Glossary: Final Draft June 2014 - Not To Be Used For Design Purpose

FINAL DRAFT JUNE 2014 – NOT TO BE USED FOR DESIGN PURPOSE
Glossary
QHDM
GLOSSARY
Glossary
Accessibility
1. A measure of mobility.
2. Total travel time between areas weighted by the relative attractiveness of the destination.
3. A measure of the ability of public transportation users to access transit modes.
Accuracy
1. The closeness or degree of agreement, within a stated tolerance and probability of
conformity, between a quantity measured or estimated and an accepted reference value.
2. The degree to which a measurement, or the mean of a distribution of measurements, tends
to coincide with the true population mean.
Active Frontage
The frontage or edge of a building or space that has windows and doors, as opposed to blank
walls, fences, and garages.
Acquisition
The process of obtaining right-of-way.
Addendum
A contract revision developed between advertising and opening proposals.
Alignment
1. The fixing of points on the ground in correct linear form for setting out, for example, a road,
railway, wall, transmission line, or canal.
2. A ground plan showing a route (as opposed to a profile section) including levels and
elevations.
All-red period
Period during the change from one phase to the next when all signal aspects display a red light
signal.
Approach
1. A set of lanes accommodating all left-turn, through, and right-turn movements arriving at an
intersection from a given direction.
2. Section of the accessible route that flanks the landing of a curb ramp. The approach may be
slightly graded if the landing level is below the elevation of the adjoining sidewalk.
Approach half-width (v)

The total width of the traffic lanes on the approach to a roundabout, upstream from any entry
flare. This is used by some capacity models to estimate the capacity of the roadway in advance of
the roundabout.
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GLOSSARY
Approved Departure
A departure that meets the Overseeing Organization’s requirements for that element of the
works, provided that any mitigation measures proposed by the design organization or conditional
to that approval are incorporated into the design and works.
Aquifer
A geologic formation, group of formations, or part of a formation capable of yielding a significant
amount of groundwater to a well or springs.
Ashghal
Qatar Public Works Authority (PWA).
At-grade intersection
An intersection where all roadways join or cross at the same level.
Attenuation Tank
Storage tank to arrest stormwater flows.
Auxiliary Lane
The portion of the roadway adjoining the through traveled way for parking, speed change,
turning, storage for turning, weaving, truck climbing, or for other purposes supplementary to
through traffic movement.
Average annual daily traffic (AADT)

The total annual volume of traffic passing a point or segment of a highway in both directions
divided by the number of days in a year.
Average daily traffic (ADT)

The total volume during a given time period, in whole days, greater than one day and less than 1
year, divided by the number of days in the time period.
Axle
A supporting shaft or member on, or with which, a wheel or set of wheels revolves. The number
of vehicle axles is commonly counted in pairs sharing the same axis. For example, a car is
classified as having only two axles.
Axle load
The total load transmitted by all wheels, the centers of which may be included between two
parallel transverse vertical planes 1 m apart, extending across the full width of the vehicle.
Back Slope
The slope from the bottom of a swale to the existing ground surface; also referred to as cut slope.
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GLOSSARY
Bank
The side slopes or margins of a channel between which the stream or river is normally confined.
More formally, the lateral boundaries of a channel or stream, as indicated by a scarp, or on the
inside of bends, by the streamward edge of permanent vegetal growth.
Barchan dune
A large, crescent-shaped dune at right angles to the prevailing wind and having a steep, concave
leeward side with the crescent tips pointing downwind.
Barrier
A device used to prevent a vehicle from striking a more severe obstacle or feature located on the
roadside or in the median or to prevent crossover median crashes. As so defined, there are four
classes of traffic barriers: roadside barriers, median barriers, bridge railings, and crash cushions.
Base Course
The layer or layers of specified or selected material of designed thickness placed on a subbase or
subgrade to support a surface course.
Batter
The deformation of the surface of the head of the rail in the immediate vicinity of the end.
Bearing
A support element transferring loads from the superstructure to the substructure while
permitting limited movement capability.
Bedrock
The scour-resistant material underlying erodible soils and overlying the mantle rock, ranging from
surface exposure to depths of several hundred kilometers.
Berm
1. A narrow shelf or ledge; also a form of dike. A more detailed description might be (a) the
space left between the upper edge of a cut and the toe of an embankment or (b) a horizontal
strip or shelf built into an embankment to break the continuity of an otherwise long slope.
Also may be the top surface or plane of a shoulder, ledge, or bank constructed in connection
with the road.
2. A raised, elongated area of earth intended to direct the flow of water, visually screen, redirect
out-of-control vehicles, or reduce noise levels by shielding the highway; may also be a
horizontal ledge in an earthen bank to increase stability of a steep slope.
3. Earthwork used to redirect or slow down impinging vehicles or vessels and to stabilize fill,
embankment, or soft ground and cut slopes.
BES 6001
The Buildings Research Establishment (BRE) Environmental and Sustainability Standard for
responsible sourcing of construction products.
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Bike path
A way or separated part of a road provided for the sole use of cyclists.
Bicycle
A vehicle propelled solely by human power upon which any person may ride, having two tandem
wheels, except scooters and similar devices.
Binder course
A plant mix of graded aggregate (generally open graded) and bituminous material that
constitutes the lower layer of the surface course.
Blackspot
A road location with an abnormally high number of crashes. This term is said to derive from the
method that was originally used to identify locations with a high number of crashes. These
crashes were pinpointed on a physical map using colored pins to represent the severity of each
crash. Black was reserved for crashes having caused property damage only, and the significant
proportion of these crashes created black areas or spots at crash concentration points.
Borehole
A general term for a small diameter hole sunk in the ground, usually vertically but may be
horizontal or inclined, to collect samples of soil, rock strata, and groundwater and to carry out
tests to establish the properties of the strata.
Borrow
Suitable material from sources outside the roadway prism, used primarily for embankments.
Braking distance
Distance a vehicle travels between when the brakes are applied and when the vehicle stops.
Breakaway
A design feature that allows a device such as a sign, luminaire, or traffic signal support to yield or
separate upon impact. The release mechanism may be a slip plane, plastic hinges, fracture
elements, or a combination of these.
Bridge
A structure spanning and providing passage over a river, chasm, road, or railroad.
Building height
The height of a building expressed in terms of a maximum number of floors; a maximum height of
parapet or ridge; a maximum overall height; any of these maximum heights in combination with a
maximum number of floors; a ratio of building height to street or space width; height relative to
particular landmarks or background buildings; or strategic views.
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GLOSSARY
Building line
The line formed by the frontages of buildings along a street. The building line can be shown on a
plan or section.
Bus
A self-propelled, rubber-tired vehicle designed to carry a substantial number of passengers,
commonly operated on streets and highways.
Bus lane
A lane of roadway intended primarily for use by buses, either all day or during specified periods.
Also known as a transit priority lane or bus priority lane.
Bus shelter
A shelter for patrons at a bus stop. Usually located at high loading points, shelters may provide
seating and protection from the weather.
Bus stop
A waiting, boarding, and alighting area usually designated by distinctive signs and by curbs or
road markings.
Bypass
An arterial highway that permits traffic to avoid part or all of an urban area.
Calibration
The process of comparing model parameters with real-world data to ensure that the model
realistically represents the traffic environment. The objective is to minimize the discrepancy
between model results and measurements or observations.
California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

The ratio of the force needed to penetrate a soil mass with a 5-centimeter-diameter circular
piston to the force needed to penetrate a mass of high-quality crushed stone with the same
piston.
Cantilever
A support, either horizontal or vertical, supplied at one end only.
Capacity
Ability of the junction form, its design features, and operating characteristics to accommodate
traffic demand from all approaches.
CAPEX
Capital expenditure; a business expense incurred to create future benefit.
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Capillary break layer

Spacing left wide enough between two layers to prevent water moving through capillary action.
Capillary rise
The upward movement of water molecules along the surface of a solid.
Capping layer
The layer replacing existing material under the pavement.
Carrier drain
A sealed pipe for the conveyance of surface water.
Carrier filter drain

A fully or half-perforated pipe used to collect and convey surface water and subsoil water to an
outfall.
Catchment area (A)

A defined area, determined by topographic features, drainage patterns, and land use, within
which all rain will contribute runoff to a specific point or system.
Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessments System (CEEQUAL)

Originally developed as a sustainability and environmental performance assessment system.
CEEQUAL International has been developed to adapt to non-United Kingdom environments
globally.
Center lane
Traffic lane between the right- and left-hand lanes.
Centerline
A line indicating the division of the roadway between traffic moving in opposite directions.
Central island
The raised island at the center of the roundabout. On single-lane roundabouts, the central island
may include a truck apron, allowing larger vehicles to negotiate the roundabout while
maintaining an adequate entry path radius.
Channelization (or channelizing)

1. Use of traffic islands or road markings to direct traffic into specific traffic lanes.
2. Straightening, deepening, or both, of a channel by such means as artificial cutoffs, flow-
control measures, river training, or diversion of flow into an artificial channel.
3. The separation or regulation of conflicting traffic movements into definite paths of travel by
traffic islands or pavement markings to facilitate the orderly movements of vehicles and
pedestrians.
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GLOSSARY
Channelizing island
A curbed, raised island used to control and direct conflicting traffic, usually turning.
Character assessment
An area appraisal that identifies distinguishing physical features, including historical and
community associations.
Characteristic value parameters

Soil parameters that are defined as being a cautious estimate of the value affecting the
occurrence of the limit. This is analogous to moderately conservative parameters.
Circulatory roadway
The one-way roadway on a roundabout that surrounds the central island.
Circular traffic
Vehicular traffic flowing around a circular system or a roundabout.
Clear zone
The unobstructed, relatively flat area provided beyond the edge of the travelled way for the
recovery of errant vehicles. The clear zone includes any shoulders or auxiliary lanes.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV)

