GLOSSARY OF CONSTRUCTION TERMS
| Jurisdiction | Colorado |
Author's Note: With the exception of legal terminology, this Glossary has been assembled in a manner unlike any other. With very few exceptions, the words and phrases selected for inclusion were chosen based upon their occurrence in expert reports in design and construction cases handled over the years. The most notable exceptions are "donkey tracks" and "horsefeathers," and they were included just for fun.
The definitions may not, in all instances, pass scientific or technical muster. Where I could, I attempted to write them entirely from my own experience in handling cases where the terms were necessary to understanding the case. I also had the invaluable assistance of fellow construction law practitioners Doug Sanders and Brian Samuels of Vancouver, British Columbia.
Finally, I would like to thank the hundreds of clients and experts who, over the years, patiently taught me the information in this Glossary.
AAA: An abbreviation for the American Arbitration Association, a nonprofit provider of mediation and arbitration services.
Abate or Abatement: The process of removing hazardous materials from a construction project or construction site.
ABS: Abbreviation for Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene. A type of rigid black plastic pipe used for drain/waste/vent lines.
AC: Abbreviation for alternating current; an electrical supply common in commercial and residential use in the United States in which the polarity reverses constantly.
Acceleration: An increase in labor or equipment to shorten the time for completion or mitigate the effects of an impact or a delay.
Acceleration Claim: A claim for the cost associated with acceleration.
Acre: A common measurement of land equal to 43,560 square feet.
Acre-foot: A quantity of water commonly used in engineering calculations equal to the area of one acre covered to a depth of one foot; 325,851 gallons.
Activity: The smallest unit of work identified on a project schedule or critical path method. (In other scheduling methodologies, this may be equivalent to a "task.")
Activity Duration: In critical path method terminology, the amount of time estimated as required to accomplish an activity.
ADA: The Americans with Disabilities Act, which gives to individuals with disabilities civil rights protections similar to those provided to individuals on the basis of race, color, sex, national origin, age, and religion. It guarantees equal opportunity for individuals with disabilities in public accommodations, employment, transportation, state and local government services, and telecommunications. With respect to design and construction, the most common reference to the ADA is in the area of barrier-free design and the accommodation of the built environment to individuals with disabilities.
Adaptable Building: A building that can be easily remarketed, retrofitted, or reconfigured to better meet the changing needs of occupants, maintenance crews, and the larger community.
Adaptive Reuse: The renovation of a building or space for a purpose different from the original.
Addendum (Addenda): Written information adding to, clarifying, or modifying the bidding documents. Generally issued during the bidding process, and, as such, addenda become part of the contract documents.
Additional Insured: An entity that is provided first-party coverage under a policy of insurance issued to the primary insured. It is common in the construction industry for a project owner to require the general contractor to list the owner as an additional insured. General contractors also commonly require their subcontractors to list them as additional insureds.
ADR: See Alternative Dispute Resolution.
Advertisement for Bids: Written notification intended to solicit bids for construction. Most frequently used to conform to legal requirements pertaining to projects to be constructed under public authority, and usually published in newspapers of general circulation in those districts from which the public funds are derived.
A/E: Abbreviation for architect-engineer.
A-Frame: A roof shape with a very steep pitch forming a gable or "A" shape.
AGC: An abbreviation for Associated General Contractors of America, a trade organization of construction contractors. Publishes a family of standard form construction contracts.
Aggregate: A mixture of sand and stone, which, along with cement, is used to manufacture concrete.
AIA: An abbreviation for the American Institute of Architects.
Air Chamber: A vertical, air-filled pipe or spring coil, set above the water line to absorb pressure when water is turned off at the faucet.
Air Changes (or Exchanges) Per Hour: The number of times that the entire volume of air within a building changes during an hour. Also used to measure ventilation and air infiltration.
Air Entrained: Concrete that has had special admixtures added to the design mix to create air bubbles within the concrete in order to improve workability and other characteristics.
Air Gap: A device mounted at the back of a kitchen sink, connecting to the drain line between a dishwasher and disposer to allow the dishwasher to discharge freely into the disposer while preventing contaminated water from siphoning back into the dishwasher.
Air Infiltration: The amount of air leaking in and out of a building through cracks in walls, windows, and doors.
Align: An instruction given on architectural drawings requiring elements of construction to be arranged so the faces of elements of construction are in line with each other.
Allowance: A specified dollar figure established in a construction contract to provide a "reserve" for payment for items that have not yet been selected and specified in the construction contract. For example, selection of carpet or light fixtures that the architect or owner has not yet chosen may be covered by an allowance entry for that item. If the selected carpet then exceeds the allowance, the contractor will be entitled to additional compensation. Sometimes called a cash allowance.
All-Risk Policy: See Builders Risk Insurance.
Alluvium: An unconsolidated accumulation of stream-deposited sediments, including sands, silts, clays, or gravels.
ALTA Survey: A boundary survey with a set of minimum standards that have been jointly prepared by the American Land Title Association and American Congress of Surveying and Mapping (ALTA/ACSM). In addition, the survey will show improvements, easements, right-of-way, and other elements impacting ownership of the land.
Alternate Bid: An amount stated in the bid to be added or deducted from the base bid amount proposed for alternate materials and/or methods of construction at the owner's election.
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR): Any process of resolving a dispute other than litigation, such as arbitration and mediation.
Ambient Temperature: The temperature of the surrounding air outside of a building.
American Institute of Architects (AIA): Professional trade association of architects. The AIA publishes a suite of design and construction agreements and contracts that are widely used throughout the United States and Canada.
Anchor Bolts: Bolts to secure a wooden sill plate to a concrete or masonry floor or wall.
Angle of Repose: The maximum angle at which a soil, sediment, or other loose material can be placed or accumulate and remain stable. The angle of repose varies for different types of materials and different moisture conditions. The slope at which a hillside is stable. A slope is stable when the driving force tending to move the soil down the hill and the restraining force tending to hold the hillside in place are equal.
ANSI: An abbreviation for the American National Standards Institute, which is a coordinating organization for uniform standards, materials, and practices. ANSI Standards are widely used and relied upon in many areas of design and construction. For example, ANSI A117.1 addresses Accessible and Usable Building Facilities, including barrier-free design.
Application for Payment: A contractor's written request for payment for completed portions of the work and for materials delivered or stored for use on the project. In the United States, the most commonly used form for applying for payments is AIA Document G702.
Approved Equal: Materials, equipment, or method approved by the architect for use in the work as being acceptable as an equivalent in essential attributes to the material, equipment, or method specified in the contract document.
Aquifer: A subsurface rock or sediment unit that is porous and permeable. To be an aquifer, it must have these traits to a sufficient degree that it stores and transmits useful quantities of water.
Aquifer (Artesian): An aquifer that is bounded above and below by impermeable rock or sediment layers. The water in the aquifer is also under enough pressure that, when the aquifer is tapped by a well, the water rises up the well bore to a level that is above the top of the aquifer.
Aquifer (Confined): An aquifer that is bounded above and below by impermeable rock or sediment layers. There may or may not be enough pressure in the aquifer to make it an "artesian aquifer."
Aquifer (Unconfined): An aquifer that is not overlain by an impermeable rock unit. The water in this aquifer is under atmospheric pressure and is recharged by precipitation that falls on the land above the aquifer.
Architect: The word "architect" should only be used by one who is licensed by the state to practice architecture. Others who provide similar service but do not hold a state license may be referred to as designers or by similar references but should never be referred to as architects.
Architect of Record: A phrase used to identify the architect who placed his or her professional architectural seal on the drawings and in...
To continue reading
Request your trial