voile
Page approvedn. m. · concrete wall · shear wall (if it provides the bracing)
Definition
Mur de béton armé coulé en place, relativement mince, qui porte les charges verticales et reprend les efforts horizontaux (vent, séisme). Les voiles forment souvent des noyaux (escaliers, ascenseurs) qui stabilisent le bâtiment.
A cast-in-place reinforced concrete wall, relatively thin, that carries vertical loads and resists horizontal forces (wind, earthquake). Voiles often form cores (stairs, elevators) that stabilize the building.
Diagram
Example sentences
Written (email, official document)
FRLes voiles du noyau assurent le contreventement ; les charges verticales passent par les poteaux.
ENThe core walls provide the bracing; vertical loads pass through the columns.
Spoken (standard)
FROn ne peut pas percer ce voile, il est porteur.
ENWe can't cut an opening in this wall, it's structural.
Spoken (informal)
FRLe voile est ressorti avec des nids de cailloux, le coffrage a fui.
ENThe wall came out with honeycombing, the formwork leaked.
Nuances and pitfalls
Voile (n. m.) or mur? You say voile for a reinforced concrete wall cast in formwork (also called mur banché (n. m.)); mur is also used for masonry. A voile is always a structural element.
Voile mince. In engineering, a voile mince is a very thin shell (a concrete vault, for example): that is a different sense.
Related terms
refendtramepoteauarmatureRegulatory and standard references
Legislation in force may differ from what is shown here.
Validation
- French term, register, FR sentences : ✓ validated
- US/UK equivalents and EN sentences : ✓ validated
- Diagram : ✓ validated
Reviewed by Raphaël B. · 8 Oct 2026
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