Technological University of the Philippines

Ayala Boulevard, Ermita, Manila

College of Engineering
Civil Engineering Department

CE Shop1 -M
Engineering Shopwork

Assignment No.1
Filipino Construction Vernacular Terms

Submitted by:
Medina, Steve John S.
BSCE – 1C
TUPM-20-10465
Submitted to:
Engr. Romie Zapanta

Date Submitted:
September 30, 2020
2 x 2 Lumber or Dos por Dos - refers to lumber

Aligned or Kalinya - to arrange in a straight line; adjust according to a line. to bring into a line or
alignment. to bring into cooperation or agreement with a particular group.

Alignment or Asintada - In a survey for a highway, railroad,

or similar installation, a ground plan that shows the
horizontal direction of the route.

Alternate/Staggered or Uno Sinotra - if the reinforcement

in the element has to be lapped then lapping of all steel bars should
not be parallel in same section of element there should be
difference of minimum 1.3Ld (where Ld is the development
length) in the alternate steel bars of reinforcement.

Anchor or Liyabe - used in many different

applications. They are typically used to secure
objects to materials that are normally resistant to
screws or nails, such as concrete
Architect or Arkitekto - a person who designs buildings
and in many cases also supervises their construction.

Astragal or Balidura - a moulding profile composed of a

half-round surface surrounded by two flat planes (fillets).

Balusters or Barandillas - a vertical moulded shaft,

square, or lathe-turned form found in stairways, parapets,
and other architectural features.

Banister or Barandil - the structure formed by the

uprights and handrail at the side of a staircase.
Barrell Bolt or Tarankilya - A door bolt which moves in a
cylindrical casing; not driven by a key. Also known as
tower bolt.

Baseboard or Rodapies - A flat projection from an

interior wall or partition at the floor, covering the joint
between the floor and wall, and protecting the wall: it
may be plain or molded.

Bathroom or Banyo - A room containing a bathtub or

shower, and usually a toilet and sink.

Bathtub or Baniera - A tub for bathing, usually a

fixed plumbing installation designed for one person.
Beam or Biga - a horizontal member spanning an opening and
carrying a load that may be a brick or stone wall above the
opening, in which case the beam is often called a lintel.

Board Up or Tambol - the process of installing boards on

the windows and doors of a property to protect it from storm
damage, to protect unused, vacant, or abandoned property,
and/or to prevent unauthorized access by squatters, looters
or vandals.

Bottom Chord or Tirante - Any of

the bottom series of truss members
parallel to the roadway of a bridge.

Brace or Pie de Gallo - A metal or wood member

used to stiffen or support a structure; a strut that
supports or fixes another member in position, or
a tie used for the same purpose.

Brick or Ladrillo - Any of the bottom series of truss

members parallel to the roadway of a bridge.
Butt Joint or Tumbok - a technique in which two pieces
of material are joined by simply placing their ends
together without any special shaping

Canopy or Media Agua - an overhead roof or else a

structure over which a fabric or metal covering is
attached, able to provide shade or shelter from weather
conditions such as sun, hail, snow and rain.

Cast Iron or Hiero/Pondido - a hard, nonmalleable iron

alloy containing carbon and silicon, which is poured into
a sand mold and then machined to a desired architectural
shape.

Ceiling or Kisame - The undercovering of a roof or

floor; generally concealing the structural members from
the room or roof above, or the underside surface. It may
have a flat or curved surface, and be self-supporting,
suspended from the floor above, or supported from
hidden or exposed beams.

Ceiling Board or Kostilyahe – a thin narrow boards used to ceil

with.
Ceiling Joist or Kostilyahe - Any joist which carries a
ceiling; one of several small beams to which the ceiling of
a room is attached. They are mortised into the sides of the
main beams or suspended from them by strap hangers

Cement or Semento - binding material used in

construction and engineering, often called hydraulic
cement, typically made by heating a mixture of
limestone and clay until it almost fuses and then
grinding it to a fine powder. When mixed with water,
the silicates and aluminates in the cement undergo a
chemical reaction; the resulting hardened mass is then
impervious to water. It may also be mixed with water
and aggregates (crushed stone, sand, and gravel) to form concrete.