Video cameras that transmit signals to a defined, specific, limited set of monitors.
Cloverleaf interchange
A four-leg interchange that employs loop ramps to accommodate left turns. A full cloverleaf has
ramps for two turning movements in four quadrants; all other cloverleafs are referred to as
partial cloverleafs.
Cohesiveness
A harmonious grouping of complementary elements. For example, a cohesive townscape
contains objects and architectural elements that have a consistent overall effect.
Colebrook-White Equation
A method for determining flows in conduits, such as pipes or open channels; most appropriate
for flows in smoother bore pipes.
Collector
A road of the intermediate functional category that serves a small town directly, connecting it to
the arterial network.
Collector channel
A system of channels that collects and conveys surface water.
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Collector-distributor road
A one-directional road used to reduce or eliminate weaving by reducing the number of conflict
points on the mainline while satisfying the demand for access to and from the mainline.
Commercial vehicle
A vehicle with heavy-duty chassis and suspension designed for commercial freight or passenger
haulage.
Community
The general public or the people who will be affected by proposals either as end users or as local
people who live or work in the area. In the context of engagement, community will also include
people who travel through the study area or who visit or spend leisure time there.
Community Engagement
A process of involving the general public, or the people who will be affected by road building or
improvement, in the design process.
Community Severance
Community severance occurs where road traffic speed or volume inhibits access to goods,
services, or people.
Compaction
The process by which the asphalt mix is compressed and reduced in volume.
Compound curve
A curve that consists of two or more arcs of different radii curving in the same direction and
having a common tangent or transition curve between them.
Cone penetration test (CPT)

An in situ test to determine the geotechnical engineering properties of soil and to delineate soil
stratigraphy. The test method consists of pushing an instrumented cone, with the tip facing
down, into the ground at a controlled rate.
Connectivity
The ability of a transportation network to provide service to the maximum number of origin-and
destination trip pairs through the optimal integration of routes, schedules, fare structures,
information systems, and modal transfer facilities.
Consultation
When the project team provides options for discussion and listens to comments from
stakeholders and the wider community.
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Context
The character and setting of an area described in terms of physical, economic, and social
characteristics.
Contingency
A markup applied to account for substantial uncertainties in quantities, unit costs, and the
possibility of currently unforeseen risk events related to quantities, work elements, or other
project requirements.
Continuing professional development (CPD)

A register of courses, conferences, workshops, and other training undertaken with the purpose of
keeping road safety auditors up to date with the latest developments in road safety auditing,
crash investigating, and road safety engineering.
Contract
The written agreement between the contracting agency and the contractor setting forth the
obligations of the parties thereunder for the performance of the prescribed work.
Contractor
The individual, partnership, firm, corporation, or any acceptable combination thereof, or joint
venture, contracting with whom an agency or owner enters into agreement for performance of
prescribed work.
Controller
Apparatus that controls and switches traffic signals.
Corridor
1. A strip of land between two termini within which traffic, topography, environment, and other
characteristics are evaluated for transportation purposes. Also for transmission of a utility.
2. A broad geographical band that identifies a general directional flow of traffic. It may
encompass streets, highways, and transit alignments.
Crash
A rare random multifactor event when a vehicle collides with another vehicle, pedestrian, animal,
road debris, or stationary obstruction, such as a tree or utility pole. Traffic crashes may result in
injury, death, vehicle damage, and property damage.
Crash investigation
The collection and examination of historical crash data over a period of time in order to identify
patterns, common trends, and factors that may have contributed to the crashes.
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Crashworthy
1. A feature that has been proven acceptable for use under specified conditions through either
crash testing or in-service performance.
2. 2. A system that has been successfully crash tested to a currently acceptable crash test matrix
and test level or one that can be geometrically and structurally evaluated as equal to a crash-
tested system.
Cross slope
The transverse slope of the roadway cross section measured perpendicular to the direction of
travel, also referred to as crossfall.
Cross section
A vertical section of the ground and roadway at right angles to the centerline of the roadway,
including all elements of a highway or street from right-of-way line to right-of-way line.
Crossfall
The transverse slope of the roadway cross section measured perpendicular to the direction of
travel, also referred to as cross slope..
Crossroad
At-grade intersection of crossing of the two roadways.
Crown
1. The top or highest point of the internal surface of the transverse cross section of a pipe.
2. The shape of a tangent roadway cross section with a high point in the middle and a cross
slope downward toward both edges.
Culvert
Any structure under a roadway with a clear opening of 6.1 meters or less measured along the
center of the roadway.
Curb
A structure with a vertical, horizontal, or sloping face placed along the edge of a pavement or
shoulder forming part of a gutter, and strengthening or protecting the edge.
Curb extension
A section of sidewalk extending into the roadway at an intersection or midblock crossing that
reduces the crossing width for pedestrians and may help reduce traffic speeds.
Cycle
A complete sequence of traffic signal indications.
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Cycle crossing
Place on a roadway marked to indicate where cyclists should cross.
Dahal
A cavity in limestone or gypsum rock strata.
Dam
A barrier to confine or raise water for storage or diversion or to create a hydraulic head.
Decision tracking form (DTF)

A formal record of the identified risks, ratings, and recommendations from the road safety audit
together with the designer’s response and comments and endorsement by the project manager,
the Overseeing Organization, and the Overseeing Organization safety engineer.
Deck
A component, with or without wearing surface, that supports wheel loads or pedestrian loads
directly and is supported by other components.
Defect
A failure to meet a requirement with respect to a single quality characteristic.
Deflection
1. The vertical movement occurring between the supports of a bridge superstructure or its
components (beams, girders, and slabs) that results from their own weight and from dead and
live loads. Although all parts of a structure are subject to deflections, usually only those
deflections that occur in the superstructure are of significance during construction.
2. The change in the path of a vehicle imposed by geometric features of a roundabout, resulting
in a slowing of vehicles.
Deformation
A change in structural geometry due to force effects, including axial displacement, shear
displacement, and rotations.
Delay
The increased travel time experienced by a person or vehicle due to circumstances that impede
the desirable movement of traffic. It is measured as the time difference between actual travel
time and free-flow travel time.
Density
The floor space of a building or buildings or some other unit measure in relation to a given area of
land. Built density can be expressed in terms of plot ratio (for commercial development); number
of units or habitable rooms per hectare (for residential development); site coverage plus the
number of floors or a maximum building height; or a combination of these.
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Departure determination
The Overseeing Organization’s formal acceptance for inclusion or rejection of the design
organization’s application for a Departure from Standards.
Departure determination report (DDR)

The analysis of the standards advisor on the proposed Departure from Standards and
recommendations as to whether or not the departure should be approved. The DDR also sets out
any additional mitigation measures that are considered essential to mitigate the effects of the
proposed departure.
Departure from Standards

A situation when the compliance requirements in the Qatar Highways Design Manual are not
achieved in the design. Before incorporating a Departure from Standards into the works, the
designer shall seek the approval of the Overseeing Organization.
Design build
The project delivery method that combines the design and construction phases of a project into a
single contract.
Design criteria
Criteria, coupled with prudent judgmental factors that are used in design.
Design hour volume

A volume determined for use in design representing traffic expected to use the highway. Unless
otherwise stated, it is an hourly volume.
Design life
The number of years of intended service life of a facility before the first major rehabilitation.
Design organization
The organization(s) commissioned to undertake the various phases of project preparation. Refers
to any organization undertaking the design of works that affect the highway network, including
public and private developments.
Design phase
The effort (budget/cost) of taking a project through the planning, scoping, and design phases. The
terms design or design phase are sometimes used interchangeably with preliminary engineering.
Design speed
A selected speed used to determine the various geometric design features of the roadway. The
selected design speed should be a logical one with respect to the topography, anticipated
operating speed, adjacent land use, and functional classification of the highway.
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Design team
Qualified professionals within the design organization responsible for the road project design and
implementation.
Design team leader

