15 Vocabulary used in civil engineering technology. terms
For the past three years, I have been studying in civil engineering technology program, a field the requires a lot of understanding of the technical vocabulary used in courses, laboratories, and professional situations.
I created this glossary t help students, and anyone interested in civil engineering better understand essential terms related to materials, construction methods, measuring tools, and structural concepts.
aggregate
noun
A total or a whole mass formed by combining several separate parts, units, or amounts.
Example: Workers mixed sand and stone aggregates with cement to pour the foundation.
fr: agrégat
asphalt pavement
a composite material made of mineral aggregates (like stone, sand, or gravel) bound together with a petroleum-derived binder called bitumen, used to surface roads and outdoor areas
Example: Rolled-in, applied to newly laid asphalt pavement while it is still warm and foldable.
fr: revêtement en asphalte
beam
noun
A long piece of wood, metal, or concrete used for support,.
Example: The torque can be applied by placing standard weights to the BEAM attached to the free end of the shaft.
fr: faisceau
column
noun
A vertical arrangement, structure, or line that runs from top to botto.
Example: Flow rate Pressure of the gas through the COLUMN.
fr: colonne
compaction
The act or process of pressing, crushing, or squeezing something together to make it denser and take up less space.
Example: Geologically, grazing causes soil erosion through COMPACTION and trampling and the churning up of soil around gateways, feed racks, water troughs and cow tracks.
fr: compactage
Concrete
noun
A hard building material made of cement, water, sand, and grave.
Example: The drawing machine can be constructed from a combination of typical Roman materials such as wood, iron, CONCRETE and stone.
fr: béton
curing
noun
Maintaining moisture and temperature in a material (like concrete or adhesives) so a chemical reaction—such as cement hydration or polymer cross-linking—hardens it to full strength.
Example: "Proper curing ensures the strength of the final concrete product."
fr: durcissement
drainage system
A natural or engineered network of structures, channels, or pipes designed to collect, redirect, and remove excess water or wastewater from an area.
Example: A DRAINAGE SYSTEM could be implemented to reduce the water that is allowed to build up in the cracks which decreases strength.
fr: système de drainage
elevation
noun
The height of a place or object above a fixed reference point, most commonly sea level.
Example: Closer inspection of the data reveals that the lowest pressure and temperature readings were made at the highest ELEVATION (~200m above sea level), as would be expected.
fr: élévation
foundation
noun
In building, a foundation is the lowest part of a structure. It connects the building to the ground.
Example: Many of the wall plasters at Çatalhöyük were applied on top of a 5 mm thick FOUNDATION.
fr: fondation
frost heave
The upward or outward movement of the ground surface caused by the freezing of moisture within the soil.
Example: The cold winter caused a severe frost heave that cracked the driveway.
fr: soulèvement dû au gel
Live load
A temporary, moving, or non-constant force that acts on a structure during its use and occupancy.
Example: Dead load is the structure's self-weight whereas the LIVE LOAD is the load that is applied to the structure.
fr: Charge d'exploitation
rebar
is short for reinforcing bar, which is a steel rod or bar used inside concrete to add tensile strength and prevent cracking
Example: The ridges or bumps on a rebar rod grip the surrounding concrete so the metal does not slip out of place.
fr: barre d'armature
slope
A surface, line, or piece of land that slants upward or downward instead of being completely flat.
Example: One way to measure responsiveness is by using the SLOPE of demand curve (SLOPE = change in y-axis change in x-axis).
fr: pente
soil permeability
The capacity of a soil to allow water or other fluids to pass through its interconnected pore spaces and voids.
Example: "Sandy soil has high soil permeability because its large particles create wide gaps that allow water to drain quickly.".
