I am pleased to present a work which marks a milestone in the history of public works and, more precisely, in that of permanent structures—a comprehensive dictionary of Civil Engineering terms. Since the beginning of time, Man has always tried to find a means to clear the obstacles which nature erected to displace him. With the first tree trunk thrown across a river, man sought to improve the crossing structure. After the invention of the wheel, and to satisfy his thirst for conquest (Roman ways), and comfort (aqueducts), man built bridges that became a preremptory necessity to move quickly. Thus, Man started to build wooden and masonry works. With the passing centuries, the builders became masters in the art of building masonry works. Then came the Industrial Revolution and the advent of the steel (1864), which was closely followed by the invention of the reinforced concrete (1855). The need for railways and improving the road network inspired great works of crossing such as viaducts and tunnels. The boom of the railway network and the development of the car required the construction of an increasing number of new structures. This phenomenon continues today with hundreds of structures built each year throughout the world. Today, a multitude of technicians in various trade associations are involved in the sphere of influence in Civil Engineering and know how difficult it is to speak the same true language. Also, as techniques evolve, new terms appear and further complicate the language. It thus proved essential to index and codify the various technical terms and for this reason I undertook the compilation of this dictionary.
DICTIONARY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING This page intentionally left blank DICTIONARY OF CIVIL ENGINEERING English–French Jean-Paul Kurtz KLUWER ACADEMIC PUBLISHERS NEW YORK, BOSTON, DORDRECHT, LONDON, MOSCOW eBook ISBN: Print ISBN: 0-306-48474-9 0-306-48317-3 ©2004 Springer Science + Business Media, Inc Print ©2004 Kluwer Academic/Plenum Publishers New York All rights reserved No part of this eBook may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording, or otherwise, without written consent from the Publisher Created in the United States of America Visit Springer's eBookstore at: and the Springer Global Website Online at: http://www.ebooks.kluweronline.com http://www.springeronline.com PREFACE I am pleased to present a work which marks a milestone in the history of public works and, more precisely, in that of permanent structures—a comprehensive dictionary of Civil Engineering terms Since the beginning of time, Man has always tried to find a means to clear the obstacles which nature erected to displace him With the first tree trunk thrown across a river, man sought to improve the crossing structure After the invention of the wheel, and to satisfy his thirst for conquest (Roman ways), and comfort (aqueducts), man built bridges that became a preremptory necessity to move quickly Thus, Man started to build wooden and masonry works With the passing centuries, the builders became masters in the art of building masonry works Then came the Industrial Revolution and the advent of the steel (1864), which was closely followed by the invention of the reinforced concrete (1855) The need for railways and improving the road network inspired great works of crossing such as viaducts and tunnels The boom of the railway network and the development of the car required the construction of an increasing number of new structures This phenomenon continues today with hundreds of structures built each year throughout the world Today, a multitude of technicians in various trade associations are involved in the sphere of influence in Civil Engineering and know how difficult it is to speak the same true language Also, as techniques evolve, new terms appear and further complicate the language It thus proved essential to index and codify the various technical terms and for this reason I undertook the compilation of this dictionary Jean-Paul Kurtz V This page intentionally left blank ABILITY Capacité Strength of Materials The intrinsic characteristic of a material to respond to external stresses (e.g., absorption ability, deformation ability) AASHTO Various American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ABACUS Abaque Architecture A parallelepiped crowning a column, a pilaster or a capital When this crowning is decorated with moldings, it is called raised table See Figure1 ABILITY BENDING TEST Essai d’aptitude au pliage Metallography A test to check the ability of steel to undergo bending stresses without significant degradations of its internal structure A test bar positioned on two parallel supports is bent by a round punch pressed in the centre of the bar No cracks must appear either on the edge or convex faces of the fold in the bar ABIETOAbiétoMaterials A prefix indicating abietic-acid-based products, the principal component of rosin Several abietic resins are used in the paint industry: abietoformophenolic resins (les résines abiétoformophénoliques); abietoalkyd resins (les résines abiétoglycérophtaliques); abietomaleic resins (les résines