CHAPTER 0 - terms from “what could go wrong reading”

Question 1

capillary action

Answer 1

pulling of water through a small orifice or fibrous material by the attractive force between the water and the material

Question 2

condensation

Answer 2

process of changing from a gaseous to a liquid state, especially as applied to water

Question 3

decay/rot

Answer 3

lose integrity, etc.

Question 4

dewatering

Answer 4

extraction of water from an excavation or its surrounding soil

Question 5

drainage swale

Answer 5

A grass drainage swale is an open channel that collects water from hard surfaces and allows it to percolate into the ground, reducing the amount of runoff leaving the road or property. The grass covering the side slopes and swale bottom provides a filtration surface for the water and helps to reduce the flow velocity.

Question 6

faults/fault lines

Answer 6

A fault trace or fault line is a place where the fault can be seen or mapped on the surface. A fault trace is also the line commonly plotted on geologic maps to represent a fault. A fault zone is a cluster of parallel faults. However, the term is also used for the zone of crushed rock along a single fault

Question 7

fire season

Answer 7

Period(s) of the year during which wildland fires are likely to occur, spread, and affect resource values sufficient to warrant organized fire management activities. 2) A legally enacted time during which burning activities are regulated by state or local authority.

Question 8

frost heave

Answer 8

Frost heave is a form of frost action, a physical weathering process involving the cyclic freezing and thawing of water in soil or rock. Heave in this context refers to the upward movement of the ground surface that occurs in response to the seasonal formation of ice in the underlying soil.

Question 9

fungi

Answer 9

Mould (sometimes referred to as mildew) is a fungal growth. … Mould in buildings can be visible or can be hidden, but it is generally an indication of a defect such as thermal bridging, condensation, leaks or penetrating or rising damp. Mould requires four factors for growth: Mould spores.

Question 10

induced earthquakes

Answer 10

Induced seismicity refers to typically minor earthquakes and tremors that are caused by human activity that alters the stresses and strains on Earth’s crust. Most induced seismicity is of a low magnitude.

Question 11

interface fire

Answer 11

Interface fire - Interface fires are fires that have the potential to involve buildings and forest fuel or vegetation simultaneously.

Question 12

liquéfaction/liquify

Answer 12

Liquefaction is a phenomenon in which the strength and stiffness of a soil is reduced by earthquake shaking or other rapid loading. … Liquefaction occurs in saturated soils, that is, soils in which the space between individual particles is completely filled with water.

Question 13

live load

Answer 13

non permanent loads on a building caused by the weights of people, furnishings, machines, vehicles and goods in or on the building

Question 14

magnitude

Answer 14

Magnitude is the most common measure of an earthquake’s size. It is a measure of the size of the earthquake source and is the same number no matter where you are or what the shaking feels like.

Question 15

mold

Answer 15

either a fungus or a thing made of plaster used as a cast

Question 16

oscillations

Answer 16

regular variation in magnitude or position around a central point

Question 17

osmosis

Answer 17

osmosis, the spontaneous passage or diffusion of water or other solvents through a semipermeable membrane (one that blocks the passage of dissolved substances—i.e., solutes).

Question 18

percolate

Answer 18

(of a liquid or gas) filter gradually through a porous surface or substance.
“the water percolating through the soil may leach out minerals”

Question 19

remediation

Answer 19

the action of remedying something, in particular of reversing or stopping environmental damage.
the giving of remedial teaching or therapy.

Question 20

seismic

Answer 20

relating to earthquakes

Question 21

storm surge

Answer 21

Storm surge is an abnormal rise of water generated by a storm, over and above the predicted astronomical tides. … This rise in water level can cause extreme flooding in coastal areas particularly when storm surge coincides with normal high tide, resulting in storm tides reaching up to 20 feet or more in some cases.

Question 22

vapor pressure

Answer 22

a measure of the pressure exerted by water molecules in a gaseous state, generally higher with higher relative humidity and higher air temperature

Question 23

water vapor

Answer 23

water in its gaseous phase

Question 24

wetlands

Answer 24

land consisting of marshes or swamps; saturated land.

Question 25

wildfire and urban interface (WUI)

Answer 25

The wildland-urban interface (WUI) is the area where houses meet or in- termingle with undeveloped wildland vegetation. The WUI is thus a focal area for human- environment conflicts, such as the destruction of homes by wildfires, habitat fragmentation, introduction of exotic species, and biodiversity decline.

Question 26

AEC

Answer 26

architecture, engineering, construction