"S" Shape
A hot rolled beam with narrow tapered flanges.
Sag Member
A tension member such as rods, straps or angles used to limit the deflection of a girt or
purlin in the direction of its weak axis.
Sandwich Panel
A panel used as covering consisting of an insulating core material with inner and outer
metal skins.
SBCCI
Southern Building Code Congress International, Inc.
Screen Wall
A nonstructural wall erected around units or curbs on a roof. Typically the framing
consists of girts with a wood or metal covering attached to the frame.
Screwed Down Roof System
See "Through-Fastened Roof System".
Scupper
An opening in a gutter or parapet wall that allows excess water to escape.
Sealant
A single-or multi-component polymeric or bituminous-based material used to weatherproof
construction joints where moderate movement is expected. The material comes
in various grades: pourable, self-leveling, non-sagging, gun grade, and tapes.
Seam
(1) The joint (sidelap) area formed by connecting two adjacent roof panels. (2) A joint
formed by mating two separate sections of material.
Secondary Framing
Members that carry loads from the building surface to the main framing. For example–
purlins and girts.
Seaming Machine
A mechanical device that is used to close and seal the side seams of standing seam roof
panels.
Section Modulus
A geometric property of a structural member. It is used in design to determine the
flexural strength of a member.
Sectional Overhead Doors
Doors constructed in horizontally hinged sections. They are equipped with springs,
tracks, counter balancers, and other hardware that roll the sections into an overhead
position, clear of the opening.
Seismic Load
The lateral load acting in any horizontal direction on a structural system due to the
action of an earthquake.
Self Drilling Screw
A fastener that combines the functions of drilling and tapping.
Self Tapping Screw
A fastener that taps its own threads in a predrilled hole.
Seller
A party who sells a Metal Building System with or without its erection or other field
work.
Shear
The force tending to make two contacting parts slide upon each other in opposite
directions parallel to their plane of contact.
Shear Diaphragm
See "Diaphragm".
Sheet Metal Flashing
See Metal Flashing
Shim
A piece of steel used to level base plates or align columns or beams.
Shipping List
See "Bill of Materials".
Shop Primer Paint
The initial coat of primer paint applied in the shop.
Shot Pin
See "Power Actuated Fastener".
Shoulder Bolt
A fastener used to attach wall and roof paneling to the structural frame. It consists of a
large diameter shank and a small diameter stud. The shank provides support for the
panel rib.
SI
The International System of Units. Also known as the metric system.
Side Lap Fastener
A fastener used to connect panels together at their side lap.
Sidesway
See "Drift (Sidesway)".
Side Wall
An exterior wall that is perpendicular to the frames of a building system.
Side Wall Overhang
See "Roof Overhang".
Sill
The bottom horizontal framing member of a wall opening such as a window or door.
Sill Angle
See "Base Angle".
Simple Connection
See "Pin Connection".
Simple Span
A term used in structural design to describe a beam support condition at two points
which offers no resistance to rotation at the supports.
Single Slope
A sloping roof in one plane. The slope is from one wall to the opposite wall.
Single Span
A building or structural member without intermediate support.
Single Standing Seam
A standing seam that utilizes one overlapping interlock between two panels.
Siphon Break
A small groove to arrest the capillary action of two adjacent surfaces. (Anti-Capillary
Groove).
Sister Column
See "Crane Support Column".
Skylight
A roof accessory to admit light, normally mounted on a curbed framed opening.
Slide Door
A single or double leaf door that opens horizontally by means of sliding on an
overhead trolley.
Sliding Clip
A standing seam roof system hold down clip which allows the roof panel to move
independently of the roof substructure.
Slope
See "Roof Slope".
SMACNA
Sheet Metal and Air Conditioning Contractors National Association.
Snap-on Cap
A cap that snaps over the vertical legs of some single standing or batten seam metal
roof systems.
Snow Drift
See "Drift (Snow)".
