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Civil Engineering & Construction vocabulary · Foundations and Soil

Settlement

Meaning in civil engineering & construction, with examples

/ˈsetlmənt/nounCommon term

In civil engineering & construction, settlement means: The downward movement of a foundation or structure as the soil beneath it compresses under load. Some settlement is normal; too much causes cracks.

In Turkish: oturma

How it is used

Geotechnical engineers predict and limit settlement, and on site it is monitored with survey points. Differential settlement, when parts of a building settle by different amounts, is the most damaging kind.

Example sentences

  1. The monitoring shows 12 mm of settlement since the tank was filled.

  2. Those diagonal cracks are typical of differential settlement.

Common collocations

  • differential settlement
  • settlement monitoring
  • long-term settlement
  • allowable settlement
  • foundationThe lowest part of a structure, usually below ground, which spreads the building's loads safely into the soil or rock underneath.
  • bearing capacityThe maximum pressure the ground can safely carry from a foundation without failing or settling too much, usually given in kilopascals (kPa).
  • compactionPressing soil or fill together, usually with rollers or plate compactors, to remove air, make it denser and stronger, and reduce later settlement.
  • groundwaterWater held underground in the soil and in cracks in rock. Its upper surface is called the water table.

This word in other fields

The same English word can have a different meaning in another field:

More terms: Foundations and Soil

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