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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
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 …
Listen and learn with text to speech technology
The lessons on this website use a new Text-to-Speech technology. While you review the posts, you can listen to the words by following these instructions. Continue learning more Construction English. …
TOP 20 Steel and Metal Collocations
Based on the computer analysis of millions of words from construction books and publications, here are the Top 20 noun-noun collocations that describe different steel materials. Collocations help make your communication clear and simple. Read a mini lesson about collocations …
TAKE OFF, TAKE-OFF, or TAKEOFF?
Take off is a common phrase in English. It’s most commonly used as a ‘phrasal verb’: VERB + PREPOSITION 1. to remove something, especially a piece of clothing: I’d better take my shoes off. 2. if an aircraft takes off, it leaves …