of a material or structure to withstand loads without destruction.
Seismic Design: Seismic reinforcement or special design for buildings in earthquake-prone areas.
Load-Bearing Wall: A wall that supports upper loads and must be removed or altered with extreme caution.
Fire Code: A code that ensures that a building has requirements for fire protection, smoke protection, and escape routes.
Durability: The ability of a building material or component to resist natural erosion and wear and tear over its lifetime.
Foundation: The part of a building that carries the overall load of the building and transfers it to the foundation.
Checklist: A list of items to be checked or performed by task or phase to ensure that each job is completed to standard.
Approval: To obtain the consent or signature of the relevant department or person during the design, construction and other phases.
Incident Management: The management process of responding to, investigating, and following up on unexpected incidents that occur on-site.
Project management-related terms(35 articles)
Project Lifecycle: from project initiation, planning, and execution to the end of the whole process of management.
Risk Management: Identify, assess and prioritize potential project risk management activities.
Gantt Chart: used to visualize the task progress and schedule of the horizontal roadmap.
Progress control: to ensure that the project is according to the planned nodes and dates to promote the means and methods.
Resource Allocation: in different stages of the task for the allocation of appropriate personnel, equipment and materials.
Cost Control: Ensuring that the project does not overspend through budget tracking and expense review.
Work Breakdown Structure: Break down the overall project objectives into smaller, more manageable tasks or work packages.
Milestone: A marker that indicates the completion of a key event or phase in the project process.
Project Schedule: Overview of the project’s main activities and the duration of the timeline.
Project Meeting: periodic meetings or special meetings, used to resolve progress, problems and decision-making.
Project Audit: Check the project process compliance and quality of the results of the assessment activities.
Project Risk Assessment: quantitative or qualitative analysis of potential risk points, to develop response strategies.
Project Delivery: After the completion of the project will be the results of the formal transfer to the owner or user of the process.
Change Control: Approval and management of project scope, design or budget changes to avoid loss of control.
Project Cost Estimation: Forecasting all direct and indirect costs during project execution.
ITB – Invitation To Bid: An open or directed invitation to bid sent by the owner to the contractor.
Contract Terms: Written terms and conditions that specify price, quality, duration, and liability for breach of contract.
Project Monitoring: Continuous tracking of project implementation status, timely detection and correction.
Resource Scheduling: Ensure that manpower, machinery and materials are arranged in the most reasonable time.
Project document management: Manage all the documents involved in the project version, approval process and archiving.
Project Stakeholder: with the project, there is a relationship of interest or influence of individuals or organizations, including owners, investors, etc.
Adjustment Plan: When the schedule or cost deviation from the target, the development of corrective or alternative programs.
Project Delivery Method:
Design-Bid-Build (Design-Bid-Build)
Design-Build (Design-Build)
CMAR (Construction Manager At Risk)
IPD (Integrated Project Delivery):These models are used to determine how responsibility and risk are allocated.
Sign Agreement: The process by which the contract documents are formally signed by the parties, A and B, or by more than one party, before the commencement of the project.
Cost-Benefit Analysis: Comparison of project benefits and costs to determine the feasibility of investment or construction.
RFI (Request For Information): Construction or design phase, the contractor or owner of the information, drawings, clarification of the unknown request.
RFP (Request For Proposal): The owner’s approach to project requirements, inviting contractors or suppliers to submit proposals, quotes and documents.
RFQ (Request For Quotation): more focused on the price of the inquiry or request for quotation, used to compare the supplier’s product or service costs.
RFT (Request For Tender): a formal solicitation, suppliers submit quotations and proposals in the form of sealed bids.
Bid Hit Rate (Bid Hit Rate): The percentage of bids awarded to contractors, a measure of the success of a bid.
Retainage: The owner sets aside a portion of each payment to be paid upon completion of the project if the quality is satisfactory.
Lien: The right of a contractor or subcontractor to make a claim on property for which payment has not yet been made.
Payment Bond: A form of guarantee that a contractor will pay a subcontractor or supplier on time.
Performance Bond: A guarantee that the contractor will complete the project within the agreed scope and standard, or the guarantor will pay.
Value Engineering: Reducing costs by optimizing materials or construction processes while maintaining functionality and quality.
Steel Building Terminology (50 articles)
Steel Structure Design: A method of structural design using steel as the main body, focusing on forces and connections.
Welding: A means of joining metal materials together using high temperature or pressure.
Heat Treatment: The process of changing the internal organization of steel to improve strength, toughness, or wear resistance.
Steel Beam: Horizontal load-bearing member, used to support floors, roofs, and other upper loads.
Steel Column: Vertical load-bearing member, supporting and transferring the vertical load from the superstructure.
Reinforced Concrete: Steel bars are used in concrete to provide good compressive and tensile properties.
Corrosion Protection: The use of coatings, corrosion inhibitors, or electrochemical methods to reduce steel corrosion.
