Definition of Civil Engineering Terminology - Report Example

Definition of Civil Engineering Terminology Name Professor Institution Course Date Backhoe This is a term in civil engineering used to define an excavating machine which has a digging bucket located at the end of articulated arm which consist of two main parts. The arm main use is in trenching excavations which are in form of pits. The backhoe can also be called the rear or the back actor. This is because this equipment is mainly mounted at the backside of the tractor and then used to excavate like a hoe. The part of the arm which is close to the tractor is referred to as the boom while the part carrying the bucket is referred to as dipper stick. Using kingpost as the pivot, the boom is attached to the tractor or the vehicle being used. The arm can move right or left at around 200 degrees using the pivot. Dewberry & Sidney (2008) points out the major changes that have occurred in the excavation systems designs, unlike the old backhoe which used steel ropes; modern excavation system uses hydraulics to effect their movements. Fracture This refers to breakage of a steel or concrete structure in civil engineering. The major cause of fracture is cracks and flaws which are caused by stress and strain induced by load supported. Fracture in a civil structure can be attributed to crack propagation and failure in a structure due to several weaknesses. The parameters which are associated with fracture include stress intensity of the crack area. Fractures can lead to distrous results in civil structures when they occur. The effect can range from permanent failure of the structure to weakening which can only be rectified by demolishing the building (Mark & Andrew 2000). Silicate Silicate comes from silica (SIO2) reaction with concrete. Silica is a component that comes from many rocks used in construction industry. The silica in a rock reacts with the concrete to form silicate but it’s important to note that not all forms of silica present in rocks reacts with concrete significantly. The reaction of silica with concrete to form silicate can lead to expansion and cracking of the concrete structures. Therefore it’s vital that before any civil structure is made by a civil engineer, there is need for a trained petrographer to detect any reactive minerals present. The silica minerals which reacts and damages concrete includes; opal, tridymite, cristobalite among others (Chappex & Scrivener 2012). Pavement In civil engineering, a pavement is a durable floor like structure which is made from stone or tile (Schneider et al, 2011). The main use of pavement in roads is to provide a walk way for pedestrians. Materials that are used in making of pavement must be durable and strong to withstand tear and wear that is exposed to them. When used in context of road surface, pavement refers to the material that is laid down on a road to cater for automobile or pedestrians’ traffic movement. The materials that are mostly used nowadays to make pavements are asphalt and granite which provides a hard surface which can withstand traffic. Condition Rating This is a method in civil engineering that is used to access the existing condition of a civil structure. The method looks at the strength deterioration index of a structure which is used in verifying the beams and columns (Dewberry & Sidney 2008). The outcome is then analyzed and the deterioration of the structure determined. The assessment that is carried out on a structure that has been on existence requires a procedure that looks at both the chemical and physical properties of structure to determine its degradation. The physical method used includes visual inspection of the structure as well as evaluation to determine the efficiency. Conditional rating determines the level of damage that the structure has in its elements and itself wholly. Pozzolanic In the civil engineering context, a pozzolan is a siliceous and aluminous (alumino-silicate) material and on its own contains no cementing properties. When in a fine form and in contact with moisture, pozzolan chemically react with calcium hydroxide and alkalis to form compounds which have the ability to cement. These compounds that are formed include calcium silicate hydrate gel and the silicate of calcium alumino. This happens at room temperatures. For the Pozzolanic particles to be fine enough for the reaction, the size should be generally having a maximum size of 45 micron (Snellings, Mertens & Elsen 2012). When hardening, cement gives off lime which reacts with silica forming alumino silicates. AS 3600 The AS-3600 is a standard used in concrete structures and buildings in civil engineering. The standard provides insight into the maximum spacing that is required for reinforcement spacing as well as guaranteeing the narrow cracks that are acceptable. The standard helps in controlling cracks in slabs by allowing the designing of reinforced structures. The standard provides the rules and regulations that are essential for reinforcement of structures to avoid stress related cracks and failures. Using the standard, the occurrence of flexural cracks in civil structures is controlled. Mark & Andrew (2000) have shown that the standard allows the cracks to be analyzed and hence determining means of preventing and controlling them in the structures. Set Retardant In civil engineering, set retardant is a Zinc oxide based additive that is used in Portland cement and other cement mixtures. The additive is made of silica fumes and other equivalents and is blended at the job site as an addition or admixture. The additive is then mixed with cement or aggregate to retard or slow the mixture setting time as well as improve its qualities. Generally, set retardant is a component that is vital in the cementing products due to the influence it has on the setting time of the