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the outermost end supports on a bridge, which carry the load from the deck
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a lightweight chemical element (Al); the most abundant metallic element in the Earth's crust
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a secure fixing, usually made of reinforced concrete to which the cables are fastened
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a bridge or channel for conveying water, usually over long distances
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a curved structure that converts the downward force of its own weight, and of any weight pressing down on top of it, into an outward force along its sides and base
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a dam with an arched shape that resists the force of water pressure; requires less material than a gravity dam for the same distance
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a person who designs all kinds of structures; must also have the ability to conceptualize and communicate ideas effectively -- both in words and on paper -- to clients, engineers, government officials, and construction crews
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a rigid, usually horizontal, structural element
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a simple type of bridge, composed of horizontal beams supported by vertical posts
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the solid rock layer beneath sand or silt
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to curve; bending occurs when a straight material becomes curved; one side squeezes together in compression, and the other side stretches apart in tension
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see caisson disease
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a structural support; to strengthen and stiffen a structure to resist loads
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characteristic of a material that fails without warning; materials do not stretch or shorten before failing
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to bend under compression
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a support that transmits a force from a roof or wall to another supporting structure
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a gravity dam reinforced by structural supports
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a structural element formed from steel wire bound in strands; the suspending element in a bridge; the supporting element in some dome roofs
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a bridge in which the roadway deck is suspended from cables anchored to one or more towers
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a watertight, dry chamber in which people can work underwater
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an affliction developed by people moving in and out of caissons quickly; also called the bends and decompression sickness
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a projecting structure supported only at one end, like a shelf bracket or a diving board
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a brittle alloy with high carbon content; iron that has been melted, then poured into a form and cooled; can be made into any shape desired
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an engineer who plans, designs, and supervises the construction of facilities essential to modern life
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a binding material, or glue, that helps concrete harden
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a sunken panel in a ceiling
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a temporary dam built to divert a river around a construction site so the dam can be built on dry ground
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a vertical, structural element, strong in compression
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the space at the bottom of a caisson into which air is introduced under pressure to exclude water so that excavation can take place
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a pressing force that squeezes a material together
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a mixture of water, sand, small stones, and a gray powder called cement
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a person who coordinates the entire construction process -- from initial planning and foundation work through the structure's completion
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simple bridge made by linking one beam bridge to another; some of the longest bridges in the world are
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central region of a skyscraper; usually houses elevator and stairwell
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a method of tunnel construction that involves digging a trench, building a tunnel, and then covering it with fill
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supported roadway on a bridge
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to change shape
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a bypass created to divert water around a dam so that construction can take place
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a curved roof enclosing a circular space; a three-dimensional arch
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the side of the dam that is not against the water
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a blasting explosive, based on nitroglycerin, but much safer to handle than nitroglycerin alone
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an engineer concerned with electrical devices and systems and with the use of electrical energy
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a dam composed of a mound of earth and rock; the simplest type of gravity dam
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a profession in which a knowledge of math and natural science is applied to develop ways to utilize the materials and forces of nature for the benefit of all human beings
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an engineer who designs and operates systems to provide safe drinking water and to prevent and control pollution in water, in the air, and on the land
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an ancient tunneling technique in which rock is heated with fire and then doused with cold water, causing the rock to fracture
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any action that tends to maintain or alter the position of a structure
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a dome composed of short, straight pieces joined to form triangles; invented by Buckminster Fuller
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an engineer who evaluates and stabilizes foundations for buildings, roads, and other structures
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a dam constructed so that its great weight resists the force of water pressure
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any of several low-explosive mixtures used as a blasting agent in mining and tunneling; the first such explosive was black powder, which consists of a mixture of potassium nitrate, sulfur, and charcoal
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a chemical element (Fe); one of the cheapest and most used metals