A person within the design team who is responsible for managing the road project design and
coordinating the input of the various design disciplines.
Design vehicle
A vehicle, with representative weight, dimensions, and operating characteristics, used to
establish highway design controls for accommodating vehicles of designated classes.
Design volume
A volume, determined for use in design, representing traffic expected to use the highway. Unless
otherwise stated, it is an hourly volume.
Design-bid-build
The traditional project delivery method for building highways and making highway improvements
where the agency sequentially designs the project, solicits bids, and awards the construction
contract to the lowest responsive bidder (construction contractor) to build the project.
Desire line
A straight line on a map that connects the origin and destination of a trip and that shows by its
width or density the volume of trips between that origin and destination pair.
Detector
A part of vehicle-detecting equipment that, when traversed by a vehicle, initiates the process of
detection; usually laid in a roadway.
Diagraphy drilling
Drilling using destructive techniques with real-time data acquisition such as depth, drilling rate,
rotation, torque, thrust pressure, retaining pressure, injection fluid flow rate and pressure, x and
y inclination, and reflected vibration.
Diamond interchange
A four-leg interchange with a single one-way ramp in each quadrant. All left turns are made
directly onto or off the minor highway.
Directional ramp
An one- or two-way connector road carrying free flowing traffic within an interchange between
one level or direction and another, or both.
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Director
The responsible person in the Overseeing Organization with overall responsibility for the road
project.
Discharge rate
Volume of water per second passing out of the system at a specific point.
Divided roadway
A two-way roadway on which the opposing traffic lanes or travel lanes are separated by a
median.
Divisional island
An island introduced on undivided highway intersections to alert drivers to the crossroad ahead,
separate opposing traffic, and regulate traffic through the intersection.
Dowel
A reinforcing bar embedded in two concrete sections that transfers stresses and holds the
sections together.
Downstream
The part of the roadway where traffic flows away from the section in question.
Drainage
1. The process of removing surplus groundwater or surface waters by artificial means.
2. The manner in which the waters of an area are removed.
3. The area from which waters are drained.
4. A drainage basin.
Drainage basin
A part of the surface of the earth that is occupied by a drainage system, that consists of a surface
stream or a body of impounded surface water together with all tributary surface streams and
bodies of impounded surface water.
Drainage systems
A system designed to limit water damage to the roadway by controlling or directing the free flow
of water over, under, or adjacent to the highway and to control the movement of water through
the pavement's structural support where necessary.
Driveway
An access from a public way to adjacent properly.
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Dropped curb
A combined ramp and landing to accomplish a change in level at a curb. This element provides
street and sidewalk access to pedestrians using wheelchairs. Also known as a curb ramp.
Earth pressure
The soil pressure on abutments and other components of a bridge against which any significant
depth of earthen fill rests.
Earthwork(s)
1. The work of excavating, raising, or sloping the ground.
2. The civil engineering process that includes extraction, loading, transport, transformation or
improvement, placement, and compaction of natural materials (soils, rocks) and secondary or
recycled materials, or both, to obtain stable and durable cuttings, embankments, or
engineered fills.
3. Structures that are formed by the excavating, raising, or sloping of ground, such as
embankments, cuttings, or remediated natural slopes.
Earthworks balance
Having a similar volume of earthworks cut materials and fill materials on a construction project.
Easement
A right to use or control the property of another for designated purposes.
Edgeline
A line that indicates the edge of the traveled way.
Effluent
Sewage, water, or other liquid, partially or completely treated or in its natural state as the case
may be, flowing out of a reservoir, basin, or treatment plant.
Embankment
A structure of soil, soil aggregate, or broken rock between the embankment foundation
(supporting ground) and the subgrade.
Emergency flood area

Area used to safely contain large and sudden accumulations of stormwater; this is additional to
any sustainable drainage systems.
Enclosure
The use of buildings to create a sense of defined space.
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Engagement plan
A document setting out the process of stakeholder and community engagement for the project.
This should state who would be involved, how, and when.
Entry angle (φ)

The angle at which vehicles entering the roundabout merge with vehicles on the circulatory
roadway. At smaller roundabouts where there is insufficient spacing between the entry and exit
arms for a vehicle to join the circulatory roadway, the angle may be measured relative to the
adjacent exit.
Entry radius (r)

The minimum radius of the right curb line at the entry.
Entry path radius (a)

A measure of the deflection to the right imposed on vehicles entering a roundabout; used to
control vehicle entry speeds.
Equivalent axle load (EAL)

The number of a determined standard axles causing the same damage effect as a given axle
configuration of different magnitude.
Equivalent single- or standard-axle load (ESAL)

A numerical factor that expresses the relation of a given axle load to another axle load in terms of
their effect on serviceability of a pavement structure.
Exemption
Exception from the road safety audit requirements. Road projects that make no significant
change to the characteristics of the road may have an exemption.
Exemption certificate
Documentary evidence recording the decision not to undertake a road safety audit; endorsed by
the Overseeing Organization Safety Engineer.
Exploratory holes
A general term for boreholes sunk by various means including cable percussion, rotary coring,
rotary open holing, trial pits, and trial trenches to determine subsurface characteristics.
Exit radius
The minimum radius of the right curb line at an exit.
Expressway
A divided arterial highway for through traffic with full or partial control of access and generally
with grade separations at major intersections.
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Facies
The sum total of features, such as sedimentary rock type, mineral content, sedimentary
structures, bedding characteristics, and fossil content, that characterize a sediment as having
been deposited in a given environment.
Fill
Material used to raise the level of a low area.
Filter drain
A linear drainage feature, consisting of a trench filled with permeable materials, designed to
capture and convey surface water.
Filter membrane
A type of geotextile that allows the unimpeded flow of water through its surface but prevents the
passage of silt and other small particles, thereby prolonging the life of drainage medium, such as
in filter drains.
Flare
1. The variable offset distance of a barrier to move it farther from the traveled way, generally in
reference to the upstream end of the barrier.
2. Sloped surface that flanks a curb ramp and provides a graded transition between the ramp
and the sidewalk. Flares bridge differences in elevation and are intended to prevent
ambulatory pedestrians from tripping. Flares are not considered part of the accessible route.
Flexible pavement
A pavement structure that maintains intimate contact with and distributes loads to the sub grade
and depends upon aggregate interlock, particle friction, and cohesion for stability.
Flood
Inundation of the road and surrounding areas with stormwater, or effluent from a burst pipe.
Flora
All members of the plant kingdom: higher ferns, ferns and fern allies, mosses and liverworts,
algae and phytoplankton, fungi and lichens.
Ford
A location where a highway crosses a channel by allowing high annual or larger flows to pass over
the highway and lower flows to pass through a culvert(s). Often used with cutoff walls, roadway
lane markers, and paved roadway embankments. Warning signs may be included.
Fore slope
The slope from the edge of the shoulder to the bottom of the swale, also referred to as fill slope.
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Foundation
A supporting element that derives its resistance by transferring its load to the soil or rock
supporting the bridge.
Functional Classification
The grouping of streets and highways into classes, or systems, according to the character of
service they are intended to provide.
Gantry
A crane or hoisting machine mounted on a frame or structure spanning an intervening space
Gateway
Points through which a road project passes during the project life cycle.
Geoenvironmental practitioner
A person specializing in geoenvironmental engineering.
Geometric design
Highway design that deals with dimensions and relationships of such features as alignments,
profiles, grades, sight distances, clearances, and slopes; distinguished from structural design,
which is concerned with thickness, composition of materials, and load-carrying capacity.
Geophysical survey company

A specialist contractor who carries out geophysical survey work.
Geosynthetic
Polymeric products generally used in civil engineering construction. This includes eight main
product categories: geotextiles, geogrids, geonets, geomembranes, geosynthetic clay liners,
geofoam, geocells, and geocomposites.
Geotechnical design
The use of scientific principles, technical information, and thought in the definition of the ground
engineering aspects a structure, earthwork, or system to perform specified functions with the
maximum economy and efficiency.
Geotechnical engineering
The application of the sciences of soils and rock mechanics and engineering geology in building,
civil engineering construction, and the protection of the environment.
Geotechnical hazard
Unfavorable ground or groundwater conditions that may pose a risk to construction or of adverse
performance of completed works.
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Geotechnical practitioner
A person specializing in geotechnical engineering or engineering geology.
Geotechnical risk
The risk posed to construction or to the appropriate function of completed works caused by
ground or groundwater conditions at the site.
Geotechnical risk register

A live and continuously updated table or spreadsheet that provides an up-to-date record of the
project geotechnical risks. The register usually contains a description of the risk, an assessment of
its likelihood and consequences, proposed mitigation measures, and owners.
Geotextile
Any permeable knitted, woven, or non-woven textile material integral to a project, structure, or
system.
Geographic information system (GIS)

A computer-based system that stores information based on geographical coordinates.
Grade Separation
Any structure that provides a traveled way over or under another traveled way.
Grade-separated roundabout
A category of roundabout that incorporates at least two bridges within the layout
Gradient
Change of elevation, velocity, pressure, or other characteristics per unit length; slope.
Ground investigation
The process by which geological, geotechnical, and other relevant information is obtained for a
project.
Ground investigation company

A company that specializes in services such as borehole drilling in soils and rock and laboratory
testing.
Ground investigation factual report

The document that presents the results of a ground investigation. The report will normally
include the records of borehole and trial pits, soils and rock, and laboratory testing.
Ground model
A conceptual model based on the geology and morphology of the site, and used to speculate on
likely ground and groundwater conditions and variability.
GLOSSARY PAGE 19
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GLOSSARY
Groundwater
1. Subsurface water occupying the saturation zone from which wells and springs are fed. A
source of base flow in streams. In a strict sense, the term applies only to water below the
water table.
2. Water at and below the groundwater table; basal or bottom water; phreatic water. Used also
in a broad sense to mean all water below the ground surface.
3. Water in the ground that is in the zone of saturation from which wells, springs, and
groundwater runoff are supplied.
Groundwater table
The level below which the ground is saturated with water; the elevation of this layer varies
seasonally and spatially.
Gully
A chamber covered by a grating, which allows surface water to enter a drainage system.
Gutter
That portion of the roadway section adjacent to the curb that is used to convey stormwater
runoff.
Hard strip
Hard strip is an extra width of the roadway pavement along the edge of the travelled way built
contiguous to and with the same pavement structure as the roadway pavement.
Health and safety

Activities or processes that focus on the prevention of death, injury, and ill health to those at
work and those affected by work activities.
Heritage/Historic Assets
A building, monument, site, place, area or landscape identified as having a degree of significance
because of its heritage interest.
Hertz
The rate at which sound oscillates; measured in cycles per second.
Hierarchy
The grouping of individual highways in a highway system, according to their purpose or function,
the type of traffic they serve, and maintenance.
Highway
A public way for purposes of vehicular travel, including the entire area within the right-of-way.
PAGE 20 GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY
Highway capacity
The maximum sustainable flow rate at which vehicles or persons reasonably can be expected to
traverse a point or uniform segment of a lane or roadway during a specified time period under
given roadway, geometric, traffic, environmental, and control conditions; usually expressed as
vehicles per hour, passenger cars per hour, or persons per hour.
Highway drainage system

