Glossary of civil engineering
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Most of the terms listed in Wikipedia glossaries are already defined and explained within Wikipedia itself. However, glossaries like this one are useful for looking up, comparing and reviewing large numbers of terms together. You can help enhance this page by adding new terms or writing definitions for existing ones.
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.
A[edit]
- Abney level.. – An Abney level and clinometer, 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, and it is small enough to carry in a coat pocket.[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.[3][4] As the water content increases, the strength of concrete decreases.
- Abrasion –
- Abrasion resistance –
- Absolute electrode potential –
- Absolute motion –
- Absolute 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),[5][6] which equals −459.67° on the Fahrenheit scale (United States customary units or Imperial units).[7] The corresponding Kelvin and Rankine temperature scales set their zero points at absolute zero by definition.
- Absorbance –
- Abutment – refers to the substructure at the ends of a bridge span or dam whereon the structure's superstructure rests or contacts.[8]
- AC power –
- 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.[9] 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.[10][11] 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).[12]
- Acid-base reaction –
- Acid strength –
- Acoustic board –
- Acoustics –
- Activated sludge –
- Activated sludge model –
- Active transport –
- Actuator –
- Acute angle –
- Adenosine triphosphate –
- Adhesion –
- Adiabatic process –
- Aerobic digestion –
- Aerodynamics –
- Aerospace engineering –
- Afocal system –
- Agricultural engineering –
- Albedo –
- Algae –
- Algebra –
- Algorithm –
- Alkane –
- Alkene –
- Alkyne –
- Alloy – is a combination of metals or of a metal and another element. Alloys are defined by a metallic bonding character.[13]
- 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.[14][15]
- 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).[16]
- Angular momentum –
- Angular velocity –
- Anion –
- Annealing (metallurgy) –
- Annihilation –
- Anode –
- ANSI –
- Antigravity –
- Antimatter –
- Antineutron –
- Antiparticle –
- Antiproton –
- Applied engineering –
- Arc length –
- Archimedes' principle – states that the upward buoyant force that is exerted on a body immersed in a fluid, whether fully or partially submerged, is equal to the weight of the fluid that the body displaces and acts in the upward direction at the center of mass of the displaced fluid.[17] Archimedes' principle is a law of physics fundamental to fluid mechanics. It was formulated by Archimedes of Syracuse.[18]
- Architecture – is both the process and the product of planning, designing, and constructing buildings or any other structures.[19] Architectural works, in the material form of buildings, are often perceived as cultural symbols and as works of art. Historical civilizations are often identified with their surviving architectural achievements.
- Architectural engineering –
- Area moment of inertia –
- Arithmetic mean –
- Arithmetic sequence –
- Aromatic hydrocarbon –
- Arrhenius equation –
- Artificial intelligence –
- Assembly language –
- Atom –
- Atomic mass –
- Atomic number –
- Atomic packing factor –
- Atomic physics –
- Atomic structure –
- Audio frequency –
- Austenitization –
- Automation – is the technology by which a process or procedure is performed with minimum human assistance.[20]
- Automaton –
- Autonomous vehicle -
- Avogadro's number –
- Azimuthal quantum number –
B[edit]
- Bacteria –
- Balance sheet –
- Barometer –
- Baryon –
- Battery –
- Base –
- Baud –
- Beam –
- Beer–Lambert law –
- Belt –
- Belt friction –
- Bending –
- Benefit–cost analysis –
- Bending moment –
- Bernoulli differential equation –
- Bernoulli's equation –
- Bernoulli's principle – In fluid dynamics, Bernoulli's principle states that an increase in the speed of a fluid occurs simultaneously with a decrease in pressure or a decrease in the fluid's potential energy.[21](Ch.3)[22](§ 3.5) The principle is named after Daniel Bernoulli. The principle is only applicable for isentropic flows: when the effects of irreversible processes (like turbulence) and non-adiabatic processes (e.g. heat radiation) are small and can be neglected.
