speeds the setting time of concrete and allows the cure time to start earlier which allows concrete to be placed in winter with reduced risk of frost damage
admixture
material other than water, aggregates and Portland cement that is used as an ingredient of concrete and is added to the mix
aggregate
granular material, such as sand, gravel, crushed stone or recycled concrete aggregates used with cement and water to produce concrete
air entrained
agents introduced to the concrete which contains billions of microscopic air cells per cubic foot which relieves internal pressure on the concrete by providing tiny chambers for water to expand into when it freezes
anchor plate
large metal plate connected to a tie rod or bolt
angle of repose
angle at which material lies stable on an embankment of an excavation
base plate
solid piece of material that has enough strength and sturdiness to serve as the surface to which other things are attached to be supported
bedding
ravel material used to support the pipe which is usually less than 25mm in size
bell
the large end of a pipe which inserts over the small (spigot) end of the pipe when connecting
benchmarks
point of known elevation
berm
an embankment built to contain liquids and gases and prevent them from damaging the environment
bladder
rubber membrane used to isolate a section of pipe or component for testing or repair
bracing for concrete
supports which run at an angle on the form to provide support and keep the walls plumb
bull float
tool used to level concrete surfaces
catch basin
receptacle or reservoir that receives surface water runoff or drainage and is part of a storm drain or sewer system designed to trap debris before it enters the pipe
clearance markers (goal posts)
warning restraints set up to prevent vehicles or other machinery from getting too close to other objects, including excessive heights or limits of approach to electrical sources
compacting equipment
an engine-powered machine that results compaction of loose materials and asphalt
concrete
composition of a binding medium and aggregate; commonly consists of a mixture of cement, aggregate and water in varying proportions; mixture is worked into a plastic state and gains hardness through the hydration of cement with the water
confined space
an area not designed for continuous human occupancy, contains a hazard or the potential of a hazard, and has limited access and egress
control joints
intentional groove cut into a surface to control cracking by allowing the material to expand on its own and prevent cracking in an uncontrolled manner
cribbing
support made of timber, logs, concrete or steel to support a structure from below or the side
cross-pollination
transfer of pollen from the flower of one plant to the flower of a plant having a different genetic constitution. Workers must avoid causing cross-pollination when using tools and equipment in different areas due to increasing geo-engineering
curing
the maintenance of a satisfactory moisture content and temperature in concrete during its early stages so that desired properties may develop
curry comb
tool with rows of metal teeth made for grooming horses that can be used for cleaning bricks and blocks
daylighting utilities
exposing underground utilities by excavation so that work can be done on the utilities
ductile
type of pipe material
egress
the means of going out or leaving; an exit; an outlet
false work
temporary structure in which the main load bearing members are vertical and are used to support a permanent structure and associated elements during the erection until it is self-supporting
fill-crete
a mix of gravel and cement (small amount) used for backfill that does not require compaction (also known as flow-crete, tru-crete, controlled low strength material [CLSM])
filter cloth
cloth fabric used in excavation that helps to screen out soil and other contaminates while allowing the passage of water
floating
process of using a tool, usually wood or magnesium, in concrete finishing operations to create a relatively even, but still open texture to a fresh concrete surface
fly forms
system that can be used repetitively and moved in large sections not requiring disassembly and commonly used as a formwork shoring system to support typical cast-in-place concrete slabs in multi-level high-rise construction
fly tables
forming system assembled in various shapes and sizes depending on the particular needs of each building
form
a temporary structure or mould for the support of concrete while it is setting and gaining sufficient strength to be self-supporting
Ground Disturbance
training program that covers the safety aspects of trenching and excavating operations including locators and locating buried facilities
grout
mixture of cementitious material and water, with or without aggregate, which may be proportioned and mixed to produce a pourable consistency without segregation of the constituents
guillotine (brick and block)
device which generates a high amount of pressure to cut various types of blocks
gunnite
insulating material that is sprayed on and used in refractory applications
height stick
