FLUID MECHANICS AND HYDRAULICS TERMS:  VISCOSITY – property of fluid which

determines the amount of resistance to

 FLUID MECHANICS – physical science
shearing forces
dealing with the action of fluids at rest
 KINEMATIC VISCOSITY – ratio of
or in motion, and with applications or
dynamic viscosity with mass density
devices in engineering using fluids
 SURFACE TENSION – membrane of skin
- branch of physics
that forms on the free surface of fluid
that studies fluids
due to intermolecular cohesive force
 FLUID STATICS – deals with fluid at rest
(raindrop)
 FLUID DYNAMICS – deals with fluids in
 CAPILLIARITY – formed by the liquid in a
motion
tube
 HYDRODYNAMICS – is applied to the
 COMPRESSIBILITY - fractional change in
flow of liquids or to low-velocity gas
volume of fluid per unit change in
flows where it is considered
pressure in constant temperature
incompressible
 BULK MODULUS OF ELASTICITY – ratio
 HYDRAULICS – deals with the
of the change in unit pressure to the
application of fluid mechanics to
corresponding volume change per unit
engineering devices
of volume
- science that deals with
 CELERITY OF PRESSURE WAVE – a.k.a
laws governing water or other liquids
sonic or acoustical velocity
 IDEAL FLUIDS – no viscosity,
-pressure
incompressible, uniform velo, no
disturbance usually in forms of wave
friction, no turbulence
 VAPOR PRESSURE – equilibrium
 REAL FLUIDS – infinite viscosity, non-
pressure exerted by molecules
uniform velo, compressible, with
 PRESSURE – force per unit area
friction
 WATER – clear, odorless, tasteless liquid
 MASS – property of a physical system or
 WEIGHT – force w/c body is attracted to
body giving rise to the phenomena of
Earth or other celestial body equal to
the body’s resistance to being
the product of object and gravitational
accelerated by a force
acceleration
 DENSITY – mass per unit volume
 PASCAL’S LAW – the process on a fluid
 SPECIFIC VOLUME – volume occupied
is equal in all direction and in all parts
by a unit mass of fluid
 GAGE PRESSURE – pressure above or
 SPECIFIC WEIGHT – a.k.a UNIT WT.
below the atmosphere
-weight occupied by
 MANOMETER – measures gage
unit volume
pressure, U shaped
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY – ratio of the mass of
o OPEN TYPE –measures gage
solid/liquid to the mass of an equal
o DIFFERENTIAL – measures
volume of an air hydrogen atom (ref.
difference
density is water at 4o C)
o PIEZOMETER – tube tapped on
- a.k.a relative
wall of a container or conduit
density
 ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE – pressure at  STREAM LINE – imaginary curve or line
any one point on the earth’s surface in the flow field so that the tangent to
from the weight above it the curve at any point represents the
- pressure direction of the instantaneous velocity
exerted by the air to the atmosphere o STEADY FLOW – discharge at a
 VACUUM – is a space that has all matter given cross section is constant
removed from it o UNSTEADY – discharge varies
 ABSOLUTE PRESSURE – pressure above o UNIFORM – average velocity of
vacuum flow is the same at every cross
 PRESSURE HEAD – height of a column of section
homogeneous liquid of unit weight that o NON-UNIFORM - velocity varies
will produce an intensity of pressure o CONTINUOUS – any time,
 STRESS – strength per unit area discharge is the same at every
 CENTER OF GRAVITY – point where section (diff cross section)
weight of body is concentrated o LAMINAR – path of individual
 AXIAL STRESS – known as girth, hoop, or fluid particles do not intersect
circumferential stress o TURBULENT – path is irregular
 DAMS – hydraulic structure that and particles intersect
impound water or underground stream o ONE-DIMENSIONAL – occurs in
o GRAVITY – uses force of gravity incompressible fluid, direction
to resist water pressure magnitude and velocity of all
o EMBANKMENT – formed out of points are identical
loose rock, earth, or o TWO-DIMENSIONAL – fluid
combination particles move in parallel
o ARCH – concrete or masonry planes, streamline patterns are
structures that curves identical in each plane
o BUTTRESS – wall, face  STREAMTUBES – represents elementary
supported by buttresses portions of a fluid bounded by group of
 METACENTER – point of intersection streamlines
between the axis of the body and the  FLOW NETS – drawn to indicate flow
line of action of buoyant force patterns in 2D or 3D flows