Cement Tiles or Baldosa - handmade, decorative, colorful tiles

used primarily as floor coverings. Floors or walls covered with
these tiles are noted for their multi-color patterns, durability and
sophisticated look.

Chain Bolt or Bakal de Kadena - Located at the top of

a door, a spring bolt which is actuated by a chain
attached to it.
Closed Stringer or Escalera - A staircase string whose upper
edge is straight and parallel to its lower edge; the tread and riser
ends are housed in the face of the string and are concealed.

Collar Tie or Sinturon - A horizontal member which ties together

two opposite common rafters, usually at a point about halfway up
the rafters in a collar beam roof.

Column or Poste - vertical architectural support,

circular or polygonal in plan.

Concrete or Konkreto/Lagra Masa -

structural masonry material made by mixing
broken stone or gravel with sand, cement and
water and allowing the mixture to harden into a
solid mass.
Concrete Beam or Biga - A structural member of
reinforced concrete placed horizontally to carry loads over
openings. Because both bending and shear in such beams
induce tensile stresses, steel reinforcing tremendously
increases beam strength. Usually, beams are designed
under the assumption that tensile stresses have cracked the
concrete and the steel reinforcing is carrying all the
tension.

Concrete Slab or Larga Masa - a common structural element

of modern buildings, consisting of a flat, horizontal surface
made of cast concrete. Steel-reinforced slabs, typically between
100 and 500 mm thick, are most often used to construct floors
and ceilings, while thinner mud slabs may be used for exterior
paving

Contractor or Kontralista - a person or company that

undertakes a contract to provide materials or labor to
perform a service or do a job.

Corrugated G.I. Sheet or Hierro Canalado Galbanisado - a

building material composed of sheets of hot-dip galvanised mild
steel, cold-rolled to produce a linear corrugated pattern in them.
The corrugations increase the bending strength of the sheet in
the direction perpendicular to the corrugations, but not parallel
to them. Normally each sheet is manufactured longer in its
strong direction.

Crushed Stone or Eskombro - Irregular fragments of rock

crushed or ground to smaller sizes after quarrying. Also
known as broken stone.
Diagonal Brace or Sinturon - An inclined structural
member in compression and/or tension; usually employed
to stabilize a frame against horizontal forces, such as wind

Door or Pinto - A piece of wood, metal, or other firm

material pivoted or hinged on one side, sliding along
grooves, rolling up and down, revolving, or folding, by
means of which an opening into or out of a building,
room, or other enclosure is open or closed to passage.

Door Head or Sumbero Pintuan - The uppermost

member of a door frame; a horizontal projection above
a door.

Door Jamb or Hamba Pintuan - The vertical member

located on each side of a door.
Downspout or Tubo de Banada - A vertical pipe that leads
water from a roof drain or gutter down to the ground or a
cistern. Also known as downcomer.

Earthfill or Eskombro - an excavated or otherwise

disturbed suitable soil which is imported and placed over
the native soil. It is characterized by having no distinct
horizons or color patterns, as found in naturally developed
undisturbed soils.

Eave or Alero - the overhanging lower edge of a roof.

Engineer or Inhinyero - a person who designs, builds, or

maintains engines, machines, or public works.

Exterior Siding or Tabika - material used to surface the

exterior of a building to protect against exposure to the
elements, prevent heat loss, and visually unify the facade.
The word siding implies wood units, or products imitative of
wood, used on houses.
Fascia Board or Senepa - a board that is nailed vertically at
the ends of roof rafters; sometimes supports a gutter; also
called a fascia board.

Faucet or Gripo -. A fixture through which water is drawn

from a pipe or vessel.

