Sultanate of Oman.

Highway Design Standards 2010

Glossary of Acronyms and Terms

AADT Bathymetry Chrysotile
Average Annual Daily Traffic. The depths of water in oceans, seas, and lakes. Fibrous form of the Serpentine mineral.

AASHTO Beach Erosion CIE

American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. The carrying away of beach materials by wave action, tidal currents, littoral currents, or wind. International Commission on illumination.

ACI Beach Fill CJ

American Concrete Institute. Sand placed on a beach; beach nourishment. Construction Joint.

ADT Beach Nourishment Client Authority

Average Daily Traffic. The direct placement of large amounts of good quality sand on the beach to widen the beach. Specific Authority that has commissioned the highway design work via a direct contract.

Advisory Standards (highway design) Beach width Closed Joint

Important standards but allow some flexibility in application to accommodate design The horizontal dimension of the beach measured normal from some defined location A deck joint designed to prevent the passage of debris through the joint and to safeguard
constraints or be compatible with local conditions described by the word should. landward of the shoreline. pedestrian and cycle traffic.

AISC Bearing Colluvium

American Institute of Steel Construction. A structural device that transmits loads while facilitating translation and/or rotation. Hill wash and scree deposits

Alongshore (marine) Bearing Joint Color rendering (lighting)

Parallel to and near the shoreline; longshore. A deck joint provided at bearings and other deck supports to facilitate horizontal translation The effect of a light source on the color appearance of objects in conscious or subconscious
and rotation of abutting structural elements. It may or may not provide for differential comparison with their color appearance under a reference light source.
ANSI
vertical translation of these elements.
American National Standards Institute. Combined Method
BoQ Part of the reinforcement is pretensioned and part post-tensioned.
Anticline
Bill of Quantity.
Fold structure convex upwards. Compression Seal
Bracket (arm) A preformed elastomeric device that is precompressed in the gap of a joint with expected total
Area of Influence (traffic)
An attachment, to a lamp post or pole, from which a luminaire is attached. range of movement less than 50 mm.
The extent of highway network surrounding a project which may be subject to traffic flow
demand changes directly caused by the subject project when opened. BS / BS EN Conflict area (traffic)
British Standards / British Standards harmonized with EC Standards. Area on a road system where a strong potential exists for collisions between vehicles or
Armor Layer
between vehicles and pedestrians.
Protective layer on the outside or top of a revetment or seawall composed of armor units. Bulkhead
A structure or partition to retain or prevent sliding of the land. A secondary purpose is to Construction Joint
ASCE
protect the upland against damage from wave action. A temporary joint used to permit sequential construction.
American Society of Civil Engineers.
c/w and cwy Cross Shore
ASTM
Carriageway (abbrev). Perpendicular to the shoreline.
American Society for Testing and Materials.
Cable and Tendon CRSI
AWS
Cable and tendon both refer to a bundle of prestressing steel of the same type and size Concrete Reinforcing Steel Institute.
American Welding Society.
bundled together to be contained within a duct and stressed, individually or collectively,
Deck Joint
Backshore from the same anchorage.
A structural discontinuity between two elements, at least one of which is a deck element. It
The zone of the shore or beach lying between the foreshore and the coastline comprising
Camber (structures) is designed to permit relative translation and/or rotation of abutting structural elements
the berm or berms and acted upon by waves only during severe storms, especially when
The intentional curvature of the formwork, formed initially to compensate for subsequent
combined with exceptionally high water. Deepwater
deflection under load.
Water so deep that surface waves are little affected by the ocean bottom. Generally, water
Bajada
CAN/CSA deeper than one-half the surface wavelength is considered deep water.
Zone of coalescing alluvial fans.
National Standard of Canada.
Deflation
Ballast
Carriageway Erosion by wind.
A device used with an electric-discharge lamp to obtain the necessary circuit conditions