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a device connecting two or more adjacent parts of a structure; a allows adjacent parts to move controllably past one another; a prevents adjacent parts from moving or rotating past one another
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weight distribution throughout a structure; caused by wind, earthquakes, and gravity, for example, affect how weight is distributed throughout a structure
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a building material such as stone, clay, brick, or concrete
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an engineer who applies the principles of mechanics and energy to the design of machines and devices
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a dome composed of a series of arches, joined together with a series of horizontal rings called parallels
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a bridge in which the deck moves to clear a navigation channel; a has a deck that rotates around a center point; a has a deck that can be raised and lowered; a deck is raised with counterweights like a drawbridge; and the deck of a is raised vertically like a massive elevator
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an explosive compound made from a mixture of glycerol and concentrated nitric and sulfuric acids, and an important ingredient of most forms of dynamite
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the distance around the outside of a shape
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a vertical supporting structure, such as a pillar
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a triangular shape that adapts the circular ring of a dome to fit onto a flat supporting wall
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a long, round pole of wood, concrete, or steel driven into the soil by pile drivers
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a noisy machine that repeatedly drops a heavy weight on top of a pile until the pile reaches solid soil or rock or cannot be pushed down any farther
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a synthetic material made from long chains of molecules; has the capability of being molded or shaped, usually by the application of heat and pressure
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a force applied or distributed over an area
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concrete with steel bars or mesh embedded in it for increased strength in tension; in , the embedded steel bars or cables are stretched into tension before the concrete hardens; in , the embedded steel bars or cables are stretched into tension after the concrete hardens
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used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake; introduced in 1935 by the seismologists Beno Gutenberg and Charles Francis Richter
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ability to resist deformation when subjected to a load; the measure of a structure's ability not to change shape when subjected to a load
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a passage constructed through solid rock
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a force that causes parts of a material to slide past one another in opposite directions
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solid concrete walls that resist shear forces; often used in buildings constructed in earthquake zones
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sediment particles ranging from 0.004 to 0.06 mm (0.00016 to 0.0024 inch) in diameter
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a passage constructed through loose, unstable, or wet ground, requiring supports to keep the walls from collapsing
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the distance a bridge extends between two supports; to traverse a specific distance
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an overflow channel that allows dam operators to release lake water when it gets high enough to threaten the safety of a dam
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an architectural or decorative feature of a skyscraper; the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat includes but not antennae when calculating the official height of a skyscraper
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ability to resist collapse and deformation; characteristic of a structure that is able to carry a realistic load without collapsing or deforming significantly
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an alloy of iron and carbon that is hard, strong, and malleable
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ability to resist deformation; the measure of a structure's capacity to resist deformation
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floor of a skyscraper
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ability to carry a realistic load; the measure of a structure's ability to carry a realistic load
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an engineer who investigates the behavior and design of all kinds of structures, including dams, domes, tunnels, bridges, and skyscrapers, to make sure they are safe and sound for human use
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a bridge in which the roadway deck is suspended from cables that pass over two towers; the cables are anchored in housings at either end of the bridge
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a dam, usually made of earth and rock, used to contain mining waste
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an array of tension cables and compression rods that supports a structure; invented by Buckminster Fuller student Kenneth Snellson
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a stretching force that pulls on a material
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a support ring that resists the outward force pushing against the lower sides of a dome
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an action that twists a material
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the vertical structure in a suspension bridge or cable-stayed bridge from which cables are hung; also used loosely as a synonym for the term skyscraper
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a rigid frame composed of short, straight pieces joined to form a series of triangles or other stable shapes
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a mechanical counterweight designed to reduce the effects of motion, such as the swaying of a skyscraper in the wind or in an earthquake
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a mechanical device that tunnels through the ground
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a cylinder pushed ahead of tunneling equipment to provide advance support for the tunnel roof; used when tunneling in soft or unstable ground
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characteristic of a structure that collapses or deforms under a realistic load
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the side of a dam that is against the water
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a common natural material strong in both compression and tension
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an iron alloy that is less brittle than cast iron
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