A system of pipes and drains that collect and transport surface water runoff from highways.
Horizontal alignment
Direction and course of the center line of a road or roadway on plan.
Horizontal curve
Curve in plan of a road.
Hydraulic radius
1. The cross sectional area of a stream divided by its wetted perimeter.
2. The cross sectional area of a stream of water (normal to flow) divided by the length of that
part of its periphery in contact with its containing conduit; the ratio of area to wetted
perimeter.
3. A measure of the boundary resistance to flow, computed as the quotient of cross sectional
area of flow divided by the wetted perimeter. For wide shallow flow, the hydraulic radius can
be approximated by the average flow depth.
Hydrology
The science and study concerned with the occurrence, circulation, distribution, and properties of
the waters of the earth and its atmosphere, including precipitation, runoff, and groundwater.
Hyetograph
1. Graphical representation of rainfall intensity over time.
2. A graph plotting rainfall amounts or intensities during various time increments versus time.
3. A graphical representation of average rainfall, rainfall-excess rates, or volumes over specified
areas during successive units of time during a storm.
Information Sharing
A level of engagement with stakeholders and the community. When participation or consultation
are not practical/appropriate, or where there is a need to communicate an important message,
the project may need to focus on a process of information sharing.
Impact severity
A measure of the impact severity of a vehicle of mass M, impacting at a speed V, at an impact
angle ϴ. It is defined as follows: IS = 1/2 M(V Sin ϴ)2.
GLOSSARY PAGE 21
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GLOSSARY
Impermeable surface
Surfaces in which texture is such that water cannot move perceptibly through it under pressures
ordinarily found in subsurface water.
Infiltration
1. The volume of groundwater entering a sewer and its connections from the soil through pipe,
joints, connections, or appurtenances.
2. The flow of a fluid into a substance through pores or small openings.
Information sharing
A level of engagement with stakeholders and the community. When participation or consultation
is not practical or appropriate, or where there is a need to communicate an important message,
the project may need to focus on a process for information sharing.
InfoWorks CS
Urban drainage network modeling software.
Inland
A segment along an inland river consisting of terminals, fleeting areas, and related cargo facilities,
designated as a port for reference purposes and, in limited instances, for tonnage compilation.
Inscribed circle diameter (ICD)

The diameter of the outside edge of the circulatory roadway; in cases where the roundabout is
non-circular, the local value in the region of the entry is used. This is the basic parameter used to
define the size of a roundabout.
Inside lane
1. The lane on a multi-lane divided roadway adjacent to the median.
2. The lane on an undivided roadway adjacent to the centerline of the roadway.
3. The right most lane on the inside of the curve adjacent to the right shoulder on an undivided
roadway, in the direction of traffic.
4. The left most lane on the inside of the curve adjacent to the median shoulder on a divided
roadway, in the direction of traffic.
Intensity
The rate of rainfall upon a watershed; usually expressed in millimeters.
Interchange
1. A system of interconnecting roadways in conjunction with one or more grade separations,
providing for the movement of traffic between two or more roadways on different levels.
2. The exchange of cars between railroads at specified junction points.
PAGE 22 GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY
Intergreen period
The period between the end of the green light signal giving right-of-way for one phase and the
beginning of the green light signal giving right-of-way for the next phase.
Interim road safety audit

A road safety audit applied to the whole or part of a road project during design and construction.
An interim road safety audit is not mandatory and is not a substitute for the formal Stage 1, 2, 3,
and 4 Road Safety Audits.
Interim road safety audit file

A file containing copies of all communications between the design team, the road safety audit
team, and the project manager. The file is only required for road projects where the road safety
audit team undertakes an interim road safety audit.
Intersection
The general area where two or more highways join or cross, within which are included the
roadway and roadside facilities for traffic movements in that area.
Intersection angle
The angle between two intersection legs.
Intersection leg (arm)

Any one of the highways radiating from and forming part of an intersection. The common
intersection of two highways crossing each other has four legs
Intersection point
Point at which two successive straight lengths of road, or tangents to curves, intersect.
Interstate Highway System

A system of in the United States that connects principal metropolitan areas, cities, and industrial
centers.
International Roughness Index (IRI)

An index computed from a longitudinal profile measurement using a quarter-car simulation at a
simulation speed of 80 kilometers per hour.
Irrigation
The application of water to land to assist in the production of crops and other plants; treated
sewage effluent is commonly used for irrigation in Qatar and, as such, there is a low risk of
contact with pathogens.
GLOSSARY PAGE 23
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GLOSSARY
Island
A defined area between traffic lanes used to control vehicle movements. Islands may range from
an area delineated by a raised curb to a pavement area marked out by paint or thermoplastic
markings.
Intelligent transportation system (ITS)

Programs intended to apply advanced communication and control technologies to ground
transportation. Formerly referred to as intelligent vehicle highway systems.
Junction approach
The section of road upstream from a junction. The fully compliant visibility provision is
considered most essential and may be increased. The length of the junction approach is
dependent on design speed.
Junction approach sight distance

The sight distance requirement within a junction approach. At higher design speeds, the junction
approach distance is greater than the stopping sight distance. Refer to Part 3, Roadway Design
Elements.
k-value
Modulus of subgrade reaction; measured in pounds per cubic inch.
Land use
The physical characteristics of the land surface and the human activities associated with the land
surface.
Landmark
A building or structure that stands out from its background by virtue of height, size, or some
other aspect of design.
Landscape
The character and appearance of land, including its space, form, ecology, natural features, colors,
and elements that combine in a way that is distinctive to particular localities, the way they are
perceived, and the area’s cultural and historical associations. Landscape character can be
expressed through landscape appraisals, maps, or plans. A “townscape” describes the same
concept.
Lane
A strip of roadway used for a single line of vehicles.
Lane capacity
Traffic capacity of one traffic lane.
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GLOSSARY
Lane line
A line separating two lanes of traffic traveling in the same direction.
Lane numbers
The numbering used to identify lanes on multi-lane roadways; Lane 1 is the inside lane, and Lane
X is the outside lane.
Layout
The way buildings, routes, and open spaces are placed in relation to each other.
Left lane
The lane of a multi-lane highway on the extreme left side of the roadway in the direction of
travel.
Left-turn lane
Diverging lane or left-hand lane used solely for traffic turning left.
Legibility
The degree to which people can understand, traverse, and identify with the built environment.
Leq
Equivalent continuous sound level. An average of the time-varying sound energy for a specified
period.
Level of service (LOS)

A qualitative measure describing operational conditions within a traffic stream based on service
measures such as speed, travel time, freedom to maneuver, traffic interruptions, comfort, and
convenience.
Likelihood
The probability of a risk occurring.
Limit state
The state beyond which a structure or earthwork no longer fulfils the relevant design criteria. The
two most common limit states are ultimate limit state and serviceability limit state. BS EN 1997-1,
Eurocode 7. Geotechnical design. General rules, defines ultimate limit state as “states associated
with collapse or with other similar forms of structural failure”, and it defines serviceability limit
state as “states that correspond to conditions beyond which specific service requirements for a
structure or structural member are no longer met.”
Liquefaction
Loss of soil strength with a quicksand-like behavior that is caused by cyclic loads produced by
vibrating machinery or earthquakes.
GLOSSARY PAGE 25
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GLOSSARY
Local distinctiveness
The positive features of a place and its communities that contribute to its special character and
sense of place.
Local road or street

A street or road primarily for access to residence, business, or other abutting property.
Local traffic
Freight moving solely over the lines of a single carrier.
Longitudinal
The direction associated with the axis of the main structural busses or girders in the bridge.
Loop
A one-way turning roadway that curves about 270 degrees to the right to accommodate a left
turn from the through roadway. It may include provision for a left turn at a crossroad terminal.
Luminaire
Complete lighting unit, consisting of one or more lamps including the parts designed to distribute
the light, to position and protect the lamps, and to connect the lamps to the electric power
supply.
Mainline
The roadway carrying the main flow of traffic; generally traffic passing straight through the
intersection or interchange.
Maintaining authority
The authority responsible for operating and maintaining the completed road.
Maintenance
The preservation of the entire highway, including surface, shoulders, roadsides, structures, and
the traffic-control devices necessary for safe and efficient use.
Major system
Surface water trunk sewer network, surface water pumping stations, groundwater control
networks, and surface water storage and retention areas and tanks.
Manhole
An opening in an underground system that workers may enter for the purpose of making
installations, removals, inspections, repairs, connections, and tests.
Manning’s equation
A method for determining flows in conduits, such as pipes or open channels. The method is most
appropriate for flows in rough open channels.
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GLOSSARY
Manual count
Measurement of traffic characteristics based on human observation; may be electronically
recorded.
Massing
The combined effect of the arrangement, height, volume, and shape of a building, or group of
buildings.
Mast arm
An approximately horizontal supporting arm designed to hold a sign, signal head, or luminaire.
Median
The portion of a highway separating opposing directions of the traveled way.
Merge
To move into a traffic stream.
Midblock crossing
A crossing point within a block rather than at an intersection.
Mini-roundabout
A category of roundabout that incorporates a small, raised central island that is fully traversable
by large vehicles.
Minor street
The street controlled by stop signs at a two-way stop-controlled intersection. Also referred to as
side street.
Minor system
Road drainage, comprising gullies, soakaways, ditches, connecting pipework, and storage areas
required prior to connection to the major system.
Moderately conservative parameters

