" It is not often one has the opportunity to work with a general contractor who truly embodies the concept of "Team." Berghammer Construction is one of these contractors. Each client will benefit from this unique philosophy and collaborative approach. "
Jane R. Dedering
Hammel, Green, and Abrahamson |
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| AGC | Acronym for "Associated General Contractors of America". | | Aggregate | A mixture of sand and stone and a major component of concrete. | | AIA | Acronym for "American Institute of Architects". | | Allowance | A sum of money stated in contract documents to cover the cost of materials or items in those documents, the full description of which is not known at the time of bidding. All contractors bid the allowance as part of their proposals. The actual costs of the items are determined by the contractor (not including installation) at the time of their selection by the architect or owner and the total contractual amount is adjusted accordingly. | | AMP | A unit of electrical current; electric circuits are rated in AMPs for a given voltage, for example, “a 110 volt, 15AMP circuit”. To determine the “AMP draw” of an electrical device use the formula: AMPs = Watts / Volts. A 1,500-watt electric heater on 110 volt current will draw 13.6 AMPs. (See “Voltage”, “Watts”) | | ASHRAE | Acronym for “American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air Conditioning Engineers”; an institute that sets engineering standards for HVAC and refrigeration systems. (See “HVAC”) | | Assignment | The transfer of rights or responsibilities, or placement of contractual obligations by one person or entity to another. Frequently prime trade contractors are assigned by an owner to a general contractor or construction manager to better coordinate the execution of a construction project. (See “Prime Contractor”) |
| Backfill | The replacement of excavated earth into a trench around or against a basement, crawl space, or foundation wall. | | Backing | Frame lumber installed between the wall studs to give additional support for drywall or an interior trim related item, such as handrail brackets, cabinets, and towel bars. In this way, items are screwed and mounted into solid wood rather than weak drywall that may allow the item to break loose from the wall. Carpet backing holds the pile fabric in place. | | Balusters | Vertical members in a railing used between a top rail and bottom rail or the stair treads, sometimes referred to as ‘pickets’ or ‘spindles’. | | Bedrock | A subsurface layer of earth that is suitable to support a structure. | | Bid Bond | A bond issued by a surety on behalf of a contractor that provides assurance to the recipient of the contractor’s bid that, if the bid is accepted, the contractor will execute a contract and provide a performance bond. Under the bond, the surety is obligated to pay the recipient of the bid the difference between the contractor’s bid and the bid of the next lowest responsible bidding if the bid is accepted and the contractor fails to execute a contract or provide a performance bond. | | Bid Guarantee | A bid bond or certified check, cashier”s check or similar instrument to assure the owner that a bid is valid and that the bidder will enter into a contract if awarded. Refusal to enter into a contract leads to a forfeiture of the guarantee. (See “Bid Bond”) | | Blue Print(s) | A type of copying method often used for architectural drawings. Usually used to describe the drawing of a structure which is prepared by an architect or designer for the purpose of design and planning, estimating, securing permits and actual construction. | | Board Foot | A unit of measure for lumber equal to 1 inch thick by 12 inches wide by 12 inches long. Examples: 1” x 12” x16” = 16 board feet, 2” x 12” x 16” = 32 board feet. | | Bond | A written agreement containing a financial guarantee that one party, the surety, obligates itself to a second party, the obligee (usually the owner), to assure the performance, service or payment by a contractor (also called the obligor). | | Bond Beam | A horizontal structural element in a block wall located above a window or other opening in the wall. Created by filling one course of block with rebar and concrete. Often used to add strength for wind load or to create small lintels. The top course of a block wall may be a bond beam to facilitate roof blocking, roofing and flashing. | | Bonding Capacity | The limit of bonded work, which a contractor can perform; a function of the willingness of a surety to provide bonding. (See “Bond”) | | Borrow Pit | An excavation on a jobsite from which quality fill material is taken and replaced with less desirable material. | | Brick Ledge | Part of the foundation wall where brick (veneer) will rest. | | BTU | Acronym for “British Thermal Unit”; a unit of measure of heat; HVAC equipment is rated in BTU capacity. | | Budget | The total cost that the owner is willing to pay for a certain segment of work associated with the project. In the largest sense the budget will encompass all the budgets for all the scopes of work including general conditions (overhead & profit). | | Builders Risk Insurance | Insurance coverage on a construction project during construction, including extended coverage that may be added for the contract for the customer’s protection. | | Building Envelope | The entire volume of a building defined by its exterior walls, its roof and its lowest floor; if the structure includes basement areas, they are included in this volume. | | Built–Up Roof | Roofing composed of three to five layers of asphalt felt laminated with coal tar, pitch, or asphalt. The top is finished with crushed slag or gravel. Generally used on flat or low-pitched roofs. | | Buttress | A structural support element in a building, usually constructed of concrete or masonry, built against a wall for support. |
