Glossary of civil engineering

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This glossary of civil engineering terms pertains specifically to civil engineering and its sub-disciplines. Please see glossary of engineering for a broad overview of the major concepts of engineering.

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  • Abney level – is an instrument used in surveying which consists of a fixed sighting tube, a movable spirit level that is connected to a pointing arm, and a protractor scale. An internal mirror allows the user to see the bubble in the level while sighting a distant target. It can be used as a hand-held instrument or mounted on a Jacob's staff for more precise measurement.[1][2]
  • Abrams' law – Abrams' law (also called Abrams' water-cement ratio law)[3] is a concept in civil engineering. The law states the strength of a concrete mix is inversely related to the mass ratio of water to cement.[4]Scott, John S. (1992-10-31). Dictionary Of Civil Engineering. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780412984211.</ref> As the water content increases, the strength of concrete decreases.
  • Abrasion – is the process of scuffing, scratching, wearing down, marring, or rubbing away. It can be intentionally imposed in a controlled process using an abrasive. Abrasion can be an undesirable effect of exposure to normal use or exposure to the elements.
  • Abrasion resistance –
  • Absolute electrode potential – in electrochemistry, according to an IUPAC definition,[5] is the electrode potential of a metal measured with respect to a universal reference system (without any additional metal–solution interface).
  • Absolute motion –
  • Absolute pressure – is zero-referenced against a perfect vacuum, using an absolute scale, so it is equal to gauge pressure plus atmospheric pressure.
  • Absolute zero – is the lower limit of the thermodynamic temperature scale, a state at which the enthalpy and entropy of a cooled ideal gas reach their minimum value, taken as 0. Absolute zero is the point at which the fundamental particles of nature have minimal vibrational motion, retaining only quantum mechanical, zero-point energy-induced particle motion. The theoretical temperature is determined by extrapolating the ideal gas law; by international agreement, absolute zero is taken as −273.15° on the Celsius scale (International System of Units),[6][7] which equals −459.67° on the Fahrenheit scale (United States customary units or Imperial units).[8] The corresponding Kelvin and Rankine temperature scales set their zero points at absolute zero by definition.
  • Absorbance – In chemistry, absorbance or decadic absorbance is the common logarithm of the ratio of incident to transmitted radiant power through a material, and spectral absorbance or spectral decadic absorbance is the common logarithm of the ratio of incident to transmitted spectral radiant power through a material.[9] Absorbance is dimensionless, and in particular is not a length, though it is a monotonically increasing function of path length, and approaches zero as the path length approaches zero.
  • Abutment – refers to the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam whereon the structure's superstructure rests or contacts.[10]
  • AC power – Power in an electric circuit is the rate of flow of energy past a given point of the circuit. In alternating current circuits, energy storage elements such as inductors and capacitors may result in periodic reversals of the direction of energy flow.
  • Acceleration – In physics, acceleration is the rate of change of velocity of an object with respect to time. An object's acceleration is the net result of any and all forces acting on the object, as described by Newton's Second Law.[11] The SI unit for acceleration is metre per second squared (m s−2). Accelerations are vector quantities (they have magnitude and direction) and add according to the parallelogram law.[12][13] As a vector, the calculated net force is equal to the product of the object's mass (a scalar quantity) and its acceleration.
  • Acid – is a molecule or ion capable of donating a hydron (proton or hydrogen ion H+), or, alternatively, capable of forming a covalent bond with an electron pair (a Lewis acid).[14]
  • Acid-base reaction – is a chemical reaction that occurs between an acid and a base, which can be used to determine pH. Several theoretical frameworks provide alternative conceptions of the reaction mechanisms and their application in solving related problems; these are called the acid–base theories, for example, Brønsted–Lowry acid–base theory.
  • Acid strength – refers to the tendency of an acid, symbolised by the chemical formula HA, to dissociate into a proton, H+, and an anion, A−.
  • Acoustic board – is a special kind of board made of sound absorbing materials. Its job is to provide sound insulation.[15][16] Between two outer walls sound absorbing material is inserted and the wall is porous. Thus, when sound passes through an acoustic board, the intensity of sound is decreased. The loss of sound energy is balanced by producing heat energy.
