Glossary
Abutment -
the outermost end supports on a bridge, which carry the load from the
deck
Aluminum -
a lightweight chemical element (Al); the most abundant metallic element in
the Earth's crust
Anchorage -
a secure fixing, usually made of reinforced
concrete to which the cables are fastened
Aqueduct -
a bridge or channel for conveying water, usually over long distances
Arch
Bridge -
a curved structure that converts the downward force of its
own weight, and of any weight pressing down on top of it, into an outward force
along its sides and base
Arch Dam -
a dam with an arched shape that resists the force of
water pressure;
requires less material than a gravity dam
for the same distance
Architect
-
a person who designs all kinds of structures; must also have the ability to
conceptualize and communicate ideas effectively -- both in words and on paper --
to clients, engineers,
government officials, and construction crews
Beam -
a rigid,
usually horizontal, structural element
Beam
Bridge -
a simple type of bridge, composed of horizontal beams
supported by vertical posts
Bedrock
-
the solid rock layer beneath sand or silt
Bend -
(v.) to curve; bending occurs when a straight material
becomes curved; one side squeezes together in compression,
and the other side stretches apart in tension
Bends -
(n.) see caisson
disease
Brace -
(n.) a structural support; (v.) to strengthen
and stiffen a
structure to resist loads
Brittle
-
characteristic of a material that fails without warning; brittle materials do not stretch or shorten before
failing
Buckle -
to
bend under
compression
Buttress -
a support that transmits a force from a
roof or wall to another supporting structure
Buttress Dam -
a gravity dam
reinforced by structural supports
Cable -
a structural element formed from steel wire
bound in strands; the suspending element in a bridge; the supporting element in
some dome roofs
Cable-Stayed Bridge
-
a bridge in which the roadway deck is
suspended from cables
anchored to one or more towers
Caisson -
a
watertight, dry chamber in which people can work underwater
Caisson Disease -
an
affliction developed by people moving in and out of caissons
quickly; also called the bends and decompression sickness
Cantilever -
a projecting structure supported only
at one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board
Cast Iron -
a
brittle
alloy with high carbon content; iron that has
been melted, then poured into a form and cooled; can be made into any shape
desired
Civil Engineer
-
an engineer
who plans, designs, and supervises the construction of facilities essential to
modern life
Cement -
a
binding material, or glue, that helps concrete
harden
Coffer -
a
sunken panel in a ceiling
Cofferdam
-
a temporary dam built to divert a river around a construction site so the
dam can be built on dry ground
Column -
a
vertical, structural element, strong in compression
Compressed-Air
Chamber -
the space at the bottom of a caisson
into which air is introduced under pressure
to exclude water so that excavation can take place
Compression -
a pressing force that
squeezes a material together
Concrete
-
a mixture of water, sand, small stones, and a gray powder called cement
Construction
Manager -
a person who coordinates the entire construction process --
from initial planning and foundation work through the structure's completion
Continuous Span Beam
Bridge -
simple bridge made by linking one beam
bridge to another; some of the longest bridges in the world are continuous span beam bridges
Core -
central
region of a skyscraper; usually houses elevator and stairwell
Cut and Cover
-
a method of tunnel construction that involves digging a trench, building a
tunnel, and then covering it with fill
Deck -
supported
roadway on a bridge
Diversion
Channel -
a bypass created to divert water around a dam so that
construction can take place
Dome -
a curved
roof enclosing a circular space; a three-dimensional arch
Downstream
Face -
the side of the dam that is not against the water
Dynamite
-
a blasting explosive, based on nitroglycerin,
but much safer to handle than nitroglycerin alone
Electrical Engineer
-
an engineer
concerned with electrical devices and systems and with the use of electrical
energy
Embankment Dam
-
a dam composed of a mound of earth and rock; the simplest type of gravity dam
Engineering
-
a profession in which a knowledge of math and natural science is applied to
develop ways to utilize the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of
all human beings
Environmental
Engineer -
an engineer
who designs and operates systems to provide safe drinking water and to prevent
and control pollution in water, in the air, and on the land
Fire-Setting -
an ancient tunneling technique in
which rock is heated with fire and then doused with cold water, causing the rock
to fracture
Force -
any
action that tends to maintain or alter the position of a structure
Geodesic Dome
-
a dome composed of short, straight pieces joined to form triangles;
invented by Buckminster Fuller
Geotechnical
Engineer -
an engineer
who evaluates and stabilizes foundations for buildings, roads, and other
structures
Gravity Dam
-
a dam constructed so that its great weight resists the force of
water pressure
Gunpowder
-
any of several low-explosive mixtures used as a blasting agent in mining
and tunneling; the first such explosive was black powder, which consists of a
mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal
Iron -
a chemical
element (Fe); one of the cheapest and most used metals
Joint -
a device connecting two or more adjacent
parts of a structure; a roller joint allows
