Technical

Technical terms are words frequently used in building construction. Many are common to both residential and commercial projects. The building industry has a language all its own.

Click on the heading below for a simple explanation of some general building terms.

General Building Terms

Systems

Technical systems are the mechanical, electrical and plumbing aspects of building. For most residential and commercial projects, they need to be designed before they are built. The larger the project the more complicated the technical system. This involves the services of a mechanical, plumbing or electrical engineer.

All technical systems, such as mechanical, electrical and plumbing must comply with the standards of The National Building Code, NPC, NEC, NFC and the applicable Provincial Codes.

National Codes for Technical Systems

The following is a simple explanation of these technical systems.

Mechanical

Mechanical systems deal with the heating and cooling of buildings or spaces. The two primary methods of heating and cooling use air or water.

An all air system means hot or cold air is transported to the space with supply and return air ducts. A typical example is a residential forced air furnace. The furnace uses gas or oil to heat the air. The air is forced through the ductwork by an electrically powered fan in the furnace. A separate air conditioning unit is installed for cold air. For most commercial buildings, a large unit often located on the roof, powers the all air system. Supply air ductwork, registers and return air grilles are required in all spaces within the building.

An all water heating systems uses a type of coil through which hot water is circulated. The most common example is the fin-tube radiator found in older homes. They were typically located in front of a window. Today it is the radiant floor heating panel.

An all electrical heating system uses electricity to heat elements within a radiator. The most common is the base board heater. It is used when a furnace is not installed. For example, many small cottages use baseboard heaters. Smaller, older commercial buildings will rely on a base board installation. This system can also be found in larger commercial buildings as an addition to other systems. An electric radiator with a built in fan might be located at an exterior entrance door to provide extra heat on the inside.

Engineer's Mechanical Drawings

Plumbing

Plumbing systems involve two major components. They are water supply and drainage. Water is supplied under pressure through pipes to plumbing fixtures. Drainage works by gravity. Drain pipes must slope downward. Vent pipes are required.

The first component connected to a fixture is a trap. Traps are located at every fixture. A trap is the ‘u’ shaped pipe found below a sink. Some traps are not visible as they are part of the design of the fixture, as in a toilet or double sink. The trap catches and holds a small quantity of water to provide a seal. This seal prevents gases from the sewage system entering the building.

From the trap sewage travels through drainage pipes in branch lines to a vertical stack. A soil stack carries waste from toilets. A waste stack carries the other waste such as from a sink, washing machine or dishwasher. All drainage pipes must be connected to vents. Vents are open to the outside air. Vents allow built up sewage gases to escape and they allow pressure in the system to equalize.

Engineer's Plumbing Drawings

Electrical

Electrical systems involve electricity to provide power for lighting, outlets and equipment. The local power company supplies electricity to the building including the meter. A licensed electrician installs an electrical panel of the appropriate type and size.

Circuit breakers in the panel trip off if a circuit is overloaded. It is often an indication that there is a problem with an appliance or other equipment. Or that too many items are plugged into one outlet source.

Outlets in wet areas must be grounded. Ground fault interrupter (GFI) outlets are required in bathrooms, kitchens or outdoors areas.

Special power outlets are placed on their own circuit. These are called dedicated circuits. This applies to sensitive equipment, such as computers. It also applies to equipment that requires voltage greater than 120 volts. This includes outlets for electric ranges, large copy machines or other special equipment.

An electrical engineer designs this system when it is a commercial or large residential project. An electrical contractor can design the system for smaller residential projects.

Electrical Engineer’s Drawings

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