- Beta particle –
- Binomial random variable –
- Biocatalysis –
- Biochemistry –
- Biology –
- Biomedical engineering –
- Biomimetic -
- Bionics –
- Biophysics –
- Block and tackle –
- Boiling point –
- Boiling-point elevation –
- Boltzmann constant –
- Boson –
- Boyle's law –
- Bravais lattice –
- Brayton cycle –
- Break-even analysis –
- Brewster's angle –
- Brittle –
- Brownian motion –
- Bulk modulus –
- Buoyancy –
C[edit]
- Calculus –
- Capacitance –
- Capacitive reactance –
- Capillarity –
- Carbonate –
- Carnot cycle –
- Cartesian coordinates –
- Casting –
- Cathode –
- Cathode ray –
- Cell membrane –
- Cell nucleus –
- Cell theory –
- Center of gravity –
- Center of mass –
- Center of pressure –
- Central force motion –
- Central limit theorem –
- Central processing unit –
- Centripetal force –
- Centroid –
- Centrosome –
- Chain reaction –
- Change of base rule –
- Charles's law –
- Chemical bond –
- Chemical compound –
- Chemical equilibrium –
- Chemical kinetics –
- Chemical reaction –
- Chemistry –
- Chloride –
- Chloroplast –
- Chromate –
- Chromosome –
- Circle –
- Circular motion –
- Civil engineering –
- Clausius–Clapeyron relation –
- Clausius inequality –
- Clausius theorem –
- Coastal engineering -
- Coefficient of performance –
- Coefficient of variation –
- Coherence –
- Cohesion –
- Compensation –
- Compiler –
- Compressive strength –
- Computational fluid dynamics –
- Computer –
- Computer-aided design –
- Computer-aided engineering –
- Computer-aided manufacturing –
- Computer engineering –
- Computer science –
- Concave lens –
- Condensed matter physics –
- Confidence interval –
- Conjugate acid –
- Conjugate base –
- Construction engineering -
- Construction surveying -
- Continuum mechanics –
- Control engineering -
- Control systems engineering –
- Convex lens –
- Corrosion –
- Cosmic rays –
- Covalent bond –
- Crookes tube –
- Cryogenics –
- Crystallization –
- Crystallography –
- Curvilinear motion –
- Cyclotron –
D[edit]
- Dalton's law –
- Damped vibration –
- Darcy–Weisbach equation –
- DC motor –
- Decibel –
- Definite integral –
- Deflection –
- Deformation (engineering) –
- Deformation (mechanics) –
- Degrees of freedom –
- Delta robot –
- Delta-wye transformer –
- Density –
- Derivative –
- Design engineering –
- Dew point –
- Differential pulley –
- Dispersion –
- Displacement (fluid) –
- Displacement (vector) –
- Distance –
- Doppler effect –
- Drag –
- Ductility –
- Dynamics –
- Dyne –
E[edit]
- Earthquake engineering -
- Economics -
- Elastic modulus -
- Elasticity -
- Electric charge -
- Electric circuit -
- Electric current -
- Electric displacement field -
- Electric generator -
- Electric field -
- Electric field gradient -
- Electric motor -
- Electric potential -
- Electrical potential energy -
- Electric power -
- Electrical and electronics engineering -
- Electrical conductor -
- Electrical insulator -
- Electrical network -
- Electrical resistance -
- Electricity -
- Electrodynamics -
- Electromagnet -
- Electromagnetic field -
- Electromagnetic radiation -
- Electromechanics -
- Electron -
- Electron volt -
- Electron pair -
- Electronegativity -
- Electronics -
- Endothermic -
- Energy -
- Engine -
- Engineering -
- Engineering economics -
- Engineering ethics -
- Environmental engineering -
- Engineering physics - Engineering physics or engineering science refers to the study of the combined disciplines of physics, mathematics and engineering, particularly computer, nuclear, electrical, electronic, materials or mechanical engineering. By focusing on the scientific method as a rigorous basis, it seeks ways to apply, design, and develop new solutions in engineering.[23][24][25][26]
- Enzyme -
- Escape velocity -
- Estimator -
- Euler-Bernoulli beam equation -