The part of the highway corridor used for the passage of vehicles.
(voltage, current, ) for starting and operating. Demand Critical Welds
CE Those welds, the failure of which would result in significant degradation of the strength
Bar
Corps of Engineers (USA). and stiffness of the Seismic-Load-Resisting System and which are indicated as Demand
A submerged or emerged embankment of sand, gravel, or other unconsolidated material
Critical or Seismic Critical on Drawings.
built on the sea floor in shallow water by waves and currents. Cementitious Materials
Portland cement alone or in combination with one or more of blended hydraulic cement, fly Departure (highway design)
Barchan Dune
ash and other pozzolans, ground granulated blast-furnace slag and silica fume. A change in standard which requires careful investigation as to the safety and cost
Classical crescent shaped sand dune with horns pointing downwind.
consequences before approval from overseeing authority can be sought.
CEN
Barrier Island
European Committee for Standardization. Design Storm
An unconsolidated, elongated body of sand or gravel lying above the hightide level and
A hypothetical extreme storm whose waves coastal protection structures will often be
separated from the mainland by a lagoon or marsh. It is commonly between two inlets, has Cenozoic
designed to withstand. The severity of the storm (i.e. return period) is chosen in view of
dunes, vegetated areas, and swampy terrains extending from the beach into the lagoon. Division of Geological time (0 to 70 million years ago).
the acceptable level of risk of damage or failure. A design storm consists of a design wave
condition, a design water level and a duration.
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 Design Wave Faults Heavy Sections
In the design of harbors, harbor works, etc., the type or types of waves selected as having Dislocation of a rock mass. Rolled and built-up sections as follows:
the characteristics against which protection is desired. i. S
 hapes included in ASTM A 6/A 6M with flanges thicker than 38 mm.
FCAW
DGRLT Flux Cored Arc Welding. ii. Welded built-up members with plates thicker than 50 mm.
Directorate General for Roads and Land Transport (of the Ministry of Transport and iii. Column base plates thicker than 50 mm.
FFS
Communications).
Free flow speed (abbrev). hgv
Diapir Heavy Goods Vehicle.
Fixed Bearing
Mobile rock body that has pierced overlying strata.
A bearing that prevents differential longitudinal translation of abutting structural elements. High mast lighting
Disability glare It may or may not provide for differential lateral translation or rotation. System of lighting for large areas using masts carrying clusters of luminaires.
Effect of stray light in the eye whereby visibility and visual performance are reduced.
Flood HPI
Disc Bearing 1) Period when tide level is rising; often taken to mean the flood current which occurs Metal halide.
A bearing that accommodates rotation by deformation of a single elastomeric disc molded during this period.
HPMV
from a urethane compound. It may be movable, guided, unguided, or fixed. Movement is 2) A flow beyond the carrying capacity of a channel.
High Pressure Mercury vapor.
accommodated by sliding of polished stainless steel on PFTE.
Floodway
HPS
DMRB Strengthened and protected road construction across the bed of a dry wadi to allow wadi
High pressure sodium.
Design Manual for Roads and Bridges (Highways Agency) UK. flow over it in times of flood.
ICD
DS Foot bridge
Inscribed Circle Diameter.
Design Standard. Bridge over an obstacle to pedestrians, provided for the passage of pedestrians only.
IDF curves (hydrology)
DSD Foreshore
Intensity - Duration - Frequency curves.
Decision Sight Distance. The part of the shore, lying between the crest of the seaward berm (or upper limit of wave
wash at high tide) and the ordinary low-water mark, that is ordinarily traversed by the IEC
DSTF
uprush and backrush of the waves as the tides rise and fall. International Electrotechnical Commission.
Design Service Traffic Flow.
Forms and Formwork Illuminance E(lux)
Duct marker
The section of the temporary works used to give the required shape and support to poured The areal density of the luminous flux incident at a point on a surface. It is the quotient of
Marker used to identify locations of underground utilities.
concrete. It consists primarily of sheeting material, such as wood, plywood, metal sheet or the luminous flux by the area of the surface when the latter is uniformly illuminated.
