Construction glossary in French, Arabic and English: 74 site terms

In brief

• Structural works: gros œuvre in French, الأشغال الكبرى in Arabic.
• Earthworks: terrassement in French, أعمال الحفر in Arabic.
• Client or contracting authority: maître d'ouvrage in French, صاحب المشروع in Arabic.
• Reinforced concrete: béton armé in French, الخرسانة المسلحة in Arabic.

Where do these translations come from?

The Arabic terms are those of Moroccan official texts: Decree n° 2-22-431 on public procurement, read in its Arabic edition in Bulletin officiel n° 7176, the general administrative conditions of contract applicable to works contracts and Decree n° 2-94-223 on the qualification and classification of contractors, supplemented by the national classification of diplomas. Everyday usage, where it differs, is given in brackets. The English is British.

Maître d'ouvrage, marché, appel d'offres in English: parties and contracts

Maître d'ouvrage is client in English, contracting authority for a public body, and صاحب المشروع in Arabic. See our guide to the client, the project supervisor and who does what on a construction site.

• client, or contracting authority for a public body : maître d'ouvrage · صاحب المشروع. The party for whom the works are built.
• delegated contracting authority : maître d'ouvrage délégué · صاحب المشروع المنتدب. A public body entrusted with the client's duties under an agreement.
• project supervisor : maître d'œuvre · المشرف على الأشغال. The designer of the works, who also supervises their construction.
• architect : architecte · المهندس المعماري. The author of the drawings, who follows their execution.
• engineering consultancy : bureau d'études · مكتب الدراسات. Engineers in charge of the calculations and the technical design.
• main contractor : entreprise générale · مقاولة عامة. A contractor that builds the whole of the works.
• construction company : entreprise de construction · مقاولة البناء (شركة البناء). A company whose business is building.
• subcontractor : sous-traitant · المتعاقد من الباطن. A firm to which the contract holder entrusts part of the contract.
• public contract : marché public · صفقة عمومية. A contract for works, supplies or services let by a public body.
• tender : appel d'offres · طلب عروض. The competitive procedure held before the contract is awarded.
• special conditions of contract : cahier des prescriptions spéciales (CPS) · دفتر الشروط الخاصة. The clauses specific to a given contract.
• written instruction : ordre de service · الأمر بالخدمة. A written, signed decision of the client, notified to the contractor.
• provisional acceptance, close to practical completion : réception provisoire · التسلم المؤقت. Inspection of the completed works, which starts the defects liability period.
• final acceptance : réception définitive · التسلم النهائي. The end of the contract, once the defects liability period has run.
• retention : retenue de garantie · الاقتطاع الضامن. A sum withheld from interim payments and released after final acceptance.
• contractor qualification and classification : qualification et classification · التأهيل والتصنيف (التكييف والتصنيف in the 1994 decree). The official grading of building and public works contractors by sector and by class.

What is terrassement in English and in Arabic?

Terrassement is earthworks in English, and أعمال الحفر or الأشغال الترابية in Arabic, أعمال الردم in some texts.

• earthworks : terrassement · أعمال الحفر (الأشغال الترابية، أعمال الردم). Levelling of the ground before building.
• cut and fill : déblai et remblai · الحفر والردم. Soil taken away, then soil brought in and compacted.
• setting out : implantation · تموقع المنشأة. Marking out on the ground the position of the works.
• ground investigation : étude géotechnique · دراسة جيوتقنية. Investigation of the ground before the foundations are chosen.
• foundations : fondations · الأساسات. The base that carries the loads down to the ground.
• special foundations, piling : fondations spéciales · الأسس الخاصة. Deep foundations, used when good ground lies a long way down.
• drainage : assainissement · التطهير. Networks that carry away foul water and rainwater.

Gros œuvre and béton armé in English and in Arabic

Gros œuvre is structural works in English and الأشغال الكبرى in Arabic; béton armé is reinforced concrete and الخرسانة المسلحة. Structural works also have their own guide, from definition to stages.