- Exothermic -
F[edit]
- Falling bodies –
- Farad –
- Faraday –
- Farad –
- Faraday constant –
- Fermat's principle –
- Finite element method –
- FIRST -
- Fission –
- Fluid –
- Fluid mechanics –
- Fluid –
- Fluid physics –
- Fluid statics –
- Flywheel –
- Focus –
- Foot-pound –
- Fracture toughness –
- Fraunhofer lines –
- Free fall –
- Frequency modulation –
- Freezing point –
- Friction –
- Function –
- Fundamental frequency –
- Fundamental interaction –
- Fundamental theorem of calculus –
- Fusion –
G[edit]
- Galvanic cell –
- Gamma rays –
- Gas –
- Geiger counter –
- General relativity –
- Geometric mean –
- Geometry –
- Geophysics –
- Geotechnical engineering –
- Gluon –
- Graham's law of diffusion –
- Gravitation –
- Gravitational constant –
- Gravitational energy –
- Gravitational field –
- Gravitational potential –
- Gravitational wave –
- Gravity –
- Ground state –
H[edit]
- Hadron –
- Half-life –
- Haptic –
- Hardness –
- Harmonic mean –
- Heat –
- Heat transfer –
- Height above ground level –
- Helmholtz free energy –
- Henderson–Hasselbalch equation –
- Henry's law –
- Hertz –
- Hoist –
- Horsepower –
- Huygens–Fresnel principle –
- Hydraulic engineering -
- Hydraulics –
- Hydrocarbon –
I[edit]
- Ice point –
- Ideal gas –
- Ideal gas constant –
- Ideal gas law –
- Indefinite integral –
- Inertia –
- Infrasound –
- Integral –
- Integral transform –
- International System of Units –
- Interval estimation –
- Ion –
- Ionic bond –
- Ionization –
- Impedance-
- Inclined plane –
- Industrial engineering –
- Inorganic chemistry –
- Isotope –
J[edit]
- Joule – The joule (/dʒuːl/; symbol: J) is a derived unit of energy in the International System of Units.[27] It is equal to the energy transferred to (or work done on) an object when a force of one newton acts on that object in the direction of its motion through a distance of one metre (1 newton metre or N⋅m). It is also the energy dissipated as heat when an electric current of one ampere passes through a resistance of one ohm for one second. It is named after the English physicist James Prescott Joule (1818–1889).[28][29][30]
K[edit]
L[edit]
- Laminar flow –
- Laplace transform –
- LC circuit –
- Lepton –
- Lever –
- L'Hôpital's rule -
- Light –
- Linear actuator -
- Linear algebra –
- Linear elasticity –
- Liquid –
M[edit]
- Mach number –
- Machine –
- Machine element –
- Machine learning –
- Maclaurin series –
- Magnetic field –
- Magnetism –
- Manufacturing engineering –
- Mass balance –
- Mass density –
- Mass moment of inertia –
- Mass number –
- Mass spectrometry –
- Material properties –
- Materials science –
- Mathematical optimization –
- Mathematical physics –
- Mathematics –
- Matrix –
- Matter –
- Maxwell's equations –
- Mean –
- Measures of central tendency –
- Mechanical advantage –
- Mechanical engineering –
- Mechanical filter –
- Mechanical wave –
- Mechanics –
- Mechanism –
- Median –
- Melting –
- Melting point –
- Meson –
- Metal alloy –
- Metallic bond –
- Mid-range –
- Midhinge –
- Mining engineering –
- Miller indices –
- Mobile robot –
- Mode –
- Modulus of elasticity –
- Molality –
- Molar concentration –
- Molar absorptivity –
- Molar mass –
- Molarity –
- Molding –
- Molecule –
- Molecular physics –
- Moment of inertia –
- Multibody system –
- Multidisciplinary design optimization –
- Muon –
N[edit]
- Nanoengineering –
- Nanotechnology –
- Navier–Stokes equations –
- Neutrino –
- Newtonian fluid –
- nth root –
- Nuclear binding energy –
- Nuclear engineering –
- Nuclear physics –
- Nuclear potential energy –
- Nuclear power –
O[edit]
- Ohm –
- Ohm's law –
- Optics –
- Organic chemistry –
- Osmosis –
P[edit]
- Parallel circuit –
- Parity (mathematics) –
- Parity (physics) –
- Paraffin –
- Particle accelerator –