Engineering parameters that are the geotechnical practitioner’s conservative best estimate
considering the natural variation in the soil or rock properties.
Moisture content
An indication of the amount of water contained in a material; usually expressed as a percentage
of the weight of the oven-dry material weight.
Motorcycle
A two-wheeled motorized vehicle having one or two saddles and sometimes a sidecar with a third
supporting wheel.
GLOSSARY PAGE 27
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GLOSSARY
Mounting height
Minimum vertical distance to the bottom of a sign or traffic signal, or to the center of gravity of a
luminaire, relative to the pavement surface.
Movement
People and vehicles going to and passing through buildings, places, and spaces. The movement
network can be shown on plans, by space syntax analysis, by highway designation, by figure
ground diagrams, through data on origins and destinations or pedestrian flows, by desire lines, by
details of public transport services, by walk bands, by details, or by bike paths.
Mushtarak
Shared-use access streetscape.
Natural surveillance
The discouragement to wrongdoing by the presence of passers-by, or the ability of people to be
seen out of surrounding windows. Also known as passive surveillance or passive supervision.
Network
1. A system of links and nodes that describes a transportation system.
2. The configuration of highways or transit routes and stops that constitutes the total system.
Node
A place where activity and routes are concentrated, often used as a synonym for junction.
Nonmotorized users (vulnerable road user)

Pedestrians, cyclists, and equestrians, including mobility impaired.
Nose
An approximately triangular paved area between a ramp and the mainline at a merge or diverge,
suitably marked to discourage drivers from crossing it.
Observational method
A method in which the design and risks are reviewed in a planned manner during construction
and in response to the monitored performance of a structure or earthwork.
Occupant impact velocity

Velocity, relative to the vehicle in motion, at which a hypothetical point mass occupant impacts a
surface of a hypothetical occupant compartment.
Offtracking
The difference in the paths of the front and rear wheels of a vehicle when performing a turning
maneuver.
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GLOSSARY
Operational expenditure (OPEX)

Ongoing costs to run a business or project.
Outfall
Point of discharge from a pipe or channel system.
Outside lane
1. The lane on a multilane divided or undivided roadway adjacent to the right shoulder in the
direction of the traffic.
2. The lane on the outside of a curve adjacent to the right shoulder, in the direction of traffic.
Overpass
A grade separation where a highway passes over an intersecting highway or railroad.
Overseeing Organization
The highway authority responsible for approving a road construction or improvement project,
including planning, design and implementation, road safety, Departures from Standard. The
Overseeing Organization can delegate these roles to an appointed project management
consultant.
Overseeing Organization safety engineer

A person from the Overseeing Organization who has responsibility for road safety engineering for
road projects that the Overseeing Organization is responsible. This includes endorsement of
decision tracking forms and Exemption Certificates and the methodology used by the road safety
audit teams.
Overtaking sight distance

The distance required for a driver to complete a passing or overtaking maneuver without coming
into conflict with the oncoming traffic, on a two-way two-lane undivided roadway, also referred
to as passing sight distance.
Participation
The process of working closely with stakeholders and the community to develop ideas and
solutions collaboratively, giving a genuine opportunity for involvement in the project
development process.
Passenger
A person who rides a transportation vehicle, excluding the driver or the crewmembers of a public
transportation vehicle.
Passenger car
A motor vehicle, other than a motorcycle, designed for carrying 10 or fewer passengers and used
for the transportation of persons.
GLOSSARY PAGE 29
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GLOSSARY
Passenger car equivalent

The number of passenger cars displaced by a single heavy vehicle of a particular type under
specified roadway, traffic, and control conditions for use in capacity analysis.
Passing Sight Distance

The distance required for a driver to complete a passing or overtaking maneuver without coming
into conflict with the oncoming traffic, on a two-way two-lane undivided roadway, also referred
to as overtaking sight distance.
Pavement structure
The combination of sub-base, base course, and surface course placed on a subgrade to support
the traffic load and distribute it to the roadbed.
Pedestrian Realm Zones

The pedestrian realm is the area between the curb and the property or building line. The
pedestrian realm zones include the threshold, pedestrian, street furniture, cyclist, and edge
zones.
Percent defective (PD)

The percentage of the lot falling outside specification limits. It may refer to either the population
value or the sample estimate of the population value. Also referred to as “percent
nonconforming”.
Peak flow
The most voluminous period of flow at a location during a set time, usually in the period during
or directly after a storm.
Peak hour
The hour during which the maximum amount of travel occurs. It may be specified as the morning
peak hour or the afternoon or evening peak hour.
Peak hour factor

1. The hourly volume during the maximum-volume hour of the day divided by the peak 15-
minute flow rate within the peak hour.
2. A measure of traffic fluctuation within the peak hour.
Peak period
The period during which traffic levels rise from their normal background levels to maximum
levels. These periods are for morning, evening, or mid-day peaks and include appropriate peak
hours.
Peak traffic flow

Maximum traffic flow under given circumstances.
PAGE 30 GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY
Pedestrian
A person afoot or in a wheelchair.
Pedestrian crossing (crosswalk)

Any portion of a roadway at an intersection or elsewhere distinctly indicated for pedestrian
crossing by lines or other markings on the surface.
Penstock
A sliding plate that regulates flow.
Perception/reaction distance
Distance travelled during the perception/reaction time.
Perception/reaction time
Time interval between the occurrence of an event that demands immediate action by the driver
and the driver’s response.
Permeability
The degree to which an area has a variety of alternative routes through it providing pleasant,
convenient, and safe access for people to places.
Phase
Set of conditions that fixes the pattern of movement and waits for one or more traffic streams
during a signaling cycle.
Piezocone test
A cone penetration test where pore pressure measurement is also made.
Pile
A long, heavy timber, steel, or reinforced concrete post that has been driven, jacked, jetted, or
cast vertically into the ground to support a load.
Pile load capacity

The load that a pile can carry without failing; usually defined in terms of ultimate capacity and
capacity such that it restricts movement within serviceability limits.
Pipeline
Pipe sections joined together.
Platoon
A group of vehicles or pedestrians traveling together as a group, either voluntarily or
involuntarily, because of traffic signal controls, geometrics, or other factors.
GLOSSARY PAGE 31
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GLOSSARY
Plans
The contract drawings that show the location, character, and dimensions of the prescribed work,
including layouts, profiles, cross sections, and other details.
Police crash listings

Formally recorded details of crashes occurring on Overseeing Organization roads.
Policy
A definite course of action or method of action selected to guide and determine present and
future decisions.
Ponding
The accumulation of surface water.
Porewater pressure
The pressure of groundwater held within a soil or rock.
Positive drainage
A piped system operating by gravity flow associated with an urban situation and used in
conjunction with gullies, curbs, and sidewalks.
Preliminary sources study

An examination of existing information concerning a site, such as geological maps, previous
borehole records, historical maps, aerial photographs, and satellite imagery, to assess ground
conditions and previous land uses.
Primary signal face

The signal face nearest to and facing oncoming traffic. It is situated close to the stop line on the
near side of the roadway facing the approaching traffic but may be duplicated on the off side.
Priority intersection
An unsignalized at-grade intersection at which vehicles on the minor road are required to yield to
vehicles on the major road.
Program manager
The person with overall responsibility for the program and budget.
Project
The specific section of the highway together with all appurtenances and construction to be
performed thereon under the contract.
Project management consultant (PMC)

The consultant appointed to manage a process or deliverable on behalf of the Overseeing
Organization.
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GLOSSARY
Project manager
A person from within, or appointed by, the Overseeing Organization with responsibility for the
progression of a road project in accordance with the policies and procedures of the Overseeing
Organization and for compliance with the requirements of the Qatar Highway Design Manual.
Proposal
The offer of a bidder to perform stated construction work at the prices quoted.
Public art
Permanent or temporary physical works or art visible to the public, whether part of the building
or freestanding. The art can include sculpture, lighting effects, street furniture, paving, railings,
and signs.
Public realm
The parts of a village, town, or city, including streets, squares, and parks whether publicly or
privately owned, that are available without charge for everyone to use or see. Also referred to as
“public domain”.
Public road
A road or street open to public travel under the jurisdiction of, and maintained by, a public
authority.
Public transportation
Transportation service to the public on a regular basis using vehicles that transport more than
one person for compensation, usually but not exclusively, over a set route or routes from one
fixed point to another. Routes and schedules of this service may be predetermined by the
operator or may be determined through a cooperative arrangement. Subcategories include
paratransit and mass transit service that are available to the public. Also referred to as “public
transit”.
Public/Private Interface
The point at which public areas and buildings meet private ones.
Pumping station
A facility that includes pumps, power supply, and control equipment for pumping liquids from
one place to another.
R-value
The measure of the soil or aggregate resistance to displacement, as determined by ASTM
International D2844, Standard Test Method for Resistance R-Value and Expansion Pressure of
Compacted Soils and the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials,
T-190, Standard Method of Test for Resistance R-Value and Expansion Pressure for Compacted
Soils.
GLOSSARY PAGE 33
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GLOSSARY
Rail
A rolled steel shape designed to be laid end to end in two parallel lines on ties to form a track for
rail cars, traveling cranes, and similar vehicles.
Rainfall intensity
The amount of rainfall occurring in a unit of time, converted to its equivalent in millimeters per
hour at the same rate.
Ramp
1. A short roadway connecting two or more legs of an intersection or connecting a frontage road
and main lane of a highway.
2. A sloped transition between two elevation levels.
Ramp metering
A system used to reduce congestion on a freeway facility by managing flow from on-ramps. An
approach ramp is equipped with a metering traffic signal that allows the vehicles to enter a
facility at a controlled rate.
Reference standards
Standards of a technical society, organization, or association, including the building codes of local
or state authorities, that are referenced in the contract documents.
Refuge (island)
An island at or near a pedestrian crossing or bike path that aids and protects pedestrians and
cyclists who cross the roadway.
Rehabilitation
Work undertaken to restore the serviceability and to extend the service life of an existing bridge
or highway.
Reinforced concrete
Structural concrete containing prestressing tendons or nonprestressed reinforcement.
Relaxation
An alternative acceptable design criterion in the Qatar Highway Design Manual; although it may
not be preferred because it may affect road safety, it is introduced at the discretion of the design
team leader.
Resistance factor
A factor accounting primarily for variability of material properties, structural dimensions,
workmanship, and uncertainty in the prediction of resistance, but also related to the statistics of
the loads through the calibration process.
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GLOSSARY
Resources
The labor, equipment, and material necessary to perform work on a contract bid item or other
element of work.
Restricted right-of-way
Movement in a particular direction accorded only by a green-arrow traffic signal at a primary
signal face.
Resurfacing
The placing of one or more new courses on an existing surface.
Return period
An estimate of the likelihood of an event occurring. A statistical measurement, typically based on
historical data, denoting the average reoccurrence interval over an extended period.
Reverse curve
Two abutting curves in a road that are of opposite hand in the shape of an “S” or its mirror image.
Rideability index (RI)

