Civil Engineering, TUN-YOU
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
Tunnel of Eupalinos
Tunnel of Eupalinos, tunnel drilled on the Aegean island of SĂĄmos in the 6th century bce, one of the major feats......
tunneling shield
tunneling shield, machine for driving tunnels in soft ground, especially under rivers or in water-bearing strata.......
tunnels and underground excavations
tunnels and underground excavations, horizontal underground passageway produced by excavation or occasionally by......
turbo train
turbo train, high-speed passenger train powered by a gas-turbine engine similar to that used in jet aircraft. Unlike......
Turkish bath
Turkish bath, kind of bath that originated in the Middle East and combines exposure to warm air, then steam or......
Tuscan order
Tuscan order, the simplest of the five orders of Classical Roman architecture, which were codified in the Renaissance.......
Tympanum
Tympanum, in Classical architecture, the area enclosed by a pediment, whether triangular or segmental. In a triangular......
TĂŒrbe
TĂŒrbe, form of mausoleum architecture developed by and popular among the Seljuq Turks in Iran (mid-11th to 13th......
TĆkaidĆ
TĆkaidĆ, historic road that connected Ćsaka and KyĆto with Edo (now Tokyo) in Japan. The TĆkaidĆ was about 515......
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, combatant arm and a technical service of the United States Army. Alone among the......
ultraviolet lamp
ultraviolet lamp, device that emits electromagnetic radiation in the wavelengths between those of visible light......
Union Pacific Railroad Company
Union Pacific Railroad Company (UNP) is an American rail company established by an act of Congress on July 1, 1862,......
unit train
unit train, freight train composed of cars carrying a single type of commodity that are all bound for the same......
Unknown Soldier, Tomb of the
Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, monumental grave of an unidentifiable military service member who died in wartime.......
Unter den Linden
Unter den Linden, avenue in Berlin, Germany, running eastward from the Brandenburg Gate for nearly a mile. The......
UPC
UPC, a standard machine-readable bar code used to identify products purchased in grocery and other retail stores.......
Vaiont Dam
Vaiont Dam, disused concrete arch dam across the Vaiont River near Monte Toc in Italy. With a height of 262 metres......
Van Deman, Esther Boise
Esther Boise Van Deman was an American archaeologist and the first woman to specialize in Roman field archaeology.......
Van Depoele, Charles Joseph
Charles Joseph Van Depoele was a Belgian-born American inventor who demonstrated the practicability of electrical......
van der Meer, Simon
Simon van der Meer was a Dutch physical engineer who in 1984, with Carlo Rubbia, received the Nobel Prize for Physics......
Van Horne, Sir William Cornelius
Sir William Cornelius Van Horne was an American-born Canadian railway official who directed the construction of......
Vancouver, George
George Vancouver was an English navigator who, with great precision, completed one of the most difficult surveys......
Vanderbilt, Cornelius
Cornelius Vanderbilt was an American shipping and railroad magnate who acquired a personal fortune of more than......
Vanderbilt, William Henry
William Henry Vanderbilt was an American railroad magnate and philanthropist who nearly doubled the Vanderbilt......
Vasco da Gama Bridge
Vasco da Gama Bridge, cable-stayed bridge with approach viaducts that crosses over the Tagus River estuary in Lisbon,......
Vault
Vault, in building construction, a structural member consisting of an arrangement of arches, usually forming a......
vehicular safety devices
vehicular safety devices, seat belts, harnesses, inflatable cushions, and other devices designed to protect occupants......
ventilating
ventilating, the natural or mechanically induced movement of fresh air into or through an enclosed space. The supply......
Veranda
Veranda, in architecture, most frequently, an open-walled, roofed porch attached to the exterior of a domestic......
Vermiculated work
Vermiculated work, in masonry, the carving or finishing of building stones with irregular grooves intended to resemble......
Vermuyden, Sir Cornelius
Sir Cornelius Vermuyden was a Dutch-born British engineer who introduced Dutch land-reclamation methods in England......
Vernacular architecture
Vernacular architecture, Common domestic architecture of a region, usually far simpler than what the technology......
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge
Verrazzano-Narrows Bridge, long-span suspension bridge spanning New York Harbor from Brooklyn to Staten Island,......
viaduct
viaduct, type of long bridge or series of bridges, usually supported by a series of arches or on spans between......
