Civil Engineering, TEN-TUC
Civil engineering, the profession of designing and executing structural works that serve the general public. The term was first used in the 18th century to distinguish the newly recognized profession from military engineering, until then preeminent.
Civil Engineering Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway
Tennessee-Tombigbee Waterway, American waterway linking the Tennessee River in northeastern Mississippi with the......
Tent
Tent, portable shelter, consisting of a rigid framework covered by some flexible substance. Tents are used for......
Tepee
Tepee, conical tent most common to the North American Plains Indians. Although a number of Native American groups......
Term
Term, in the visual arts, element consisting of a sculptured figure or bust at the top of a stone pillar or column......
Terrazzo
Terrazzo, Type of flooring consisting of marble chips set in cement or epoxy resin that is poured and ground smooth......
Terzaghi, Karl
Karl Terzaghi was a civil engineer who founded the branch of civil engineering science known as soil mechanics,......
Tesla coil
Tesla coil, an electrical transformer that uses high-frequency alternating current (AC) to increase voltage. Because......
Tester
Tester, canopy, usually of carved or cloth-draped wood, over a bed, tomb, pulpit, or throne. It dates from the......
Texas and Pacific Railway Company
Texas and Pacific Railway Company, Texas railroad merged into the Missouri Pacific in 1976. Chartered in 1871,......
Thames Tunnel
Thames Tunnel, tunnel designed by Marc Isambard Brunel and built under the River Thames in London. Drilled from......
The Brill Building: Assembly-Line Pop
Located at 1619 Broadway in New York City, the Brill Building was the hub of professionally written rock and roll.......
The Evergreen Benefits of Rooftop Gardening
Also known as a “green roof” or “landscaped rooftop,” a rooftop garden is a cultivated garden on top of a building.......
The Gherkin
The Gherkin, skyscraper in London that was designed by the architecture firm Foster and Partners and completed......
The Reeperbahn
As rock and roll made its way to continental Europe in the late 1950s, several nightclub owners in the red-light......
The Shard
The Shard, skyscraper in London that was designed by architect Renzo Piano and completed in 2012. Piano took its......
The White House: A Visual History
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue is one of the most famous addresses in the world. The site was chosen by George Washington,......
theatre
theatre, in architecture, a building or space in which a performance may be given before an audience. The word......
- Introduction
- Acoustics, Design, Architecture
- Stage Design, Proscenium, Backdrops
- Asian Traditions, Architecture, Performance
- Japanese Architecture, Design, Performance
- Medieval, Architecture, Performance
- Staging, Conventions, Design
- Renaissance, Architecture, Design
- Staging, Design, Performance
- Elizabethan, Stage, Design
- Baroque, Staging, Design
- Technical Advances, Innovations, Evolution
- France, Spain, Developments
- Northern Europe, Design, Performance
- 19th Century, Design, Architecture
- German Romanticism, Naturalism
- Russian Imperial, Architecture, Performance
- American Design, Architecture, Performance
- Evolution, Production, Design
- Realism, Naturalism, Expressionism
- Appia, Craig, Influence
- Movement, Design, Architecture
- Reinhardt, Design, Architecture
- Architecture, Scenery, Performance
- Expressionist, Production, Aspects
- The influence of Piscator
- Russian Futurism, Suprematism
- Political Festivals
- American, Design, Architecture
- Modernization, Design, Architecture
- Grotowski, Polish, Laboratory
theodolite
theodolite, basic surveying instrument of unknown origin but going back to the 16th-century English mathematician......
thermae
thermae, complex of rooms designed for public bathing, relaxation, and social activity that was developed to a......
thermionic power converter
thermionic power converter, any of a class of devices that convert heat directly into electricity using thermionic......
Tholos
Tholos, in ancient Greek architecture, a circular building with a conical or vaulted roof and with or without a......
Thomson, Elihu
Elihu Thomson was a U.S. electrical engineer and inventor whose discoveries in the field of alternating-current......
Thomson, J Edgar
J. Edgar Thomson was an American civil engineer and president of the Pennsylvania Railroad Company who consolidated......
Thomson, Robert William
Robert William Thomson was a Scottish engineer and entrepreneur, known as the inventor of the pneumatic tire. Thomson......
Thornycroft, Sir John Isaac
Sir John Isaac Thornycroft was an English naval architect and engineer who made fundamental improvements in the......
Three Gorges Dam
Three Gorges Dam, dam on the Yangtze River (Chang Jiang) just west of the city of Yichang in Hubei province, China.......
three laws of robotics
three laws of robotics, rules developed by science-fiction writer Isaac Asimov, who sought to create an ethical......
Tibi Dam
Tibi Dam, dam in the Valencia region of eastern Spain, across the Monnegre River. It was erected late in the 16th......
Tile
Tile, thin, flat slab or block used structurally or decoratively in building. Traditionally, tiles have been made......
