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Portable Building Terms

Accessory – Products for buildings that add to a fundamental solid panel building like a window, door, roof vent, etc.
 
All-bolted Steel Floor – Floor joists of galvanized steel that reach across each module from both sides as well as being bolted to both floor side beams
 
Aluminum – A light, corrosion and oxidization resistant, metallic material with high electrical and temperature conductivity.

Anchor – Construction for assisting the stabilizing of a modular or trailer to the ground, combined with straps or cables and turnbuckles or split bolts.

Anodized – Material that has a metal oxide finish formed by a process that produces a durable semi-translucent finish in varying colors.

Architect of Record/Engineer – Architect or engineer who oversees the entire building project. This is not the same as the manufacturer’s engineer.
 
Beam – A building component that has bending loads subject to it. The three types are continuous, simple and cantilever.
 
Bottom Board – Material placed beneath the floor joists of a modular or trailer for the protection and keeping in of insulation as well as keeping the building weathertight. Bottom board is typically composed of paper that is fiberglass reinforced, asphalt impregnated or asphalt board.
 
Bracing – The use of angles, cables or rods in the roof’s plane and walls to convey loads to the foundation like seismic, crane thrusts and wind.  
 
Building – A structure that forms an enclosed, partially enclosed or open area made through a process of planning using components, materials and subsystems to achieve particular usage conditions.  
 
Building Code – Industry recognized agencies establish specific regulations pertaining to building designs such as design loads, procedures and construction details for structures, typically as applied to certain political jurisdictions like city, county, state, etc.  
 
Cantilever Beam – A type of beam that provides support at only one end allowing the other end to move freely.  
 
Cladding – Outer wall paneling and exterior metal roof of the metal building system.

Clear-span – Interior free of columns.
 
Collateral Loads – Weight caused by further permanent material necessitated by the building contract beyond the building system, like mechanical and electrical systems, sprinklers, ceilings and partitions.  
 
Column – A primary building component designed to convey the load from the main roof trusses, beams or rafters to the foundation.

Composite – Substance consisting of more than one material with each retaining their distinct beneficial characteristics.

Cool Roof – A metal roof meeting standards for Solar Reflectance and Infrared Emittance as determined by the CRRC. Cool roofs are sometimes painted white or made from specific reflective materials.
 
Elastic Design – Conception of design using the property of the materials permitting for temporary shape deformation in a predetermined load range.  

Fabrication – Process of manufacturing done in the plant to transform raw material into completed components for metal buildings. The fundamental processes are welding, cold forming, punching, painting and cleaning.

Fiberglass – Filaments of glass used in a process with polyester resins, catalysts and hardeners to be molded into shapes.

Gable – Building style, which usually includes one peak with the roof sloping at each side.

Galvanized Steel - Steel covered with zinc metal.

Girt – A horizontal structural component mounted to endwalls or sidewall columns, which serves to support paneling.

Hardwall – Constructed of masonry, block, tilt-up or pre-cast.

Installation – The construction of fabricated components of a metal building to produce a finalized structure – done on location.
 
Joist – A beam of light weight that serves to support a roof or floor.  

Magnetic Shielding – When magnetic fields, electromagnetic or radio frequency interference are deterred and safeguarded from structure.
 
Manufacturer's Engineer – The engineer under the employ of the manufacturer, who is responsible for the structural design of a metal building system formed by the manufacturer.

Multi-span – The interior of building includes columns.

Purlin – The horizontal structure that serves to support the roof covering transfering loads to the main framing members.  
 
R-Value – R-value measures insulation's resistance to heat flow; it is important for temperature control issues.
 
Rigid Frame – Structural frame composed of components attached with moment connections causing stability in the frame relative to the design loads, removing the need for bracing in its plane.
 
Roofing – Building component that is attached to the frame of the roof covering the building, protecting against weather and fire.

Single Slope – A peak with one slope.

Sound Attenuation – Designed specifically to reduce noise from inside the enclosure to the outside.

Stainless Steel – Resistant to chemicals and corrosion.

Steel – Iron that contains carbon as an essential alloying component up to 1.8% and is workable in certain circumstances.

Structural Insulated Panels (SIPs) – Also known as foam core panels. SIPs are prefabricated insulated structural elements consisting of an engineered sand laminate with a solid foam core four to eight inches thick.

Truss – Designed to perform as a beam since it consists of three or more members that each carry a compression or tension force.  

Turnkey – Outsourcing, which leaves to the subcontractor all aspects of manufacturing, including material acquirement, assembly and testing.