Snow Load
See "Roof Snow Load".
Snug Tight
The tightness of a bolt in a connection that exists when all plies in a joint are in firm
contact.
Soffit
A material that covers the underside of an overhang.
Soffit Vent
A pre-manufactured or custom built air inlet located in the soffit of a roof assembly.
Soil Pressure
The load per unit area a structure will exert through its foundation on the soil.
Solar Reflectance
The ratio of the reflected solar flux to the incident solar flux.
Solar Spectrum
Radiation originating from the sun, including ultraviolet, visible, and near-infrared
radiation. Approximately 99% of solar energy lies between wavelengths of 0.3 to 3.5
micrometers.
1. Ultraviolet (UV) 3% of total energy (responsible for sunburn)
2. Visible (VIS) 40% of total energy (visible light)
3. Infrared (IR) 57% of total energy (felt as heat)
Soldier Column
An intermediate column used to support secondary structurals; not part of a main frame
or beam and column system.
Spacer Strut (Crane)
A type of assembly used to keep the end trucks of adjacent cranes on the same runway
beams a minimum specified distance apart.
Spall
A chip or fragment of concrete that has chipped, weathered or otherwise broken from
the main mass of concrete.
Span
The distance between supports of beams, girders, or trusses.
Specification (Metal Building System)
A statement of a set of Metal Building System requirements describing the loading
conditions, design practices, materials and finishes.
Splice
A connection in a structural member.
Splice Plate
1) See "Butt Plate" 2) in Roofing, a metal plate placed underneath the joint between
two sheets of metal.
Spud Wrench
A tool used by erectors to line up holes and to make up bolted connections; a wrench
with a tapered handle.
Square
1) The term used for an area of 100 square feet. 2) A 90° angle.
Stainless Steel
An alloy of steel that contains a high percentage of chromium to increase corrosion
resistance. Also may contain nickel or copper.
Standing Seam
Side joints of roof panels that are arranged in a vertical position above the drainage
plane of the panels or flashings.
Standing Seam Roof System
A standing seam roof system is one in which the side laps between the roof panels are
arranged in a vertical position above the roof line. The roof panel system is secured to
the roof substructure by means of concealed hold down clips attached with screws to
the substructure, except that through fasteners may be used at limited locations such as
at ends of panels and at roof penetrations.
Stiffener
1.) A member used to strengthen a plate against lateral or local buckling. Usually a flat
bar welded perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the member. 2.) A formed shape
in a metal panel that reduces the effect of oil canning in the panel's flat area.
Sometimes called "stiffener rib", or "stiffener flute".
Stiffener Lip
A short extension of material at an angle to the flange of cold formed structural
members, which adds strength to the member.
Stiles
The vertical side members of framed and paneled doors.
Stitch Screw
A fastener connecting panels together at the sidelap.
Straight Tread Wheels
Crane wheels with flat machined treads and double flanges which limit the lateral
movement of the crane.
Strain
The deformation per unit length measured in the direction of the stress caused by forces
acting on a member. Not the same as deflection.
Stress
A measure of the load on a structural member in terms of force per unit area.
Structural Panel
A panel that is capable of spanning between structural supports and can resist snow,
dead, live, concentrated and wind loads without the benefit of any substrate material.
Strut
A member fitted into a framework that resists axial compressive forces.
Stud
A vertical wall member to which exterior or interior covering or collateral material
may be attached. May be either load bearing or non-load bearing.
Substrate
The surface upon which the roofing or waterproofing membrane is placed (i.e.
structural deck, plywood or insulation).
Suspension System
The system (rigid or flexible) used to suspend the runway beams of underhung or
monorail cranes from the rafter of the building frames.
Sustainability
"Meeting the needs of present generations without compromising the ability of future
generations to meet their needs." – The World Commission on Environment and
Development, 1987 (U.N. Brundtland Report).
Sweep
The amount of deviation of straightness of a structural section measured perpendicular
to the web of the member.