 CENTER OF BUOYANCY – buoyant force  HEAD – amount of energy per pound or
exertion of a body immersed Newton of fluid
 ARCHIMEDES’ PRINCIPLE – any body  POTENTIAL ENERGY – elevation +
immersed in a fluid is acted upon an pressure, a.k.a. pressure energy
upward force equal to the weight of the  POWER – is the rate at which work is
displaced fluid done
 DISCHARGE – amount of fluid passing  BERNOULLI’S PRINCIPLE (ENERGY
through a section per unit of time THEOREM) – as the speed of a moving
 PATH LINE – a trajectory of a fluid fluid increases, the pressure of that
particle of fixed identity fluid decreases
 PUMP – used to increase the head
 TURBINE/MOTOR – extract flow energy
to do mechanical work
 HYDRAULIC GRADE LINE – a.k.a. o SUPPRESSED WEIR – weirs
pressure gradient, graphical having its length equal to the
representation of total potential energy width
of flow o DROP-DOWN CURVE –
 ENERGY GRADE LINE – graphical downward curvature of the
representation of the total energy flow liquid surface before the weir
 COEFF. OF DISCHARGE – ratio of actual o HEAD – distance between liquid
discharge through the device to the surface and crest
ideal discharge  OPEN CHANNEL – is a conduit in which
 COEFF. OF VELOCITY – ratio of actual liquid flows with a free surface
discharge through the device to the subjected to atmospheric pressure
ideal discharge  SPECIFIC ENERGY – energy per unit
 COEFF. OF CONTRACTION – ratio of weight relative to the bottom of the
actual area of contracted section of channel
stream to the area of opening which the  NORMAL DEPTH – depth at which
fluid flows uniform flow will occur in open channel
 ORIFICE – an opening with a closed  CRITICAL DEPTH – depth where
perimeter through which fluid flows discharge is maximum, specific energy
o SHORT TUBE – orifice with is minimum
prolonged side  HYDRAULIC JUMP – abrupt increase in
o SHORT PIPES – can be also depth
longer tubes e.g. culverts  WATER HAMMER – the resulting shock
 VENTURIMETER – instrument used in caused by sudden decrease in the
measuring discharge through pipes, has velocity of fluid
converging tube which is connected to
the main pipe
 NOZZLE – a converging tube installed at
the end of a pipe or hose to increase
velocity of jet
 PITOT TUBE – is a bent L-shaped or U-
shaped tube with both ends open and is
used to measure velocity of fluid flow
 GATE – is an opening in a dam to
control the passage of water
 WEIR – are overflow structures which
are built across an open channel for
measuring or controlling the flow of
liquids
o NAPPE – the overflowing
stream in a weir
o CREST – edge or top surface
o CONTRACTED WEIR – weirs
having sides sharp-edged
GEOTECHNICAL ENGINEERING TERMS :  SEDIMENTARY ROCKS – formed by
compaction, deposition or cementation
 KARL TERZAGHI – father of Soil
of sediments
Mechanics
 METAMORPHIC ROCKS – formed by
 SOIL – uncemented products of
metamorphism (heat and pressure)
weathering
o METAMORPHISM – the process
 ROCKS – cemented and consolidated
of producing two or more rocks
products of weathering
due to the abundance of
 WEATHERING – process of breaking minerals upon cooling
down of rocks into smaller pieces
 IGNEOUS ROCKS – formed by cooling of
o MECHANICAL – caused by the
magma
expansion and contraction of
o INTRUSIVE – formed inside the
rocks, breaking down without
volcano
any change in composition
o EXTRUSIVE – formed outside
o CHEMICAL – rock minerals are
the volcano
transformed into new minerals
 SPECIFIC GRAVITY – says how heavy it is
by chemical reaction
compared to water, ratio of specific
 RESIDUAL SOIL – soils formed by the
weight to the specific weight of
weathered products at their place of
standard substance
origin
 MECHANICAL ANALYSIS – is the
o CREEP – residual soil in steep
determination of the size range of
natural slope, slowly moving
grains present in a soil, expressed as
downward, plastic adjustment
percentage of total dry weight
of soil fabric
o SIEVE ANALYSIS – consists of
o LANDSLIDE – movement is
shaking the soil sample with a
sudden or rapid
set of sieves, for sizes larger
 COLLUVIUM – soil
than 0.075mm in diameter
deposits from
o HYDROMETER TEST – for grains
landslides
smaller than 0.075mm, based
o MUD FLOWS – gravity-
on the principle of
transported soils
sedimentation of soil grains
 TRANSPORTED SOIL – soils formed
 EFFECTIVE GRAIN SIZE – diameter
