one of the two botanical categories of wood, the other being softwood - hardwoods are from the usually deciduous variety of trees, generally broad leaved - the chief uses of hardwood are for cabinet work, furniture, millwork, and veneer, as opposed to structural framing lumber which is chiefly softwood.

head wall

a retaining wall at the end of a culvert or drain.

header

brick laid across a wall so that its end is flush with the outer surface.

Health and Safety Executive (HSE)

The Health and Safety Commission is responsible for health and safety regulation in Great Britain. The Health and Safety Executive and local government are the enforcing authorities who work in support of the Commission.

heave

rising of the floor of a deep excavation in soft silt or clay.

herringbone drainage system

A main drain or drains receiving the discharge from smaller branches running parallel to each other on both sides and at an angle to the main drain. Used often in draining septic tanks, sports grounds and sewer connections.

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hod

a v-shaped stemmed trough with a pole for carrying bricks or mortar on the shoulder.

hoggin

a well graded gravel containing enough clay binder to be used in its natural form for making roads and paths. May also be called sub-base mainly in the construction of roads.

honeycombing

local roughness of the face of a concrete wall caused by the concrete having segregated so badly that there is very little sand to fill the gaps between the aggregate at this point. Such concrete is weak and should be cut out and the rebuilt if the wall is heavily loaded. The cause for honeycombing is normally due to insufficient vibration of the concrete.

horizontal shear

shear forces within a horizontal plane of a beam which have the effect of causing imaginary layers of the beam to slide past one another such as would cause slippage, during bending, between two beams placed one atop the other.