| Caisson | A 10” or 12” diameter hole drilled into the earth and embedded into bedrock 3-4 feet. The structural support for a type of foundation wall, porch, patio, monopost, or other structure. Two or more “sticks” or reinforcing bars (rebar) are inserted into and run the full length of the hole and concrete is poured into the caisson hole. | | Cantilever | An overhang. Where one floor extends beyond and over a foundation wall. For example at a fireplace location or bay window cantilever. Normally, not extending over 2 feet. | | Carbon Footprint | A measure of the impact human activities have on the environment in terms of the amount of green house gases produced, measured in units of carbon dioxide. | | Case Goods | Prefabricated cabinets, counters, storage units, etc. | | Casement Window | A window with hinges on one of the vertical sides and swings open like a normal door. | | Casing | Wood trim molding installed around a door or window opening. | | Certificate of Occupancy | This certificate is issued by the local municipality and is required before anyone can occupy the building. It is issued only after the local municipality has made all inspections and all monies and fees have been paid. | | CFM | Abbreviation for “Cubic Feet per Minute”; a unit of measure of air volume used most commonly in reference to HVAC systems. (See “HVAC”) | | Change Order | A written document which modifies the plans and specifications and/or the price of the construction contract. | | Construction Documents | The drawings and specifications that describe the construction requirements. | | Construction Manager | A person or entity who provides construction management services, either as an advisor or as a contractor. | | Contingency Funds | A sum of money stated in contract documents to cover the costs of unforeseen items uncovered through discovery during the course of a project. This may be due to unforeseen underground conditions, unforeseen conditions in demolition, incomplete, incorrect or inconsistent plans, minor and reasonable errors and omissions, and unanticipated schedule. Unused contingency funds typically become the owner’s savings at the end of a project. | | Control Joint | Tooled, straight grooves made on concrete floors to “control” where the concrete should crack. | | Corbel | A bracket usually of stone, brick or other masonry material projecting from the face of a wall. Often used to support a cornice or an arch. | | Corbeling | An overlapping arrangement usually of brick in which each course extends farther out from the vertical of a wall than the course below. | | Cornice | Overhang of a pitched roof, usually consisting of a fascia board, a soffit and appropriate trim moldings. | | Counter Flashing | A metal flashing usually used on chimneys at the roofline to cover shingle flashing and used to prevent moisture entry. | | Covenant | The basic rules establishing the rights and obligations of owners of real property within a subdivision in relation to other owners within the same tract and in relation to an association of owners organized for the operation and maintenance of property owned in common by the individual owners. | | CSI | The copyrighted title of a uniform indexing system for construction specifications, as created by the Construction Specifications Institute and Construction Specifications Canada, commonly called the CSI format or numbering system. | | CSM | Acronym for “Certified Survey Map”. | | Curtain Wall | Refers to a large mass of a window system on the exterior of a building. |
| Damp Proofing | The black, tar like waterproofing material applied to the exterior of a foundation wall. | | DBE | Disadvantaged Business Enterprise (DBE) Program. The goal of the program is to increase the participation of firms owned by disadvantaged individuals. | | Design Build | Also known as “design-construct” or “single responsibility”, Design Build is a system of contracting under which one entity performs both architecture/engineering and construction under a single contract. | | Design Development | The phase of the architect’s basic services in which the architect prepares drawings and other presentation documents to fix and describe the size and character of the entire project as to architectural, structural, mechanical, and electrical systems, materials, and other essentials as may be appropriate. The architect also prepares a statement of probable construction cost. | | Diffuser | HVAC system registers and grilles; registers supply air to a room, grilles take return air from a room. | | Drain Tile | A perforated, corrugated plastic pipe laid at the bottom of the foundation wall and used to drain excess water away from the foundation. It prevents ground water from seeping through the foundation wall. Sometimes called perimeter drain. |
