SPD Terms Flashcards
Proctor test
Determines the optimum compaction of site fill based on its density and optimum moisture content
a soil load test
Determines the design load of soul by applying steadily increasing loads on a platform placed on the site.
Probable maximum flood (PMF)
The most severe flood that may reasonably be possible for a particular location. It is used for designing facilities and structures that must be subject to almost no risk of flooding.
Standard protection flood ( SPF)
A flood that may be expected from the most severe combination of meteorological and hydrological conditions in a particular location. It is usually expressed as a probability as in 50- year flood or 2% probability.
Earthwork diagram
Used to show how much of a building site needs to be regraded.
Foundations
Reach bedrock or soil competent enough to bear the weight of the building. Below the frost line.
Bouyant Upload Forces
Underground water pushing upward on foundations
Liquid Limit
The water content at which the soil transitions from solid to plastic
Plastic Limit
How much water a soil can absorb before starting to expand
Well graded soil
Compact more for better foundations / poorly sorted or no support
Poorly graded soil
Better for drainage, more gaps/ well supported
Sheet Excavation
Sheets driven into ground create an underground wall, soil is removed in between sheets.
Materials used: steel, wood, aluminum, plastic, composites, pre-cast concrete.
Benched Excavation
Uses the soil and angle of repose to hold back the soil.
Soil Mixing
Mixing the soil in columns with cement and water (strengthened soil)
Slurry Wall
Bentonite Clay and water holds earth from collapsing temporarily then rebar is added to trench and then filled with concrete and excavated.
Tremie
The funnel that delivers the concrete into the slurry wall
Crosslot Bracing
Bracing goes across entire excavated trench
Rakers
Only reach halfway across entire excavated trench
Tiebacks
Giant nails that hold back soil; holes are drilled then filled with grout, steel nails are added and anchored against waler and then jacked.
Mini piles
“Giant Nails”
Helipiles
Piles with discs on them or screw piles
Aggregate Piers
Crushed Stone drilled into holes in the earth
Drainage Mat
Plastic material with a filter fabric
Gravel Fill
Provides a break or a gap from the foundation to resist water
Cofferdam
Structure used to keep out water
Check Dam
Slows down rain water and erosion in the event of a heavy rain
Rip Rap
Rocks used to protect the shoreline where water meets land
First Right of Refusal
First opportunity to bid on a property up for sale
Retention pond
Holding pond or catch basin prevents excessive storm water runoff on a site from over loading the storm sewer system by temporarily holding the water and releasing it.
Bioswale
Construction that is designed to allow sediment to settle while water drains into the ground
Infiltration basin
Construction designed to retain stormwater until it can seep into the ground
Catch basin
Storm drainage structure that is designed to collect grit and trash while allowing the stormwater to flow out the drainage pipes.
Township
A square unit of land 6 miles on a side
Sections
A township is divided into 36 sections, each a square mile
Check
A 24 mile on a side consisting of 16 townships
Standoff distance
The space between a building and potential location of a blast threat
Contour area method
Based on a contour drawing showing the areas to be cut and filled.
The end area method
Individual volumes to be calculated are assumed to have parallel vertical faces rather than horizontal faces like the contour method
Calculation by grid
Drawing a square grid over the site and determining the existing and new elevations at each grid can be calculated with positive amounts representing fill and negative amounts representing cut
Photolysis
the chemical decomposition of materials under the influence of light.
Biodegradation
the disintegration of materials by bacteria, fungi, or other biological means. Although often conflated, biodegradable is distinct in meaning from compostable.
Gas chromatography
is a common type of chromatography used in analytical chemistry for separating and analyzing compounds that can be vaporized without decomposition.
Deciduous
Trees for shade because they block harsh summer sun with their leaves, lose leaves in the winter allowing sun to heat the building in colder climate.
Coniferous
Trees good for blocking wind and view keep leaves year round
Winter solstice
The day with the minimum hours of sunlight
Summer solstice
The days with the most amount of daylight
Spring and Fall Equinox
The day when the length of the day and night are equal
Concave slope
Parallel contours spaces closely together going uphill
Convex slope
Parallel contours spaces further apart going uphill
