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Glossary of Terms
With any industry, oftentimes there are a variety of terms that just aren't common in our day to day lives. Fortunately, with our glossary of terms, we make the languages of steel buildings and construction easier to understand. Use the index below to familiarize yourself with all the ins and outs of a steel building system.
A
Steel Building products that are not included as part of the basic steel building system are called accessories. Accessories commonly include components such as doors, windows, canopies, cents, and other components.
American Concrete Institute. The organization responsible for developing the recognized building code for design of concrete structures.
An agricultural building is a steel building that is designed for agricultural purposes such as storing equipment,hay, grain, farm animals, and other agricultural items.
American Institute of Steel Construction
American Iron and Steel Institute
Steel is often coated with aluminum to help prevent corrosion.
Anchor bolts are steel bolts that are used to anchor members of a steel building system to a foundation or other support.
An anchor bolt plan is a drawing showing the diameter, location and projection of all anchor bolts for the components of a steel building system. The anchor bolt plan may also show column reactions (magnitude and direction) and maximum base plate dimensions.
American National Standards Institute
Approval documents include plans, design calculations, and other specified information. These documents are submitted by the steel building supplier to the dealer or end user for approval before fabrication of the steel building system. Approval by the dealer or end user affirms that the supplier or manufacturer has correctly interpreted the overall contract requirements for the steel building system, any accessories, and the location of accessories in the building.
A drawing for the purpose of showing the general appearance of the steel building and all accessory locations. An architectural drawing would typically show the plan view and elevations of the finished building.
American Society of Civil Engineering
A crane system which automatically operates through a preset series of cycles when activated.
A welding operation performed by a machine in order to make a continuous, unbroken weld.
A girder arranged parallel to the main girder for supporting the platform, motor base, operator's cab, control panels, etc., of a crane system. The auxiliary crane girder reduces the forces that otherwise impose on the main crane girder.
Dynamic live loads other than the basic design loads which the building must withstand. Auxiliary loads may include loads such as machinery, cranes, elevators, robots, vehicles, and many others.
B
An angle secured to a wall or the perimeter of the foundation to support and close the bottom of the wall panels.
A plate that is attached to the base of a column which rests on the foundation or other support. The base plate is usually secured using anchor bolts.
Basic Building Code
The main structural system made up of a series of rafter beams supported by columns Often used as the end frame of a steel building system.
A steel plate that is set on the top of a masonry support on which a beam or purlin can rest.
A list that outlines each component or assembly to be shipped. Also called tally sheet or shipping list.
Wire mesh used in louvers, ventilators, and other openings to prevent birds from entering the building.
A small headed pin with expandable shank for connecting light gauge metal. Typically it is used to attach flashing, gutters, etc.
Rigid or semi-rigid thermal insulation that is preformed into rectangular units.
A load lifting system made up of a hoist, which moves laterally on a beam, girder or bridge which in turn moves longitudinally on a runway made of beams and rails.
British Thermal Unit. The amount of heat necessary to raise the temperature of one pound (2.2 kg) of water by 1 degree F. (0.56 Degree C.).
A roof covering made up of alternating layers of tar and materials made of asphalt.
A structural member made from individual flat plates welded together.
The end plate of a structural member that is typically used to rest against a like plate of another member in forming a connection. A butt plate may also be called a splice plate or bolted end plate.
C
A crane controlled by an operator in a cab supported on the bridge or trolley.
A beam supported only at one end with the other end free to move.
An action causing movement of liquids when in contact with two adjacent surfaces.
A member imbedded in the edge of the foundation to which the wall panels are attached.
A member that is shaped during a semi-molten state.
A strip used to close openings created by ribbed panels joining other components.
The process of shaping steel into desired cross sections at room temperature using press brakes or rolling mills.
Loads caused by permanent materials, other than the steel building system, such as sprinklers, mechanical and electrical systems, partitions and ceilings.
A clip used with a wall or roof panel system to connect the panel to the supporting structure without exposing the fasteners on the exterior surface.
The terminology describing the transfer of loads and stresses from member to member of a steel building system, allowing the members to act as a single unit.
A beam having three or more supports.
A general contractor or sub-contractor with the responsibility for providing steel building systems and erection.
The primary horizontal beams of the crane bridge that supports the trolley.
A track supporting and guiding the wheels of a top-running bridge crane or trolley system.
The member that supports a crane rail. The crane runway beam is supported by columns or rafters depending on the type of crane system.
The horizontal distance center-to-center of runway beams.
A device used to limit travel of a trolley or crane bridge.
A separate column used in steel building systems that supports the runway beam of a top-running crane.
Perimeter wall panels that carry only their own weight and wind load.
D
The displacement of a structural member or system under load.
Loads specified in recognized building codes or in owner's specifications to be used in the design of a steel building.
An architect or engineer with the responsibility of specifying the specific design requirements of a steel building system.
The resistance to racking generally offered by the covering system, fasteners, and secondary framing.
An angle or channel used to stabilize or keep plumb a sliding or rolling door during operation.
E
Describes the vertical distance between the floor and the top of the eave strut.
A structural member located at the eave of a steel building that supports roof and wall paneling.
The surface area of a building at the edges of the roof and corners of the walls where the wind loads on components and cladding are greater than at other areas of the building.
The area used to determine the wind coefficient. The effective wind area may be greater than or equal to the tributary area.
A design concept that allows non-permanent shape distortion under a specified range of loading.
The minimum horizontal distance, parallel to the runway, between the outer-most extremities of the crane and the centerline of the hook.
A vertical member located at the endwall of a building that support the girts. In post and beam endwall frames, endwall columns also support the rafter.
The engineer who is responsible for the overall design of the building project. The manufacturer's engineer would not be considered the Engineer of Record.
Temporary bracing used by erectors to stabilize the building system during erection of a steel building system.
Roof and wall erection (framing) drawings that identify individual components and accessories furnished by the manufacturer in sufficient detail to permit proper Erection of the Metal Building System.
A wall framing system where the girts are mounted on the outside of the columns.
F
The manufacturing process of converting raw material into finished steel building system components.
Windows or other panels of glass; their number and location.
A strip used to close openings created by ribbed panels joining other components.
Coil metal that has a corrosion resistant film laminated to it prior to the forming operation.
A column base that is designed to resist rotation as well as horizontal or vertical movement.
A standing seam roof system hold down clip that does not allow the roof panel to move independently of the roof substructure.
A member used to provide lateral support to the flange of a structural member.
A clip used on standing seam roof system that allows the roof panel to move horizontally independently of the roof substructure. Also known as a "Sliding Clip" or "Slip Clip".
Loads acting on the floor system caused by the use and occupancy of the building.
Framing members and flashing which surround openings in the walls or roof of a steel building system. Framed openings are usually created in order to install accessories such as doors, windows, and roof exhaust systems.
Drawings and instructions that show individual components in detail and are used as a guide for the erection of a steel building system.
G
A ridged roof system that terminates in gables.
A concrete beam around the perimeter of a building that carries an exterior wall.
The probable weight of snow on the ground for a specified recurrence interval exclusive of drifts or sliding snow.
A steel plate used to connect structural elements of a steel building system.
H
Bolts that are made from steel having a tensile strength in excess of 100,000 pounds per square inch. Some examples of high strength bolts include; ASTM A-325, A-449, and A-490.
Structural steel having a yield stress in excess of 36,000 pounds per square inch.