GLOSSARIES - Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering - page 514

Erosion Control System A combination of desilting facilities and erosion protection, including
effective planting to protect adjacent private property, watercourses, public facilities, and receiving
waters from any abnormal deposition of sediment or dust.
Excavation The mechanical removal of earth material.
Fill A deposit of earth material placed by artificial means. An engineered (or structural) fill refers to
a fill in which the geotechnical engineer has, during grading, made sufficient tests to enable the con-
clusion that the fill has been placed in substantial compliance with the recommendations of the
geotechnical engineer and the governing agency requirements. See App. C, Standard Detail No. 5 (Day
1999) for typical canyon fill placement specifications.
Hydraulic Fill A fill placed by transporting soils through a pipe using large quantities of water.
These fills are generally loose because they have little or no mechanical compaction during construction.
Footing A structural member typically installed at a shallow depth that is used to transmit structural
loads to the soil or rock strata. Common types of footings include combined footings, spread (or pad)
footings, and strip (or wall) footings.
Forms Structures, usually made of wood, used during the placement of concrete. Forms confine and
support the fluid concrete as it hardens.
Foundation That part of the structure that supports the weight of the structure and transmits the
load to underlying soil or rock.
Deep Foundation A foundation that derives its support by transferring loads to soil or rock at
some depth below the structure.

Shallow Foundation A foundation that derives its support by transferring load directly to soil

or rock at a shallow depth.
Freeze Also known as setup; an increase in the load capacity of a pile after it has been driven. Freeze
is caused primarily by the dissipation of excess pore water pressures.
Geosynthetic A planar product manufactured from polymeric material and typically placed in soil
to form an integral part of a drainage, reinforcement, or stabilization system. Types include geotex-
tiles, geogrids, geonets, and geomembranes.
Geotextile A permeable geosynthetic composed solely of textiles.
Grade The vertical location of the ground surface.
Existing Grade The ground surface prior to grading.
Finished Grade The final grade of the site which conforms to the approved plan.
Lowest Adjacent Grade Adjacent to the structure, the lowest point of elevation of the finished
surface of the ground, paving, or sidewalk.
Natural Grade The ground surface unaltered by artificial means.
Rough Grade The stage at which the grade approximately conforms to the approved plan.
Grading Any operation consisting of excavation, filling, or a combination thereof.
Grading Contractor A contractor licensed and regulated who specializes in grading work or is
otherwise licensed to do grading work.
Grading Permit An official document or certificate issued by the building official authorizing
grading activity as specified by approved plans and specifications.
Grouting The process of injecting grout into soil or rock formations to change their physical char-
acteristics. Common examples include grouting to decrease the permeability of a soil or rock stratum,
or compaction grouting to densify loose soil or fill.
Hillside Site A site that entails cut and/or fill grading of a slope which may be adversely affected
by drainage and/or stability conditions within or outside the site, or which may cause an adverse effect
on adjacent property.
Jetting The use of a water jet to facilitate the installation of a pile. It can also refer to the fluid place-
ment of soil, such as jetting in the soil for a utility trench.