Vienna State Opera
Vienna State Opera, theatre in Vienna, Austria, that is one of the worldâs leading opera houses, known especially......
vihara
vihara, early type of Buddhist monastery consisting of an open court surrounded by open cells accessible through......
Villa
Villa, country estate, complete with house, grounds, and subsidiary buildings. The term villa particularly applies......
Villard, Henry
Henry Villard was a U.S. journalist and financier, who became one of the major United States railroad and electric......
Vogel, Sir Julius
Sir Julius Vogel was a New Zealand statesman, journalist, and businessman known for his bold project to regenerate......
Volga-Don Canal
Volga-Don Canal, canal linking the lower Volga River with the Don River at their closest point in southwestern......
Volta, Lake
Lake Volta, artificial lake in Ghana. The lake is formed by the Akosombo Dam, which, begun in 1961 and completed......
voltage regulator
voltage regulator, any electrical or electronic device that maintains the voltage of a power source within acceptable......
VPN
VPN, a private computer network deployed over a public telecommunications network, such as the Internet. A VPN......
Wall
Wall, structural element used to divide or enclose, and, in building construction, to form the periphery of a room......
Wall Street
Wall Street, street, in the southern section of the borough of Manhattan in New York City, which has been the location......
Wangchuk, Sonam
Sonam Wangchuk began his professional life as an engineer working to reform education in his native Ladakh, in......
Wankel, Felix
Felix Wankel was a German engineer and inventor of the Wankel rotary engine. The Wankel engine is radically different......
Was Chicagoâs âRat Holeâ Really Made by a Rat?
The city of Chicago is known for many things: the Great Chicago Fire of 1871, 1930s gangster Al Capone, the Democratic......
waste disposal
waste disposal, the collection, processing, and recycling or deposition of the waste materials of human society.......
waste management in India
waste management in India, the process of handling waste from generation to final disposal in India. Managing waste......
wastewater treatment
wastewater treatment, the removal of impurities from wastewater, or sewage, before it reaches aquifers or natural......
water fluoridation
water fluoridation, addition of fluoride compounds to water (see fluorine) at one part per million to reduce dental......
Water Fluoridation: Just the Facts
All there is to know about one of the most effective public health programs of the last century. Companion, fluoridation,......
water infrastructure in India
water infrastructure in India, infrastructure for the holistic management of the water resources of India. The......
water purification
water purification, process by which undesired chemical compounds, organic and inorganic materials, and biological......
water softener
water softener, device for removing calcium and magnesium from water; water so treated will not form insoluble......
water softening
water softening, the process of removing the dissolved calcium and magnesium salts that cause hardness in water.......
water supply system
water supply system, infrastructure for the collection, transmission, treatment, storage, and distribution of water......
Watling Street
Watling Street, Roman road in England that ran from Dover west-northwest to London and thence northwest via St.......
Wattle and daub
Wattle and daub, in building construction, method of constructing walls in which vertical wooden stakes (wattles)......
Weber, Ernst
Ernst Weber was an Austrian-born American engineer who was a pioneer in the development of microwave communications......
Wei Mengbian
Wei Mengbian was a Chinese mechanical engineer. He devised numerous wheeled vehicles, including a type of odometer......
weir
weir, any control or barrier placed in an open channel to permit measurement of water discharge. The latter may......
Welland Canal
Welland Canal, waterway in southern Ontario, Canada, that provides navigation for large vessels between Lake Erie......
Welsbach, Carl Auer, Freiherr von
Carl Auer, Freiherr von Welsbach was an Austrian chemist and engineer who invented the gas mantle, thus allowing......
Were All Egyptian Pharaohs Buried in Pyramids?
In ancient Egypt, pyramids were the most characteristic tomb for kings of the Old Kingdom. The mummies of such......
Westinghouse, George
George Westinghouse was an American inventor and industrialist who was chiefly responsible for the adoption of......
What Armor Did the Heroes of the Odyssey and the Iliad Wear?
The accuracy of movies and TV shows is a topic of discussion whenever a new historical epic hits our screens. In......
Whatâs Inside the Great Pyramid?