- Particle displacement –
- Particle physics –
- Pascal's Law –
- Pendulum –
- Petroleum engineering –
- pH –
- Phase (matter) –
- Phase (waves) –
- Phase equilibrium –
- Photon –
- Physical chemistry –
- Physical quantity –
- Physics –
- Planck constant –
- Plasma physics –
- Plasticity –
- Pneumatics –
- Point estimation –
- Polyphase system –
- Power (electric) –
- Power (physics) –
- Power factor –
- Pressure –
- Probability –
- Probability distribution –
- Probability theory –
- Psi particle –
- Pulley –
Q[edit]
R[edit]
- Raised floor –
- Regelation –
- Relative density –
- Relative velocity –
- Reliability engineering –
- Reynolds number –
- Rheology –
- Rigid body –
- Robotics –
- Root-mean-square –
- Root-mean-square speed –
- Rotational energy –
- Rotational speed –
S[edit]
- Sanitary engineering –
- Saturation (chemistry) –
- Saturated compound –
- Scalar (mathematics) –
- Scalar (physics) –
- Scalar multiplication –
- Screw –
- Series circuit –
- Servo –
- Servomechanism –
- Shadow matter –
- Shear strength –
- Shear stress –
- Shortwave radiation –
- SI units –
- Signal processing –
- Simple machine –
- Siphon –
- Solid mechanics –
- Solid-state physics –
- Solid solution strengthening –
- Solubility –
- Sound –
- Special relativity –
- Specific heat –
- Specific gravity –
- Specific volume –
- Specific weight –
- Spontaneous combustion –
- State of matter –
- Statics –
- Statistics –
- Stefan–Boltzmann law –
- Stewart platform
- Stiffness –
- Stoichiometry –
- Strain –
- Strain hardening –
- Strength of materials –
- Stress –
- Stress-strain analysis –
- Stress-strain curve –
- Structural analysis –
- Structural engineering –
- Structural load –
- Sublimation –
- Subsumption architecture –
- Surface tension –
- Superconductor –
- Superhard material –
- Surveying -
T[edit]
- Technical standard –
- Temperature –
- Tensile force –
- Tensile modulus –
- Tensile strength –
- Tensile testing –
- Tension member –
- Thermal conduction –
- Thermal equilibrium –
- Thermal radiation –
- Thermodynamics –
- Theory of relativity –
- Thévenin's theorem -
- Three-phase –
- Torque –
- Torsional vibration –
- Toughness –
- Trajectory –
- Transducer –
- Transportation engineering -
- Trigonometric functions –
- Trigonometry –
- Trimean –
- Triple point –
- Trouton's rule –
- Truncated mean –
- Truss –
- Turbine –
- Turbomachinery –
- Turbulence –
U[edit]
- Ultimate tensile strength –
- Uncertainty principle –
- Unicode –
- Unit vector –
- Unsaturated compound –
- Urban engineering -
- Utility frequency –
V[edit]
- Vacuole –
- Vacuum –
- Valence –
- Valence band –
- Valence bond theory –
- Valence electron –
- Valence shell –
- Valve –
- van der Waals equation –
- van der Waals force –
- van 't Hoff equation –
- van 't Hoff factor –
- Variable capacitor –
- Variable resistor –
- Vector space –
- Venturi effect –
- Vibration –
- Viscoelasticity –
- Viscosity –
- Volt-ampere –
- Volt-ampere reactive –
- Volta potential –
- Voltage –
- Volumetric flow rate –
- von Mises yield criterion –
W[edit]
- Wastewater engineering -
- Watt –
- Wave –
- Wavelength –
- Wedge –
- Weighted mean –
- Wet-bulb temperature –
- Wheel and axle –
- Winsorized mean –
X[edit]
Y[edit]
- Y-coordinate –
- Yield –
- Young's modulus –
Z[edit]
See also[edit]
- Civil engineering
- Engineering
- National Council of Examiners for Engineering and Surveying
- Fundamentals of Engineering Examination
- Principles and Practice of Engineering Examination
- Graduate Aptitude Test in Engineering
- Glossary of engineering
- Glossary of mechanical engineering
- Glossary of prestressed concrete terms
- Glossary of structural engineering
- Glossary of architecture
References[edit]
- ^ 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.