  • Acoustics – is the branch of physics that deals with the study of all mechanical waves in gases, liquids, and solids including topics such as vibration, sound, ultrasound and infrasound.
  • Activated sludge – The activated sludge process is a type of wastewater treatment process for treating sewage or industrial wastewaters using aeration and a biological floc composed of bacteria and protozoa.
  • Activated sludge model –is a generic name for a group of mathematical methods to model activated sludge systems. The research in this area is coordinated by a task group of the International Water Association (IWA). Activated sludge models are used in scientific research to study biological processes in hypothetical systems. They can also be applied on full scale wastewater treatment plants for optimisation, when carefully calibrated with reference data for sludge production and nutrients in the effluent.
  • Active transport – In cellular biology, active transport is the movement of molecules across a membrane from a region of their lower concentration to a region of their higher concentration—against the concentration gradient. Active transport requires cellular energy to achieve this movement. There are two types of active transport: primary active transport that uses ATP, and secondary active transport that uses an electrochemical gradient.
  • Actuator – is the mechanism by which a control system acts upon an environment. The control system can be simple (a fixed mechanical or electronic system), software-based (e.g. a printer driver, robot control system), a human, or any other input.[17]
  • Acute angle – an angle that is smaller than a right angle (less than 90°).
  • Adenosine triphosphate – (ATP) is a complex organic chemical that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells, e.g. muscle contraction, nerve impulse propagation, chemical synthesis. Found in all forms of life, ATP is often referred to as the "molecular unit of currency" of intracellular energy transfer.[18] When consumed in metabolic processes, it converts either to adenosine diphosphate (ADP) or to adenosine monophosphate (AMP). Other processes regenerate ATP so that the human body recycles its own body weight equivalent in ATP each day.[19] It is also a precursor to DNA and RNA, and is used as a coenzyme.
  • Adhesion – is the tendency of dissimilar particles or surfaces to cling to one another (cohesion refers to the tendency of similar or identical particles/surfaces to cling to one another). The forces that cause adhesion and cohesion can be divided into several types. The intermolecular forces responsible for the function of various kinds of stickers and sticky tape fall into the categories of chemical adhesion, dispersive adhesion, and diffusive adhesion. In addition to the cumulative magnitudes of these intermolecular forces, there are also certain emergent mechanical effects.
  • Adiabatic process – In thermodynamics, an adiabatic process is one that occurs without transfer of heat or mass of substances between a thermodynamic system and its surroundings. In an adiabatic process, energy is transferred to the surroundings only as work.[20][21] The adiabatic process provides a rigorous conceptual basis for the theory used to expound the first law of thermodynamics, and as such it is a key concept in thermodynamics.
  • Aerobic digestion – is a process in sewage treatment designed to reduce the volume of sewage sludge and make it suitable[22] for subsequent use.[23] More recently, technology has been developed that allows the treatment and reduction of other[24] organic waste, such as food, cardboard and horticultural waste.
  • Aerodynamics – is the study of the motion of air, particularly its interaction with a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It is a sub-field of fluid dynamics and gas dynamics, and many aspects of aerodynamics theory are common to these fields.
  • Afocal system – In optics an afocal system (a system without focus) is an optical system that produces no net convergence or divergence of the beam, i.e. has an infinite effective focal length.[25]
  • Agricultural engineering – is the engineering discipline that studies agricultural production and processing. Agricultural engineering combines the disciplines of mechanical, civil, electrical and chemical engineering principles with a knowledge of agricultural principles according to technological principles. A key goal of this discipline is to improve the efficacy and sustainability of agricultural practices.[26]
  • Albedo – is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation received by an astronomical body (e.g. a planet like Earth). It is dimensionless and measured on a scale from 0 (corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation) to 1 (corresponding to a body that reflects all incident radiation).
  • Algae –
  • Algebra –
  • Algorithm – is an unambiguous specification of how to solve a class of problems. Algorithms can perform calculation, data processing and automated reasoning tasks.
  • Alkane – In organic chemistry, an alkane, or paraffin (a historical name that also has other meanings), is an acyclic saturated hydrocarbon. In other words, an alkane consists of hydrogen and carbon atoms arranged in a tree structure in which all the carbon–carbon bonds are single.[27] Alkanes have the general chemical formula CnH2n+2.