According to Napoleonic legend, the future emperor of France emerged from Egyptâs Great Pyramid pale and shaken,......
Whatâs Inside the Pyramid at ChichĂ©n ItzĂĄ?
Twice a year thousands of visitors crowd into the ancient Maya city of ChichĂ©n ItzĂĄ, located in Mexicoâs YucatĂĄn......
Whatâs the difference between a basilica and a cathedral?
The terms cathedral and basilica can sound interchangeableâboth conjure images of grand, historic churches. But......
Whatâs the difference between cement and concrete?
The words cement and concrete are often used interchangeably, but theyâre not the same thing. Cement is a fine......
Wheelwright, William
William Wheelwright was a U.S. businessman and promoter, responsible for opening the first steamship line between......
Where does the Golden Gate Bridge get its name?
The Golden Gate Bridge in San Francisco is named after the strait that it spans, called Golden Gate. The name was......
Whipple, Squire
Squire Whipple was a U.S. civil engineer, inventor, and theoretician who provided the first scientifically based......
white rooftop
white rooftop, white- or light-coloured rooftop that minimizes the amount of heat from solar radiation that is......
Whitehall
Whitehall, street and locality in the City of Westminster, London. The street runs between Charing Cross and the......
Whitehead, Robert
Robert Whitehead was a British engineer who invented the modern torpedo. In 1856, after serving an apprenticeship......
Whittle, Sir Frank
Sir Frank Whittle was an English aviation engineer and pilot who invented the jet engine. The son of a mechanic,......
Why Are 22 Chambers Locked in the Taj Mahal?
The Taj Mahal is a mausoleum complex in Agra, Uttar Pradesh state, northern India. It is considered one of the......
Why are Dalmatians firefighter dogs?
Dalmatians are associated with firefighters because their temperament made them friendly companions for the horses......
Why Are Roads Made of Asphalt?
When you think of a long stretch of road, you probably imagine a black thoroughfare fading into the distance. Asphalt......
Why did Roman concrete last longer than many modern materials?
What do the mythical monster Hydra, human bones, and Roman concrete all have in common? They are self-healing.......
Why do AI data centers need so much water?
In September 2026 Sam Altman, cofounder and CEO of OpenAI, pushed back against claims about the vast quantities......
Why Do Hotels Have Bibles?
As you unpack your suitcase in a hotel room, you may notice a Bible tucked quietly into a bedside drawer, often......
Why do Jews put stones on graves?
Jews place stones on graves of the dead as a sign of respect and remembrance for the people buried below. In Judaism......
Why is the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier guarded?
The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Arlington National Cemetery in Arlington, Virginia, is a monumental grave that......
wick
wick, thread, strip, or bundle of fibres that, by capillary action, draws up the oil of a lamp or the melted wax......
Wickiup
Wickiup, indigenous North American dwelling characteristic of many Northeast Indian peoples and in more limited......
Willcocks, Sir William
Sir William Willcocks was a British civil engineer who proposed and designed the first AswÄn (Assuan) Dam and executed......
Willis Tower
Willis Tower, skyscraper in Chicago, located at 233 South Wacker Drive, that was the worldâs tallest building until......
Window
Window, opening in the wall of a building for the admission of light and air; windows are often arranged also for......
Winds, Tower of the
Tower of the Winds, building in Athens erected about 100â50 bc by Andronicus of Cyrrhus for measuring time. Still......
Witte, Sergey Yulyevich, Graf
Sergey Yulyevich, Count Witte was a Russian minister of finance (1892â1903) and the first constitutional prime......
Woolf, Arthur
Arthur Woolf was a British engineer who pioneered in the development of the compound steam engine. Woolf began......
World Trade Center
World Trade Center, complex of several buildings around a central plaza in New York City that in 2001 was the site......
Wright, Benjamin
Benjamin Wright was an American engineer who directed the construction of the Erie Canal. Because he trained so......
Wyatt, John
John Wyatt was an English mechanic who contributed to the development of power spinning. Wyatt began his career......
Xinâan River Reservoir
Xinâan River Reservoir, large artificial lake near the town of Xinâanjiang, northwestern Zhejiang province, southeastern......
youth hostel
youth hostel, supervised shelter providing inexpensive overnight lodging, particularly for young people. Hostels......