Dunes plastic sheet, in direct contact with the concrete and joists or stringers that directly support
IP
Ridges or mounds of loose, wind-blown material, usually sand. the sheeting.
Protection number for the resistance to the ingress of dirt and water.
Efficacy (lm/w) Freeboard
Joint
Amount of light emitted measured in lumen (lm) by a lamp for each watt (w) of power consumed. 1) the vertical distance between the water level and the top of a coastal levee or dike.
A structural discontinuity between two elements. The structural members used to frame or
EIRR 2) the distance from the waterline to the lowchord of the bottom of a suspended deck such
form the discontinuity.
Economic Internal Rate of Return. as a bridge deck or offshore platform. or
3) the distance from the crest of the design wave to the low-chord of the bottom of a Joint Seal
ELV (electrical) suspended deck such as a bridge deck or offshore platform. A poured or preformed elastomeric device designed to prevent moisture and debris from
Extra Low Voltage. penetrating joints.
Frontage
Emergency lane Land adjacent to the highway (ie which fronts onto it). Kaolinite
Lane parallel to the traffic lane(s) not destined for normal traffic, but for emergency (police) Potassium Aluminum Silicate clay material.
vehicles and/or for broken-down vehicles. Also known as shoulder. FYRR
First year rate of return. Karstification
EN (standards/specifications) Holes and cavities in limestone brought about by solution.
European Norm. Geotextile
A synthetic fabric which may be woven or non-woven used as a filter. Klippe
Energy saving Isolated erosional remnant of a nappe in thrusted terrains.
Practice of decreasing the quantity of energy used. GGBFS
Ground granulated blast furnace slag. Lagoon
Erosion A shallow body of water, like a pond or sound, partly or completely separated from the sea
The wearing away of land by the action of natural forces. On a beach, the carrying away of Glare
by a barrier island or reef. Sometimes connected to the sea via an inlet.
beach material by wave action, tidal currents, littoral currents, or by deflation. The sensation produced by luminance within the visual field that is sufficiently greater than
the luminance to which the eyes are adapted to cause annoyance, discomfort, or less in Lamp life
ESA/ESALs visual performance and visibility. The average life of a lamp defined as the total operating hours at which 80 percent of any
Equivalent Standard Axle/Equivalent Standard Axle Loads ESA is a standardized axle load group of lamps is still operating.
Gore Area
to which all vehicle axle loads are reduced for pavement design purposes.
Area between merge/diverge ramps and mainline close to the mainline carriageway which Lamp restrike time
Estuary contains the Painted Nose (the point where ramp and mainline carriageway edges diverge/ The amount of time it takes for a hot lamp to reestablish the arc discharge.
1) The region near a river mouth in which the fresh water of the river mixes with the merge), Physical Nose, and Gore Nose. The Gore Nose is formed where the triangular LEED (environmental)
salt water of the sea and which received both fluvial and littoral sediment influx. shaped highway surfacing is stopped between the mainline and ramp shoulder edges. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design.
2) The part of a river that is affected by tides.
Gypsum Lithologies
Eustatic Calcium Sulphate. Type of sedimentary rock, e.g. Sandstone, clay, limestone, etc.
Changes in sea level brought about by climate changes.
HA Littoral
Expressway Highways Agency (UK) Coastal area between high and low tide.
A dual carriageway high speed National or Arterial Route having grade separated junctions
Hard Strip Loess
and full access control.
One metre width of paving at edge of travel lane to protect from deterioration, allow Deposit of windblown silt.
Facies minimum wander and allow provision of painted edge lines.
The sum total of the characteristics of a rock including when, where and how it formed and Longitudinal
Harzburgite Parallel with the main span direction of a structure
what it looks like.
A variety of peridotite made up of olivine and low Ca pyroxene
Falsework Longitudinal Joint
Headland A joint parallel to the span direction of a structure provided to separate a deck or
Any temporary structure used to support a permanent structure while it is not self-
A promontory extending out into a body of water. superstructure into two independent structural systems
supporting.