abiétomaléiques) ABLATION Ablation Geomorphology Loss of mineral matter of a rock due to erosion The eroding of a river bed due to the combined abrasive action of water and waterborne materials in it Dictionary of Civil Engineering ABNORMAL COLORING Coloration anormale Defects (Building Materials) A color modification in wood that indicates a change of its chemical composition and, thus of its properties This defect can make the wood unsuitable for some uses Syn with ABNORMAL TINTING cables are, relative to others, lower than their theoretical position resulting for a horizontal layer, in an apparent warp Usually, this defect results from a: partial or total destressing of one or more cables; differential creep between the cables due to their different ages and constitution ABNORMAL CONTACTS Contacts anormaux Defects (Civil Engineering Structure) In suspension or guy bridges, parasitic contacts between the mechanically independent parts that are due to a bad design or bad adjustment of the suspension These contacts can occur between cables or distinct layers or with a part of the structure, such as: abutment, deck, parapet, etc ABORTIVE HEAD (of rivet) Tête avortée Defects (Metal Construction) The second head of a rivet that has been incompletely formed because the horizontal base was not in contact with the metal sheet See Figure ABRADE Egréser; Abraser Masonry Syn with GRIND (THE STONE) ABNORMAL PERMANENT SAG Flèche permanente anormale Defects (Construction) The abnormal sag of a portion or a complete span in the absence or presence of any accidental overload on the entire work The abnormal sag can be stable or evolutionary and can result from: a geometrical error during construction; an increase of the permanent load, or a diminishing of the bearing capacity of the structure; an accidental loading on a portion of the structure ABRAMS’ SLUMP TEST Essai d’affaissement au cône d’Abrams Test of Materials (Concrete) A test carried out on concreting building sites to check the rheology of the fresh concrete and occasionally, of mortar It consists in measuring the subsidence of a truncated cone of fresh concrete after demolding Syn with SLUMP TEST ABRASIMETER Abrasimètre Equipment for Measure and Control An instrument for measuring material resistance to abrasion ABNORMAL TINTING Coloration anormale Defects (Building Materials) Syn with ABNORMAL COLORING ABNORMAL TWIST (or WARP) OF A SUSPENSION BRIDGE DECK Dévers anormal d’un tablier de pont suspendu Defects (Civil Engineering Structure) The abnormal slope of the cross section of the deck that can be due to the: differential deformation between two layers of cables; slipping of the cable suspension ABRASIN Abrasin Building Materials A tree from which a drying oil is drawn, used in the preparation of mastic to varnish wood and to make some oil varnishes Syn with TUNG TREE ABRASION Abrasion Defects A wearing phenomenon that generates a loss of metal mass due to mechanical action of an external body ABNORMAL WARP OF A CABLE LAYER Dévers anormal d’une nappe Defects (Construction of P.C.) A defect in suspension bridges in which some Dictionary of Civil Engineering The deterioration of stones or bricks due to matter removal on the surface by solid bodies carried by water or air Abrasion can be superficial or deep ABSENCE OF BOND Absence d’élément d’appareil Defects (Construction) A cavity or gap in parts of a structure or masonry (Example: absence of an archstone in a stringcourse; appearance of a cavity in an abutment following undermining) ABRASION RESISTANCE Résistance l’abrasion Building Materials The resistance in a material that opposes surface wearing generated by the action, intentional or not, of another material or fluid ABSENCE OF PLAY AT THE BUTTS Absence de jeu aux abouts Defects (Metal Construction) A defect of metal decks in which the deck cannot be bent (out of shape) or expand freely to their ends Results from insufficient free space between end and obstacle, due to bad design (insufficient space at the beginning), the presence of foreign bodies in an initially sufficient space, bearing displacement, etc ABRASION RESISTANCE TEST Essai Deval Test of Materials (Building Materials) Syn with DEVAL TEST ABRASIVE Abrasif Materials A relatively hard product used to sharpen, machine-finish or polish materials that are softer than it Also used for scouring under pressure metal surfaces for painting or metallizing later Abrasives can be: natural (les abrasifs naturels), such as diamond, corundum, emery, quartz sand, sandstone and pumice stone; artificial (les abrasifs artificiels), such as silicon carbide, synthetic diamond, artificial corundum, boron carbide and artificial aluminum oxide Syn with ABRADANT; GRIT ABSOLUTE POROSITY OF STONE Porosité absolue d’une pierre Building Materials The ratio of the volume of the voids to the total apparent volume of the stone, the void including the volume occupied by both imbibition and hygrometric water (excluding combination water) ABRASIVE WHEEL Meule Equipment and Tools Syn with GRINDSTONE; GRINDWHEEL ABSOLUTE SOIL COMPACTNESS Compacité absolue d’un sol Geotechnics Measurement of the average soil particle density