Construction terms explained
Plain-language meanings of the terms you will meet when briefing a contractor, with links to the services where they apply.
- RCC
- Reinforced cement concrete: steel reinforcement cast inside concrete. It forms the foundations, columns, beams and slabs that carry a building. Read about our work.
- EPC
- Engineering, procurement and construction. In an EPC contract one contractor is responsible for delivering the finished project. Read about our work.
- Turnkey
- A contract where you hand over the plot and the contractor delivers a ready-to-use structure. Read about our work.
- PMC
- Project management consultant: an outside firm appointed by the client to oversee coordination, cost and schedule.
- Block work
- Masonry made of blocks laid in mortar to form walls, partitions and shafts between the structural frame. Read about our work.
- AAC block
- Autoclaved aerated concrete block: a light, insulating block used for walls. Whether it is used depends on the project specification. Read about our work.
- Plaster
- A coat of cement or gypsum mortar applied over masonry to give an even, finished surface. Read about our work.
- Gypsum plaster
- A smooth plaster used on internal walls and ceilings, where a fine finish is wanted. Read about our work.
- UCR masonry
- Uncoursed rubble masonry: stone laid in mortar without regular courses, used for foundations, retaining and boundary walls. Read about our work.
- Gabion wall
- A wall of wire-mesh cages filled with stone. It retains earth, holds slopes and lets water drain through. Read about our work.
- Gabion mattress
- A flat, shallow gabion laid along riverbeds and banks to resist erosion and scour. Read about our work.
- Retaining wall
- A wall built to hold back soil where the ground levels change. Read about our work.
- Compound wall
- A boundary wall around a plot that marks the limit of the property and controls access. Read about our work.
- Stone cladding
- A decorative stone finish applied over a built wall, used for entrances, boundaries and landscaped areas. Read about our work.
- Slab cycle
- The time taken to complete one floor’s structure before starting the next. On high-rise projects, masonry and plaster follow behind it.
- Aluminium formwork
- Reusable aluminium panels used to cast walls and slabs together, which gives fast construction cycles. Masonry methods must be compatible with it.
- Line and level
- Marking and checking that walls are straight, upright and at the right height before and during construction. Read about our work.
- Backfilling
- Refilling the excavated area around foundations with soil, usually in layers, so the ground is stable. Read about our work.
- Toolbox talk
- A short safety briefing given to workers before work starts.
- PPE
- Personal protective equipment, such as helmets, boots and gloves, worn by workers on site.