An index derived from controlled measurements of the longitudinal profile in the wheel tracks
and correlated with panel ratings of rideability.
Ridedown acceleration
Acceleration experienced by a hypothetical "point mass" occupant subsequent to impact with a
hypothetical occupant compartment.
Right-turn bypass lane

A lane provided adjacent to but separated from the circulatory roadway, which allows right-
turning movements to bypass the roundabout.
Right lane
The lane of a multi-lane highway on the extreme right side of the roadway in the direction of
travel.
Right-hand lane
Traffic lane on the extreme right in the direction of traffic flow.
Right-of-way
1. Land, property, or interest therein, usually in a strip, acquired for or devoted to transportation
purposes.
2. The precedence in passing or proceeding accorded to one vehicle or person over another.
3. The legal power of passage over another person’s land.
GLOSSARY PAGE 35
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GLOSSARY
Right-turn lane
A diverging lane or right-hand lane used solely for traffic turning right.
Rigid pavement
A pavement structure that distributes loads to the subgrade having as one course a portland
cement concrete slab of relatively high bending resistance.
Risk
The chance of something happening that will have an impact on project objectives. Risk
components are the probability or likelihood of failing to achieve a particular outcome and the
consequences and impacts of failing to achieve that outcome.
Risk management
Systematic, analytic process to consider the likelihood that a threat will harm an asset or
individuals and to identify actions that reduce the risk and mitigate the consequences of an
attack or event.
Road
Road earthworks
An embankment or cutting present within the transportation system.
Road markings
Markings set into the surface of, applied upon, or attached to the pavement for the purpose of
regulating, warning, or guiding traffic.
Road project
All works that involve construction of a new road or permanent change to the existing roads or
features. This includes changes to the road layout, curbs, signs and markings, lighting, signaling,
drainage, landscaping, and installation of roadside equipment.
Road safety audit (RSA)

A formal examination of the operational safety of an existing or future road link or intersection by
an independent and suitably qualified road safety audit team. A road safety audit reports
qualitatively on potential road safety issues and identifies opportunities to improve operational
safety for all road users with the objective of minimizing the number and severity of personal
injury crashes.
Road safety audit brief

The instructions to the road safety audit team from the Overseeing Organization or design
organization defining the scope and details of the road project to be audited, including sufficient
information for the road safety audit to be undertaken.
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Road safety audit briefing meeting

A meeting at which all parties involved in the design and development of the road project meet
with the road safety audit team to outline the scope and discuss the design ethos of the project.
Road safety audit debrief

A meeting at which the road safety audit team reports all findings from the road safety audit to
those who attended the road safety audit briefing meeting.
Road safety audit report

The report produced by the road safety audit team describing the road safety related problems
identified by the team and the recommended solutions to those problems.
Road safety audit team

A team of at least two people who work together on all aspects of the road safety audit. This
team is independent of the design team and is approved by the Overseeing Organization safety
engineer. The team shall be allocated specifically to each road project.
Road safety audit team leader

The person with the appropriate training, skills, and experience who is approved for a particular
road safety audit by the project manager on behalf of the Overseeing Organization and is
endorsed by the Overseeing Organization safety engineer. The road safety audit team leader has
overall responsibility for carrying out the road safety audit, managing the road safety audit team,
and certifying the road safety audit report.
Road safety audit team member

A member of the road safety audit team with the appropriate training, skills, and experience
necessary for the road safety audit of a specific road project; reports to the road safety audit
team leader.
Road safety audit team observer

A person with appropriate training, skills, and experience who accompanies the road safety audit
team to observe, interact, and gain experience of the road safety audit procedure before
becoming a road safety audit team member.
Road safety engineering

The process of analyzing the results of a crash investigation to design and implement physical
changes to the road network to reduce the number and severity of crashes involving road users.
Road structures
Any bridge, culvert, catch basin, drop inlet, retaining wall, cribbing, manhole, endwall, building,
sewer, service pipe, underdrain, foundation drain, or similar features present within the
transportation system.
GLOSSARY PAGE 37
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GLOSSARY
Road users
Any person making use of any part of a road, including pedestrians, cyclists, and drivers of
vehicles.
Roadbase
The layer of specified or selected material placed on a subbase or formation.
Roadside
The area between the outside shoulder edge and the right-of-way limits. The area between
roadways of a divided highway may also be considered roadside.
Roadway
The portion of a highway, including shoulders, for vehicular use. A divided highway has two or
more roadways.
Roadway width
The roadway clear space between barriers, curbs, or both.
Roughness coefficient
The estimated measure of texture at the perimeters of channels and conduits. Usually
represented by the "n value" coefficient used in Manning's channel flow equation. Numerical
measure of the frictional resistance to flow in a channel, as in the Manning or Strickler formulas.
Roundabout
An intersection at which traffic circulates counter-clockwise around a central traffic island; traffic
entering the intersection is required to yield to vehicles on the circulatory roadway.
Runoff (surface)
That part of the precipitation that runs off the surface of a drainage area after accounting for all
abstractions.
Runoff coefficient (C)

The factor representing that portion of runoff that results from a unit of rainfall. It is dependent
on terrain, topography, and the rate of runoff to precipitation.
Rural areas
An area that is predominantly natural with little, or no, land use development.
Rutting
The formation of longitudinal depressions in the roadway surface from traffic wear in the wheel
path.
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Road weather information system (RWIS)

Sensors installed in the travel lanes of the highway and airport runways that measure the
temperature of the pavement. Atmospheric sensors are placed adjacent to the pavement and
measure air temperature; relative humidity; wind speed and direction; precipitation type,
intensity, and rate; and the driver's perception of visibility. Information is used to inform
motorists and assist public agencies in maintenance decision making.
Sabkha
Sabkha are extensive salt flats that are characteristic of saline intrusion in coastal areas of Qatar.
Sabkha are underlain by sand, silt, and clay that are often encrusted with salt (halite). Coastal
sabkha occurs along the coast; inland sabkha are associated with isolated lagoons.
Safe system
A road safety model that compensates for human error by ensuring that road users are not
subject to crash forces that result in fatal or serious injuries.
Sag
The greatest vertical distance from a horizontal line between the connections at the vertical
supports to a point located on the wire.
Saline
A liquid mixture of salt and pure water; or in the context of soils, those that contain or are
impregnated with salt.
Scale
The impression of a building when seen in relation to its surroundings, or the size of parts of a
building or its details, particularly as experienced in relation to the size of a person. Sometimes it
is sense of scale; at other times, it is the size of the elements and the way they are combined. The
concept is difficult and ambiguous; often the word is used simply as a synonym for “size”.
Schedule
A listing in time sequence of every trip and every time point of each trip from open to close of
service on a transit line.
Scissor intersection
At-grade intersection of two roads crossing obliquely.
Scoping
An initial stage in determining the nature and potential scale of project issues.
Scour
The washing away of streambed material by water channel flow. General scour occurs as a result
of a constriction in the water channel openings; local scour occurs as a result of local flow
changes in a channel due to constrictions caused by the presence of bridge piers or abutments.
GLOSSARY PAGE 39
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GLOSSARY
Secondary signal face

The signal face facing oncoming traffic supplementing the primary signal face and beyond the
stop line.
Seepage
The slow movement of water through small cracks and pores of the bank material.
Segregation
The separation of the coarse aggregate from the rest of the mix in a hot mix asphalt (HMA).
Seismic hazard
Unfavorable condition resulting from earthquake activity that may pose a risk to construction or
have an adverse effect on the performance of completed works.
Seismic loading
The application of an earthquake-generated load to a structure.
Semitrailer
A freight trailer supported at its forward end by a truck tractor or another trailer and at its
rearward end by attached axles.
Sense of place
The design of buildings and the definition of space that, through their uniqueness, give a location
its particular identity.
Service flow rate

The maximum hourly rate at which vehicles, bicycles, or persons reasonably can be expected to
traverse a point or uniform segment of a lane or roadway during a given time period (usually
15 minutes) under prevailing roadway, traffic, environmental, and control conditions while
maintaining a designated level of service, expressed as vehicles per hour or vehicles per hour per
lane.
Service limit state