Fill or Tambak - Building material such as gravel, stones, etc.,

used to bring an area of ground up to a required level

Filler or Tapal/Dagdag - a pasty substance used in

painting and varnishing to produce a smooth surface
before the surface coat is applied. In addition to
film-forming materials, fillers contain extenders
such as chalk, talc, and barite as well as pigments
such as zinc white and ocher.
Fillet or Batidora - A molding consisting of a narrow flat
band, often square in section; the term is loosely applied to
almost any rectangular molding; usually used in conjunction
with or to separate other moldings or ornaments, as the stria
between the flutes of columns.

Floor Joist or Solero - a horizontal structural member

used in framing to span an open space, often between
beams that subsequently transfer loads to vertical
members. When incorporated into a floor framing
system, joists serve to provide stiffness to the subfloor
sheathing, allowing it to function as a horizontal
diaphragm. Joists are often doubled or tripled, placed
side by side, where conditions warrant, such as where
wall partitions require support.

Floor Sill or Guililan - A large timber laid flat on the

ground or in a level, shallow ditch, to which are fastened the
drill-platform boards or planking, or which is used as the
base for a full timber set.

Flooring or Suelo - Any material used for the surface of a

floor, such as boards, bricks, planks, tile, or marble.
Nontoxic green flooring is made from environmentally
friendly and renewable resources.

Flush or Alahado - a state of alignment, where two

things are even/aligned against each other. Let's say you're
asking your mason to make the tile flush to the concrete
surface.
Foot or Piye - A unit of measure for lumber equal to 1 inch
thick by 12 inches wide by 12 inches long.

Force or Pwersa - strength or energy as an attribute of

physical action or movement.

Foreman or Kapatas - is the worker or skilled tradesperson who is in charge of a construction

crew.

Foundation/Footing or Pundasyon - A part of

foundation which is constructed with concrete or
brickwork masonry and acts as a base to the floor
columns and floor walls. The main function of footing is
to transfer the vertical loads directly to the soil.

Framework or Balangkas - The structural frame

of a building or other built asset such as a bridge,
tunnel and so on.

Gable Roof or Dos Aguas - most commonly occurring roof shape in those parts of the world
with cold or temperate climates. It consists of two roof sections sloping in opposite directions
and placed such that the highest, horizontal edges meet to form the roof ridge.v
Girt or Sepo - a braced frame, a horizontal member at
an intermediate level between the columns, studs, or
posts; a heavy beam, framed into the studs, which
supports the floor joists.

Gravel or Graba - Small pieces of stone that are of

varying sizes; used as an ingredient in concrete.

Groove or Canal - is a long and narrow indentation

built into a surface or material, generally for the
purpose of allowing another material or part to move
within the groove and be guided by it.

Gutter or Alulod - A trough along the edge of the eaves of a

building to carry off rainwater.

Handrail or Gabay - a railing at the side of a staircase or

balcony to prevent people from falling
Head or Sumbrero – refer to the upperpart of window or door.

Hinge or Bisagra - A pair of metal leaves forming a jointed device

on which a swinging part turns.

Hip Roof or Quatro Aguas - roof that slopes upward from

all sides of a structure, having no vertical ends. The hip is
the external angle at which adjacent sloping sides of
a roof meet.

Horizontal Stud or Trabe-Anzo - A furring strips attached

to a vertical studs behind them to make the wall even.

Inches or Pulgada - a unit of linear measure equal to one

twelfth of a foot (2.54 cm).
Jamb or Hamba - the side-post or lining of a doorway or other aperture.

Kingpost or Pendolum - A vertical post acting as a tie between the

apex of a triangular truss and the crossbeam.

Laborer or Piyon - worker does physical labor on construction sites. They may prepare sites by
cleaning them, loading or unloading materials and removing hazards.

Landing or Pahingahan - A platform between flights of

stairs or at the termination of a flight of stairs. Often used
when stairs change direction. Normally no less than 3 ft. X 3
ft. square.