ABSCESS Abcès Defects (Building Materials) An excrescence of the wood due to affluence of sap and, sometimes, insect stings ABSORBED (SOIL) WATER Eau absorbée Geohydrology Thin fluid film (< 0.1 m) intermediate between interstitial water and combined water surrounding solid grains of the ground by molecular attraction ABSOLUTE DENSITY Masse spécifique absolue Geotechnics The specific volume of the particles of a portion of ground that is assumed to be without voids; it is called ABSENCE OF BEARING DEVICE Absence de dispositif d’appui Defects (Construction) A design defect which allows a deck or floor to rest directly on masonry or concrete ABSORBENT Hydrophile Building Materials Of a material that likes water X-BRACING Croisillon Construction Syn with CROSS BRACE; HERRINGBONE STRUT X CROSS BRACING Contreventement en X Metal Construction An element in the shape of Saint Andrew’s cross whose bars, if they have great inertia in the two directions xx and yy, are fixed to a central panel point If, by contrast, the bars offer little inertia in the two directions (round bar) or in a lonely feel (flat iron), the central panel point is eliminated XENOTEST Xenotest Test of Materials (Polymers) An accelerated test of aging in which one exposes synthesis materials to the radiation emitted by a xenon lamp XYLOPHAGE Hylophage Defects (Building Materials) Of, or relating to, an insect or its larva which feed by digging into wood X-RAY PHOTOGRAPHY Radiographie Test of Materials Syn with RADIOGRAPHY 1507 YARN Fil Building Materials General term indicating, whether if has a simple or complex structure, an assembly of a great length of textile fibers, filaments (continuous thread) or discontinuous fibers (spun) ready to use in textile manufacturing YEAR RING Cerne Building Materials Syn with ANNUAL RING; GROWTH RING YELLOWING Jaunissement Defects (Painting) A range of the color deterioration of a paint film characterized by a comparison of the color point toward the zone of representation of the yellows on the spectral place YIELD Farder Defects (Civil Engineering Structure) Syn with SINK YIELD LIMIT Limite élastique Metallography Syn with ELASTIC LIMIT YIELD OF A BINDER Rendement d’un liant Hydraulic Binders The volume of paste obtained by mixing to the normal consistency the unit of weight of a binder, usually about kg YIELDING Affaissement (de fondation) Defects (Foundation) Syn with SETTLEMENT YIELDING (OF GIRDER) Fléchissement Strength of Materials The permanent or elastic deformation that a beam undergoes when bending from the load that it supports Syn with DEFLECTION YIELDING PROP Etanỗon Temporary Construction Syn with PROP; RIB; SHORE; STAY 1508 Dictionary of Civil Engineering Y-JUNCTION Saut-de-mouton Civil Engineering Structure Syn with FLYOVER; CROSSOVER RAILWAY YOKE Cadre Temporary Construction A framed support structure made of timbers connected between them by bolts, rods and stirrups It is to support the formworks of a pole during the concreting This temporary structure is kept in place until the concrete is sufficiently hardened for it to be removed Y-PREPARATION Préparation en Y Welding A V-preparation with a flat part or heel higher than mm Y-PREPARATION WITH BACKING Préparation en Y avec support l’envers Welding A Y-preparation with a remaining support or not, on the side of the root of the weld 1509 ZAMAK Zamak Metallurgy An alloy of zinc containing aluminum, copper, and magnesium Z-BAR Zède Metallurgy A standard section whose straight section resembles the letter Z The height of this rollediron product is at least equal than 38 mm; the flanges equal or not, are orthogonal to the web but directed in opposite direction one of the other Z-CONTRACTION OF CROSS SECTION FACTOR Coefficient de striction Z Metallography A ratio that concerns the tensile tests on steel test bars The Z-contraction of the cross section factor is the ratio, expressed as a percentage of the initial section of the change of section after breaking of this initial section Z-GRADE Qualité Z Metallurgy The grade of the sheet metal and universal beam plates that have guaranteed levels of ductility in their thickness directions ZINC Zinc Metallurgy A white or bluish metal, resistant to corrosion Syn with SPELTER ZINC BATH Galvin Metallurgy A bath of molten zinc used to galvanize ferrous metal pieces ZINC PLATING Zingage; Electrozingage Metallurgy An operation which consists in covering something with zinc A technique of applying a protective coating on a steel piece with a zinc film The zinc plating can be carried out by various processes which are galvanization, electrolysis, sherardizing, or metal spraying with the gun The types are: plating by gun (le zingage au pistolet) (Schoop or Schori process), which consists in depositing a coat of zinc on a steel surface 1510 Dictionary of Civil Engineering suitably prepared (by sanding or shot blasting), by firing melted zinc from a special gun The zinc used can be in the wire or powder form; electrolytical zinc plating (le zingage électrolytique), which consists in depositing a coat of zinc on a metal part by electrolysis of a zinc salt in solution This process leaves a coat of