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Term Definition
Perched Water Table. Underground water lying over dry soil and sealed from it by an impervious layer.  
Percipient Witness. A person called to testify on account of personally observing an event or being personally involved.  
Percolate. 1. Seep or ooze. 2. To cause a liquid to pass through a permeable substance.  
Perforated PVC Pipe. Plastic pipe 4 inches in diameter with one or more rows of uniform holes along the length. Buried in the ground alongside building foundations or structures, to aid in drainage of groundwater and moisture.  
Perforated Strap. Thin metal strips in rolls with punched holes used to hang or keep plumbing pipes in place.  
Perforated Wall. Wall with relatively small openings as for ornamentation.  
Performance Bond. A bond, secured by the general contractor, which guarantees that the contract will be performed; an undertaking by a surety that a contractor will perform a contract.  
Performance Code. A building code that prescribes the objectives sought rather than the specific methods and materials that must be used; compare with Specification Code.  
Performance Indicator. The bottom line showing profit or loss on an income and expense statement is the important indicator of the performance of a business.  
Performance Specification. A building specification that prescribes the objectives sought rather than the specific methods and materials that must be used.  
Pergola. An arbor or covered walk formed of growing plants trained over trellis work supported on parallel rows of columns.  
Perilla Oil. Drying oil obtained from seeds of brush called Perilla Ocymoide, grown largely in China and Japan.  
Perimeter Heating. A method of installing central heating systems so that the registers are placed on the outside walls under windows.  
Perimeter Overflow System. A continuous channel formed into the sidewall entirely around the perimeter of the pool, unless interrupted by steps, into which surface pool water is continuously drawn during normal operation to provide a skimming action.  
Perimeter Relief. 1. Construction detail which allows for building movement. 2. Gasketing materials which relieve stresses at the intersections of wall and ceiling surfaces.  
Perimeter. The length of the circumference or outline of a figure.  
Perineal Bath. A small shallow bathtub in which one bathes in a sitting position; a Sitz bath.  
Period. The time for a wave crest to traverse a distance equal to one wave length or the time for two successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.  
Periodic. Periodic duty is a type of intermittent duty in which the electrical load conditions are regularly recurrent.  
Perjury. Wilfully lying while under oath.  
Perlite Institute (PI). 600 South Federal Street, Chicago, Illinois 60605, (718) 351-5723.  
Perlite Insulation. An insulation made from volcanic glass, expanded by heat.  
Perlite Roof Insulation. Insulation for a roof system made from volcanic glass, expanded by heat.  
Perlite. Expanded siliceous volcanic rock, expanded by heat, used as a lightweight aggregate in concrete and plaster, and as an insulating fill.  
Perm. A measure of water vapor movement through a material, such as a vapor barrier; one perm equals one grain of vapor transmission per square foot, per hour, for each inch of mercury difference in vapor pressure.  
Permafrost. subsoil which remains frozen throughout the year, as in the polar regions.  
Permanence. The property of a plastic which describes its resistance to appreciable changes in characteristics with time and environment.  
Permanent Loan. A long term real estate loan that replaces the construction loan (Interim Loan) upon completion of the construction; also called Takeout Loan.  
Permanent Magnet. 1. Material which has its molecules aligned and has its own magnetic field. 2. A bar of metal which has been permanently magnetized.  
Permeability. The property of a material to permit a fluid (or gas) to pass through it; in construction, commonly refers to water vapor permeability of a sheet material or assembly and is defined as Water Vapor Permeance per unit thickness. Metric unit of measurement, metric perms per centimeter of thickness. See Water Vapor Transmission, Perm, Permeance (ASTM E 96).  

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