though their mode of transportation
corresponding to 10% finer
and deposition
 UNIFORMLY GRADED – best for
o ALLUVIAL – running water,
concrete mixing, contains diff. diameter
streams
and % finer
o COLLUVIAL – gravity
 GAP GRADED – having diff. diameters
o AEOLIAN – wind
and same %finer
o GLACIAL – glaciers/ice
 POORLY GRADED – contains soil with
o MARINE – under the sea
the same diameter
o LACUSTRINE – lakes
 SIEVE #4 – sample for compaction test
o LITTORAL DEPOSITS – beaches
 SIEVE #10 – used for determination of
specific gravity
 SIEVE #20 and #30 – substitute for  OPTIMUM MOISTURE CONTENT –
Ottawa sand moisture content at which the max. dry
 SIEVE #40 – Atterberg limits unit wt. is attained
 SIEVE #200 – coarse/fine grained  PERMEABILITY – property that permits
 MOISTURE CONTENT – ratio of wt. of the passage of water under a gradient o
water to wt. of solids expressed in % force
 DEGREE OF SATURATION – ratio of vol.  AQUIFER – underground layer of water-
of water to vol. of voids (%) bearing permeable rock or
 POROSITY – ratio of vol. of voids to total unconsolidated materials
vol.  DARCY’S LAW – v=ki
 VOID RATIO – ratio of vol. of voids to  SEEPAGE VELOCITY – actual velocity
vol. of solids  HYDRAULIC CONDUCTIVITY – coeff. of
 SPECIFIC WEIGHT – weight per unit permeability
volume  CONSTANT HEAD TEST
 RELATIVE DENSITY – measures the  FALLING HEAD TEST
compactness or denseness of soil  FLOW NET – a combination of a number
 SHRINKAGE LIMIT – moisture at which of flow lines and equipotential lines
the transition from solid to semi solid  FLOW LINE – line along w/c water
takes place, vol. of soil is constant molecules will travel from the upstream
 PLASTIC LIMIT – semisolid to plastic to downstream
state, where soil can be formed to diff.  EQUIPOTENTIAL LINE – line along which
shapes, where soil can be rolled to 1/8” potential head at all points is equal
diameter in 80-90 spm  EFFECTIVE STRESS – the sum of vertical
 LIQUID LIMIT – plastic to liquid state, forces of the forces developed at the
moisture that will cause a goove closure points of contact of the soil particles
of ½” at 25 blows per unit cross-sectional area of the soil
 PLASTICITY INDEX – difference bet. LL mass
and PL  CRITICAL HYDRAULIC GRADIENT – zero
 LIQUIDITY INDEX – ratio where relative effective stress, boiling or quick
consistency of a cohesive soil is in a condition
natural state  PORE WATER PRESSURE
 ACTIVITY OF CLAY SOIL – ratio of PI to %  ELASTIC SETTLEMENT – caused by
of clay size fraction elastic deformation of dry soil
 FLOW INDEX – slope of an average line  CONSOLIDATION SETTLEMENT – result
 COMPACTION – densification of soil by of volume change in saturated soils
removal of air  NORMALLY CONSOLIDATED – the
 PROCTOR COMPACTION TEST – used to present effective overburden pressure
obtain OMC and MDUW is the max pressure to w/c the soil has
o STANDARD PROCTOR TEST – been subjected in the past
drop of 304.8mm, 24.4N  OVERCONSOLIDATED – present eff.
o MODIFIED PROCTOR TEST – Overburden pressure is less that past
drop pf 457.2mm, 44.5N  PRECONSOLIDATION PRESSURE – past
pressure
 COEFF. OF CONSOLIDATION – increases be supported by the soil in excess of the
as LL increases pressure caused by the surrounding soil
 POLE METHOD – used in finding at the foundation
stresses in soil mass
o MOHR’S CIRCLE
 DIRECT SHEAR TEST – oldest and
simplest form of shear arrangement
 ULTIMATE STRENGTH
 TRIAXIAL SHEAR TEST – most reliable for
determining shear strength
 DEVIATOR STRESS
 SENSITIVITY – ratio of undisturbed to
remolded
 ELASTIC EQUILIBRIUM – horizontal
strain is 0
 PLASTIC EQUILBRIUM – condition
where every point in a soil mass is at
the verge of failure
 FOUNDATION – lowest part of the
structure
 SPREAD FOOTING – enlargement of a
load-bearing wall or column, spread the
load
 MAT FOUNDATION – entire structure
on a concrete pad
 PILE – structural members made of
timber etc. that transmit the load of
superstructure to the lower layers of
soil
 SHAFT – drilled into subsoil and filled
with concrete
 ULTIMATE BEARING CAPACITY – load
per unit area
 GENERAL SHEAR FAILURE
 LOCAL SHEAR FAILURE
 PUNCHING SHEAR FAILURE
 SHALLOW – if depth is less than or
equal to width of foundation
 CONTINUOUS/STRIP FOUNDATION –
width to length ratio of foundation
approaches 0
 NET ULTIMATE BEARING CAPACITY –
ultimate pressure per unit area that can