Foundation: The root or lower support of a steel structure that transmits building loads to the ground.
Support: Steel members that provide stability, such as diagonal, horizontal, or longitudinal supports.
Weld Seam: The connection gap produced after welding, subject to high-quality requirements to prevent cracking.
Tension: The tensile force on the member, is one of the main forms of internal force in steel structures.
Pressure (Compression): The compressive force on a member, opposite to tensile force.
Shear Force: The internal force that occurs when two neighbouring sections slip relative to each other.
Plate: Flat steel used to withstand pressure or tension.
Steel Mesh: A mesh material made of steel wire or rebar, used to reinforce concrete or composite materials.
H-beam: Cross-section shaped like an “H,” featuring wide, thick flanges, often used for main beams or heavy structures.
C-channel: Cross-section shaped like a “C,” commonly used as purlins, door frames, or secondary structural supports.
Z-purlin: Cross-section shaped like a “Z,” convenient for roof or wall lap support.
Bolted Connection: The connection of components through high-strength bolts, allowing disassembly and maintenance.
Riveting: A traditional steel structure connection method that uses rivets to fix multiple layers of steel plates.
Prestressing: The application of tensile force during member manufacturing to offset forces experienced in service.
Composite Floor Deck: Combines steel decking with concrete to form a monolithic floor slab, shortening construction periods.
Intumescent Coating: A protective layer that expands at high temperatures, delaying loss of steel strength under heat.
Anti-corrosion Paint: A coating applied to steel surfaces to prevent oxidation, rust, and corrosion.
Connector: Various steel structure accessories, such as angle pieces or inserts, are used for component splicing.
Steel Joint: The connection area where multiple members meet, is often critical to the overall stability of the structure.
Truss: A large-span structure composed of multiple bars connected by nodes, forming triangular units.
Crane Girder: A steel girder that supports a travelling crane (bridge or gantry type), requiring consideration of dynamic loads.
Tie Rod: A steel rod used to tension or stabilize certain components.
Cross Beam: A beam perpendicular or diagonal to the main beam, distributing loads.
Purlin: A roof or wall support member, commonly found in light steel plants or roof framing systems.
Rigid Frame: A frame consisting of rigidly connected columns and beams, widely applied in industrial buildings.
Rafter: A beam arranged at an angle, used to support the roof or floor structure.
Cross Bracing: X-shaped or diagonal bracing that enhances the structure’s resistance to lateral forces.
Bending Moment: The internal moment generated in a member under bending, determining reinforcement or section requirements.
Deflection: The deformation experienced by a member under load; excessive deflection may affect functionality.
Steel Fabrication: The cutting, drilling, and welding of steel sections in the factory.
Steel Erection: The process of lifting, positioning, and assembling prefabricated steel components into a unified structure.
Hot-dip Galvanizing: Immersing steel in molten zinc to create a corrosion-resistant coating.
Surface Treatment: Techniques such as sandblasting, rust removal, painting, or plating to enhance durability.
Light Gauge Steel: A framework made of thin-walled steel sections, often used for low-rise housing or small to medium-sized buildings.
Steel Brace: A steel member specifically designed to stabilize the structure and resist horizontal forces.
Friction Connection: High-strength bolts clamp the contact surfaces between members, transferring loads through friction.
Steel Fireproofing Layer: A sprayed or clad material that slows steel’s loss of strength at high temperatures.
Gauge / Thickness: Measurement of the thickness of steel plate or sections to ensure compliance with designs or standards.
Torque: The force required to tighten bolts or rotating parts, ensuring a secure connection.
Modulus of Elasticity: A measure of steel’s ability to resist deformation within its elastic range.
Fatigue Strength: The limit of steel under repeated loading or cyclic stress.
Shear Stud: A connecting element that helps steel beams and floor slabs act as an integrated unit, commonly used in composite slabs.
Structural Stability: The ability of steel members or the entire structure to remain balanced under load without buckling or collapse.
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Construction Safety and Compliance Terms (20 entries)
Personal Protective Equipment: helmets, goggles, etc., used to protect workers.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration: government agency responsible for setting and enforcing workplace safety standards (U.S.), with counterparts in other countries.
Fall Protection: measures to prevent falls from heights, such as safety belts, safety nets, and guardrails.
Safety Audit: evaluation of construction site safety compliance and identification of potential hazards.
Emergency Response Plan: processes and instructions for handling fire, natural disasters, or workplace accidents.
LOTO – Lockout/Tagout: safety procedures to prevent unintentional start-up of machinery and equipment during repair or maintenance.
Incident Report: a document that records the occurrence of any injury, near miss, or accident and the follow-up measures.
JSA – Job Safety Analysis: breaking down the steps of a job, identifying potential hazards in each step, and developing preventive measures.
Confined Space: spaces with limited access and unsuitable for long-term operations that require additional safety protection.
