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Glossary of terms

78 DEFINITIONS · 5 AREAS

When you receive a cost estimate or talk to a contractor, words come up that decide money: capping layer, degree of compaction, tack coat, binder course, concealed works. We explain them briefly here, just enough for you to know what to ask and what to compare. No textbook definitions — each term is explained by what it means on site. Next to each term you will also find the Romanian word, as it appears in Romanian quotes and cost estimates.

Earthworks and excavation

Everything that happens to the ground before anything is poured or laid on top of it.

Earthwork
RO: Terasament
The body of soil on which a road, a platform or a building rests. It can be in cut, when the ground level is lowered, or in fill, when it is raised. Its quality decides how long everything built on top of it lasts.
Topsoil stripping
RO: Decopertare
Removing the vegetation layer from the ground surface before any work. It is done over the whole working area, because soil containing organic matter settles and rots under a building.
Topsoil
RO: Strat vegetal
The surface soil, with roots and organic matter. It has no bearing capacity and cannot be usefully compacted, so it is removed entirely. It can be stored separately and reused for landscaping green areas.
Fill
RO: Umplutură
Material brought in to raise the ground level: soil, ballast or crushed stone. It is laid and compacted in successive layers, not all at once — otherwise it stays uncompacted at depth and settles over time.
Capping layer
RO: Strat de formă
The layer that forms the transition between the soil earthworks and the foundation proper. It evens out the surface, protects the earthworks and gives the foundation a regular support.
Compaction
RO: Compactare
Mechanically densifying a layer to remove the air between particles and increase its density. It is done in layers of limited thickness, with machinery suited to the type of material and to the space available.
Degree of compaction
RO: Grad de compactare
How well a layer has been compacted, expressed as a percentage: the ratio between the density achieved on site and the maximum density determined in the laboratory with the Proctor test. It is checked with tests, not by eye.
Proctor test
RO: Încercarea Proctor
A laboratory test that establishes, for a given soil, the maximum density that can be achieved and the moisture content at which it is reached. The result becomes the benchmark against which compaction on site is measured.
Optimum moisture content
RO: Umiditate optimă
The water content at which a soil compacts best. Too dry, and the particles do not slide past each other; too wet, and the water prevents densification. That is why the material is sprayed with water or left to dry out.
Slope (batter)
RO: Taluz
The inclined surface bordering an excavation or a fill. Its gradient is chosen according to the type of soil and the depth: the weaker the soil, the gentler the slope must be, so that it does not collapse.
Shoring
RO: Sprijiniri
A temporary structure that supports the walls of a deep excavation so they do not cave in. It becomes mandatory from depths at which sloping the sides is no longer possible or no longer safe.
Dewatering
RO: Epuisment
Removing water from an excavation by pumping, when groundwater or rain floods the working area. Without it, the walls soften and the bottom of the excavation becomes unworkable.
Level (elevation)
RO: Cotă
The height of a point relative to an established benchmark. The whole job is carried out relative to levels: excavation level, foundation level, finished level. They are checked with instruments, not approximately.
Setting out
RO: Trasare
Marking the position and dimensions of the works on the ground before the excavation starts. It is done with surveying instruments and turns the plan into reality on site.
Ballast (sand and gravel)
RO: Balast
A natural mix of sand and gravel, extracted from a gravel pit. It is used as a foundation layer under platforms, paths and roads, because it compacts well and drains water.
Crushed stone
RO: Piatră spartă
Aggregate obtained by crushing rock. Because the particles have angular edges, they lock together, so the layer withstands loads better than one made of rounded gravel.
Geotextile
RO: Geotextil
A permeable synthetic material placed between two layers to stop them from mixing. On weak ground, it prevents the ballast from sinking into the soft soil and the foundation layer from being lost.
Drainage
RO: Drenaj
All the measures by which water is collected and led away from the working area: falls, drainage channels, permeable layers, drain pipes. Standing water ruins any earthworks.
Settlement
RO: Tasare
A surface sinking over time because the layer beneath it becomes denser under load. It almost always appears where compaction was insufficient or uneven.
Surplus soil
RO: Excedent de pământ
Excavated soil that cannot be reused on site. It has to be loaded, transported and disposed of legally — a separate cost, which is estimated by volume, not by truckloads.

Foundations and concrete

The terms that come up when discussing what is poured and how.