- ^ George William Usill, Clinometers: The Abney Level, Practical Surveying, Crosby Lockwood and Son, London, 1889; page 33.
- ^ a b Punmia, Dr B. C.; Jain, Ashok Kumar; Jain, Arun Kr (2003-05-01). Basic Civil Engineering. Firewall Media. ISBN 9788170084037.
- ^ Scott, John S. (1992-10-31). Dictionary Of Civil Engineering. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9780412984211.
- ^ "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.
- ^ Arora, C. P. (2001). Thermodynamics. Tata McGraw-Hill. Table 2.4 page 43. ISBN 978-0-07-462014-4.
- ^ Zielinski, Sarah (1 January 2008). "Absolute Zero". Smithsonian Institution. Retrieved 2012-01-26.
- ^ "Glossary - "Abutment"". U.S. Bureau of Reclamation. Retrieved 24 January 2015.
- ^ Crew, Henry (2008). The Principles of Mechanics. BiblioBazaar, LLC. p. 43. ISBN 978-0-559-36871-4.
- ^ Bondi, Hermann (1980). Relativity and Common Sense. Courier Dover Publications. p. 3. ISBN 978-0-486-24021-3.
- ^ Lehrman, Robert L. (1998). Physics the Easy Way. Barron's Educational Series. p. 27. ISBN 978-0-7641-0236-3.
- ^ IUPAC Gold Book - acid
- ^ 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.
- ^ N. N. Bhargava & D. C. Kulshreshtha (1983). Basic Electronics & Linear Circuits. Tata McGraw-Hill Education. p. 90. ISBN 978-0-07-451965-3.
- ^ National Electric Light Association (1915). Electrical meterman's handbook. Trow Press. p. 81.
- ^ "Angular Velocity and Acceleration". Theory.uwinnipeg.ca. Retrieved 2015-04-13.
- ^ https://www.khanacademy.org/science/physics/fluids/buoyant-force-and-archimedes-principle/a/buoyant-force-and-archimedes-principle-article
- ^ 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.
- ^ "architecture". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved 2017-10-27.
- ^ Groover, Mikell (2014). Fundamentals of Modern Manufacturing: Materials, Processes, and Systems.
- ^ Clancy, L. J. (1975). Aerodynamics. Wiley. ISBN 978-0-470-15837-1.
- ^ Batchelor, G. K. (2000). An Introduction to Fluid Dynamics. Cambridge: University Press. ISBN 978-0-521-66396-0.
- ^ "Major: Engineering Physics". The Princeton Review. The Princeton Review. 2017. p. 01. Retrieved June 4, 2017.
- ^ "Introduction" (online). Princeton University. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ Khare, P.; A. Swarup. Engineering Physics: Fundamentals & Modern Applications (13th ed.). Jones & Bartlett Learning. pp. xiii–Preface. ISBN 978-0-7637-7374-8.
- ^ Engineering Physics (online). Google books. Retrieved June 26, 2011.
- ^ 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
- ^ American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, Online Edition (2009). Houghton Mifflin Co., hosted by Yahoo! Education.
- ^ The American Heritage Dictionary, Second College Edition (1985). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Co., p. 691.
- ^ McGraw-Hill Dictionary of Physics, Fifth Edition (1997). McGraw-Hill, Inc., p. 224.