Ergonomics: improvements in operating environments and tool design to reduce worker fatigue and injury.
Barricade Tape: marking construction hazardous areas or no-go areas with distinctive colours.
Work Permit: managing firework, aerial work, etc. through the issuance of specific permits.
Safety Signage: setting up obvious warnings or reminders at the construction site, such as “must wear a helmet”.
Machine Guarding: external guarding of machinery or equipment to prevent operators from contacting hazardous areas.
Fume/Gas Monitoring: monitoring the concentration of hazardous gases and dust generated during construction to protect workers’ health.
Aerial Work Platform: providing a movable elevated platform that allows workers to work safely at high altitudes.
Explosion Proof Measures: ventilation, equipment protection, and operation standardization measures in flammable and explosive environments.
Hazardous Substances: chemicals, paints, or other materials that may be harmful to the human body or the environment and require special management.
Overtime Management: Avoid continuous overtime work and reduce safety risks caused by fatigue.
Occupational Health: emphasizes preventing long-term health effects from noise, dust, vibration, chemicals, etc.
Environmental and Sustainable Building Terminology(15 articles)
Green Building: A building model that reduces environmental impact through the use of energy-efficient, environmentally friendly materials.
LEED Certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design): Internationally recognized standard for evaluating the sustainability performance of buildings.
Carbon Footprint: The total amount of greenhouse gas emissions generated by a building or activity.
Renewable Energy: The use of solar or wind energy to reduce emissions by integrating it into a building’s energy supply system.
Waste Management: Reducing waste generation during construction through sorting, recycling, and reuse.
Energy Efficiency: Lowering a building’s energy consumption through advanced insulation and lighting systems.
Water Conservation: Reducing water resource waste by utilizing efficient water appliances and rainwater collection.
Low-VOC (Low Volatile Organic Compounds): Materials that contain fewer volatile chemicals to help improve indoor air quality.
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA): A comprehensive assessment of the ecological, social, and economic impacts that a building project may cause.
Passive House: Minimizing the need for air conditioning and heating by relying on quality insulation and natural ventilation and lighting.
Ecological Landscaping: Lowering the use of chemical fertilizers and water through native vegetation and natural design approaches.
Light Pollution: Environmental disturbance caused by excessive lighting, requiring controlled illumination design.
Building Life Cycle: Encompassing the entire process from material production to construction, operation, and demolition.
Thermal Bridge: Areas in the building envelope prone to heat loss that must be insulated.
Rainwater Harvesting: Collecting rainwater for irrigation, toilet flushing, and other uses to reduce tap water consumption.
Common Equipment and Materials Terms(10 articles)
Excavator: Heavy machinery for earthmoving and site levelling.
Dump Truck: Used to transport loose materials such as gravel or soil; can tip backwards or sideways to unload.
Crane: Equipment for lifting steel beams, precast concrete, and other heavy objects at the construction site.
Road Roller: Used to compact roadbeds, asphalt, or gravel surfaces.
Concrete Mixer: Equipment that blends cement, sand, gravel, and water to produce concrete.
Reinforcing Steel (Rebar): Metal bars that enhance the tensile strength of concrete.
Formwork: Temporary supports or moulds that shape poured concrete.
Ballast: Crushed stone or gravel used in roads or railbeds for drainage and support.
Pump Truck (Concrete Pump Truck): Uses mechanical pumps to convey concrete to elevated or distant pour locations.
Tampers (Tamper/Compactor): Small handheld or mechanical devices for compacting soil or materials in localized areas.
Construction Processes and Methods Terminology(10 articles)
Earthwork: Encompasses site grading, pit excavation, backfilling, and compaction.
Site Layout: Measuring and marking the positions of buildings and structures according to drawings.
Pit Support (Excavation Support): Measures to prevent pit collapse during deep excavation.
Backfill: Refilling excavated soil or other material into pits or trenches to stabilize foundations or structures.
Plastering / Rendering: Applying mortar to walls or ceilings to achieve a level surface.
Levelling Layer: A mortar or concrete layer on floors or roofs to create a level surface for subsequent work.
Masonry Work: Laying bricks, blocks, or stones with mortar to form walls.
Curing: Maintaining proper moisture and temperature of new concrete or mortar to ensure strength development.
Acceptance Phase: Testing and approving the quality of a finished project or sub-project.
Completion and Delivery (Final Handover): Formal process of transferring a completed project to the owner for use or operation.
Conclude
Through the systematic listing of 170 “Building Construction Terms” above, I believe you have a clearer understanding of the key aspects from basic concepts to project management, steel construction, safety compliance, and environmental sustainability. The specialized vocabulary in each section will help you control your project more effectively during the communication, bidding, supervision and implementation phases, and reduce unnecessary misunderstandings or rework.
If you are preparing for a steel structure project, you are welcome to consult Xinguangzheng’s team of experts. With years of overseas construction experience, we can customize steel structure building solutions for you.