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Longshore Mean Lower Water (MLW) Oedometer
Parallel to and near the shoreline; alongshore.
LoS Offset
Level of Service (abbrev) A measure of the conditions experienced by a driver resulting
from a combination of the characteristics of the road and the traffic level.
LPS the latter case is the same as mean lower low water.
Low pressure sodium
LRFD The average height of the surface of the sea for all stages of the tide over a 19-year period,
Load-and-resistance factor design.
Lumen lm Median (1) effectively ceases and where the influence of the sea bed on wave action is small in
The luminous flux emitted within a unit solid angle (one steradian) by a point source having
a uniform luminous intensity of one candela.
Luminaire In roundabout design, the description of the central line formed equidistantly between two
A complete lighting unit consisting of a lamp or lamps together with the parts designed to
distribute the light, to position and protect the lamps and to connect the lamps to the power
supply.
Luminaire efficiency
The ratio of luminous flux emitted by a luminaire to that emitted by the lamp (s) used therein.
Luminance L (cd/m2) accommodates movement by rocking or rolling of one surface with respect to the other.
The quotient of the luminous flux at an element of the surface surrounding the point, and
propagated in directions defined by an elementary cone containing the given direction,
by the product of the solid angle of the cone and area of the orthogonal projection of
the element of the surface on a plane perpendicular to the given direction. The luminous
flux may be leaving, passing through, and/or arriving at the surface. Note: In common
usage, the term brightness usually refers to the strength of sensation which results from
viewing surfaces or spaces from which light comes to the eye. This sensation is determined
in part by the definitely measurable luminance defined above and in part by conditions of
observation such as the state of adaptation of the eye.
Maintained (lighting)
In-service, diminished luminance or illuminance by the maintenance factor.
Maintenance Factor
A factor used to denote the ratio of the illuminance on a given area after a period of time to the
initial illuminance on the same area
Maintenance factor (lighting)
A factor used to denote the ratio of the illuminance on a given area after a period of time to
the initial illuminance on the same area
Major Road
The road which is assigned a permanent priority of traffic movement over that of the other
road or roads
Mandatory Standards
Essential for achievement of overall design objectives - indicated by the use of the word
must or shall
Mature Highway
A highway that has been estabished for some time and unlikey to change significantly in
functional and operational characteristics.
MCP
Manual of Concrete Practice (by ACI)
Mean High Water(MHW)
The average height of the high waters over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of
observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results
to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. All high water heights are included in the average
where the type of tide is either semidiurnal or mixed. Only the higher high water heights
are included in the average where the type of tide is diurnal. So determined, mean high
water in the latter case is the same as mean higher high water.
Mean Higher High Water(MHHW) The road edge to the right of the driver.
The average height of the higher high waters over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of
observation, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the result to
the equivalent of a mean 19-year value.
Mean Lower Low Water (MLLW)
The average height of the lower low waters over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of
observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results
to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. Frequently abbreviated to lower low water.
The average height of the low waters over a 19-year period. For shorter periods of Apparatus for measuring compressibility or consolidation characteristics of clay samples.
observations, corrections are applied to eliminate known variations and reduce the results
to the equivalent of a mean 19-year value. All low water heights are included in the average
General term relating to curbs - distance from edge of lane to curb face - variable for shy-
where the type of tide is either semidiurnal or mixed. Only lower low water heights are
distance, parking, or safety clearance at islands etc.
included in the average where the type of tide is diurnal. So determined, mean low water in
Offshore
1) In beach terminology, the comparatively flat zone of variable width, extending from the
Mean Sea Level
shoreface to the edge of the continental shelf. It is continually submerged.
2) The direction seaward from the shore.
usually determined from hourly height readings. Not necessarily equal to mean tide level.
3) The zone beyond the nearshore zone where sediment motion induced by waves alone
The continuous island at the centre of a dual carriageway. comparison with the effect of wind.
4) The breaker zone directly seaward of the low tide line.
Median (2)
Offside
boundaries. The road edge to the left of the driver.
Mesozoic Onshore
Division of geological time (70 to 225 million years ago). A direction landward from the sea.
Metal Rocker or Roller Bearing Overburden
A bearing that carries vertical load by direct contact between two metal surfaces and that Cohesionless deposits that overlie sound rock.
Overhang