adjacent parts to move controllably past one another; a rigid joint prevents adjacent parts from moving or
rotating past one another
Load -
weight
distribution throughout a structure; loads caused
by wind, earthquakes, and gravity, for example, affect how weight is distributed
throughout a structure
Masonry -
a
building material such as stone, clay, brick, or concrete
Mechanical
Engineer -
an engineer
who applies the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of machines and
devices
Monolithic Dome
-
a dome composed of a series of arches, joined together with a series of
horizontal rings called parallels
Movable
Bridge -
a bridge in which the deck moves to
clear a navigation channel; a swing bridge has a
deck that rotates around a center point; a drawbridge has a deck that can be raised and lowered; a
bascule bridge deck is raised with counterweights
like a drawbridge; and the deck of a lift bridge
is raised vertically like a massive elevator
Nitroglycerin
-
an explosive compound made from a mixture of glycerol and concentrated
nitric and sulfuric acids, and an important ingredient of most forms of dynamite
Perimeter
-
the distance around the outside of a shape
Pier -
a vertical supporting structure, such as a
pillar
Pendentive -
a triangular shape that adapts the
circular ring of a dome to fit onto a flat supporting wall
Pile -
a long, round pole of wood, concrete,
or steel
driven into the soil by pile
drivers
Pile
Driver -
a noisy machine that repeatedly drops a heavy weight on top
of a pile
until the pile reaches solid soil or rock or cannot be pushed down any
farther
Plastic -
a
synthetic material made from long chains of molecules; has the capability of
being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure
Pressure -
a force applied
or distributed over an area
Reinforced Concrete -
concrete
with steel
bars or mesh embedded in it for increased strength in
tension;
in pre-tensioned concrete, the embedded steel
bars or cables are stretched into tension before the concrete hardens; in post-tensioned concrete, the embedded steel bars or
cables are stretched into tension after the concrete hardens
Richter Scale
-
used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake; introduced in 1935 by the
seismologists Beno Gutenberg and Charles Francis Richter
Rigid -
(adj.) ability to resist deformation
when subjected to a load; rigidity (n.) the
measure of a structure's ability not to change shape when subjected to a load
Rock
Tunnel -
a passage constructed through solid rock
Shear -
a force that
causes parts of a material to slide past one another in opposite directions
Shear-Walls -
solid concrete
walls that resist shear forces; often
used in buildings constructed in earthquake zones
Silt -
sediment
particles ranging from 0.004 to 0.06 mm (0.00016 to 0.0024 inch) in diameter
Soft-Ground Tunnels
-
a passage constructed through loose, unstable,
or wet ground, requiring supports to keep the walls from collapsing
Span -
(n.) the distance a bridge extends between two
supports; (v.) to traverse a specific
distance
Spillway
-
an overflow channel that allows dam operators to release lake water when it
gets high enough to threaten the safety of a dam
Spire -
an
architectural or decorative feature of a skyscraper; the Council on Tall
Buildings and Urban Habitat includes spires but
not antennae when calculating the official height of a skyscraper
Stable -
(adj.) ability to resist collapse and deformation;
stability (n.) characteristic of a structure that
is able to carry a realistic load without
collapsing or deforming
significantly
Steel -
an
alloy of iron and
carbon that is hard, strong, and
malleable
Stiff -
(adj.) ability to resist deformation;
stiffness (n.) the measure of a structure's
capacity to resist deformation
Strong -
(adj.) ability to carry a realistic load; strength (n.) the measure of a structure's ability to
carry a realistic load
Structural
Engineer -
an engineer
who investigates the behavior and design of all kinds of structures, including
dams, domes, tunnels, bridges, and skyscrapers, to make sure they are safe and
sound for human use
Suspension Bridge -
a
bridge in which the roadway deck is
suspended from cables that
pass over two towers; the
cables are anchored in housings at either end of the bridge
Tailings Dam
-
a dam, usually made of earth and rock, used to contain mining waste
Tensegrity -
an array of tension cables and compression
rods that supports a structure; invented by Buckminster Fuller student Kenneth
Snellson
Tension -
a
stretching force that
pulls on a material
Tension
Ring -
a support ring that resists the outward force pushing
against the lower sides of a dome
Torsion -
an
action that twists a material
Tower -
the
vertical structure in a suspension
bridge or cable-stayed
bridge from which cables are
hung; also used loosely as a synonym for the term skyscraper
Truss -
a rigid frame
composed of short, straight pieces joined to form a series of triangles or other
stable
shapes
Tuned Mass Damper
-
a mechanical counterweight designed to reduce the effects of motion, such
as the swaying of a skyscraper in the wind or in an earthquake
Tunnel Boring Machine
(TBM) -
a mechanical device that tunnels through the ground
Tunnel
Shield -
a cylinder pushed ahead of tunneling equipment to provide
advance support for the tunnel roof; used when tunneling in soft or unstable
ground
Unstable
-
characteristic of a structure that collapses or deforms
under a realistic load
Upstream Face
-
the side of a dam that is against the water
Wood -
a common
natural material strong in
both compression
and tension
Wrought Iron
-
an iron alloy
that is less brittle
than cast
iron