| Eave | The projecting overhang at the lower border of a roof. | | EIFS | Acronym for "Exterior Insulation Finishing System". | | Elevation Sheet | The page on the blue prints that depicts the building or room as if a vertical plane were passed through the structure. | | Estimate | The amount of labor, materials, and other costs that a contractor anticipates for a project as summarized in the contractor’s bid proposal for the project. | | Estimating | The process of calculating the cost of a project. | | Exhaust Fan | HVAC devices that cause massive negative pressure in a building and sucks all the exterior doors shut. (See “HVAC”) | | Expansion Joint | Fibrous material (at 1/2" thick) installed in and around a concrete slab to permit it to move up and down (seasonally) along the non-moving foundation wall. |
| Facade | The face of a building. | | Fascia | Horizontal boards attached to rafter/truss ends at the eaves and along gables. Roof drain gutters are attached to the fascia. | | Fast Track | Compression of a construction schedule by over lapping some activities that otherwise would be performed sequentially. | | Fiber Mesh Concrete | Concrete with fiber glass added to increase strength; used instead of standard concrete mix with wire mesh reinforcing. | | Fire Stop | A solid, tight closure of a concealed space, placed to prevent the spread of fire and smoke through such a space. In a frame wall, this will usually consist of 2 by 4 cross blocking between studs. Work performed to slow the spread of fire and smoke in the walls and ceiling (behind the drywall). Includes stuffing wire holes in the top and bottom plates with insulation, and installing blocks of wood between the wall studs at the drop soffit line. This is integral to passing a Rough Frame inspection. | | Flatwork | Common word for concrete floors, driveways, basements, and sidewalks. | | Footing | Continuous 8" or 10" thick concrete pad that supports the foundation wall or monopost. | | Footprint | The outline of a building on the ground, used in site planning and in judging compliance with planning and zoning laws. | | Form | Temporary structure erected to contain concrete during placing and initial hardening. | | Foundation | The bottom of a building. |
| General Contractor | A contractor who enters into a contract with the owner of a project for the construction of the project and who takes full responsibility for is completion, although the contractor may enter into subcontracts with others for the performance of specific parts or phases of the project. | | GFI outlet | Ground Fault Interrupted outlet - code required outlet in kitchens, and bathrooms. | | Girder | A large or principal beam of wood or steel used to support concentrated loads at isolated points along its length. | | Glazing | Glass windows, doors and trim in a building. | | GMP | Abbreviation for “Guaranteed Maximum Price”. | | GPM | Abbreviation for “Gallons Per Minute”; a unit of measure of liquid volume used most commonly in reference to plumbing systems. | | Grade Beam | A foundation wall that is poured at level with or just below the grade of the earth. An example is the area where the 8’ or 16’ overhead garage door "block out" is located, or a lower (walk out basement) foundation wall is poured. | | Guaranteed Maximum Price (GMP) | An amount stipulated in a construction contract as the maximum sum payable by the owner to the contractor for the work specified. |
| Header | (a) A beam placed perpendicular to joists and to which joists are nailed in framing for a chimney, stairway, or other opening. (b) A wood lintel. (c) The horizontal structural member over an opening (for example over a door or window). | | HM Door | Abbreviation for "Hollow Metal Door". | | Hollow Metal | Steel door and window frames. | | Home Run (Electrical) | The electrical cable that carries power from the main circuit breaker panel to the first electrical box, plug, or switch in the circuit. | | HVAC | Acronym for "Heating, Ventilating and Air Conditioning". | | Hydraulic | Liquid operated; some elevators and dock levelers operate with hydraulic cylinders. |
| ID | Abbreviation for "Inside Diameter". |
| Jamb | The inside finish trim of a door opening. (See “Casing”) | | Joist | Wooden 2 X 8’s, 10’s, or 12’s that run parallel to one another and support a floor or ceiling, and supported in turn by larger beams, girders, or bearing walls. |
| Lateral | The underground trench and related services (i.e., electric, gas, telephone, sewer and water lines) that will be buried within the trench. | | Lean Mix | Sand mixed with a small quantity of Portland cement, normally used to backfill undercuts required below column footings and grade beam. | | LEED (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) | A voluntary, consensus-based national standard for developing high-performance, sustainable buildings | | Leibert | A brand name of cooling equipment widely used for temperature and humidity control in computer rooms. The name has become a generic term used to describe computer room cooling equipment. Real Leibert systems almost exclusively use glycol as the coolant and are plumbed to air handlers to cool the room and also plumbed directly to mainframe computers to cool the equipment. | | Lien | An encumbrance that usually makes real or personal property the security for payment of a debt or discharge of an obligation. | | Lime Stabilization | A process of mixing lime into existing soil to create a more workable site. | | Lintel | A horizontal structural member that supports the load over an opening such as a door or window. | | Lumens | Unit of measure for total light output. The amount of light falling on a surface of one square foot. |