Metamorphics The horizontal distance between a vertical line passing through the luminaire center and
Rocks, either sedimentary or Igneous, that have been altered by heat and/or temperature. the nearest curb of the road.
Metastable Overseeing Authority
Out of equilibrium with the environment. Potentially unstable. General term for an Authority that has jurisdiction or power of approval over a particular
aspect of all or part of the highway design work. This can be the Client who has
Minor Road
commissioned the design or other bodies such as the RoP, Enviromental Agencies etc.
The road or roads that have to give priority over major roads.
Overtopping
Monochromatic
Passing of water over the top of a structure as a result of wave runup or surge action.
Light with a single frequency.
Pay Zone
Mounting height
Formation which yields oil economically.
Nominal vertical distance between the geometric centre of a road lighting luminaire and
the surface of the road. pc
Passenger car.
Movable Bearing
A bearing that facilitates differential horizontal translation of abutting structural elements in PCC
a longitudinal and/or lateral direction. It may or may not provide for rotation. Police Control Center.
msa (pavement design) pcu
million (equivalent) standard axles Passenger car unit - the equivalent traffic effect of a single passenger car.
Multirotational Bearing Peak Period
A bearing consisting of a rotational element of the pot type, disc type, or spherical type when The wave period determined by the inverse of the frequency at which the wave energy
used as a fixed bearing and that may, in addition, have sliding surfaces to accommodate spectrum reaches its maximum.
translation when used as an expansion bearing. Translation may be constrained to a
Pedestrian Refuge
specified direction by guide bars.
A raised island, protected by non-mountable curb, of sufficient size, purpose built or part of
MUTCD a channelization scheme, providing a safe standing area for pedestrians.
Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices.
Penninsula
n/a An elongated body of land nearly surrounded by water and connected to a larger body of
Not applicable/not appropriate. land by a neck or isthmus.
Nappe Peridotite
Large fold with basalt thrust plane. Magnesium silicate mineral. Major constituent of the earths upper mantle.
Nearshore Permian
1) In beach terminology an indefinite zone extending seaward from the shoreline well Division of Geological time (about 250 million years before present).
beyond the breaker zone.
Permissive Standards
2) The zone which extends from the swash zone to the position marking the start of the All standards other than mandatory or advisory are indicated by the word may These are
offshore zone, typically at water depths of the order of 20 m. permissive and no requirement for application is intended.
Nearside PFA
Pulverised Fuel Ash
NMU Piedmont
Non-motorised user. Literally mountain foot - area of land at foot of mountain.
NPV Plain Elastomeric Pad (PEP)
Net Present Value. A pad made exclusively of elastomer, which provides limited translation and rotation.
ODOT Plastic Concrete
Oregon Department of Transportation. Term to describe stiff or semi hardened concrete.
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 Platoon (traffic) Return Period Sealed Joint
A group of bunched vehicles travelling together, usually related to traffic signal operation Average period of time between occurrences of a given event. A joint provided with a joint seal.
close to capacity.
Revetment Seismic Waves
Pleistocene A layer or layers of stone, concrete, etc., to protect an embankment, or shore structure, Shock waves transmitted through rock.
Division of Geological (less than 2 million years before present). against erosion by wave action or currents.
Seismic-Load-Resisting System
Pliocene RipRap Elements of structural-steel frame designated as SLRS or along grid lines designated as
Division of the Tertiary Period A protective layer or facing of quarrystone, usually well graded within a wide size limit, SLRS on Drawings, including columns, beams, and braces and their connections.
randomly placed to prevent erosion, scour, or sloughing of an embankment or bluff; also
Polytetrafluorethylene (PTFE) Serpentine
the stone so used.
Also known as Teflon. Alteration product of Peridotite brought about by considerable reduction in temperature
Road Design Group and pressure.
Post-Tensioning
Design Catergory of a road based on the operational characterstic of a highway in a
The process when the prestressing steel is tensioned after the concrete has hardened. The Setback
particular functional classification.
tendons are installed in voids or ducts within the concrete and are stressed and anchored The lateral offset of the pole from the face of the curb or edge of the travelled way.
against the concrete after the development of the required concrete strength. As a final Road User Safety Audit (RUSA)
Shallow Water
operation under this method, the voids or ducts are pressure-grouted An independent check at key design stages in the design process on the safety of a highway/
1) Commonly, water of such a depth that surface waves are noticeably affected by bottom
junction design from the road users perspective.
Pot Bearing topography.
A bearing that carries vertical load by compression of an elastomeric disc confined in a Road/Roadway 2) More strictly, in hydrodynamics with regard to progressive gravity waves, water in
steel cylinder and that accommodates rotation by deformation of the disc. Term which is interchangable with the word highway. which the depth is less than 1/25 the wavelength.

