Okuzeka
Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Roads and Bridges

Drainage

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˈdreɪnɪdʒ/nounCommon term

In civil engineering & construction, drainage means: The system of pipes, channels, gullies and ditches that collects rainwater or wastewater and carries it away from a road, building or site.

In Turkish: drenaj, su tahliyesi, kanalizasyon

How it is used

Engineers design surface water drainage, foul drainage and subsoil drainage. Poor drainage is a common cause of road damage and wet basements. Drainage pipes are laid to a fall, meaning a slope.

Example sentences

  1. The drainage along the motorway was blocked, so water flooded the carriageway.

  2. The land drainage behind the wall goes in before backfilling.

Common collocations

  • surface water drainage
  • drainage pipe
  • drainage system
  • foul drainage
  • subsoil drainage
  • culvertA pipe or box-shaped channel that carries a stream or drainage water under a road, railway or embankment.
  • gradientThe steepness of a slope, given as a ratio or a percentage, such as 1 in 20 or 5%. Roads, ramps, drains and roofs all have specified gradients.
  • retaining wallA wall built to hold back soil or water where the ground level changes suddenly, for example beside a road cutting or around a basement.
  • groundwaterWater held underground in the soil and in cracks in rock. Its upper surface is called the water table.
  • pavementThe layered structure of a road, runway or parking area that carries the traffic, usually asphalt or concrete laid over granular base layers.

More terms: Roads and Bridges

Practise with graded reading

Reading at the right level is the fastest way to make new words stick. Pick free English books by level: