Construction & Engineering Terminology: Definitions & Translations

Construction and Engineering Terminology

Redesign (rediseño): Designing again in order to improve or change a design.

Regulations (Regulaciones): Laws and standards that a design must comply with, for example, safety regulations and quality standards.

Scale (Escala): The ratio between the size of items shown on a drawing and their actual size (in reality).

Schedule (horario): A list of planned activities or things to be done showing the times or dates when.

Set of (conjunto de): Collection/group.

Sketch (Boceto): A rough drawing of initial ideas, also used when production problems require engineers to amend design details and issue them to the workforce immediately.

Slab (Losa): The block of concrete that makes up a floor. It can be laid on the ground or supported by beams and columns to form the higher storeys of a building – structural engineers refer to this type as a suspended slab.

Slings (eslingas): Flat straps which can be attached to crane hooks and placed under objects in order to lift them.

Small-scale drawing (Dibujo a pequeña escala): General arrangement drawing vs. Large-scale drawing (Dibujo a gran escala): Detail drawing.

Technical (Técnico) (engineering): Design, e.g., design engineer, design calculations, design team, design phase, design fault.

Tilt (Inclinación): When something is in a sloping position or when something moves in a particular direction, especially up or down.

Timescale (Tiempo de espera): How much time is available, for example, the schedule for building a new airport.

To lower (para reducir): (= reduce) unit cost, for example, using a single-piece component instead of one that needs to be assembled from several parts to make it faster to produce.

To scale-off drawings (Para dibujos a escala): To measure dimensions on a drawing using a scale rule and take them to be exact.

Tolerance (Tolerancia): The acceptable difference between ideal designed size and actual size.

Tonemason: Person who carves stone.

Unfeasible (Inviable): Not feasible.

Warehouse (Almacén): A building used for storing large quantities of goods.

Wet (Mojado): Covered in water or another liquid.

Woolly (lanudo): Made of wool (= the soft, thick hair which grows on the bodies of sheep and some other animals).

Working drawing (Dibujo de trabajo): An approved drawing used for manufacturing or installation. There is often a need to revise these drawings to resolve production problems.