Poured Seal Routes Shore

A seal made from a material that remains flexible (asphaltic, polymeric, or other), which is A length of road which may be made up of several connected linear sections of road, but The narrow strip of land in immediate contact with the sea, including the zone between
poured into the gap of a joint and is expected to adhere to the sides of the gap. Typically with a common functional classification. high and low water lines. A shore of unconsolidated material is usually called a beach. Also
used only when expected total range of movement is less than 40 mm. used in a general sense to mean the coastal area (e.g., to live at the shore).
ROW/RoW
Practical Capacity (traffic) Highway Right of Way. Shoreline
A level of capacity below the theoretical saturation capacity, which makes due allowance The intersection of a specified plane of water with the shore or beach (e.g., the high water
RQD
for actual site realities. shoreline would be the intersection of the plane of mean high water with the shore or beach).
Rock Quality Designation (an indicator of rock fracturing).
The line delineating the shoreline on National Ocean Service nautical charts and surveys
Prepared Sub-grade
R-table approximates the mean high water line.
Top layer of sub-grade, directly below the pavement structure, using selected material,
A table for a particular pavement type which provides reduced luminance coefficients in
compacted to a design strength for pavement support. Significant Wave Height
terms of the variable angles, beta and tan gamma.
The primary measure of energy in a sea state. that is calculated either as the average height
Prestressing Steel
Run-up of the one-third highest waves or via energy density spectral analysis methods.
Steel wire, strand or bars used for prestressing of concrete.
The upper level reached by a wave on a beach or coastal structure, relative to Stillwater level.
Sinkholes
Prestressing System
Sabkhahs Solution holes in limestone.
A proprietary system of applying prestress and includes anchorages, couplers and jacks but
Low lying salt flat.
does not necessarily include prestressing steel and cable ducts. Sliding Bearing
Sand Bar A bearing that accommodates movement by translation of one surface relative to another.
Pretensioning
A submerged or emerged embankment of sand built on the sea floor in shallow water by
The process when the prestressing steel is tensioned against independent anchorages SLRS
waves and currents.
before the concrete is placed round it. The prestressing strand or tendons are stressed prior Seismic-load-resisting system.
to being embedded in the concrete placed for the member. After the concrete has attained Sand Pit
SOL
the required strength, the prestressing force is released from the external anchorages and A narrow sand embankment, created by an excess of deposition at its seaward terminus,
Setting Out Line.
transferred, by bond, into the concrete. with its distal end (the end away from the point of origin) terminating in open water.
SPT
Protected Zone Saturation Capacity
Standard Penetrometer Test.
Structural members or portions of structural members indicated as Protected Zone on Theoretical maximum traffic flow capacity.
Drawings. Connections of structural and nonstructural elements to protected zones are SRTL
SBP
limited. Segregated Right Turn Lane (used to improve traffic carrying efficiency of roundabouts).
Shoulder Break Point - point at which embankment side slope surface and highway verge
Proterozoic surface intersect. SSD
A period of Earths history that began 2.5 billion years ago and ended 543 million years Stopping Sight distance.
Scaffold
ago. A temporarily provided structure that provides access, or on or from which persons work, SSPC
PTFE or that is used to support material, plant or equipment. Structural Steel Painting Council.
Polytetrafluorethylene also known as Teflon. SCM Steel-Reinforced Elastomeric Bearing
PTFE Sliding Bearing Supplementary cementing materials. A bearing made from alternate laminates of steel and elastomer bonded together during
A bearing that carries vertical load through contact stresses between a PTFE sheet and vulcanization. Vertical loads are carried by compression of the elastomer. Movements parallel
Scoping (environmental)
its mating surface, and that permits movements by sliding of the PTFE over the mating to the reinforcing layers and rotations are accommodated by deformation of the elastomer.
A survey and consultation process followed early in a project cycle to establish major
surface. environmental concerns on which to base the subsequent environmental studies. Still Water Level (SWL)
RCBC Commonly abbreviated to SWL. The surface of the water if all wave and wind action were
Scour
Reinforced Concrete Box Culvert. to cease.
Removal of underwater material by waves and currents, especially at the base or toe of a structure.
RCSC Storm Surge
Scour Protection
Research Council on Structural Connections. A rise in average (typically over several minutes) water level above the normal astronomical
Protection against erosion.
tide level due to the action of a storm. Storm surge results from wind stress, atmospheric
Reef SCS pressure reduction, and wave setup.
Offshore consolidated rock. Often refers to coral fringing reefs in tropical waters. Soil Conservation Services.
Structural Steel
Relaxation (highway design) SCTP Elements of structural-steel frame, as classified by AISC303, Code of Standard Practice for
Undesirable but acceptable drop to a minimum standard. Supreme Committee for Town Planning. Steel Buildings and Bridges.
Residual Soil SDO Sub-grade
Soil residue that remains after rock has been dissolved or weathered away. Sohar Development Office. Embankment fill (commomn material) compacted normally.