• structural works : gros œuvre · الأشغال الكبرى. Foundations, structure and masonry: what holds the building up.
• structure : ouvrage · منشأة. Any construction resulting from the works of a contract.
• reinforced concrete : béton armé · الخرسانة المسلحة (الإسمنت المسلح). Concrete poured around steel reinforcement.
• reinforcement steel : ferraillage · التسليح. Steel bars fixed in place before the pour.
• masonry : maçonnerie · البناء. Walls of bricks or blocks laid in mortar.
• waterproofing : étanchéité · العزل المائي. Protection of roofs and basements against water.
• earthquake-resistant construction : construction parasismique · البناء المضاد للزلزال. Design of a building so that it withstands earthquakes.

Charpente and construction métallique in English

Charpente métallique is structural steelwork in English and الهيكل المعدني in Arabic. These terms cover timber and steel framing and steel construction.

• structural steelwork : charpente métallique · الهيكل المعدني. The steel frame of a roof or a floor.
• timber framing : charpente bois · الهيكل الخشبي. A roof frame in timber.
• steel construction : construction métallique · البناء المعدني. Steel structures fabricated in the workshop and erected on site.
• welding : soudure · التلحيم. Joining steel parts by fusion.
• civil engineering structure : ouvrage d'art · منشأة فنية. A bridge, viaduct or retaining wall.

Menuiserie aluminium and menuiserie bois in English

Menuiserie aluminium is aluminium joinery in English and نجارة الألمنيوم in Arabic; menuiserie bois is timber joinery and النجارة الخشبية. See our aluminium joinery and timber joinery pages.

• aluminium joinery : menuiserie aluminium · نجارة الألمنيوم. Windows, doors and façades in aluminium profiles.
• timber joinery : menuiserie bois · النجارة الخشبية. Doors, cupboards and linings in timber.
• architectural metalwork : menuiserie métallique · النجارة المعدنية. Doors, grilles and guardrails in steel.
• sliding window : fenêtre coulissante · نافذة انزلاقية. A window whose sashes slide on a track.
• glazing : vitrerie · تركيب الزجاج. Supply and fixing of glass.

Electrical installation, plumbing, air conditioning: building services

Building services, lots techniques in French, bring together the electrical installation and the technical systems that make the building work.

• package : lot · حصة. A part of a contract split into packages, awarded separately.
• electrical installation : électricité · الكهرباء. The power supply, lighting and sockets of the building.
• plumbing : plomberie · الترصيص (السباكة). Water supply, waste pipes and sanitary appliances.
• heating and air conditioning : chauffage et climatisation · التدفئة وتكييف الهواء. Maintaining the indoor temperature.
• ventilation : ventilation · التهوية. Renewal of the air in the rooms.
• fire protection : protection incendie · الحماية من الحريق. Detection, alarm and extinguishing systems.
• smoke extraction : désenfumage · شفط الدخان. Removal of smoke in the event of a fire.
• lift : ascenseur · مصعد. Vertical transport of people.

Second œuvre and finitions in English

Second œuvre is fit-out or finishing works in English and أشغال التجهيز والتشطيب in Arabic. It ends with the finishes.

• fit-out, finishing works : second œuvre · أشغال التجهيز والتشطيب. Everything that follows the structure, from partitions to finishes.
• finishes : finitions · أشغال التشطيب (الأشغال النهائية). The last works before the keys are handed over.
• floor and wall finishes : revêtements · التلبيس. Materials laid on floors and walls.
• tiling : carrelage · الزليج. Laying tiles on floors or walls.
• painting and decorating : peinture · الصباغة (الطلاء). Protection and decoration of surfaces.
• suspended ceiling : faux plafond · السقف الاصطناعي (السقف المستعار). A lightweight ceiling that hides the services.
• plastering : plâtrerie · التجصيص (أعمال الجبس). Plaster coats and plaster decoration.
• thermal and acoustic insulation : isolation thermique et acoustique · العزل الحراري والعزل السمعي. Protection against cold, heat and noise.
• external works : aménagements extérieurs · التهيئات الخارجية. The surroundings and fencing of the building.

Site and safety: the vocabulary of the field

Chantier is construction site in English and الورش in Arabic.

