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Civil Engineering Vocab

Subject : engineering
Instructions:
  • Answer 50 questions in 15 minutes.
  • If you are not ready to take this test, you can study here.
  • Match each statement with the correct term.
  • Don't refresh. All questions and answers are randomly picked and ordered every time you load a test.

This is a study tool. The 3 wrong answers for each question are randomly chosen from answers to other questions. So, you might find at times the answers obvious, but you will see it re-enforces your understanding as you take the test each time.
1. Broken stones - boulders - or other materials placed compactly or irregularly on levees or dikes for the protection of earth surfaces against the erosive action of waves.






2. The conversion of large solid particles of sludge into very fine particles which either dissolve or remain suspended in wastewater.






3. A wall that resist horizontal forces applied in the plane of the wall.






4. A type of easement granting permission to a constructor or developer to build over a street or structure.






5. A chamber or well used with storm or combined sewers as a means of removing grit which might otherwise enter and be deposited in sewers. Also see STORM WATER INLET and CURB INLET.






6. That part of rain or other precipitation that runs off the surface of a drainage area and does not enter the soil or the sewer system as inflow.






7. A capped opening in a building lateral -usually located on the property line - through which the pipelines can be cleaned.






8. Horizontal shoring members - usually square - rough cut timber - that are used to hold solid sheeting - braces or vertical shoring members in place. Also called STRINGERS.






9. A U.S. government agency responsible for developing and enforcing regulations that guide the use of land and natural resources.






10. A large - public park - often highly scenic and isolated belonging to and operated by the federal government.






11. Post at which the railing terminates at each floor level.






12. A system of gutters - catch basins - yard drains - culverts and pipes for the purpose of conducting storm waters from an area - but intended to exclude domestic and industrial wastes.






13. The precipitation that cannot be absorbed by the soil and flows across the surface by gravity. The water that reaches a stream by traveling over the soil surface or falls directly into the stream channels - including not only the large permanent stre






14. The pipe system for collecting and carrying water and watercarried wastes from domestic and industrial sources to a wastewater treatment plant.






15. A coordinating agency formed in 1961 for state boards that administer licensing exams and maintain records for landscape architects to practice.






16. In the United States - a certification of individuals entitled to use the term 'landscape architect' or to practice landscape architecture or both - by means of examination and required degree and experience criteria.






17. Harmonious use of the land for more than one purpose; not necessarily the combination of uses that will yield the highest economic return - e.g. - a mix of residential and commercial developments in the same area.






18. In landscape architecture - the organization of areas of land for specific aesthetic or functional purposes. This can range from creating small backyard patios to huge urban plazas.






19. The natural elements with which landscape architects work - such as plant materials and the soil itself.






20. Acronym for 'Computer Aided (i.e. - Assisted) Design and Drafting -' a digital design process in which landscape architects use computers to help produce precise drawings and details for the construction of a project.






21. The movement of water through very small spaces due to molecular forces.






22. Any attempt to restore to beneficial use land that has lost its fertility and stability; most often applies to mining reclamation - such as the restoration of strip mines and quarries.






23. The protection - improvement and use of natural resources according to principles that will assure the highest economic or social benefits for people and the environment now and in the future.






24. A sewer that discharges into a branch or other sewer and has no other common sewer tributary to it. Sometimes called a 'street sewer' because it collects wastewater from individual homes.






25. A rough guess of the amount of flow in a collection system. When greater accuracy is needed - flow could be computed using average or typical flow quantities. Even greater accuracy would result from metering or otherwise measuring the actual flow.






26. The upper surface of the zone of saturation of groundwater in an unconfined aquifer.






27. A professional society that represents landscape architects in the United States and Canada and seeks to better the practice and understanding of landscape architecture through education - research - state registration and other programs.






28. Shoring members placed across a trench to hold other horizontal and vertical shoring members in place.






29. A downspout or pipe installed to drain a roof gutter to a storm drain or other means of disposal.






30. Regulations specifying the type of construction methods and materials that are allowable on a project.






31. Any method of determining the weight a compacted material is able to support without damage or displacement. Usually stated in pounds per square foot.






32. The property of a material or soil that permits considerable movement of water through it when it is saturated.






33. This landscape architecture specialization has evolved to encompass maintenance of a site in its present condition; conservation of a site as part of a larger area of historic importance; restoration of a site to a given date or quality; renovation o






34. A sewer that receives wastewater from many tributary branches or sewers and serves a large territory and contributing population.






35. A U.S. government agency charged with administering vast areas of public land.






36. A water treatment process in which solid particles settle out of the water being treated in a large clarifier or sedimentation basin.






37. Elements added to a natural landscape - such as paving stones - gravel - walkways - irrigation systems - roads - retaining walls - sculpture - street amenities - fountains - and other mechanical features.






38. The process of adding air to water. Air can be added to water by either passing air through water or passing water through air. In wastewater treatment - air is added to freshen wastewater and to keep solids in suspension. With mixtures of wastewater






39. A groundwater table that is changed by artificial means. Examples of activities that artificially raise the level of a groundwater table include agricultural irrigation - dams and excessive sewer line exfiltration. A groundwater table can be artifici






40. A groundwater table that has seasonal changes in depth or elevation.






41. The condition of water or soil which contains a sufficient amount of acid substances to lower the pH below 7.0.






42. The illustration and description of problem-statements and large-scale design solutions that affect extensive areas of land; the anticipation of problems that will be encountered as human use and development of land continues.






43. A sewer pipe to which building laterals are connected. Also called a COLLECTION MAIN.






44. Pertaining to groundwater - a well - or underground basin where the water is under a pressure greater than atmospheric and will rise above the level of its upper confining surface if given an opportunity to do so.






45. Tamping or rolling of a material to achieve a surface or density that is able to support predicted loads.






46. The movement or dislocation of underground soil or structure. Earth shift is usually caused by external forces such as surface loads - slides - stresses or nearby construction - water movements or seismic forces.






47. The angle between a horizontal line andthe slope or surface of unsupported material such as gravel - sand -or loose soil. Also called the 'natural slope.'






48. A sewer designed to carry both sanitary wastewaters and storm or surface water runoff.






49. A road laid through a garden or park-like landscape - usually with median and roadside plantings.






50. The amount of liquid which a solid material can absorb. Sand - as an example - can hold approximately onethird of its volume in water - or three cubic feet of dry sand can contain one cubic foot of water. A denser soil - such as clay - can hold much