grade guide that is used during concrete placement to measure the pour height
high flow
highly flowable, non-segregating concrete that easily spreads into place, fills formwork, and encapsulates even the most congested reinforcement. It is placed purely by means of its own weight, with little or no mechanical vibration
hoarding
temporary enclosure to protect against damage, such as weather and debris, and to limit public access
honeycomb
concrete that, due to lack of proper amount of fines or vibration, contains abundant interconnected large voids or cavities
jeeping
a process using electronic current to detect deficiencies (cracks, pinholes) in pipe coatings
jersey barrier
modular concrete or plastic barrier employed to separate lanes of traffic and minimize vehicle damage in case of impact
joint “key ways”
type of joint between two individual concrete pours with a recess or groove in one end, and an equal protrusion on the other, which fit together providing shear strength to the joint
lintel
a beam placed across the top of a rough door or window opening; it supports the weight from above
monument
permanent established elevation used for surveying
manhole
small covered opening in a floor, pavement, or other surface to allow a person to enter, especially an opening in a city street leading to a sewer
media blasters
equipment that propels a certain type of media such as sand, glass bead and metal pellets to clean the surface of various materials
pile drivers
machine used to drive concrete, metal or wood piles
piling
structural column installed into the ground to anchor or support a building and other structures
pinch bars
kind of crowbar or lever with a projection that serves as a fulcrum
pipe coating
a coating either sleeved, taped or painted onto pipe to protect it from corrosion and other foreign materials
primer
a substance used to prepare a surface for adhesives or sealants
rate of pour
important process using scientific calculations based on the viscosity, temperature and depth of the concrete pour and the effects of pressure on the forms
rebar dowel
a piece of steel used to join different pours of concrete together they are either placed in fresh concrete, or a hole is drilled into existing concrete and they are epoxied in
refractory
material which can withstand very high temperatures without degrading or softening
retarder
an admixture which extends the setting time of cement paste and, therefore of mixtures such as concrete, mortar, and grout.
rough buck
temporary form to provide an opening in concrete and masonry
scarify
to roughen a surface of concrete using a scabbler
scan tools
electronic devices used to locate different types of utilities
screeding
the operation of forming a grade surface by the use of a straightedge
sea-can
lockable, steel containers commonly used in shipping on ocean liners, also used in construction for storage of tools and materials on a jobsite
settling pond
water containment used to contain sediment before disposing of the water
sheet piling
interlocking metal sheeting used to prevent water movement in an excavation around water ways
shoring (concrete)
supports built to hold concrete formwork
shoring (excavation)
supports built inside an excavation to retain soil to prevent cave-ins
shotcrete
mortar or concrete conveyed through a hose and projected pneumatically onto a surface
silt fence
a geo- textile containment fence used to filter the silt from run-off around a construction site
skidsteer
a small rigid frame, engine-powered machine with lift arms used to attach a wide variety of tools or attachments
slab
a flat horizontal or nearly so, molded layer of plain or reinforced concrete, usually uniform but sometimes of variable thickness, either on the ground or supported by beams, columns, walls, or other formwork
slump
a measure of consistency
slurry
a mixture of water and fine materials, such as Portland cement, slag or soil in suspension
spigot
reduced diameter in the end of pipe able to lock into the bell end
spring clip
a fastener used to provide a screw hole for a sheet metal screw
stringing
the process of dispersing the pipe in the pipe laying process
strongback
a continuous member, usually vertical which transfers loads from the form to the form-tying system and which holds large formwork panel systems adequately in place
taper ties
a long tapered bolt used in formwork
telescopic forklift (telehandler)
forklift with an extended boom
thrust block
cast-in-place concrete to prevent pipe movement
ties
a tensile unit holding forms against the lateral pressure from freshly placed concrete
tool crib
facility that stores and organizes tools owned by the company
tooling
use of an object to smooth and move the sealant into a position for both an acceptable appearance as well as a watertight seal
turnbuckles
used to adjust the length of rigging chains
walers
a continuous member, usually horizontal which transfers loads from the form to the form-tying system or form-bracing system or both
wet screed
placing concrete on finish-grade across two known points of elevation (called wet screeds)
whip check
small cable choker placed at pressure hose connections to prevent hose from whipping around
