All-bolted steel floor
Galvanised steel floor joists that span each module from side to side and are bolted to the two floor side beams.

All-welded steel floor
Galvanised steel floor joists that span each module from side to side and are welded to the two floor side beams.

BBA (British Board of Agrément) accreditation
Set up by the Government in 1966 to encourage innovation in building by issuing appraisal certificates for inventions and practices, based on an agrément board founded in France in 1958. The BBA is a member of the European Union of Agrément (UEAtc), which exists to enable appraisals in one country to be used in another. Under BBA assessment, Portakabin buildings undergo vigorous structural tests - giving you the assurance that they provide outstanding performance.

Building Regulations
British national regulations, that superseded local by-laws, were first put into operation in 1966 and metricated in 1972. This made the building laws uniform throughout the country.

Building approvals
Approval of a project for a particular building (including an office building) is obtained from the local planning authority, often the district council offices.

Cabins
A term commonly used to describe single unit, portable buildings. Pacemaker, Titan, FireSafe and Pullman buildings are examples of this type of building.

CFC-free Envirofoam insulation
An eco-friendly lightweight, solid insulating foam material used in the core of the wall manufacture.

Climate control systems
Heating and cooling air-conditioning systems. Portakabin AirCare offers easy-to-use climate control equipment, from desktop fans to full air-conditioning systems.

Complex
Made up of various interconnecting parts.

Container
A large cargo-carrying, standard-sized container that can be loaded from one mode of transport to another. The Portastor unit is the Portakabin version of the container, which provides increased security levels.

DDA

The Disability Discrimination Act (DDA) aims to end the discrimination which many disabled people face. This Act gives disabled people rights in the areas of employment, buying or renting land or property, and access to goods, facilities and services

Decant accommodation
Accommodation used to house relocated personnel for a period of time while refurbishment or building work takes place in their normal working environment.

Duplex
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a modular office building system.

Electrical consumer unit
Located where the electrical supply goes into the building, this unit houses the consumer's main switch and cut-out box.

Fascias
A fabricated piece of plastisol-coated steel sheet, which is fitted to the perimeter of the roof and conceals the gutters behind it.

Fire-engineered building
A building constructed from materials designed to meet the relevant fire regulations.

FireSafe
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a fire-protected building in our range of relocatable accommodation, purpose-built to offer the highest levels of fire containment security.

High resistance to point loads
Refers to solid floors with the ability to deal with different types of loading from a range of office equipment and furniture.

Intermediate fascias
A fabricated piece of plastisol-coated steel sheet, which is fitted to the perimeter of the building between the storeys on two, three, and four-storey buildings.

Jack-leg
A telescopic leg system used to load and unload relocatable buildings to and from a flat-bed lorry. Portakabin has its own patented version of this system, called the Lodastrut leg.

Lilliput
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a modular building system, which has been developed specially for nursery and crèche accommodation.

Linking / stacking
Portakabin relocatable buildings can be connected to form two or three-storey buildings using external staircases and walkways.

Lodastrut
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a telescopic leg system used to load and unload relocatable buildings to and from a flat-bed lorry.

Mobiles / Mobile classrooms
A term commonly used to describe single, stand-alone classrooms.

Term recently adopted by the housing corporation and the OPDM (Office of the Deputy Prime Minister) that refers to a variety of innovative build approaches including Off-site construction.

Modular building
Modular construction involves the manufacture of a building off-site in a controlled factory environment. The steel-framed modules are fitted with all electrics, plumbing, heating, doors, windows and internal finishes before they leave our manufacturing centre, improving quality and reducing programme times. The modules are then delivered to site by road, where they are craned onto pre-prepared foundations in just a few days, saving time and money - and reducing on-site disruption.

Modular building systems
A standardised module designed to be added to or used as part of an arrangement of building modules to form a connected whole.

Off-site construction
This refers to that part of the construction process that is carried out away from the building site, such as in a factory. The approach requires a change from a traditional building process towards a manufacturing process.

Pacemaker
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a building in our range of high-quality, relocatable accommodation.

Permanent building standards (UK)
All Portakabin buildings comply with current workplace regulations.

Plastisol coated
All external steel panels are coated with plastisol, a hardwearing resin that creates a durable, easy-clean surface.

Portable buildings
A term commonly used to describe single unit, relocatable buildings. A portable building can be moved from one site when it is no longer needed and used again in another location. Pacemaker, Titan, FireSafe and Pullman buildings are all examples of portable buildings produced by Portakabin.

Portaloo
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a range of relocatable toilets and washrooms.

Pullman
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for one of the largest buildings in our range of high-quality, relocatable accommodation.

Relocatable buildings
A term commonly used to describe single unit, portable buildings. Pacemaker, Titan, FireSafe and Pullman buildings are examples of this type of building.

Simple pad foundations
The foundations needed for Portakabin buildings, which are economic and quick to install.

Site huts / Site accommodation
A term commonly used to describe the portable buildings used on construction sites. The Portakabin Pacemaker building is frequently used by construction companies, as its all-steel construction offers superior durability.

Steel underdrawing
A covering underneath a building's floor construction, this steel membrane retains and protects insulation and contributes to fire resistance, increasing the integrity of each building.

Structure
The load-bearing part of a building.

Temporary building
A building used on a temporary basis for a short-term requirement. Portakabin provides temporary buildings that can be used during refurbishment programmes or rebuilding work or for any short to medium-term accommodation need. However, the temporary buildings that Portakabin provides all meet permanent building standards, guaranteeing quality and providing outstanding comfort and durability.

Thermal door break
Part of the door jamb design, this feature reduces the transfer of hot or cold air between the exterior and interior of each building.

Titan
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for the largest building in the range of high-quality, relocatable accommodation. This building benefits from the appearance of a permanent building with attractive internal and external aesthetics.

Trunking, three-compartment
All cabling is concealed in plastic trunking that runs around the rooms. The system allows for adaptable room layouts.

Ultima
A registered trade mark of Portakabin Limited for a spacious, versatile modular building system, which offers superior levels of thermal efficiency.

Volumetric module construction
A modular building system that makes any size or internal layout of building possible.

Warm-deck roof construction
The roof construction on all Portakabin buildings is fully insulated, which means no condensation on the inside. They promote the retention of heat and contribute to a pleasant working environment.