Work as a Noun

The English word ‘WORK’ is the single most important word in the design and construction business.  Let’s explore why. In an earlier mini-lesson, we talked about the word ‘WORK’ as a verb. In this mini-lesson, we will learn a little …

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Building Anatomy: concrete slab types

Take a look at the concrete floor structural systems below.  Which do you know and which names are you unsure about? waffle slab with two-way beamslisten waffle slablisten flat slab with drop panels and column capitalslisten flat slab with drop …

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MADE OF or MADE FROM?

PRO TIP MADE OF is used to describe the basic general material or physical characteristics of something. It does not describe a process, assembly, or change. Examples: “The chair is made of wood” “The door is made of metal” MADE FROM is used …

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Talking About Work

Work Work is a common word, especially in design and construction.  However, common words we already know are often used in different ways.  These combinations can often mean different things. Work is both a noun and a verb.  This lesson …

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Dovetail Connections

Q: What do a white bird and construction connections have in common? A: Dovetails! As mentioned in our masonry tie lesson, there are different types of anchors that tie the brick to the building. Here’s a dovetail masonry anchor. Dovetail refers …

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Brick Ties

Brick Ties Of course we aren’t talking about an article of clothing.  🙂 We’re talking about an important part of masonry wall construction!  Take a look a the video below. Then read the explanations below and try your best at …

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Building Anatomy: brick cavity wall

Here are some important parts of a brick cavity wall.  Click to listen and try to guess where each part is located in the assembly! Brick listen Compressible filler listen Concrete listen Continuous reglet and through-wall flashing listen Continuous steel …

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