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Construction Machinery, Tools & Materials

Construction (Building) · 建設分野(建築区分) · Written by Tokutei Pass based on the official study texts; not copied verbatim.

Names and Proper Use of Hand Tools and Trade Tools

The hooked tool used to twist tie wires around rebar intersections is a 'rebar tier (Hakka)', the tapered-tail wrench used for twisting wire and tightening scaffold bolts is a 'Shino ratchet wrench', and the fitting used to fasten single steel pipes together is a 'clamp'.

A Japanese 'double-edged saw (Ryouba nokogiri)' has rip teeth on one side and crosscut teeth on the other and cuts on the pull stroke; a 'hand plane (Kanna)' shaves wood smooth; when mortising with a 'chisel (Nomi)' and 'hammer (Gennou)', secure the wood and never place hands in front of the blade.

For final smooth troweling of mortar or concrete floors, use a 'metal trowel (Kanagote)'; to erase trowel marks with water, use a 'plasterer's brush/sponge (Mizubake)'; to detect loose exterior tiles by sound, roll a 'sounding rod (Dashinbou / test hammer)' over the wall.

Snap an ink line (Sumitsubo) by pulling the string taut and plucking it straight up; check a tape measure's hook for bending and read straight on; pull an adjustable wrench toward the fixed lower jaw; keep utility knife blades short; and immediately pull or bend protruding nails in stripped formwork with a crowbar.

Names and Proper Use of Hand Tools and Trade Tools

Key points


  • Use a 'Hakka' to tie rebar wire, a 'Shino ratchet' to twist heavy wire and tighten bolts, and a 'clamp' to join scaffold pipes.

  • Use a 'metal trowel (Kanagote)' for final floor finishing, a 'sounding rod (Dashinbou)' to check tile delamination, and pull a Japanese hand saw to cut.

  • Apply force toward the lower jaw of an adjustable wrench, and pull out or bend nails immediately after stripping formwork to prevent puncture injuries.
WordMeaning
Rebar tying hook (Hakka)
Ratchet wrench with tapered drift pin (Shino ratchet)
Tile sounding rod / Test hammer (Dashinbou)
Metal finishing trowel (Kanagote)

Power Tools, Pneumatic Tools, and Temporary Electrical Equipment

Use a 'disc grinder' for cutting/grinding metal or concrete, a 'hammer drill' (combining rotation and percussion) for drilling anchor holes in hardened concrete, and a 'tacker (staple gun)' to fasten waterproof sheets or insulation with U-shaped staples.

A 'shear wrench' is the specialized electric tool that tightens Torshear-type high-strength bolts and shears off the splined pintail at the specified torque; with an impact driver, choose a bit matching the cross slot and press perpendicularly to prevent cam-out.

Always disconnect the air hose before reloading or inspecting a pneumatic 'nailer' and never point the nose at anyone; bend rebar at room temperature with an 'electric rebar bender' while keeping hands clear of the moving rollers.

Fully unwind the cable from a 'cord reel (cable drum)' when using high-power tools to prevent overheating and fire; if an 'earth leakage circuit breaker (ELCB)' trips on a temporary distribution board, stop work immediately and report to the foreman for inspection.

Key points


  • Use a 'hammer drill' for concrete holes, a 'shear wrench' for Torshear high-strength bolts, and a 'tacker' for stapling sheets.

  • Disconnect the air hose before inspecting a nail gun, and bend rebar at room temperature without putting hands near the bender rollers.

  • Fully unwind cord reels before use, and stop work and report to the foreman if an earth leakage breaker trips.
WordMeaning
Hammer drill (rotary percussion drill)
Shear wrench (for Torshear high-strength bolts)
Tacker / Staple gun
Earth leakage circuit breaker (Rouden shadanki)

Construction Machinery, Ready-Mixed Concrete, Rebar, and Formwork Materials

A 'bulldozer' Excavates and pushes soil with its front blade, a 'rammer' compacts trench bottoms and backfill soil with strong vertical impacts, and a 'vibrator' consolidates fresh concrete by removing air bubbles.

'Cement' hardens through hydration with water and must be stored in a moisture-proof place; aggregates are divided into fine aggregate (sand) and coarse aggregate (gravel) by a '5 mm sieve'. Mixing cement, water, and sand produces 'mortar'.

A truck agitator (concrete mixer truck) rotates its drum during transport to prevent segregation, and a 'slump test' checks fluidity upon delivery. In the designation '24 - 18 - 20 - N', '24' is nominal strength (24 N/mm²) and '18' is slump (18 cm).

Ribs/lugs on 'deformed rebar (Ikei tekkin)' increase bond strength with concrete; 'spacers' maintain concrete cover thickness, and 'separators' keep sheathing panels at a uniform wall thickness. Apply 'form release agent (form oil)' thinly to panels before assembly without getting it on rebar.

Key points


  • A 'bulldozer' pushes soil, a 'rammer' compacts soil by impact, and a 'vibrator' consolidates freshly poured concrete.

  • Fine aggregate (sand) and coarse aggregate (gravel) are separated by a '5 mm sieve', and cement + water + sand makes 'mortar'.

  • In concrete code '24-18-20-N', 24 is nominal strength and 18 is slump (cm); separators maintain wall thickness and spacers maintain concrete cover.
WordMeaning
Slump test (fluidity test for fresh concrete)
Concrete vibrator
Spacer (maintains concrete cover thickness)
Separator (maintains formwork wall thickness)

Building Materials, Interior/Exterior Boards, Paint, and Sealants

Use well-dried 'timber' to prevent warping or cracking from drying shrinkage; 'plywood (Gouhan)' is made by gluing an odd number of thin wood veneers with alternating perpendicular grain directions. Steel members receive galvanizing or rust-inhibiting paint to prevent oxidation.

'ALC panels (Autoclaved Lightweight aerated Concrete)' contain fine air pores making them lightweight with excellent thermal insulation and fire resistance; 'gypsum board (plasterboard)' is a fire-resistant, sound-insulating interior substrate.

In light-gauge steel (LGS) framing, ceiling board furring bars are 'Nobuchi' and vertical wall studs are 'Studs'. Common thermal insulators include glass wool and extruded polystyrene foam, while durable, wipeable 'vinyl cloth' is the most common wallpaper.

Apply 'masking tape' along borders and coat substrates first with 'primer (sealer)' to improve adhesion. Accurately weigh and mix base and hardener for two-component sealants without trapping air; use 'modified silicone (or polyurethane) sealant' when painting over joints, and use roller coating on wide walls to minimize paint spatter.

Key points


  • Cross-laminated veneer sheets form 'plywood (Gouhan)', and lightweight cellular concrete with high fire/thermal resistance is an 'ALC panel'.

  • In LGS framing, ceiling furring is 'Nobuchi' and wall uprights are 'Studs'; 'primer (sealer)' is applied first to strengthen substrate adhesion.

  • Use 'modified silicone (or polyurethane) sealant' for exterior joints that will be painted over.
WordMeaning
ALC panel (Autoclaved Lightweight Concrete)
Gypsum board / Plasterboard (Sekkou board)
Ceiling furring & wall upright in LGS (Nobuchi / Stud)
Primer / Sealer (adhesion promoter)

Construction Machinery, Tools, and Materials

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