Tillman, Ben
Ben Tillman was an outspoken U.S. populist politician who championed agrarian reform and white supremacy. Tillman......
Timber framing
Timber framing, wooden structural framework that forms the interior and exterior walls of half-timber work...
time-and-motion study
time-and-motion study, in the evaluation of industrial performance, analysis of the time spent in going through......
Timeline and Map of the Panama Canal
The Panama Canal, which was completed in 1914, connects the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and significantly shortens......
Tioga Pass
Tioga Pass, highest (9,945 feet [3,031 metres]) roadway across the Sierra Nevada, central California, U.S. Originally......
tissue engineering
tissue engineering, scientific field concerned with the development of biological substitutes capable of replacing......
Today in History—April 15: The Titanic’s Final Moments and Messages
“Fine voyage fine ship feeling fine what news.” That was a telegram sent from the Titanic by Isidor Straus, co-owner......
Today in History—April 21: Solved Mysteries: Al Capone’s Vault Is Opened
On this day in 1986, one of the most anticlimactic reveals in history happened: A vault that had belonged to gangster......
Today in History—April 28: Chinese Tomb Discovery Upends the History of Paper
Picture Indiana Jones swapping his fedora for a Han dynasty helmet, dodging booby traps in dusty Chinese tombs.......
Today in History—August 7: The Feud Behind Florence’s Landmark
On this day in 1420, construction finally began on the dome of the Florence Cathedral, today the city’s most recognizable......
Today in History—December 12: Checking in at the First Motel
If you were driving your shiny new Model T—with its 10-gallon tank—from San Francisco to Los Angeles, what were......
Today in History—December 22: “The Heart of Berlin Hangs On This Gate”
Just after midnight on December 22, 1989, workers punched a hole in the Brandenburg Gate. Once the first openings......
Today in History—January 25: Rule Number 1: Don’t Harm Humans
On this day in 1979, Robert Nicholas Williams died at work. Born in 1953, Williams lived in Dearborn Heights, Michigan.......
Today in History—July 1: The ZIP Code’s Rocky Introduction
On this day in 1963, the U.S. Post Office Department asked Americans to do something they have never particularly......
Today in History—July 26: The USPS’s Revolutionary Origins
The “shot heard ’round the world” was fired on April 19, 1775. On May 10, the same day the Second Continental Congress......
Today in History—July 29: A Monument Built for Glory Opened Quietly
It was meant to be a triumph. But on July 29, 1836, the inauguration of the Arc de Triomphe unfolded almost in......
Today in History—June 8: The Day the USPS Redefined Airmail
Planes, trains, automobiles, and…missiles? Hey, the mail must go through. In the history of the United States Postal......
Today in History—June 9: The Global Fraud Case About Toxic Waste
On this day in 1986, brothers Jack and Charles Colbert were found guilty in a New York courtroom of running what......
Today in History—March 18: The Debut of the World’s First Public Transit System
In the early 1660s, French mathematician and philosopher Blaise Pascal knew he didn’t have much time left. He decided......
Today in History—March 19: The Original Plan for the Sagrada Família
The Basilica de la Sagrada Família is inextricably tied to Antoni Gaudí. Its hivelike towers, stalactitic portals,......
Today in History—March 25: All Aboard History for the First Passenger Railway Launch
Today in 1807 the first fee-paying passenger railway in the world began operating in Wales, with the proprietors......
Today in History—March 8: A Ride to Write Home About
On this day in 1855, a train went over a bridge. Interested yet? No? Let’s try that again. On this day in 1855,......
Today in History—May 27: The Opening of the Chrysler Building
On this day in 1930, history’s fiercest race for the sky crowned a champion with the opening of the 77-story Chrysler......
Today in History—May 6: A Tunnel Beneath the Channel Opens
On this day in 1994, a train slipped beneath the sea in England and reappeared in France. Crowds gathered on both......
Today in History—May 9: Mr. Trash Wheel Goes on Duty
Baltimore has a new celebrity. He’s 16 feet tall, weighs almost 100,000 pounds, and eats a lot—nearly 500,000 pounds......
Today in History—November 4: The Discovery of Tutankhamun’s Tomb
On this day in 1922, according to the popular account, a boy tripped on a stone and kicked off one of the greatest......
Today in History—October 16: America’s First Modern Luxury Hotel’s Grand Opening
On this day in 1829, the Tremont House officially opened in Boston with a gala for city leaders. The dinner featured......
Today in History—October 4: Work Begins on Mount Rushmore
Some people sculpt with a hammer and chisel. Gutzon Borglum sculpted with dynamite, and on this day in 1927 he......
Today in History—September 5: The Garbage Ship Sets Sail
On this day in 1986, about 28 million pounds of incinerated garbage set sail from Philadelphia aboard a rusty ship......
Tokonoma
Tokonoma, alcove in a Japanese room, used for the display of paintings, pottery, flower arrangements, and other......
