Civil Engineering

Steel yourself for this list of civil engineering terms, and learn all about the design and construction of public infrastructure such as bridges and dams. You'll review beams, joints, cables, and other structural elements, as well as hydraulics, resilience, tension, and much more. This list is dynamite!
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Full list of words from this list:

words only definitions & notes
  1. abutment
    a masonry support that touches and directly receives thrust or pressure of an arch or bridge
  2. aluminum
    a silvery, flexible, metallic element
  3. anchorage
    the condition of being secured to a base
  4. aqueduct
    a conduit that carries water over a valley
  5. atmospheric pressure
    the pressure exerted by the atmosphere
  6. beam
    a long thick piece of material used in construction
  7. bedrock
    solid unweathered stone beneath surface deposits of soil
  8. bend
    cause (a plastic object) to assume a crooked or angular form
  9. bends
    pain resulting from rapid change in pressure
  10. brace
    a structural member used to stiffen a framework
  11. bridge
    structure allowing passage across a river or other obstacle
  12. brittle
    having little elasticity
  13. buckle
    bend out of shape, as under pressure or from heat
  14. buttress
    a support usually of stone or brick
  15. cable
    a very strong thick rope made of twisted hemp or steel wire
  16. caisson
    large watertight chamber used for construction under water
  17. caisson disease
    pain resulting from rapid change in pressure
  18. cantilever
    a projecting horizontal beam fixed at one end only
  19. cast iron
    an alloy of iron containing so much carbon that it is brittle and so cannot be wrought but must be shaped by casting
  20. cement
    a building material that is a powder made of a mixture of calcined limestone and clay; used with water and sand or gravel to make concrete and mortar
  21. centroid
    the center of mass of an object of uniform density
  22. cistern
    an artificial reservoir for storing liquids
  23. civil engineer
    an engineer trained to design and construct and maintain public works (roads or bridges or harbors etc.)
  24. civil engineering
    the branch of engineering concerned with the design and construction of such public works as dams or bridges
  25. cofferdam
    large watertight chamber used for construction under water
  26. column
    a tall vertical cylindrical structure standing upright
  27. compression
    an increase in the density of something
  28. compressor
    a mechanical device that compresses gasses
  29. concrete
    a strong hard building material made with gravel and cement
  30. crank
    a hand tool consisting of a rotating shaft with parallel handle
  31. cylinder
    a chamber within which a piston moves
  32. dam
    a barrier constructed to contain the flow of water
  33. deform
    alter the shape of (something) by stress
  34. deformation
    alteration in the shape or dimensions of an object as a result of the application of stress to it
  35. dynamite
    an explosive that contains nitroglycerin
  36. elongation
    the act of lengthening something
  37. engineering
    applying scientific knowledge to practical problems
  38. factor of safety
    the ratio of the breaking stress of a structure to the estimated maximum stress in ordinary use
  39. fatigue
    a weakened state caused by long stress on a material
  40. filter
    device that removes something from what passes through it
  41. flange
    a projection used for strength or for attaching to another object
  42. flow rate
    the amount of fluid that flows in a given time
  43. force
    influence that results in motion, stress, etc. when applied
  44. gunpowder
    a mixture of potassium nitrate, charcoal, and sulfur in a 75:15:10 ratio which is used in gunnery, time fuses, and fireworks
  45. gusset
    a metal plate used to strengthen a joist
  46. inertia
    the tendency of something to stay in rest or motion
  47. infrastructure
    basic facilities needed for the functioning of a country
  48. iron
    a heavy ductile magnetic metallic element
  49. joint
    junction by which parts or objects are linked together
  50. load
    weight to be borne or conveyed
  51. lubricator
    a substance that makes things move more easily
  52. magnitude
    the property of relative size or extent
  53. masonry
    structure built of stone or brick
  54. modulus of elasticity
    (physics) the ratio of the applied stress to the change in shape of an elastic body
  55. moment
    a turning force produced by an object acting at a distance
  56. moment of inertia
    the tendency of a body to resist angular acceleration
  57. nitroglycerin
    a heavy yellow poisonous oily explosive liquid obtained by nitrating glycerol; used in making explosives and medically as a vasodilator (trade names Nitrospan and Nitrostat)
  58. perimeter
    the size of something as given by the distance around it
  59. pier
    a support for two adjacent bridge spans
  60. pile
    a column that is driven into the ground to provide support
  61. pile driver
    a machine that drives piling into the ground
  62. piston
    mechanical device that has a plunging or thrusting motion
  63. plastic
    synthetic material that can be molded into objects
  64. pneumatics
    the branch of mechanics that deals with the mechanical properties of gases
  65. pressure
    the act of putting pressure on something
  66. pump
    a device that moves fluid or gas by pressure or suction
  67. reinforced concrete
    concrete with metal and/or mesh added to provide extra support against stresses
  68. reliability
    the quality of being dependable
  69. reservoir
    lake used to store water for community use
  70. resilience
    ability of a material to return to its original shape
  71. Richter scale
    a system once used to measure the strength of an earthquake
  72. rigid
    incapable of or resistant to bending
  73. shear
    a deformation of an object in which parallel planes shift
  74. silt
    mud or clay or small rocks deposited by a river or lake
  75. span
    a bridge
  76. stable
    resistant to change of position or condition
  77. steel
    an alloy of iron with small amounts of carbon
  78. stiff
    incapable of or resistant to bending
  79. strain
    deformation of a body under the action of applied forces
  80. stress
    (physics) force that produces strain on a physical body
  81. strong
    having strength or power greater than average or expected
  82. strut
    brace consisting of a bar or rod used to resist compression
  83. suspension bridge
    a bridge that has a roadway supported by cables that are anchored at both ends
  84. tension
    a stress that produces an elongation of a physical body
  85. tie
    a horizontal beam to prevent structural members from spreading
  86. torsion
    a twisting force
  87. toughness
    the elasticity and hardness of a metal object
  88. tower
    a structure taller than its diameter
  89. transmission line
    a conductor for transmitting electrical or optical signals or electric power
  90. truss
    a rigid framework of beams that supports a structure
  91. unstable
    lacking fixity or firmness
  92. valve
    a mechanical device for controlling the flow of a fluid
  93. viscosity
    resistance of a liquid to flowing
  94. volume
    the amount of 3-dimensional space occupied by an object
  95. wrought iron
    iron having a low carbon content that is tough and malleable and so can be forged and welded
Created on Wed Mar 01 21:40:09 EST 2017 (updated Tue Apr 18 16:46:55 EDT 2017)

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