  • Alkene –
  • Alkyne –
  • Alloy – is a combination of metals or of a metal and another element. Alloys are defined by a metallic bonding character.[28]
  • Alpha particle –
  • Alternating current – is an electric current which periodically reverses direction, in contrast to direct current (DC) which flows only in one direction. Alternating current is the form in which electric power is delivered to businesses and residences, and it is the form of electrical energy that consumers typically use when they plug kitchen appliances, televisions, fans and electric lamps into a wall socket. A common source of DC power is a battery cell in a flashlight. The abbreviations AC and DC are often used to mean simply alternating and direct, as when they modify current or voltage.[29][30]
  • Alternative hypothesis –
  • Ammeter –
  • Amino acid –
  • Amorphous solid –
  • Ampere –
  • Amphoterism –
  • Amplifier –
  • Amplitude –
  • Anaerobic digestion –
  • Angular acceleration – is the rate of change of angular velocity. In three dimensions, it is a pseudovector. In SI units, it is measured in radians per second squared (rad/s2), and is usually denoted by the Greek letter alpha (α).[31]


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See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ Smaller Instruments and Appliances: The Abney Level and Clinometer, A Manual of the Principal Instruments used in American Engineering and Surveying, W. & L. E. Gurley, Troy, NY, 1891; page 219.
  2. ^ George William Usill, Clinometers: The Abney Level, Practical Surveying, Crosby Lockwood and Son, London, 1889; page 33.
  3. ^ Punmia, Dr B. C.; Jain, Ashok Kumar; Jain, Arun Kr (2003-05-01). Basic Civil Engineering. Firewall Media. ISBN 9788170084037.
  4. ^ Punmia, Dr B. C.; Jain, Ashok Kumar; Jain, Arun Kr (2003-05-01). Basic Civil Engineering. Firewall Media. ISBN 9788170084037.
  5. ^ IUPAC Gold Book - absolute electrode potential
  6. ^ "Unit of thermodynamic temperature (kelvin)". SI Brochure, 8th edition. Bureau International des Poids et Mesures. 13 March 2010 [1967]. Section 2.1.1.5. Archived from the original on 7 October 2014. Retrieved 20 June 2017. Note: The triple point of water is 0.01 °C, not 0 °C; thus 0 K is −273.15 °C, not −273.16 °C.
  7. ^ Arora, C. P. (2001). Thermodynamics. Tata McGraw-Hill. Table 2.4 page 43. ISBN 978-0-07-462014-4.
  8. ^ Zielinski, Sarah (1 January 2008). "Absolute Zero". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
  9. ^ IUPAC, Compendium of Chemical Terminology, 2nd ed. (the "Gold Book") (1997). Online corrected version:  (2006–) "Absorbance". doi:10.1351/goldbook.A00028
  10. ^ "Glossary - "Abutment"". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
  11. ^ Crew, Henry (2008). The Principles of Mechanics. BiblioBazaar, LLC. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-559-36871-4.
  12. ^ Bondi, Hermann (1980). Relativity and Common Sense. Courier Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-486-24021-3.
  13. ^ Lehrman, Robert L. (1998). Physics the Easy Way. Barron's Educational Series. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-7641-0236-3.
  14. ^ IUPAC Gold Book - acid
  15. ^ Dictionary of architectural and building technology. London: E & F N Spon. 1998. p. 3. ISBN 0-419-22280-4.
  16. ^ Derek Butterfield; Alf Fulcher; Rhodes, Brian; Stewart, Bill; Derick Tickle; Windsor, John C. (2005). Painting and Decorating: An Information Manual. Blackwell/Futura. p. 145. ISBN 1-4051-1254-9.
  17. ^ "About Actuators". www.thomasnet.com. Archived from the original on 2016-05-08. Retrieved 2016-04-26.
  18. ^ Knowles, J. R. (1980). "Enzyme-catalyzed phosphoryl transfer reactions". Annu. Rev. Biochem. 49: 877–919. doi:10.1146/annurev.bi.49.070180.004305. PMID 6250450.