Tomb
Tomb, in the strictest sense, a home or house for the dead; the term is applied loosely to all kinds of graves,......
Tonle Sap
Tonle Sap, natural floodplain reservoir, central Cambodia. The lake is drained during the dry season by the Sab......
Toomer, Ron
Ron Toomer was an American engineer and roller coaster designer who could be considered the sovereign of steel......
Torana
Torana, Indian gateway, usually of stone, marking the entrance to a Buddhist shrine or stupa or to a Hindu temple.......
Torelli, Giacomo
Giacomo Torelli was an Italian stage designer and engineer whose innovative theatre machinery provided the basis......
Torres Quevedo, Leonardo
Leonardo Torres Quevedo was a Spanish engineer. In 1890, he introduced an electromagnetic device capable of playing......
Torroja, Eduardo
Eduardo Torroja was a Spanish architect and engineer notable as a pioneer in the design of concrete-shell structures.......
Total Quality Control
Total Quality Control (TQC), System for optimizing production based on ideas developed by Japanese industries from......
Tower
Tower, any structure that is relatively tall in proportion to the dimensions of its base. It may be either freestanding......
Tower Bridge
Tower Bridge, movable bridge of the double-leaf bascule (drawbridge) type that spans the River Thames between the......
tractor loader
tractor loader, tractor carrying a front-mounted bucket that can be raised, lowered, and tilted forward and backward......
Trajan’s Bridge
Trajan’s Bridge, first bridge spanning the Danube River, built east of the Iron Gate Rapids at Turnu Severin by......
Trans-Canada Highway
Trans-Canada Highway, principal highway of Canada and the world’s longest national road. The road extends west-east......
Trans-Siberian Railroad
Trans-Siberian Railroad, the longest single rail system in the world, stretching 5,771 miles (9,288 km) across......
Transamazonian highway
Transamazonian highway, system of paved and unpaved roads in Brazil that is designed to facilitate settlement and......
Transamerica Pyramid
Transamerica Pyramid, skyscraper in San Francisco that was designed by architect William Pereira and completed......
transcontinental railroad
transcontinental railroad, first railroad to connect the East and West coasts of the United States, linking established......
Transept
Transept, the area of a cruciform church lying at right angles to the principal axis. The bay at which the transept......
transformer
transformer, device that transfers electric energy from one alternating-current circuit to one or more other circuits,......
Tredgold, Thomas
Thomas Tredgold was an English engineer and writer. Almost entirely self-taught, after some years as a carpenter’s......
Trekvaart
Trekvaart, system of canals in the Low Countries, built in the 17th century and used exclusively by boats carrying......
trenching machine
trenching machine, excavation machine employing a wheel fitted with rim buckets, or with a boom or ladder on which......
Trevithick, Richard
Richard Trevithick was a British mechanical engineer and inventor who successfully harnessed high-pressure steam......
triangulation
triangulation, in navigation, surveying, and civil engineering, a technique for precise determination of a ship’s......
Tribune Tower
Tribune Tower, Gothic Revival 36-floor office building, located at 435 N. Michigan Ave., in downtown Chicago, which......
trickling filter
trickling filter, in wastewater treatment, a bed of crushed rock or other coarse media roughly 2 metres (6 feet)......
Triforium
Triforium, in architecture, space in a church above the nave arcade, below the clerestory, and extending over the......
trilateration
trilateration, method of surveying in which the lengths of the sides of a triangle are measured, usually by electronic......
Triumphal arch
Triumphal arch, a monumental structure pierced by at least one arched passageway and erected to honor an important......
trolleybus
trolleybus, vehicle operated on the streets on rubber tires and powered by electricity drawn from two overhead......
Trollhätte Canal
Trollhätte Canal, waterway in Sweden, first begun in 1718 and finally opened in 1800, that is now part of the Göta...
trophy
trophy, (from Greek tropaion, from tropē, “rout”), in ancient Greece, memorial of victory set up on the field of......
Trullo
Trullo, conical, stone-roofed building unique to the regione of Puglia (Apulia) in southeastern Italy and especially......
Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago
Trump International Hotel and Tower Chicago, commercial and residential skyscraper located at 401 North Wabash......
Trump Tower
Trump Tower, mixed-use skyscraper in Manhattan, New York, located on Fifth Avenue at East 56th Street. It opened......
truss
truss, in engineering, a structural member usually fabricated from straight pieces of metal or timber to form a......
truss bridge
truss bridge, bridge with its load-bearing structures composed of a series of wooden or metal triangles, known......
Trésaguet, Pierre-Marie-Jérôme
Pierre-Marie-Jérôme Trésaguet was a French engineer known for his introduction of modern road-building ideas. Youngest......
Tsimlyansk Reservoir
Tsimlyansk Reservoir, reservoir created by a giant barrage (dam) at the great bend of the Don River, near the town......
tuckpointing
tuckpointing, in building construction, technique of finishing masonry joints with a fine, pointed ridge of mortar,......