Lavatory or Lababo - A washbowl or basin, especially one

permanently installed with running water.

Lead or Tingga - used frequently for roofs, cornices, tank linings, and electrical conduits. In
plumbing, soft solder, used chiefly for soldering tinplate and copper pipe joints, is an alloy of
lead and tin.

Lean to Roof or Sibe/Sibi - single slope roof with its upper edge
adjoining a wall or a building.Lean to roof is the simplest type of
pitched roof. The pitched roof is also known as a sloping roof. It is
the most common roof and is generally regarded as the cheapest
alternative for covering structure.
Level or Lebel - a device consisting of a sealed
glass tube partially filled with alcohol or other
liquid, containing an air bubble whose position
reveals whether a surface is perfectly level or
plumb.

Machine Bolt or Pierno Pasinta - A threaded bolt

with a square or hexagonal head.

Mason or Kantero - A skilled worker who builds by laying units of substantial material (such as
stone or brick).

Masonry or Kantaria - he building of structures from

individual units, which are often laid in and bound together
by mortar

Meter or Metro - the fundamental unit of length in the metric

system, equivalent to 39.37 U.S. inches

Miter or Kanto Mesa - The line formed by the meeting of moldings

or other surfaces that intersect each other at an angle; each member is
cut at exactly half the angle of the junction.
Mixture of Sand and Gravel or Lastilyas - also known
as Masonry fill or Mortar. Those are materials used to fill
the void volume of masonry blocks.

Mortar Joints or Kostura - the spaces between bricks,

concrete blocks, or glass blocks, that are filled with mortar or
grout.

Moulding or Moldura - a defining, transitional, or terminal

element that contours or outlines the edges and surfaces on a
projection or cavity, such as a cornice, architrave, capital, arch,
base, or jamb.

Nailer or Pamakuan - A nailer is a type of tool used to drive

nails into the wood or some other kind of object to attach the
materials.

Nail or Pako - A slim, pointed piece of metal hammered into

material as a fastener.
Newel Post or Tukod - the post at the top or bottom of a flight
of stairs that supports the handrail.

Nicolino Ear or Estanyo - tin or lead used in soldering

Nut or Tuerka - a fastener that consists of a block with

a threaded hole in the centre. The hole contains 'female'
threads that typically correspond to the 'male' threads of a
bolt or screw. Nuts are used with their 'mating' bolt or
screw to fasten materials together.

Oakum or Estopa - loose fiber obtained by untwisting old rope, used

especially in caulking wooden ships.

Open Stinger or Hardinera - An inclined board in a vertical

plane, parallel to the slope of a stair ,whose upper edge is cut
to fit the profile of the treads and risers of the steps; the
treads of the stairs project beyond the face of the string and
are visible; compare with closed string.
Overhang/Projection or Bolada - a protruding structure
that may provide protection for lower levels. Overhangs on
two sides of Pennsylvania Dutch barns protect doors,
windows, and other lower level structure. Overhangs on all
four sides of barns is common in Swiss architecture. An
overhanging eave is the edge of a roof, protruding outwards, beyond the side of the building
generally to provide weather protection.

Painter or Pintor - a person who paints buildings, walls,

ceilings, and woodwork, especially as a job.

Pan Gravel or Grabita - A broad, shallow container of metal, usually having sides flaring
outward toward the top, used to wash (gravel, sand, etc.) to separate gold or other heavy valuable
metal.
Panel or Bandeha - A portion of a flat surface recessed below the surrounding area set off by
moldings or some other distinctive feature.

Paneled Door or de Bandeha - A door having a framework of stiles, rails,

and muntins which form one or more frames around thinner recessed panels.

Pattern or Plantilya - the idea of capturing architectural

design ideas as archetypal and reusable descriptions.