  19. ^ Törnroth-Horsefield, S.; Neutze, R. (December 2008). "Opening and closing the metabolite gate". Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA. 105 (50): 19565–19566. doi:10.1073/pnas.0810654106. PMC 2604989. PMID 19073922.
  20. ^ Carathéodory, C. (1909). "Untersuchungen über die Grundlagen der Thermodynamik". Mathematische Annalen. 67: 355–386. doi:10.1007/BF01450409.. A translation may be found here. Also a mostly reliable translation is to be found in Kestin, J. (1976). The Second Law of Thermodynamics. Stroudsburg, PA: Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross.
  21. ^ Bailyn, M. (1994). A Survey of Thermodynamics. New York, NY: American Institute of Physics Press. p. 21. ISBN 0-88318-797-3.
  22. ^ "Aerobic Diestion" (PDF). Water Environment Federation. Archived from the original (PDF) on 27 March 2016. Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  23. ^ "Handbook Biological Wastewater Treatment - Design of Activated Sludge Systems". Retrieved 19 March 2016.
  24. ^ "Aerobic Waste Digesters". Retrieved 17 March 2017.
  25. ^ Daniel Malacara, Zacarias Malacara, Handbook of optical design. Page 379
  26. ^ "ASABE". www.asabe.org. Retrieved 2018-04-13.
  27. ^ "IUPAC Gold Book - alkanes". IUPAC. March 27, 2017. Retrieved 2018-08-23.
  28. ^ Callister, W. D. "Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction" 2007, 7th edition, John Wiley and Sons, Inc. New York, Section 4.3 and Chapter 9.
  29. ^ N. N. Bhargava & D. C. Kulshreshtha (1983). Basic Electronics & Linear Circuits. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-07-451965-3.
  30. ^ National Electric Light Association (1915). Electrical meterman's handbook. Trow Press. p. 81.
  31. ^ "Angular Velocity and Acceleration". Theory.uwinnipeg.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
  32. ^ https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids/buoyant-force-and-archimedes-principle/a/buoyant-force-and-archimedes-principle-article
  33. ^ Acott, Chris (1999). "The diving "Law-ers": A brief resume of their lives". South Pacific Underwater Medicine Society Journal. 29 (1). ISSN 0813-1988. OCLC 16986801. Retrieved 2009-06-13.
  34. ^ "architecture". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
  35. ^ Groover, Mikell (2014). Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing: Materials, Processes, and Systems.
  36. ^ Williams, Jan R.; Susan F. Haka; Mark S. Bettner; Joseph V. Carcello (2008). Financial & Managerial Accounting. McGraw-Hill Irwin. p. 40. ISBN 978-0-07-299650-0.
  37. ^ Gere, J.M.; Timoshenko, S.P. (1996), Mechanics of Materials:Forth edition, Nelson Engineering, ISBN 0534934293
  38. ^ Beer, F.; Johnston, E.R. (1984), Vector mechanics for engineers: statics, McGraw Hill, pp. 62–76
  39. ^ Clancy, L. J. (1975). Aerodynamics. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-15837-1.
  40. ^ Batchelor, G. K. (2000). An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge: University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66396-0.
  41. ^ "Major: Engineering Physics". The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review. 2017. p. 01. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
  42. ^ "Introduction" (online). Princeton University. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  43. ^ Khare, P.; A. Swarup. Engineering Physics: Fundamentals & Modern Applications (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. xiii–Preface. ISBN 978-0-7637-7374-8.
  44. ^ Engineering Physics (online). Google books. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
  45. ^ Krigger, John; Chris Dorsi (2004). Residential Energy: Cost Savings and Comfort for Existing Buildings. Helena, Montana: Saturn Resource Management. p. 110. ISBN 1-880120-12-7. OCLC 56315804.
  46. ^ International Bureau of Weights and Measures (2006), The International System of Units (SI) (PDF) (8th ed.), p. 120, ISBN 92-822-2213-6, archived (PDF) from the original on 2017-08-14
  47. ^ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Online Edition (2009). Houghton Mifflin Co., hosted by Yahoo! Education.
  48. ^ The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition (1985). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 691.
  49. ^ McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Physics, Fifth Edition (1997). McGraw-Hill, Inc., p. 224.


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