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Subsidiary roads Vented Floodway
Access roads, residential roads and associated pedestrians areas, foot paths and cycle As floodway but elevated and supported on culverts to allow the wadi to flow beneath road,
tracks. as well as overtop in more severe floods.

Subway VOC
An underground passage for pedestrians. Vehicle Operating Cost.

Superelevation Waterproofed Joints

Lateral slope applied to a road to assist drivers negotiate curves. Open or closed joints that have been provided with some form of trough below the joint to
contain and conduct deck discharge away from the structure.
Surf Zone
The zone of wave action extending from the water line (which varies with tide, surge, set-up, Wave Height
etc.) out to the most seaward point of the zone (breaker zone) at which waves approaching The vertical distance between a crest and the preceding trough.
the coastline commence breaking, typically in water depths of between 5 to 10 meters.
Wave Period
Swash Zone The time for a wave crest to traverse a distance equal to one wavelength. The time for two
The zone of wave action on the beach, which moves as water levels vary, extending from successive wave crests to pass a fixed point.
the limit of run-down to the limit of runup.
Wavelength
Tendon (structural) The horizontal distance between similar points on two successive waves measured
Steel cable consisting of a bunch of grouped steel wires. perpendicular to the crest.

Thrust Wetlands
A low angle reverse fault. Lands whose saturation with water is the dominant factor determining the nature of soil
development and the types of plant and animal communities that live in the soil and on its
TI (Threshold Increment)
surface (e.g. Mangrove forests).
Measure of loss of visibility caused by the disability glare from the road lighting
luminaires.

Tidal Current
The alternating horizontal movement of water associated with the rise and fall of the tide
caused by the astronomical tide-producing forces.

Tidal Inlet
1) An inlet maintained by tidal flow.
2) Loosely, any inlet in which the tide ebbs and flows.

Tide
The periodic rising and falling of the water that results from gravitational attraction of the
Moon and Sun and other astronomical bodies acting upon the rotating Earth. Although the
accompanying horizontal movement of the water resulting from the same cause is also
sometimes called the tide, it is preferable to designate the latter as tidal current, reserving
the name tide for the vertical movement.

Toe
Lowest part of a revetment or seawall slope, generally forming the transition to the seabed.

Tower
A composite structure, usually tall, used principally to carry vertical loading.

Traffic Mix
The composition of traffic in respect of their vehicular classification.

Translation
Horizontal movement of the bridge in the longitudinal or transverse direction.

Transverse
The horizontal direction normal to the longitudinal axis of the bridge.

TRB
Transportation Research Board (US).

TRL
Transport Research Laboratory (UK).

Tropical Storm
A tropical cyclone with maximum winds less than 34 m/sec (75 mile per hour). Less strength
when compared with hurricane or typhoon (winds greater than 34 m/sec).

Tsunami
A long-period wave caused by an underwater disturbance such as a volcanic eruption or
earthquake. Commonly miscalled tidal wave.

Ultramafic
Igneous with low silica content (less than 45%).

UTC
Urban Traffic Control

v/c ratio
Volume to Capacity ratio (abbrev) The ratio of the volume of traffic flowing on a road
against a measure of capacity.