• construction site : chantier · الورش. The place where the works are built.
• building permit (planning permission in the United Kingdom) : permis de construire · رخصة البناء. The authorisation to be obtained before building.
• site diary : cahier de chantier · دفتر الورش. A register kept throughout the works.
• time for completion : délai d'exécution · أجل التنفيذ. The period set by the contract for the works.
• as-built drawings : plans de récolement · تصاميم مطابقة لتنفيذ الأشغال. Drawings of the works as actually built.
• health and safety : hygiène et sécurité · السلامة والنظافة الصحية. Measures that protect people on site.
• defect : malfaçon · عيب في البناء. Poorly executed work, to be put right by the contractor.

Chef de chantier, ingénieur génie civil, conducteur de travaux: the jobs

Chef de chantier is site foreman in English and رئيس الورش in Arabic; ingénieur génie civil is civil engineer and مهندس مدني; conducteur de travaux is site manager and مسير الأعمال.

• civil engineer : ingénieur génie civil · مهندس مدني. An engineer who designs the works or directs their construction.
• site manager, works manager : conducteur de travaux · مدير أشغال (مسير الأعمال، قائد الأشغال). The person in charge of running the site: programme, teams, subcontractors.
• site foreman : chef de chantier · رئيس الورش. The supervisor who organises the teams' work day to day.
• chargehand : chef d'équipe · رئيس الفريق. An experienced operative who leads a small gang.
• land surveyor : topographe · مساح طبوغرافي. A technician who measures the ground and sets out the works.
• quantity surveyor : métreur · مساح بالمتر. A technician who measures and prices the quantities of work.
• architectural technician : dessinateur de bâtiment · رسام في البناء. A technician who produces the drawings.
• bricklayer : maçon · بناء. An operative who builds the walls.
• plant operator : conducteur d'engins · سائق الآلات. An operative who drives the site plant.
• painter and decorator : peintre · صباغ. An operative who prepares and paints surfaces.

On our sites

A main contractor founded in Marrakech in 1998, we bring together seven trades, from structural works to finishes. Our website is published in French, Arabic and English: this glossary takes up the equivalents chosen for those three versions and supplements them with the terms of the official texts.

This glossary has no legal force: for a given contract, the official text and the contract specification prevail.

Frequently asked questions

What is gros œuvre in English?

Gros œuvre is structural works in English. In Arabic it is الأشغال الكبرى: that is the term of Moroccan law, used for the stages of off-plan property sales (vente d'immeuble en l'état futur d'achèvement), and the term of the national classification of diplomas.

What is terrassement in English?

Terrassement is earthworks in English. In Arabic it is أعمال الحفر: that is the form used by the national classification of diplomas for earthworks. The Arabic text of the Moroccan decree on the qualification and classification of contractors uses أعمال الردم in its table of sectors. The Arabic version of our site uses الأشغال الترابية.

What is maître d'ouvrage in English and in Arabic?

Maître d'ouvrage is client in English, and contracting authority when it is a public body. In Arabic it is صاحب المشروع, in the public procurement decree and in tender notices alike. The maître d'ouvrage délégué, or delegated contracting authority, is صاحب المشروع المنتدب.

What is béton armé in English and in Arabic?

Béton armé is reinforced concrete in English and الخرسانة المسلحة in Arabic. The expression الإسمنت المسلح, modelled on the French, remains common in Morocco and also appears in the decree on the classification of contractors.

What are chef de chantier and conducteur de travaux in English and in Arabic?

Chef de chantier is site foreman or site supervisor in English and رئيس الورش in Arabic. Conducteur de travaux is site manager in English; in Arabic it is مدير أشغال in our Arabic job offer and مسير الأعمال in the national classification of diplomas. Ingénieur génie civil is civil engineer and مهندس مدني.

What do مهندس مدني, نجارة الألمنيوم and شركة البناء mean in English?

In English, مهندس مدني means civil engineer (ingénieur civil or ingénieur en génie civil in French). نجارة الألمنيوم is aluminium joinery, menuiserie aluminium in French, that is, windows, doors and façades in aluminium profiles. شركة البناء translates as construction company, entreprise de construction or société de construction in French.