Pendulum or Pendulion - A body suspended from a fixed support so

that it swings freely back and forth under the influence of gravity,
commonly used to regulate various devices, especially clocks.
Pickwork or Piketa - Cutting coal with a pick, as in driving headings and
to excavate the soil. It is more suitable for hard soil.

Plain G.I. Sheet or Hiero Riso Galbanisado - process of

applying a protective zinc coating to steel or iron in order to
prevent it from rusting.

Plank Board or Senepa - A thick board used for flooring,

building, etc.

Plaster or Palitada - process of covering rough walls and

uneven surfaces in the construction of houses and other
structures with a plastic material, called plaster, which is a
mixture of lime or cement concrete and sand along with the
required quantity of water.

Plug or Tapon - A small cylinder or dowel of wood (or other

material) driven into a wall, to which a fastener is fixed.
Plumb Bob or Hulog - A shaped metal weight which is suspended
from the lower end of a line to determine the vertical.

Plumber or Tubero - a tradesperson who specializes in

installing and maintaining systems used for potable (drinking)
water, sewage and drainage in plumbing systems.

Post or Haligi - Any stiff, vertical upright, made of wood,

stone, or metal, used to support a superstructure or provide a
firm point of lateral attachment.

Projection or Bolado - Any component, member, or part that juts out from a building; in
masonry construction, stones or bricks that are set forward off the general wall surface to provide
a rugged or rustic appearance.

Purlin or Reostra/Purlina - A horizontal roof beam,

perpendicular to the trusses or rafters; supports the roofing
material or the common rafters.

Putty or Masilya - A cement of dough consistency made of

whiting and boiled linseed oil and used in fastening glass in
sashes and sealing crevices in woodwork.
Quarter Round or Mediacana - A convex molding the profile of
which is exactly or nearly a quarter of a circle. An edge or corner
when rounded, as in tile or plaster work, is called a bullnose.

Rabbet or Vaciada – a longitudinal channel, groove, or recess cut

out of the edge or face of a member; esp. one to receive another
member, or one to receive a frame inserted in a door or window
opening, or the recess into which glass is installed in a window
sash.

Rafters or Kilo - One of a series of inclined members that

support the sheathing to which a roof covering is fixed.

Reinforcing Bar or Bakal/Cabilla - A steel bar used in

concrete construction that provides additional strength; the
bars are deformed with patterns made during the rolling
process.

Ridge Roll or Ccabalette - A wood strip, rounded on top,

which is used to finish the ridge of a roof, often covered with
lead sheathing; a metal or tile covering which caps the ridge of
a roof.
Riser or Takip/Silipan - The vertical board under the tread of a
step; a vertical supply pipe for a sprinkler system; a pipe for water,
drainage, gas, steam, or venting that extends vertically through one
or more stories and services other pipes.

Rivets or Rematse - a short metal pin or bolt for holding together

two plates of metal, its headless end being beaten out or pressed
down when in place.

Scaffolding or Plantiya - a temporary structure on the outside of a

building, made usually of wooden planks and metal poles, used by
workers while building, repairing, or cleaning the building.

Scratch Coat or Rebokada - the first layer of plaster applied to a

surface; the surface is scratched to improve the bond with the next
coat.

Screw or Turnilyo - a short, slender, sharp-pointed metal pin

with a raised helical thread running around it and a slotted head,
used to join things together by being rotated so that it pierces
wood or other material and is held tightly in place.
Septic Tank or Poso Negro - a tank, typically underground, in
which sewage is collected and allowed to decompose through
bacterial activity before draining by means of a leaching field.

Shape or Korte - Any of a number of metal bars or beams of uniform section, as an I-beam.

Shower or Dutcha - It is a device that releases drops of water

through a lot of very small holes.

Sketch Plan or Krokis - A freehand sketch of a floor plan of an

existing building done as part of site investigation for restoration
or renovation, to be translated later into a measured drawing and
incorporated into the contract documents.

Slope or Bahada - The inclined surface of any part of the earth's

surface.

