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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. A flat board or plate - deflector - guide or similar device constructed or placed in flowing water or slurry systems to cause more uniform flow velocities - to absorb energy - and to divert - guide - or agitate liquids (water - chemical solutions - s






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






3. A separate pipe - conduit or open channel (sewer) that carries runoff from storms - surface drainage - and street wash - but does not include domestic and industrial wastes. Storm sewers are often the recipients of hazardous or toxic substances due t






4. One or a series of oneinch diameter holes through a manhole lid for purposes of venting dangerous gases found in sewers.






5. 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.






6. Any designated use or activity on a piece of land.






7. Material used for backfilling a trench or excavation which was not the original material removed during excavation. This is a common practice where tests on the original material show it to have poor compactability or load capacity. Also called BORRO






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






9. An authorization issued by a government agency allowing construction of a project according to approved plans and specifications.






10. Rain and snow water accumulated in the earth's porous rock.






11. A small tank (usually covered) or a storage facility used to store water for a home or farm. Often used to store rainwater.






12. The legal grant of right-of-use to an area of designated private property.






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






14. In zoning - a housing or commercial development composed of individual units that are regulated as a whole.






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






16. Branch or lateral sewers that collect wastewater from building sewers and service lines.






17. Soil that cannot absorb any more liquid. The interstices or void spaces in the soil are filled with water to the point at which runoff occurs.






18. A mixture of storm or surface runoff and other wastewater such as domestic or industrial wastewater.






19. The taking in or soaking up of one substance into the body of another by molecular or chemical action (as tree roots absorb dissolved nutrients in the soil).






20. Downward movement of the soil or of a structure which it supports






21. A receptacle designed to collect and retain grease and fatty substances usually found in kitchens or from similar wastes. It is installed in the drainage system between the kitchen or other point of production of the waste and the building wastewater






22. OE The pressure at a specific elevation exerted by a body of water at rest - or _ In the case of groundwater - the pressure at a specific elevation due to the weight of water at higher levels in the same zone of saturation.






23. A preliminary plan showing proposed ultimate site development. Master plans often comprise site work that must be executed in phases over a long time and are thus subject to drastic modification.






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






25. The amount of runoff that reaches the point of measurement within a relatively short period of time after the occurrence of a storm or other form of precipitation. Also called 'direct runoff.'






26. A layer - usually of concrete or mortar - for providing continuous support to such items as bricks - slabs - pipes.






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






28. Opening in a sewer provided for the purpose of permitting operators or equipment to enter or leave a sewer. Sometimes called an 'access hole' or a 'maintenance hole.'






29. 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.






30. 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






31. 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.






32. The height to which something is elevated - such as the height above sea level.






33. Material used to provide a bedding or foundation for pipes or other underground structures. This material is of specified quality for desirable bedding or other characteristics and is often imported from a different location.






34. Downstream opening or discharge end of a pipe - culvert - or canal.






35. Railing support at landings or other breaks in the stairs. If an angle post projects beyond the bottom of the strings - the ornamental detail formed at the bottom of the post is called the drop.






36. A large pipe to which a series of smaller pipes are connected. Also called a HEADER.






37. The change to an area's natural resources - including animal and plant life - resulting from use by man. Some projects may require conducting of an 'environmental impact study' before development can proceed.






38. 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.'






39. 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.






40. A manhole which fills and allows raw wastewater to flow out onto the street or ground.






41. Water that may contain objectionable pollution - contamination - minerals - or infective agents and is considered unsafe and/or unpalatable for drinking.






42. 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.






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






44. A conservation group that maintains a revolving fund for quickly buying land that is in danger of being developed inappropriately or without regard to proper environmental considerations.






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






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






47. A collection pipe to which building laterals are connected.






48. A natural underground layer of porous - waterbearing materials (sand - gravel) usually capable of yielding a large amount or supply of water.






49. A holding basin in which variations in flow and composition of a liquid are averaged. Such basins are used to provide a flow of reasonably uniform volume and composition to a treatment unit. Also called a balancing reservoir.






50. A relatively clear or forested area left untouched in or near a city. It may be active open space - such as a baseball field - or passive open space - such as an area of natural woodland.