Limit state relating to stress, deformation, and cracking applied to normal operating loads.
Service road
A road parallel to but segregated from a major road and providing direct access to adjacent land
uses by distributing traffic onto higher grade roads.
Setback
The distance that a building is set back from the plot boundary, or from the nearest pavement
edge.
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Setting
An area of land and related features that has a material bearing on the character and amenity.
Settlement
Differential vertical displacement of slabs adjacent to a joint or crack.
Settlement pattern
The distinctive way that the roads, paths, and buildings are laid out in a particular place.
Shared-use path
A bikeway physically separated from motorized vehicle traffic by an open space or barrier and
either within the highway right-of-way or within an independent right-of-way. Shared-use paths
may also be used by pedestrians, skaters, wheelchair users, joggers, and other nonmotorized
users. Also referred to as a “bike path”.
Sheet
A flat rolled product with a thickness between 0.15 mm and 6.35 mm.
Shift
Lateral displacement of a circular curve in a road, measured along the radius, consequent upon
the introduction of a transition curve.
Shoulder
The portion of the roadway contiguous with the traveled way primarily for accommodation of
stopped vehicles for emergency use and for lateral support of base and surface course.
SI
A number from 0 to 10 used to categorize crashes by the probability of their resulting in property
damage, personal injury, or a fatality, or any combination of these possible outcomes. The
number can then be translated into a crash cost and the relative effectiveness of alternate safety
treatments can be estimated.
Sidewalk
A paved pathway that parallels a highway, road, or street and is intended for pedestrians.
Sieve
U.S. Standard Sieve, as defined in AASHTO M 92. Measure percent passing sieve sizes by weight.
Sight distance
The length of highway ahead that is visible to the driver.
Sight line
The line, in plan or in profile, that delineates the area in which a sight distance can be achieved.
GLOSSARY PAGE 41
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GLOSSARY
Sign
A device conveying a specific message by means of words or symbols, erected for the purpose of
regulating, warning, or guiding traffic.
Signal face
The side of a signal head capable of exhibiting signal lights.
Signal head
An assembly containing one or more signal lenses that control a vehicular traffic or pedestrian
movement.
Signaling cycle
One complete sequence of the operation of a traffic signal.
Signalized intersection
A type of intersection where conflicting movements are separated over time by a signal that
allocates right-of-way in an alternating and regular pattern for each legal movement.
Sikka
Narrow passage between properties or buildings for pedestrian only or shared pedestrian/cycle
use.
Single point urban interchange

A type of diamond interchange where the diagonal ramps are placed as close as possible
paralleling the freeway, so that ramp traffic in effect meets at a single point on the surface street
directly below, or above, the freeway or expressway.
Single-lane roundabout
A category of roundabout that has a single lane on the circulatory roadway.
Skew angle
The angle between the centerlines of two intersecting roadways when they intersect at less than
90 degrees.
Slab
A component having a width of at least four times its effective depth.
Slip ramp
A ramp within an interchange between a mainline roadway and the lower classification network,
or vice versa, that meets the lower classification network at an at-grade intersection. Traffic using
a slip ramp usually has to yield/give way to traffic already on the mainline or on the lower
classification network.
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Slope
The relative steepness of the terrain, expressed as a ratio or percentage. Slopes may be
categorized as positive (back slopes) or negative (foreslopes) and as parallel or cross slopes in
relation to the direction of traffic.
Slope ratio
An arithmetic expression of vertical and horizontal value relationships of a slope. Vertical values
precede horizontal values.
Split phase
Permitted movement of traffic from the same direction in one or more traffic lanes while traffic
in the remaining traffic lanes is stopped.
Stone matrix asphalt (SMA)

A gap-graded hot mix asphalt.
Structural Number (SN)

A linear combination of flexible pavement components that expresses pavement design as a
single number.
Soakaway
A subsurface drainage feature to which water is conveyed; designed to facilitate infiltration.
Source control
Methods of managing and reducing stormwater runoff at site level.
Spacing
The distance between two successive vehicles in a traffic lane measured from the same common
feature of the vehicles.
Specialist advisor
A person approved by the project manager to provide specialized independent advice as part of
the road safety audit team should the road project include complex features outside the
experience of the road safety audit team members. For example, a complex traffic signal
controlled intersection.
Specifications
The compilation of provisions and requirements for the performance of prescribed work.
Speed
The rate of vehicular movement, generally expressed in kilometers per hour.
Speed limit
The maximum or minimum speed applicable to a section of highway, as established by law.
GLOSSARY PAGE 43
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Splitter island
A curbed, raised area on the approach to a roundabout, which is located and shaped to direct
and separate traffic movements into and out of the roundabout.
Spoil
The material removed from an excavation or by dredging.
Stabilization
Modification of soils or aggregates by incorporating materials that increase load bearing capacity,
firmness, and resistance to weathering or displacement.
Stage
Indication by traffic signals during a period of the signaling cycle that gives right-of-way to one or
more particular traffic movements.
Staggered intersection
An at-grade intersection of three roads, at which the major road is continuous through the
intersection and the minor roads connect with it by forming two opposed T-intersections.
Stakeholder
Any organization, representatives of an organization, or individual who is interested in or affected
by a project.
Stakeholder engagement
The process of involving stakeholders in the design process.
Stakeholder mapping
A process of identifying stakeholders and assessing their level of power and influence.
Stakeholder mapping is useful in defining the engagement plan.
Standard axle
A single-axle load of 8,167 kilograms.
Standard penetration test (SPT)

An in situ dynamic penetration test designed to provide information on the geotechnical
engineering properties of a soil. Procedures for the test are described in BSI BS EN ISO 22476-3:
2005, Geotechnical investigation and testing. Field testing standard penetration test and ASTM
International D1586-08a, Standard Test Method for Standard Penetration Test and Split-Barrel
Sampling of Soils.
Standards Advisor
A consultant, independent body, or department in an Overseeing Organization providing advice,
review, and recommendations on Standards.
PAGE 44 GLOSSARY
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Stopping sight distance

The minimum specified sight distance within which a vehicle travelling at a specified speed can
come to a stop.
Stopping time
The time interval between the instant when the driver receives a stimulus that signifies a need to
stop and the moment the vehicle comes to stop.
Storage
Water that is strategically held in a specific area.
Storage length
The length provided on an intersection approach or auxiliary lane for enabling vehicles to wait to
enter the intersection without inhibiting through traffic.
Storm hydrograph
A graph that records the rate of flow through a catchment during a storm event.
Stormwater
Precipitation runoff.
Street
Street Clutter
Clutter refers to any street furniture item that is not needed because it is a redundant, poorly
located, poorly designed, or a temporary item.
Street furniture
Structures, objects, and equipment installed on roads for various purposes and which contribute
to the street scene (e.g., bus shelters, litterbins, seating, lighting, railings, and signs).
Streetscape
The visual elements of a street including the roadway, sidewalk, street furniture, trees, and open
space that combine to form the street’s character.
Stress-absorbing membrane interlayer (SAMI)

A pavement layer consisting of rubberized asphalt concrete, chip seal, or slurry seal, or a
combination of geomembrane and asphalt concrete, placed over a concrete base or pavement to
retard reflective cracking of the concrete cracks and joints through the surface of new flexible
pavement.
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Structural number
A linear combination of flexible pavement components that expresses pavement design as a
single number.
Subgrade
The top surface of a roadbed upon which the pavement structure and shoulders, including curbs,
are constructed.
Superelevation
A tilting of the roadway surface to partially counterbalance the centripetal forces (lateral
acceleration) on vehicles on horizontal curves.
Superpave (superior performing asphalt pavement)

A method that uses the following size definitions:
Maximum size – one sieve size larger than the nominal maximum size.
Nominal maximum size – one sieve size larger than the first sieve to retain more than 10 percent
by weight.
Surface course
One or more layers of a pavement structure designed to accommodate the traffic load, the top
layer of which resists skidding, traffic abrasion, and the disintegrating effects of climate. The top
layer is sometimes referred to as the “wearing course”.
Surface runoff
That part of the runoff that travels over the soil surface to the nearest stream channel.
Surface treatment
One or more applications of bituminous material and cover aggregate or thin plant mix on an old
pavement or any element of a new pavement structure.
Surface water
Water that travels across the ground and hard surfaces, such as paved roads and buildings, rather
than seeping into the soil.
Surveillance
The discouragement to wrongdoing by the presence of passers-by or the ability of people to be
seen from surrounding windows.
Sustainability
Identifies a concept and attitude in development that considers a site’s natural land, water, and
energy resources as integral aspects of the development.
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Sustainable development
Maximizing the capability to recycle components of the infrastructure and minimizing the use of
nonrenewable resources.
Sustainable urban drainage systems (SuDS)

Surface water drainage systems that replicate natural systems and use cost-effective solutions
with low environmental impacts to drain collect, store, and clean water before it is released
slowly back into the environment.
Swale
A wide, shallow ditch usually grassed or paved and without well-defined bed and banks. A slight
depression in the ground surface where water collects and may be transported as a stream.
Often vegetated and shaped so as not to provide a visual signature of a bank or shore.
Swept path
The amount of roadway width that a vehicle covers in negotiating a turn that is equal to the
amount of off-tracking plus the width of the vehicle.
Tack coat
An application of bituminous material to an existing surface to provide a bond with a
superimposed course.
Tactile paving
Paving that has a change in surface condition that provides a tactile cue to alert pedestrians with
vision impairments of a potentially hazardous situation.
Tangent point
Point at which a road ceases to be straight and curvature begins.
Taper
A section where the road width varies to vary the width of lane(s) or to reduce or increase the
number of lanes. Tapers are typically provided at the starts and ends of auxiliary lanes.
Taxi (taxicab)
A vehicle that has a passenger carrying capacity similar to that of an automobile and that serves
primarily as a demand-responsive public passenger vehicle for hire. It may be a converted
automobile or one specially built for taxicab service.
Temporary traffic management

The physical measures and combination of traffic control devices used to guide road users
through a work zone for the safety of the road users and the workforce.
GLOSSARY PAGE 47
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Thematic road safety audit

