AL General Contractor key terms

A percentage of each payment withheld by the owner until the project is substantially complete, protecting the owner against incomplete work, liens, and defects. It is typically released after punch list completion and final acceptance.

A statutory claim filed against a property by a contractor, subcontractor, or supplier who has not been paid for labor, materials, or services that improved the property. It can cloud title and force payment or foreclosure.

A surety guarantee submitted with a bid stating that the bidder will enter the contract at the bid price and furnish required bonds. If the bidder defaults, the surety pays the owner the difference up to the bond amount.

A surety instrument purchased by the contractor that guarantees faithful completion of the contract work according to the plans and specifications. If the contractor defaults, the surety must complete the work or pay the owner its loss.

A written, signed amendment to the contract that modifies scope, price, or schedule. It must be authorized by the owner and typically by the architect, and becomes part of the contract documents once executed.

A scheduling technique that models activities and their dependencies as a network to identify the longest sequence of dependent tasks. Delays on the critical path push project completion; float exists only on non-critical activities.

The stage at which the work is sufficiently complete and usable for its intended purpose, allowing the owner to occupy it. It triggers warranty start, retainage release, and the punch list process.

A preset, agreed amount of money the contractor pays the owner for each day of delay beyond the contract completion date. It must be a reasonable forecast of actual losses rather than a penalty.

A fixed reference point of known elevation or horizontal position established by the surveyor, from which the contractor transfers grades for excavation, footings, and finished floor elevations on the site.

Removing or controlling groundwater and surface water from an excavation using sumps, pumps, wells, or wellpoints so that work can proceed in a stable, dry excavation.

A temporary structure of posts, beams, or hydraulic braces designed to support the sides of an excavation or an adjacent structure, preventing soil collapse or movement during construction.

The maximum load per unit area that soil or rock beneath a foundation can support without excessive settlement or shear failure. It governs footing size and is confirmed by geotechnical investigation.

Mechanical densification of soil by rolling, tamping, or vibrating in controlled lifts at a specified moisture content, measured against a required percentage of maximum dry density.

The process of excavating soil from high areas and placing it in low areas to achieve design grades, ideally balancing volumes on site to minimize hauling costs.

The ratio of water weight to cementitious material weight in a concrete mix. Lower ratios increase strength and durability; higher ratios improve workability but reduce strength and increase permeability.

A field test performed with a standard cone that measures the consistency and workability of fresh concrete. The measured slump is compared to the specification limit before the load is placed.

A planned groove or weakened plane cut or formed in concrete or masonry that induces cracking at a desired location, relieving stresses from shrinkage, temperature change, or movement.

The distance from the surface of embedded reinforcement to the nearest concrete surface, protecting steel from corrosion and fire and ensuring bond. Minimum cover is set by code and exposure conditions.

A fluid cementitious or epoxy mixture used to fill voids, bond masonry units, fill cores, anchor bolts, or post-tensioning tendons. Its proportions differ from mortar and it is placed by pouring or pumping.

A structural fastener such as ASTM A325 or A490 installed with calibrated tension to clamp steel plies together, transferring load by friction or bearing. Installation is inspected for pretension.

A structural steel joint designed to resist bending moment as well as shear, so the connected members act rigidly and transfer moment into the column or adjacent member.

A deliberate, slight upward curvature built into a steel beam or truss during fabrication to offset expected dead-load deflection, so the member appears level under service load.

A threaded rod embedded in concrete or masonry that fastens structural steel columns and base plates to the foundation, transferring uplift, shear, and bearing loads into the concrete.

Short pieces of lumber installed between framing members or behind edges to provide solid backing for attachment of finishes, hardware, cabinets, or trim.

A material of low permeance installed to slow the diffusion of moisture vapor through a floor, wall, or roof assembly, helping prevent condensation inside the assembly.

Impervious material installed at roof edges, valleys, penetrations, and wall junctions to divert water away from the building and into drainage. Correct laps and integration with the water-resistive barrier are essential.

A continuous system of sheet, fluid, or rigid materials that limits uncontrolled air leakage through the building enclosure, improving energy performance and reducing moisture carried by air movement.

A roofing sheet of synthetic material such as EPDM, TPO, or PVC installed in one layer over insulation or deck, with seams joined by adhesive, tape, or heat welding.

A non-load-bearing aluminum-framed glazing system, typically spanning floor to ceiling in commercial buildings, that carries glass and resists wind and water but not building loads.

A door, frame, and hardware combination with a listed fire-protection rating that resists fire spread for a stated period, and that must be self-closing and positively latching.

A document listing each door opening and the hinges, locksets, closers, and other hardware required, coordinated with the door schedule and specification sections.

A non-load-bearing exterior wall assembly anchored to the structural frame that carries only its own weight and lateral loads while providing glass, spandrel, and vision areas.

A process in building information modeling that identifies where structural, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing elements occupy the same space, allowing conflicts to be resolved before installation.

The initial installation of piping, conduit, ductwork, and equipment supports placed before walls and ceilings are closed, leaving connections stubbed for later fixture and device installation.

A listed device installed in ductwork where it penetrates a fire-rated assembly, closing automatically on heat to prevent fire and smoke from spreading through the duct.

A pipe or sheet-metal cylinder cast into or cored through concrete to create an opening through which piping and conduit can pass without damaging the structure.

An individual designated by the employer who, through training and experience, can identify existing and predictable hazards and has authority to take immediate corrective action to eliminate them.

A method such as sloping, benching, shoring, or a shield used to protect workers from cave-ins in trenches and excavations, selected by a competent person based on soil type.

The building-code category assigned to a structure based on its use, such as business, mercantile, or assembly, which sets allowable height, area, egress, and fire-protection requirements.

The continuous, unobstructed path from any point in a building to a public way, made up of exit access, the exit, and exit discharge, complying with capacity and travel-distance rules.

The period of time, in hours, that a building assembly or element resists a standard fire test, determined by an approved test standard and used to satisfy code separation requirements.