| MEP | Acronym for "Mechanical, Electrical and Plumbing". | | Mesh | Used in concrete slabs to add strength. (see also WWF) | | Metal Lath | Sheets of metal that are slit to form openings within the lath. Used as a plaster base for walls and ceilings and as reinforcing over other forms of plaster base. | | Millwork | Generally all building materials made of finished wood and manufactured in millwork plants. Includes all doors, window and door frames, blinds, mantels, panelwork, stairway components (ballusters, rail, etc.), moldings, and interior trim. Does not include flooring, ceiling, or siding. | | Mullion | A vertical divider in the frame between windows, doors, or other openings. |
| NEMA | Acronym for “National Electrical Manufacturing Association”; an institute that sets engineering standards for electrical products and components. | | Nominal | A word usually used in reference to a dimension to indicate that it is approximate; often used in stating pipe and fitting dimensions. For example, 1" nominal pipe may actually be 1" ID and 1-1/8" OD, while 1" pipe fittings may be 1-1/8" ID and 1-1/4" OD. | | NTE | Abbreviation for “Not To Exceed”. | | NTX | Abbreviation for "Not To Exceed". |
| OD | Abbreviation for "Outside Diameter". | | OH & P | Abbreviation for "Overhead and Profit". | | OH Door | Abbreviation for "Overhead Door". | | Outline Specification | An abbreviated form of specifications normally produced with schematic design or design development drawings. |
| Parabolic | Silver or gold plated lenses on light fixtures (usually florescent lay-in fixtures) that provide some down light character to the fixture. Common parabolic lenses have 18 square opening in a 2’ x 4’ fixture. Parabolic lenses are commonly 3” deep and therefore require a deeper lay-in fixture. (See “Troffer”) | | Paracube and Parasquare | Silver or gold plated lenses on light fixtures (usually florescent lay-in fixtures) that allow the light to shine down and reduce the brightness normally visible when looking at the light fixture itself. | | Parapet | A wall placed at the edge of a roof to prevent people from falling off. | | Patina | A thin layer of corrosion, usually brown or green that appears on copper or copper alloys, such as bronze, as a result of natural or artificial oxidation. | | Pedimat | A mat at the entrance to a building, usually in the vestibule and recessed into the floor. | | Performance Bond | An amount of money (usually 10% of the total price of a job) that a contractor must put on deposit with a governmental agency as an insurance policy that guarantees the contractors ’ proper and timely completion of a project or job. | | Permit | A governmental municipal authorization to perform a building process as in: demolition, grading, septic, building, electrical, and plumbing permits. | | Pier | A column of masonry, usually rectangular in horizontal cross section, used to support other structural members. | | Pilaster | A pillar or column set into a wall as an ornamental feature. | | Plumb | Exactly vertical and perpendicular. | | Precast | A concrete horizontal structural member that is cast and cured in other than its final position, on or off-site. | | Prime Contractor | A contractor that has a contract directly with the owner; a general contractor is therefore also a prime contractor. | | Punch List | A list of minor details, created (at a punch list walk through) with the owner at the end of a project, that need to be corrected. |
| R Factor or Value | A measure of a materials resistance to the passage of heat. New homewalls are usually insulated with 4" of batt insulation with an R value of R-13, and a ceiling insulation of R-30. | | Radiant Heating | A method of heating, usually consisting of a forced hot water system with pipes placed in the floor, wall, or ceiling. Also electrically heated panels. | | Rebar | Ribbed steel bars installed in foundation concrete walls, footers, and poured in place concrete structures designed to strengthen concrete. Comes in various thickness ’ and strength grade. | | Retaining Wall | A structure that holds back a slope and prevents erosion. | | RFI | Abbreviation for “Request For Information”. | | RFP | Abbreviation for “Request For Proposal”. | | RFQ | Abbreviation for “Request For Qualifications”. | | Rocking | Term for installing drywall. | | Roof Blocking | Lumber fastened to the top of a building’s exterior walls to which roofing materials are attached and then often trimmed with an architectural flashing . | | Roof Scuttle | Small roof access opening normally with a hinged lid and equipped with a vertical access ladder. | | RTU | Abbreviation for "Rooftop Unit". |