Portland cement. It’s important in civil engineering to choose a set retardant component that does not affect other important characteristics of cement (Joshi & Kadu 2012). Web This is a term in civil engineering that is used to refer to a web shaped casting used to reinforce a civil structure. The terminology can also be used to refer to the central section of an I-beam or H-beam which acts as joint for the two flanges of the beam. The beams that utilize web on their joint have increased strength hence can handle a larger load. When used in reinforcing civil structures, web forms a vital part in resisting stress that is imposed by load to the system. The reinforcing web is cast so as to improve its strength during when in use (Schneider et al, 2011). Carbonation This refers to the layer formed when reactions occur between the atmospheric carbon dioxide and the concrete alkali component. Carbonation reduces civil structures life span due to resultant weakening in the affected sections. The pH value of the pore solution goes down to a level that is near neutral due to carbonation. In the civil engineering structures, carbonation leads to corrosion caused by release of bound ions of chloride into the pore solution which can lead to structural failure. The rate of carbonation in a structure can be controlled by diffusing CO 2 into a layer that is carbonated (Mumovic & Dejan 2009). Activator An activator is an agent which is used to reduce setting time for slag cement mixture. The setting agent used for activation can be Ca (OH) which is mixed in different proportions. Hydrated lime and quicklime are common activating agents that are employed by the building industry and are available in different formats such as rock or powder. Hydrated lime when used as a mineral activator has a direct effect on the slag cement properties by directly reducing setting time. The roles played by lime as an activator are hydrating the slag of the blast furnace and maintaining the cement pH to be more than 12 (David , 2007). Refurbishment In civil engineering, refurbishment refers to the act of reconditioning a structure to its former status after degradation. This may involve recarpeting and plastering an old building structure which may have been neglected. The process used to refurbish civil structures are started by cleaning the structure and then looking to things which are to be removed or added so as to make return it into former condition. Refurbishment is done by civil engineers as means of reconditioning and servicing the structures which have been used for a time in an attempt to renew their working condition. This process reduces chances of failure and breakdowns (Spence & Cook 1983). Texture In civil engineering context, texture refers to the size of grains in a rock structure. The size of grain affects the coarseness or smoothness of the rock involved. When the average diameter of the crystals in a rock is less than 1 millimeter, the rock texture is said to be fine grained. The same applies where the diameter of the rock is more than 1millimeter and is classified as coarse grained. According to Chappex (2012) other classifications of the rock structures based on texture includes; pegmate, alphanitic, phaneric, vitreous, groundmass and poryphritic. Steel Section Steel section in civil engineering refers to a cross section area of a steel structure which is used for reinforcement in a building. A section of steel is made up of steel beams which are mechanically bounded together. Steel is used in different shapes which have different cross-sections. There is I-beam which have I shaped cross-section and H- beams which bears an H shaped cross section. Steel sections are used in building due to the strength that steel offers in civil structures which aids in reinforcing concrete (Snellings, Merten & Elsen 2012). Sheet pile In civil engineering context, sheet pile refers to an arrangement of piles of materials arranged and driven to ground to retain the ground and hence cater for seepage. The pile which is made of wood or steel can also be used where support for structure is needed and hence strengthen it and prevent collapsing or cracking. Among many other uses, the piles are also used in highway embankments to aid in preventing seepage and erosion of the roads. The pile must be strong enough to resist and counteract lateral pressure imposed on them from earth or water which it holds back (Jonathan et al, 2004). References Chappex, T & Scrivener K 2012, Alkali fixation of C-S-H in blended cement pastes and its relation to alkali silica reaction, Cement and Concrete Research, 42, p. 1000–1050. David, K 2007, Handbook of construction tolerances, London, John Wiley & Sons. Dewberry, Sidney, O 2008, Land development handbook: planning, engineering, and surveying. New York, McGraw-Hill. Jonathan, T., Ricketts, M., Kent, L & Frederick, S 2004, Standard handbook for civil Engineers, New York, McGraw-Hill. Joshi, S & Kadu, M 2012, Role of Alkaline Activator in Development of Eco-friendly Fly Ash Based Geo Polymer Concrete, International Journal of Environmental Science and Development, vol. 3, no. 5, p. 417-421. Mark, P & Andrew, W 2000, Crack Control Of Slabs Part 1: AS 3600 Design, Western Sydney, One steel Reinforcing Pty and University of Western Sydney. Mumovic, D 2009, A handbook of sustainable building design and engineering: an integrated approach to energy, health and operational performance, London, Earthscan. Schneider, M., Romer M., Tschudin M & Bolio C 2011, Sustainable cement production – present and future. Cement and Concrete Research, vol. 41.p. 642–650. Snellings, R., Mertens G & Elsen J 2012, Supplementary cementitious materials, Reviews in Mineralogy and Geochemistry, vol. 74, p. 211–278. Spence, R & Cook, D 1983, Building Materials in Developing Countries, London, Wiley and Sons. Read More