A road safety audit that is more defined and focuses on single aspects of design provision or road
user.
Three-leg intersection
An intersection with three legs, where two roads join.
Throughput
Traffic or volume of passengers or vehicles passing a point or series of points during a given
period.
Time of concentration
The sum of the time of entry and the time of flow of surface water runoff directed to a
stormwater drain.
T-intersection
A three-leg intersection in the general form of a “T.”
Topography
The physical features of the surface of the land including elevations, depressions, and rivers.
Topsoil
The uppermost layer of soil, usually 5 to 20 centimeters, that will normally contain organic
matter, microorganisms, and a seedbank for the vegetation cover they support.
Tractor
A powered unit capable of propelling itself and towing unpowered units on a highway.
Traffic
The movement of vehicles or pedestrians through an area or along a defined route.
Traffic bollard
A device placed on a pedestrian refuge or traffic island to warn drivers of the obstruction. It may
incorporate a traffic sign to indicate the direction of travel.
Traffic capacity
The maximum practicable traffic flow for given purposes or assumed for design purposes.
Traffic concentration
The number of vehicles per unit length of road at a specified time, excluding parked vehicles.
Traffic control
Regulation of traffic by traffic signals or traffic signs.
PAGE 48 GLOSSARY
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GLOSSARY
Traffic density
The traffic flow per unit of travelled way; usually expressed as the number of vehicles per hour
per traffic lane.
Traffic flow
The number of vehicles, people, or animals passing a specific point within a specified time, in
both directions unless otherwise stated.
Traffic island
A defined area between traffic lanes for control of vehicle movements or for a pedestrian refuge.
Within an intersection, a median or an outer separation is considered a traffic island.
Traffic sign
A device mounted on a fixed or portable support whereby a specific message is conveyed by
means of words or symbols, officially erected for the purpose of regulating, warning, or guiding
traffic.
Traffic signal
Any power-operated traffic control device, other than a barricade warning light or steady burning
electric lamp, by which traffic is warned or directed to take some specific action.
Traffic volume
The number of persons or vehicles passing a point on a lane, roadway, or other travel way during
some time interval, often 1 hour, expressed in vehicles, bicycles, or persons per hour.
Trailer
A vehicle designed for carrying persons or property and drawn by a motor vehicle that carries no
part of the weight and load of the trailer.
Transition
A section of barrier between two different barriers or, more commonly, where a roadside barrier
is connected to a bridge railing or to a rigid object such as a bridge pier. The transition should
produce a gradual stiffening of the approach rail so vehicular pocketing, snagging, or penetration
at the connection can be avoided.
Transition curve
A curve in which the radius changes continuously along its length, connecting a straight length
with a circular arc or two circular arcs of different radii or of opposite hand.
Transition length
The length of roadway required to distribute superelevation. This may be different from the
length of a transition curve.
GLOSSARY PAGE 49
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GLOSSARY
Transportation
Travel from one place to another of goods and people by public or private means.
Transverse
The horizontal direction normal to the longitudinal axis of a bridge.
Transverse distribution
The manner in which vehicular traffic is spread across the roadway.
Travelled way
The portion of the roadway for the movement of vehicles, exclusive of shoulders and bike lanes.
Treated sewage effluent

Effluent treated to a standard suitable for plant irrigation under controlled conditions that
minimize or eliminate contact with humans.
Trenchless technology
Methods for utility and other line installation, rehabilitation, replacement, renovation, repair,
inspection, location, and leak detection, with minimum excavation from the ground surface.
Trial pit
An excavation, usually by machine, occasionally by small tools and hand-dug, to inspect and
record the soil and rock strata conditions or groundwater entry and to recover strata samples.
Trial trench pit

An elongated excavation, usually made by machine, to inspect and record the soil and rock strata
conditions or groundwater entry and to recover strata samples.
Truck
A wheeled highway freight vehicle. Also referred to as a “goods vehicle”.
Truck apron
The optional outer, mountable portion of the central island of a roundabout between the raised,
nontraversable area of the central island and the circulating roadway.
Trunk sewer
A sewer that receives flow from many tributary sewers and serves a large area.
Tunnel
A horizontal or near horizontal opening in soil excavated to a predesigned geometry by tunneling
methods exclusive of cut-and-cover methods.
Turning traffic
Vehicles turning left or right at an at-grade intersection.
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GLOSSARY
Two-lane roundabout
A category of roundabout where the circulatory roadway is two lanes wide.
Underpass
A grade separation where the subject highway passes under an intersecting highway or railroad.
Also referred to as “undercrossing”.
Upstream
The part of the roadway where traffic is flowing toward the section in question.
Urban area
An area that contains or is zoned to contain built land use development.
Urban design
The art of making places in villages, towns, and cities that involve the design of buildings, groups
of buildings, spaces, landscapes, and the establishment of frameworks and processes which
facilitate successful development.
Urban form
The physical layout and design of the urban area, including structure, gain, density, scale,
massing, appearance, and landscape.
Urban traffic control (UTC)

A centrally located system that uses fixed time, predefined signal timing plans to coordinate
traffic signal controlled intersections within a highway network.
Utility corridor
Defined area within a highway right-of-way for utilities.
U-turn
A turning maneuver carried out through 180 degrees, resulting in the vehicle proceeding on the
same road but in the opposite direction.
Vadose zone
Unsaturated zone between the ground surface and the groundwater table.
Vehicle
1. An assembly of one or more units coupled for travel on a highway; vehicles include one
powered unit and may include one or more unpowered full trailer or semitrailer units.
2. Every device in, upon, or by which any person or property can be transported or drawn upon
a highway, except trains and light rail transit operating in exclusive or semi-exclusive
alignments. Light rail transit operating in a mixed-use alignment, to which other traffic is not
required to yield the right-of-way by law, is a vehicle
GLOSSARY PAGE 51
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GLOSSARY
Vehicle-actuated traffic signals

Traffic signaling equipment in which the duration of the red and green signal lights and the
duration of the signaling cycle vary in relation to the traffic flow into and through the controlled
area, as actuated by a detector.
Vehicle classification
The identification, summarization, and reporting of traffic volume by vehicle or axle
configuration.
Vernacular
The way in which ordinary buildings were built in a particular place, making use of local styles,
techniques, and materials and responding to local economic and social conditions.
Vertical alignment
The direction and course of the center line of a roadway in profile.
Vertical curve
The curve on the longitudinal profile of a roadway.
View
That which is visible from a particular point.
Visibility envelope
The area within and outside of the roadway that is required for compliant design visibility.
Vista
An enclosed view, usually a long and narrow one.
Vortex
A circular pattern of air created by the movement of an airfoil through the atmosphere.
Vortex grit remover

Automatic grit removal from continuous wastewater or intermittent stormwater flows in a low
footprint, shop-fabricated installation.
Wadi
An Arabic term traditionally referring to a valley; in some cases, it normally refers to a dry
riverbed that contains water only during times of heavy rain.
Walkway
A facility provided for pedestrian movement and segregated from vehicular traffic by a curb, or
provided for on a separate right-of-way.
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GLOSSARY
Wayfinding
The process by which people orientate themselves in space and navigate their way from place to
place.
Way leave
A right-of-way granted by a landowner, typically to undertake construction or maintenance work
on private land.
Wearing course
The top layer of a pavement that resists skidding, traffic abrasion, and the disintegrating effects
of climate. Also referred to as “surface course”.
Weigh in motion (WIM)

A set of sensors and supporting instruments that measures the presence of a moving vehicle and
the related dynamic tire forces at specified locations with respect to time; estimates tire loads,
speed, axle spacing, vehicle class according to axle arrangement and other parameters
concerning the vehicle; and processes, displays, and stores this information.
Work zone
The area of road construction, maintenance, or utility work and any additional areas of road
required for advance warning signs, tapers, safety barriers, delineators, safety zones, buffers, and
any other function associated with the road project, including alternative diversion routes.
Work zone road safety audit

A structured audit carried out at specified stages in the process defined in Qatar Work Zone
Traffic Management Guide; specifically examines the elements of temporary traffic management
to confirm compliance with the practices defined in that guide.
Worst credible parameters

Engineering parameters that reflect the most unfavorable conditions that the geotechnical
practitioner realistically believes might occur.
Y-intersection
A three-leg intersection in the general form of a “Y.”
Yield line
A broken transverse traffic line across a traffic lane at the mouth of the minor road at a road
intersection signifying that vehicles emerging from the minor road should yield to vehicles on the
major road or roundabout.
Zoning
The division of an area into districts and the public regulation of the character and intensity of
use of the land and improvements thereon.
GLOSSARY PAGE 53

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Approach half-width (v)

Average annual daily traffic (AADT)

Average daily traffic (ADT)

California Bearing Ratio (CBR)

Capillary break layer

Carrier filter drain

Catchment area (A)

Civil Engineering Environmental Quality Assessments System (CEEQUAL)

Channelization (or channelizing)

Characteristic value parameters

Closed-circuit television (CCTV)

Cone penetration test (CPT)

Continuing professional development (CPD)

Decision tracking form (DTF)

Departure determination report (DDR)

Departure from Standards

Design hour volume

Design team leader

Emergency flood area

Entry angle (φ)

Entry radius (r)

Entry path radius (a)

Equivalent axle load (EAL)

Equivalent single- or standard-axle load (ESAL)

Geophysical survey company

Geotechnical risk register

Geographic information system (GIS)

Ground investigation company

Ground investigation factual report

Health and safety

Highway drainage system

Inscribed circle diameter (ICD)

Interim road safety audit

Interim road safety audit file

Intersection leg (arm)

Interstate Highway System

International Roughness Index (IRI)

Intelligent transportation system (ITS)

Junction approach sight distance

Level of service (LOS)

Local road or street

Moderately conservative parameters

Nonmotorized users (vulnerable road user)

Occupant impact velocity

Operational expenditure (OPEX)

Overseeing Organization safety engineer

Overtaking sight distance

Passenger car equivalent

Passing Sight Distance

Pedestrian Realm Zones

Percent defective (PD)

Peak hour factor

Peak traffic flow

Pedestrian crossing (crosswalk)

Pile load capacity

Police crash listings

Preliminary sources study

Primary signal face

Project management consultant (PMC)

Rideability index (RI)

Right-turn bypass lane