Foundation
RO: Fundație
The part of a building that takes the loads from the structure and transfers them to the ground. It is built at a depth where the ground has bearing capacity and does not freeze.
Frost depth
RO: Adâncime de îngheț
The depth to which the soil can freeze in a given geographical area. Foundations go below it, because water that freezes in the ground expands and lifts the building unevenly.
Raft foundation
RO: Radier
A continuous reinforced concrete slab poured under the entire building. It is used when the ground is weak or when the loads have to be spread over as large an area as possible.
Footing
RO: Talpa fundației
The lower, widened part of the foundation. Its width is set so that the pressure transferred to the ground stays below the value the ground can take.
Foundation wall
RO: Elevație
The part of the foundation between the footing and the level at which the structure above begins. It is formed and poured separately from the footing, usually in a second stage.
Blinding concrete
RO: Beton de egalizare
A thin layer of plain concrete poured on the bottom of the excavation. It creates a clean, flat surface on which the reinforcement and formwork can be installed without direct contact with the soil.
Formwork
RO: Cofraj
The mould into which concrete is poured until it hardens. It must withstand the pressure of the fresh concrete and be watertight, otherwise the cement paste leaks out and the concrete remains porous.
Reinforcement
RO: Armătură
The steel bars or meshes embedded in concrete. Concrete takes compression well but tension poorly; the steel takes the tension. The position of the reinforcement in the cross-section is essential.
Concrete strength class
RO: Clasa betonului
A notation such as C20/25 indicates the characteristic compressive strength. The first figure refers to the cylinder specimen, the second to the cube specimen. The class is chosen according to the element and its exposure.
Concrete vibration
RO: Vibrarea betonului
Compacting freshly poured concrete with a vibrator, to remove the entrapped air. Unvibrated concrete is left with voids, which reduce its strength and leave the reinforcement unprotected.
Expansion joint
RO: Rost de dilatație
A deliberate break in a concrete surface, which allows it to expand and contract. Without joints cut in time and at the right spacing, the slab cracks randomly.
Waterproofing
RO: Hidroizolație
The barrier that stops water from penetrating the elements of a building. On foundations, it is applied to the surfaces in contact with the soil and joined continuously, without gaps.
Screed
RO: Sapă
The levelling layer poured over the slab, which receives the final flooring. It is laid to level and with controlled flatness, because any unevenness shows in the finish.

Roads, platforms and asphalt paving

How a road is built up and what the terms in quotes mean.

Pavement structure
RO: Structură rutieră
The set of layers between the earthworks and the traffic surface. Each layer has a role: it spreads the load, drains or resists wear. The thicknesses are set according to the traffic.
Road base
RO: Fundație de drum
The load-bearing layer under the surfacing, usually made of ballast and crushed stone, compacted in layers. It takes the traffic loads and spreads them to the earthworks.
Asphalt mix
RO: Mixtură asfaltică
A mixture of mineral aggregates and bitumen, prepared hot in a plant and laid while still hot. It is compacted immediately, because once it cools it can no longer be compacted.
Bitumen
RO: Bitum
The binder in asphalt, a viscous product derived from crude oil. It binds the aggregates together and gives asphalt its elasticity. It softens in heat and becomes brittle in cold.
Binder course
RO: Binder
The asphalt bonding layer between the base and the wearing course. It has larger aggregates, and its role is to take stresses and spread them to the lower layers.
Wearing course
RO: Strat de uzură
The top asphalt layer, the one traffic runs on. It is designed for wear resistance and grip, not for load-bearing capacity.
Tack coat (priming)
RO: Amorsare
Applying a film of bitumen emulsion on the existing layer before laying the asphalt. It makes the two layers bond. Without a tack coat, the new surface can come loose.
Bitumen emulsion
RO: Emulsie bituminoasă
Bitumen dispersed in water, which can be applied cold. It is used for tack coats and surface treatments. After application, the water evaporates and the bitumen film remains.
Asphalt overlay
RO: Covor asfaltic
The layer of mix laid over an existing surface. It renews the surface, not the structure: if the foundation is compromised, the overlay deteriorates quickly.
Milling (planing)
RO: Frezare
The controlled mechanical removal of an existing asphalt layer. It is done to recover the level before laying a new layer, or to remove a deteriorated layer.
Patching
RO: Plombare
A local asphalt repair: the defective area is cut along a regular outline, cleaned, tack-coated and filled with mix, then compacted.
Crossfall
RO: Pantă transversală
The inclination of the surface across its width, which sheds water off the carriageway. Without it, water stands, penetrates the structure and speeds up deterioration.
Kerb
RO: Bordură
The precast element that edges the carriageway. It holds the edge of the surfacing and stops the layers from spreading. It is installed on its own concrete foundation.
Drainage channel
RO: Rigolă
An open channel at the edge of the surface that collects water and leads it to a discharge point. Without a working channel, the water returns into the road structure.
Rutting
RO: Făgaș
A longitudinal depression formed by wheels repeatedly passing along the same track. It signals either an asphalt mix that is too soft or a base without enough bearing capacity.
Alligator cracking
RO: Faianțare
A network of fine cracks in a mesh pattern appearing in asphalt. It is a sign that the structure underneath is failing — a surface repair only postpones the problem.

Machinery and attachments

What each machine does, in one sentence.

