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Term Definition
Cable tender
Man who takes care of the powder cable running to the mucker.
Cage
An enclosed platform, similar to an elevator car, used to transport men and miscellaneous material up and down a shaft.
Caisson
A shaft of concrete or steel which can be sunk through the ground by excavating the ground within the perimeter of the lower edge, with the rate of sinking frequently controlled by compressed air.
California switch
Portable platform that rides on a track in a tunnel and is used for passing cars and trains. It has space for two or more tracks, crossovers, and switches, and has sliding and tapered end rails that ride on main-line rails.
Car passer
Portable tracks used for switching cars. The portable tracks are of sufficient length to accomodate one car when the portable tracks are resting on top of the main-line track. The rails are knife-edged on each end so as a car can be placed on them from the main track. Then these tracks and car can be manually rolled on other rails to the side a sufficient distance to clear the main track.
Carbon monoxide
One of the most pollutant element produced by fuel engines.
Casting basin
A place where elements for immersed tunnels can be fabricated in the dry, and which can be flooded to allow the elements to be floated out and taken away. Generally used for concrete tunnels
Cautionary principle
Used in environmental assessment to describe the need for caution in proceeding with a project if the environmental effects are not well understood -- in contrast to proceeding until evidence shows that there is a problem
Cavern
A relatively short, underground room-type opening of large cross-sectional area, generally built to house a special structure such as a hydroelectric power plant, hardened defense facility or storage for waste.
Cell
Continuous space within the cross-section of an element, bounded by walls, floor and ceiling. A cross-section may contain many cells, hence multiple-cell box, where for example separate cells may be used for each traffic direction, emergency egress, utilities, supply air and exhaust air.
Cellar
A below-grade portion of a building. See also basement
Cement content
Quantity of cement contained in a unit volume of concrete or mortar, preferably expressed as weight per cubic measure (examples : kg/cubic meter, pounds per cubic yard, sacks per cubic yard etc.)
Center core method
A method of tunnelling whereby the center is left to the last for excavation.
Chamber
A relatively short, underground room-type opening of large cross-sectional area, generally built to house a special structure such as a hydroelectric power plant, hardened defense facility or storage for waste.
Chamfer
Corners of box section tunnels are often chamfered (bevelled, with the corners missing) to remove unnecessary space where it serves no useful purpose, or thickened to reduce moments and shears (haunches) and to allow dragging anchors to pass more easily over the tunnel.
Change house
A building containing toilets, showers, lockers, and clothes-drying facilities for the tunnel crews.
Changed conditions
Physical site conditions revealed by excavation to be substantially different from the conditions that could reasonably be anticipated from information in the contract documents. Common basis for litigation by contractor, sometimes resulting in an extra paid by owner.
Chemical grout
A combination of chemicals that gel into a semi-solid after they are injected through drilled holes to strengthen incompetent ground (generally soil), or to prevent groundwater from flowing into the excavation.
Chemical grout / injection
A combination of chemicals that gel into a semi-solid after they are injected into the ground to solidify water-bearing soils
Cherry picker
Any frame capable of lifting a car vertically so a train may pass beneath it; used for passing cars.