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Dictionary from Al to Az

AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials Abandonment Stage Final stage in a product's life cycle.

abaca,

abaca A bananalike plant (Musa textilis) native to the Philippines and having broad leaves with long stalks. The fibers obtained from the stalks of this plant, used to make cordage, fabric, and paper. Also called manila, Manila hemp.

Product Made From Abaca Hemp.

Abaca Plant

 Adobe (R chirpici) Spanish word for a sun-dried brick as well as for the clay from which the bricks are made. Composed of a very fine mixture of clay, quartz, among other minerals, adobe is plastic and can be molded easily when moist into bricks, which receive straw as the only addition. These bricks are baked in the sun for 7 to 14 days. Because they disintegrate when wet, adobe bricks are used only in regions of limited rainfall, such as the southwestern region of the United States.

Adsorbtion (F adsorption, R adsorptie, adsorbtie) Attachment of a substance to the surface of a solid by virtue of forces arising from molecular attraction (BS 892). Retention (of water vapor) as a surface layer on a material AEC (US) Atomic Energy Commission, 1947-1974. Broken up in 1974 into the Energy Research and Development Administration (ERDA) and the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC). Later ERDA became the Department of Energy

 Aggregate (R agregate) 1. any granular mineral material 2. a : crushed stone, crushed slag, or water-worn gravel used for surfacing a built-up roof b : any of several inert materials, either hard (such as crushed rock, sand, gravel, and crushed slag) or semi-soft (such as rubber) used for mixing with a cementing materials to form concrete, mortar, grout, asphalt or plaster c : a clustered mass of individual soil particles varied in shape, ranging in size from a microscopic granule to a small crumb, and considered the basic structural unit of soil. Inert materials added to a mix in order to save on more expensive ingredients and impart special properties. 3. an aggregate rock See ASTM C33 (aggregate for concrete), C144 (aggregate for masonry mortar)

Air barrier (F pare air) 1. Air barrier continuity (F Continuité du pare air) 2. to provide effective air leakage control (F pour limiter avec efficacité les fuites d'air) 3. the masonry wall illustrated in Figure xxx employs a reinforced, modified asphalt air barrier membrane that is self adhered and mechanically fastened to the concrete block back up (F le mur de maçonnerie illustré à la figure xxx, par exemple, comporte une membrane pare air bitumineuse modifiée, renforcée, auto adhésive et assujettie au mur de remplissage en blocs de béton à l'aide de fixations mécaniques) 4. air seal in the window (F l'étanchéité à l'air dans la fenêtre): "the air seal in the window is provided by the frame section inside the thermal break and the glazing unit seal at the frame (F l'étanchéité à l'air dans la fenêtre est assurée par la section du dormant se trouvant à l'intérieur de la coupure thermique et par le joint d'étanchéité du vitrage au niveau du dormant)

 Lenders will base the size of the mortgage they are willing to approve in part on the appraised value as determined by a real estate appraiser. Appreciation An increase in property value, sometimes reflecting inflation or a business potential. Appurtenance Any constructed constructable secondary facility somehow annexed to a main building. It could be either attached or not (i.e., a shed to a house, or an easement to land) and it will pass as part of the main property upon sale. Assessment Estimated value of a property as established by local officials for purposes of calculating the property taxes owed. The assessed valued may or may not be equal to the appraised value. Also "Assessor" ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers Asphalt (R Asfalt) Black petroleum residue, which can be anywhere from solid to semisolid at room temperature. When heated to the temperature of boiling water, it becomes pourable. It is used in roofing materials, surfacing roads, in lining the walls of water-retaining structures such as reservoirs and swimming pools, and in manufacturing floor tiles. Asphalt should not be confused with tar, a similar looking substance made from coal or wood and incompatible with petroleum derivates ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials Atomic Number (symbolized Z) (R Numar Atomic)The number of protons in a nucleus. It determines the chemical properties of an element Atomic Weight (R greutate atomica) The nominal atomic weight of an isotope is given by the sum of the number of neutrons and protons in each nucleus. The exact atomic weight differs fractionally from that whole number because neutrons are slightly heavier than protons and the mass of the nucleus is also affected by the binding energy Auto-Zero Automatic internal correction for offsets and/or drift at zero voltage input AWG American Wire Gage AWS Automated Weather Station measures environmental factors such as air temperature, relative humidity, rain, wind, ground temperature, solar radiation and air pressure Axial Load (R incarcare axiala) Load applied along or parallel to and concentric with the primary axis Back to the top Credits: ACI, ANSI, APA, ASTM, BIA, BOCA, CIB, CSA, DEA, ISO, MinnDOT, NRCC, PCA, TMS, USACE A.