Backhoe loader
RO: Buldoexcavator
A machine with a loading bucket at the front and a digging arm at the back. The most versatile for small and medium jobs: it digs, loads and levels, without needing a second machine.
Tracked excavator
RO: Excavator pe șenile
A digging machine with full rotation, on tracks. It has greater stability and power than a backhoe loader and digs deeper, but it is transported on a trailer.
Skid steer loader
RO: Miniîncărcător
A compact machine that turns practically on the spot and takes interchangeable attachments: bucket, hydraulic breaker, planer, sweeper, forks. The right machine for tight spaces.
Bulldozer
RO: Buldozer
A tracked machine with a front blade. It pushes large volumes of soil over short distances and cuts the ground to level. It does not load into dump trucks.
Motor grader
RO: Autogreder
A machine with an adjustable blade between its axles, used for precision levelling. It produces exact falls and levels over long surfaces, much more finely than a bulldozer blade.
Single-drum vibratory roller
RO: Vibrocompactor
A compactor roller with a single vibrating drum. It transmits energy deep down, so it compacts thick layers of soil and ballast. It is not used on finished asphalt.
Tandem roller
RO: Cilindru tandem
A compactor with two smooth drums, which gives a uniform surface. The machine used to compact the asphalt mix, straight after the paver.
Plate compactor
RO: Placă vibratoare
A small, hand-guided compactor for edges, paths, block paving and areas the roller cannot reach. It compacts thin layers, but it covers exactly the areas that sink first.
Trench rammer
RO: Mai compactor
A compactor that jumps vertically, with a small foot. It is used in narrow trenches, where the fill has to be compacted in depth and no other machine fits.
Asphalt paver
RO: Finisor de asfalt
The machine that lays the asphalt mix in a layer of controlled thickness and fall. The quality of the final surface depends to a large extent on how it is set up.
Scissor lift
RO: Nacelă foarfecă
A work-at-height platform that rises vertically on a scissor-shaped mechanism. It has a large platform and a good load capacity, but it cannot reach around side obstacles.
Articulated boom lift
RO: Nacelă articulată
A work platform on an articulated boom, which can reach around obstacles and get above or beside an area that is inaccessible from below.
Hydraulic breaker
RO: Picon
A hydraulic hammer mounted on the arm of an excavator or a skid steer loader. It breaks concrete, asphalt and rock. The standard attachment for demolition and hard stripping work.
Dump truck
RO: Basculantă
A vehicle with a tipping body, for transporting soil, ballast or debris. Its payload is limited by the permitted gross weight, not by the volume of the body.
Low-loader trailer
RO: Trailer
A transport platform for heavy machinery that cannot travel on public roads under its own power. Its cost is part of transporting the machine, there and back.
Mobile air compressor
RO: Motocompresor
A mobile source of compressed air that powers pneumatic hammers and other tools. It is used where there is no electrical supply.
Concrete pump
RO: Pompă de beton
A machine that conveys concrete through pipes to the pouring point. It is needed when the truck mixer cannot get directly to the place where the concrete is poured.

Contracts and site organisation

The terms that come up in quotes, cost estimates and discussions with the contractor.

Equipment with operator
RO: Utilaj cu operator
An arrangement in which the machine comes with a qualified operator employed by the rental company. The rate includes labour, fuel and maintenance, and responsibility for operating the machine stays with its owner.
Mobilisation
RO: Mobilizare
Bringing the machine and the team to the site. It is invoiced separately from the working hours and is paid regardless of how long the actual work takes.
Bill of quantities
RO: Antemăsurătoare
The list of work quantities calculated from the design before construction. It is the basis of the cost estimate and allows quotes to be compared fairly.
Cost estimate
RO: Deviz
The document that turns quantities into money: materials, labour, machinery, transport. A quote without a cost estimate cannot be compared with another one.
Statement of work done
RO: Situație de lucrări
The document used to settle payment for the work carried out over a period, based on the quantities actually completed. It is checked and accepted before payment.
Turnkey project
RO: Lucrare la cheie
A contract in which you pay for the finished result, not for machine time. The risk of estimating the duration passes to the contractor, and the price is firm if the quote is clear.
Concealed works
RO: Lucrări ascunse
Work that can no longer be checked once it is covered: the bottom of the excavation, the reinforcement, the compacted layers. It is recorded in an official report at the stage when it is still visible.
Acceptance on completion
RO: Recepție la terminarea lucrărilor
The moment when the client takes over the works, after checking that they comply with the design. It is recorded in an official report, together with any objections.
Site set-up
RO: Organizare de șantier
Everything that has to be prepared so the work can go ahead: access, fencing, utilities, storage areas, signage. It is provided for separately in the cost estimate.
Utility location clearance
RO: Aviz de amplasament
The document in which a network operator confirms which pipes or cables exist in the area of the works. It is requested before any excavation, so that existing networks are not damaged.
Building permit
RO: Autorizație de construire
The administrative act that allows the works to be carried out. Some interventions are exempt, others are not — this is checked with the town hall in whose area the land lies.
Working day
RO: Zi de lucru
In equipment rental, a day generally means eight hours of actual work on site. Overtime and waiting times are agreed beforehand, not afterwards.

All terms, alphabetically

If you know the word and are looking for the definition.

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