Solder or Hinang - a low-melting alloy, especially one based on lead and tin or (for higher
temperatures) on brass or silver, used for joining less fusible metals.
Solder Bar or Estanyo - It is used for copper drain piping, tin plating,
seaming, joints and sheet metal.

Spacing or Blento - The distance between individual members or shingles in building

construction.

Split Knob or Poleya - a knob-shaped insulator split into two parts with either
or both of the opposing surfaces notched for wires

Stake or Istaka - A small anvil used for the working of thin sheet
metal, so called because it is supported by a sharp vertical prop which
is inserted in a hole in the workbench

Stringer or Madre - A timber or other support for cross members in

floors or ceilings. In stairs, the supporting member for stair treads.
Usually a 2 X 12 inch plank notched to receive the treads.
Stucco or Palitada - An exterior fine plaster finish composed of
Portland cement, lime, and sand mixed with water, used for decorative
work or moldings, and usually textured.

Temper or Subuhan - To moisten and mix clay, plaster, or mortar to the proper consistency for
use.
Tinsmith or Latero - a person who makes or repairs articles of tin or tinplate.

Top Chord or Tabilan - It is an inclined or horizontal member that

establishes the upper edge of a truss.

Transom or Espeho - a transverse horizontal structural beam or bar, or a

crosspiece separating a door from a window above it. This contrasts with
a mullion, a vertical structural member.

Tread or Baytang de Dano - used to describe the horizontal portion

of a stair assembly. The vertical surface is known as the riser and the
horizontal surface, the tread.

Truss or Kilo - a structure that "consists of two-force members

only, where the members are organized so that the assemblage
as a whole behaves as a single object"
Turn Buckle or Perkong Panggkaabit - a device for adjusting the
tension or length of ropes, cables, tie rods, and other tensioning
systems. It normally consists of two threaded eye bolts, one screwed
into each end of a small metal frame, one with a left-hand thread
and the other with a right-hand thread. The tension can be adjusted
by rotating the frame, which causes both eye bolts to be screwed in
or out simultaneously, without twisting the eye bolts or attached
cables.

Varnish or Varnisado - a transparent, hard, protective finish or film

primarily used in wood finishing but also for other materials.

Wainscoting Tiles or Asolehos - Term for the lower portion of a

wall that is different from the remaining surface of the wall.
Interior wainscoting can be wood paneling, ceramic tile, masonry
of any sort of durable material that forms a dissimilar band
starting at the floor level and extending approximately 36″ high
above the finished floor.

Washer or Tingga - a thin disc-shaped plate, typically with a hole

through the centre, that is used in conjunction with a threaded
fastener

Water Closet or Inidoro - A room or booth containing a toilet

and often a washbowl.

Weight or Bigat - the amount or quantity of heaviness or mass

Window Grill or Rehas - Are decorative patterns on a window
or door consisting of horizontal and/or vertical bars that divide
the larger sheet of glass into smaller panes. Grille types include
simulated divided lites (SDL), true divided lites (TDL), grilles in
the airspace (GIA), and wood removable grilles.

Window Sill or Pasimano - a ledge or sill forming the

bottom part of a window.

Window Head or Sumbrero Bintana - The upper transverse

member of a window

Wire or Alambre - used for a wide range of applications such as wire

for tyres, hoses, galvanized wire and strands, ACSR strands and
armouring of conductor cables, springs, fasteners, clips, staples, mesh,
fencing, screws, nails, barbed wire, chains etc.

Wood Grain or Haspe - the longitudinal arrangement of wood

fibers or the pattern resulting from this.
Wood plank or Tabla - imber that is flat, elongated, and rectangular
with parallel faces that are higher and longer than wide. Used
primarily in carpentry, planks are critical in the construction of ships,
houses, bridges, and many other structures. Planks also serve as
supports to form shelves and tables.

Wrought Iron Strap or Plantsuela - an iron hinge with a long leaf or flap attached to the face
of a door, gate, etc.