Technical Dictionary – Civil, Hydraulic
and Structural Engineering
1. General Civil Engineering Terms
Foundation – The base of a structure that transfers loads to the ground.
Subgrade – The soil prepared to support a pavement or foundation.
Load-bearing capacity – The maximum load a soil or structure can sustain.
Settlement – The downward movement of a structure due to soil compression.
Retaining wall – A wall designed to resist lateral soil pressure.
Shear strength – The resistance of soil or material against sliding.
Compaction – The process of densifying soil to increase strength and reduce
voids.
Geotechnical engineering – The branch dealing with soil mechanics and
foundation design.
2. Structural Engineering
Beam – A horizontal structural element resisting bending.
Column – A vertical structural element carrying compressive loads.
Slab – A flat horizontal element, usually concrete, for floors and roofs.
Truss – A triangular framework used for roofs and bridges.
Cantilever – A beam fixed at one end and free at the other.
Shear force – An internal force parallel to a cross-section.
Bending moment – The rotational effect produced by a load on a beam.
Deflection – The displacement of a structural member under load.
Buckling – Sudden lateral failure of a slender column under compression.
Reinforced concrete (RC) – Concrete strengthened with embedded steel bars.
Prestressed concrete – Concrete with steel tendons tensioned to improve
performance.
Steel frame structure – A structural system using steel columns and beams.
3. Hydraulic Engineering
Discharge (Q) – Volume of water passing through a section per unit time (m³/s).
Weir – A structure built across a river to control water flow.
Spillway – A hydraulic structure to release excess water from a dam.
Hydraulic gradient – The slope of the energy line in fluid flow.
Head loss – Energy loss due to friction and turbulence in flow.
Turbulent flow – Flow with chaotic fluid motion, Reynolds number > 2000.
Laminar flow – Smooth, orderly flow, Reynolds number < 2000.
Sedimentation – Process of particles settling due to gravity.
Erosion – Wearing away of soil by water or wind.
Cofferdam – Temporary structure to exclude water from a construction site.
Flood routing – Prediction of flood wave movement in rivers or reservoirs.
Hydraulic jump – Sudden transition from supercritical to subcritical flow.
Canal lining – Protective covering (usually concrete) to prevent seepage.
4. Materials and Construction
Cement – Binding material used in concrete.
Aggregate – Sand, gravel, or crushed stone used in concrete or road bases.
Mortar – Mixture of cement, sand, and water for bonding bricks.
Concrete – Composite material made of cement, aggregates, and water.
Workability – Ease with which concrete can be mixed, placed, and compacted.
Curing – Maintaining moisture in concrete for proper strength development.
Timber – Wood used as a construction material.
Steel reinforcement – Steel bars or meshes embedded in concrete.
Masonry – Construction using bricks, stones, or blocks.
Formwork – Temporary molds for casting concrete.
5. Bridges and Dams
Arch bridge – A bridge with curved structure carrying loads by compression.
Suspension bridge – Bridge where the deck is supported by cables.
Cable-stayed bridge – Bridge deck supported directly by cables attached to
towers.
Gravity dam – Dam resisting water pressure through its own weight.
Arch dam – Curved dam transferring loads to abutments.
Buttress dam – Dam supported by triangular walls (buttresses).
Spillway crest – Top level where water starts flowing out of the reservoir.
Energy dissipation basin – Structure to reduce velocity of released water.
6. Advanced Concepts
Finite Element Method (FEM) – Numerical method for structural analysis.
Dynamic loading – Loads varying with time, e.g., wind, earthquakes.
Seismic design – Structural design considering earthquake forces.
Resilience – Ability of a material to absorb energy and recover.
Fatigue – Material weakening under repeated loading.
Hydraulic modeling – Simulation of water flow using physical or numerical
models.
Sustainability in engineering – Designing with minimal environmental impact.