| Sash | The frame in which the panes of a window or door are set. | | Scheduling | An itemization in chronological order, often in chart form, of project tasks in order to start and complete a building or structure. | | Schematic Design | The first phase of the architect’s basic services in which the architect consults with the Owner on project requirements and prepares schematic design studies consisting of drawings and other documents showing the scale and components for the Owner’s approval. | | Screed | To level-off concrete to the correct elevation during a concrete pour. | | Scribing | Cutting and fitting woodwork to an irregular surface. | | Shear Block | Plywood that is face nailed to short (2 X 4’s or 2 X 6’s) wall studs (above a door or window, for example). This is done to prevent the wall from sliding and collapsing. | | Shear Wall | A structural wall in the interior of a building designed to provide lateral structural integrity. | | Sheet Rock | Drywall | | Shop Drawings | Detailed graphics of equipment or building components prepared by manufacturers, vendors or subcontractors of the items. The drawings are used for the production, fabrication and installation of the components and are necessarily approved by both designers and contractors prior to execution of the segment of work. | | Shoring | Temporary support of a structure until permanent structural support can be completed. | | Sill Plate | Bottom horizontal member of an exterior wall frame which rests on top a foundation, sometimes called mudsill. Also sole plate, bottom member of an interior wall frame. | | Site Plan | A plan drawing showing the site and buildings. | | Slag | Concrete cement that sometimes covers the vertical face of the foundation void material. | | Sleeper | Usually, a wood member embedded in concrete, as in a floor, that serves to support and to fasten the subfloor or flooring. | | Sound Attenuation | Sound proofing a wall or subfloor, generally with fiberglass insulation. | | Sound Transmission Class (STC) | The measure of sound stopping of ordinary noise. | | Spandrel Glass | Opaque glass used as an architectural element on building facades. | | Static Pressure | A unit of measure of air pressure used most commonly in reference to HVAC systems. HVAC systems are engineered to deliver a certain volume of CFMs at a given static pressure. For example, more CFMs can be delivered through the same size duct if the static pressure is increased. (See “CFM”, “HVAC”) | | Stringer | A structural element most often tying opposed walls together; when used also as the structural support for a finished ceiling or below a roof they are more commonly referred to as ceiling joists. (See “Joist”) | | Subcontractor | 1. A contractor whose contract is with the general contractor, not the owner. 2. An individual or entity contracting to perform part or all of another’s contract. | | Superintendent | An individual who is at the top level of a construction team in the field. |
| T & M | Abbreviation for “Time and Materials” - a method of pricing work. | | Tempered | Strengthened. Tempered glass will not shatter nor create shards, but will "pelletize" like an automobile window. Required in tub and shower enclosures and locations, entry door glass and sidelight glass, and in a windows when the window sill is less than 16" to the floor. | | TI | Abbreviation for “Tenant Improvement”; usually refers to interior space buildout to accommodate a tenants requirements in a multi-tenant building. | | Troffer | Florescent light fixture recessed in a suspended ceiling. | | Turnkey | A type of project delivery system within the category of “design-build” in which the contractor provides financing, design and construction under a performance set of specifications and provides a completed project for an agreed upon price. Upon completion, the contractor turns the key over to the owner in return for full payment. |
| Undercutting | Removing poor soil below column pads and footings. (See “Lean Mix”) | | Underpinning | Temporary propping up part of a structure similar to shoring, but usually this term is used in reference to propping up foundation elements. | | Unit Price | 1. The price charged for a single unit or minimum unit of production. 2. The price charged for a unit of length, volume, or area. | | Urangatang Web Design | This is the finest web development organization in the world. Visit www.urangatang.com today. |
| Value Engineering (VE) | A collaborative process that includes Berghammer, the owner, the architect, engineers and sometimes subcontractors, in which better cost/value solutions are brought into the design of a building; often done to bring a project’s cost into line with a client’s budget constraints. But may be done simply to maximize a project’s overall value, from a client’s perspective, rather than just to reduce overall cost. | | Vapor Barrier | A building product installed on exterior walls and ceilings under the drywall and on the warm side of the insulation. It is used to retard the movement of water vapor into walls and prevent condensation within them. Normally, polyethylene plastic sheeting is used. | | VAV | Acronym for “Variable Air Volume”; common HVAC air delivery system that varies the amount of heated or cooled air delivered to different parts of a building to maintain comfort. (See “HVAC”) | | VCT | Resilient flooring; abbreviation for "Vinyl Composite Tile" . | | Veneer | Extremely thin sheets of wood. Also a thin slice of wood or brick or stone covering a framed wall. | | Voltage | Unit of electrical potential; Voltage = Watts / AMPs (See “Watts”, “AMP”) |
| Watts | A unit if electrical power; Watts = AMPs x Volts; for example, a 110 volt, 15AMP circuit can deliver 1,650 watts of power. (See “Voltage”, “AMP”) | | WWF | Abbreviation for “Welded Wire Fabric”, used in concrete slabs to added strength. (See “Mesh”) |
| Zone | The section of a building that is served by one heating or cooling loop because it has noticeably distinct heating or cooling needs. Also, the section of property that will be watered from a lawn sprinkler system. |
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