We have put together probably one of the most comprehensive pole building glossaries found on the internet today. And if you are like most people, if you can't see it, you still don't understand it very well.

If there is any pole building term you still don't understand, or one not yet listed here, please use the Contact Us page to email us. We will be glad to send drawings or pictures for illustration.

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E
Earthquake Loads:	Produce lateral forces on structures caused by the sudden movement of the foundation of the structure. If these forces exceed those caused by wind loads, they may govern the design. Post frame structures are generally so light that earthquake forces do not usually control their design unless additional dead loads are applied to the structure.
Eave:	The edge of the building where the sidewall and the roof meet. The line along the sidewall formed by the intersection of the wall and roof planes.
Eave Girts or Eave Purlins:	Horizontal, secondary framing members attached (generally at a right angle) at sidewall columns at the eave to support wall coverings and/or the lower edge of the roof cladding. They collect the wind-induced wall loads and distribute them to the post frame.
Eave Height:	The vertical distance from the bottom of the skirt board to the eave. (NOT the same as eave clearance).
Eave Lights:	Fiberglass reinforced panels (FRP), typically of the same rib configuration as the sidewall steel. Normally placed in the top two to three feet of the sidewalls, directly below the eave. Generally made from opaque material, allows for some natural lighting into the building.
Eave Vents:	Level return enclosed soffits, pre-perforated to allow for airflow into the building. In combination with a vented ridge, allows warm, moist air to escape through the ridge of the building.
Elevated Floor (or Loft):	A second story wood floor (normally plywood) supported by beams and joists.
End Bay:	The bays adjacent to the end walls of a building. Usually the distance from the end wall to the first interior primary frame measured parallel to the ridge.
End Rafter:	Dimensional lumber used to support the vertical roof load between endwall wind columns.
Endwall:	When looking at this wall of a peaked or gabled roof, it has a "point". An exterior wall which is perpendicular to the ridge of the building.
Endwall Diaphragm:	The endwall of the building where the endwall cladding and framing are constructed so as to transfer in-plane shear forces from the roof and/or ceiling to the ground.
Endwall Overhang:	The projection of the roof past the endwall.
Endwall Wind Columns:	A rectangular primary structural member, sawn on four sides before treatment, is generally uniform in cross section along its length. May be either sawn or laminated dimensional lumber. It is the primary structural element of the building endwalls. They are a vertical structural member used in a building to transfer loads from endwall roof beams, rafters and/or trusses to the foundation. Also supports a horizontal wind load. Generally partly embedded in the soil to provide lateral and vertical support for the structure.
Entry Door (or Man Door or Walk Door):	A pre-hung, hinged door allowing for access into the building by turning a lockset. Most popular size is 36 inches in width by 6'8" in height.
Erection:	The on-site assembling of fabricated components to form a complete structure.
Essential Facilities:	Buildings and other structures intended to remain operational in the event of extreme environmental loading from flood, wind, snow or earthquakes.
Exiting Structure:	A structure erected prior to the date of adoption of the appropriate building code, or one which a legal building permit has been issued.
Exposure B:	Has terrain with buildings, forest or surface irregularities, covering at least 20 percent of the ground level area extending 1 mile or more from the building site.
Exposure C:	Has terrain that is flat and generally open, extending ½ mile or more from the building site in any full quadrant.
Exposure D:	Represents the most severe exposure in areas with basic wind speeds of 80 miles per hour or greater and has terrain that is flat and unobstructed facing large bodies of water over 1 mile or more in width relative to any quadrant of the building site. Exposure D extends inland from the shoreline ¼ mile.