pure metal of which the thickness seldom exceeds 25 micrometers; plating by matoplasty (le zingage par matoplastie), which consists in covering a metal piece by crushing with zinc particles using a means of impact (balls of glass) within a chemical medium Syn with ELECTROGALVAN1ZING Z-PREPARATION Préparation en Z Welding A preparation in which the edges of two pieces are chamfered in a dissymmetrical X without flat part or heel, and are presented in opposition to ensure an overlapping of the faces of the largest chamfer, so that the profile of the joint forms a Z ZINC OXIDE Blanc de zinc Materials Syn with ZINC WHITE ZINC SULFATE Sulfate de zinc Materials A product manufactured by a sulfuric acid attack on oxide or roasted ore After neutralization and purification, it is crystallized by evaporation ZINC SULFIDE Sulfure de zinc Painting A white salt that results either from the hot reaction of sulfide with zinc, or by precipitation of a zinc salt solution by sulfurated hydrogen with a suitable pH This product is used to manufacture lithopones (lithopones are pigments for paints made up of a mixture of zinc sulfide and barium sulfate) ZINC WHITE Oxyde de zinc; Blanc de zinc Painting; Materials A pigment used in paint It is a white powder A pigment which is 95% zinc oxide, made by fusing zinc plates in special furnaces It is used to manufacture some paints Syn with ZINC OXIDE ZINC-PLATED IRON Tôle électrozinguée Metallurgy A product covered with a zinc film made by an electrolytic bath ZINC-RICH PAINT Peinture haute teneur en zinc (HTZ) Painting A paint containing a minimum of 90% zinc metal powder in the dry extract The zinc-rich paint is of the sacrificial type and is used to reconstitute the continuity of the protective zinc layer on sheet metals or galvanized parts at the places of the arc welding, or as undercoats on large surfaces ZONE Zone Hydrology The difference between maximum and minimal levels of an unspecified water table The following zones have been established: supplying zone (la zone d ’alimentation), place where the water table is supplied by penetration of meteoric water; the zone of aeration is covered there, at the time of rains, by a vertical seepage; percolation or circulation zone (la zone de circulation ou de percolation), in which the water of the water table is driven toward the downstream side The zone of feeding encroaches on this one or even completely covers it in the case with a superficial water table; discharge zone or emptying zone (la zone d’évacuation), which corresponds to the downstream side end of the water table Water is thrown in another water table due to the presence of an underground sill (zone of pouring out) or it rises to the surface of the ground in the form of a spring (zone of emergence); medium zone (la zone amphibie encore appelée zone de circulation permanente ou zone moyenne), which corresponds to the underground rivers that escape from karst by resurgences or exurgences Water circulates there in a horizontal or slightly inclined plan The water level 1511 Dictionary of Civil Engineering oscillates between the piezometric surface of low water level and the level of very variable high waters; sunken zone (la zone noyée encore appelée zone inférieure), which is always filled with water (called deep water) because it rests on an impermeable stratum It contains considerable water reserves; zone of saturation or phreatic zone (la zone de saturation), which, in a permeable ground, is a zone full of water corresponding to the ground water table This zone approaches or moves away from surface of the ground following the importance of the seepage waters ZONE OF BULGING Loupe de glissement Civil Engineering The downstream side of a landslide that forms a protuberance in the localized topography ZOOLITHIC Zoolithique Geology Of the soils, rocks, that contain a great number of animal fossils ZORES PROFILE Fer Zorès Metallurgy Syn with ZORES SECTION ZORES SECTION Fer Zorès Metallurgy A steel section of the shape of the capital Greek letter omega with a flat base Zores sections were used on ballasted metal railway bridges to serve as decking Syn with ZORES PROFILE See Figure 1512 Dictionary of Civil Engineering Figures of the letter 1513 THE AUTHOR Jean-Paul Kurtz, born in 1945 in Sarrebourg (the Moselle), France He is a consulting engineer for civil engineering structures He entered the National French Railway in 1964 and began his career in Rheims (the Marne) He is a specialist in the maintenance and restoration of ancient masonry works such as viaducts 1515 ... of an anchorage, that produces an offset of the forces at the level of the anchorage or fastener It can occur through: a set in one of the anchor rods (or one of the stirrups); an alignment defect... ratio of the mass of a product to the mass of a quantity of water that, at 4° C, occupies a volume equal to the apparent volume of the product The weight of a material contained in the unit of volume... sloping top of a butress or projecting pier 22 Dictionary of Civil Engineering ANALYTIC DESIGN Calcul analytique Strength of Materials A design to find maximum stress in a section of beam, all of whose