TERMIUM Plus®

From: Translation Bureau

On social media

Consult the Government of Canada’s terminology data bank.

HAND EXCAVATION [7 records]

Filter results by subject field Alphabetical list of terms

Filter results by subject field

Alphabetical list of terms

Record 1 2021-09-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Soil Tests (Construction)
  • Soil Mechanics (Engineering)
  • Soil Science
CONT

One of the most useful, cheapest, and quickest ways of gaining access to formations for inspection and sampling is by trial pit or trench. In the simplest form, the excavations are hand dug with a spade. Deeper excavations may be made by machine.... The advantages of using trial trenches are many. The soil can be inspected in an in situ state, although some careful hand excavation of the sides of the machine excavated trench may be necessary... Bulk, block, or driven tube samples can be taken from the sides or floor of the trench.

CONT

Test trenches. Test trenches can be used to perform the same function as test pits but offer one distinct advantage, i.e., trenches provide a continuous exposure of the continuity and character of the subsurface material along a given line or section.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Essais du sol (Construction)
  • Mécanique des sols
  • Science du sol

Spanish

Save record 1

Record 2 2016-02-29

English

Subject field(s)
  • Foundation Engineering
OBS

For the protection of the hand digger in the hole, the vertical sides of the excavation have to be shored. Three principal methods of shoring are(1) horizontal wooden lagging,(2) the Chicago-well method, employing vertical boards supported by circular steel rings, and(3) the Gow method using telescoping steel shells...

French

Domaine(s)
  • Technique des fondations
OBS

Pour protéger le terrassier dans le puits, les parois verticales sont étayées. Il existe trois principales méthodes d'étayage, qui sont : (1) le boisage horizontal, (2) la méthode de Chicago, utilisant des madriers verticaux maintenus par des cerces métalliques, et (3) la méthode de Gow, employant des cylindres d'acier télescopiques [...]

Spanish

Save record 2

Record 3 2015-10-14

English

Subject field(s)
  • Boring and Drilling (Mines)
DEF

A boring or open cut excavation by means of mechanical excavating equipment such as [a] powered excavator, [an] earth mover, earth piercing equipment including hand held augers, picks, bars, stakes...

French

Domaine(s)
  • Sondage et forage miniers

Spanish

Save record 3

Record 4 2012-07-05

English

Subject field(s)
  • Earthmoving
DEF

Any operation involving the excavation or construction of earth embankments.

CONT

Earthmoving. This includes excavation and the placement of earth fill. Excavation follows preparation of the site, and is performed when the existing grade must be brought down to a new elevation.

CONT

General excavation consists of the primary operations of earth excavation, rock excavation, backfill, and embankment construction; it also includes the transportation of earth materials, the stabilization of earth banks, and the control of ground water.

OBS

General excavation is the term quite generally applied to the moving of portions of the earth's crust for construction purposes. Other terms, such as earthmoving, may or may not mean the same thing. Confusion arises from the dual use of the word "earth" to refer, on the one hand, to the sphere on which we live, and on the other hand to that portion of the earth's crust often termed "dirt, "but now more frequently termed "soil. "

OBS

Do not translate in French by "terrassements généraux" which is more specific.

OBS

earthwork: term standardized by ISO.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Terrassement
DEF

Ensemble des opérations de génie civil et de travaux publics ayant pour effet de modifier le relief du sol, que ce dernier soit constitué par des terres proprement dites ou par des rochers.

CONT

On nomme terrassements les travaux qui se rapportent à la modification du relief d'un terrain. Cette modification des niveaux du sol est réalisée par l'exécution de déblais et de remblais.

CONT

Selon leur volume, [...] les terrassements peuvent se classer en deux groupes : les terrassements pour ouvrages d'art et pour bâtiments [où] les masses de terre à déplacer sont relativement peu importantes [et] les terrassements généraux de grande masse : routes, aérodromes, barrages et digues en terre.

OBS

terrassement : terme normalisé par l'ISO.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Remoción de tierras
DEF

Movimiento de los materiales de la superficie de un terreno para alterar su forma para fines de constitución en el sitio.

Save record 4

Record 5 - external organization data 2001-06-29

English

Subject field(s)
  • Waste Management
  • Nuclear Waste Materials
  • Compartment - Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission
CONT

The third category of waste, that with hazardous lifetimes greater than 500 years, will continue to be stored until a suitable repository can be justified economically.

CONT

The selection of an appropriate repository will depend primarily on local geological, hydrological, topographic and climatic conditions at the site. In general above-ground structures will be preferred where there is groundwater close to the earth surface or where excavation of pits or trenches would be difficult owing to hard bedrock close to the surface. On the other hand, in terrains with favourable properties, preference should be given to subsurface modules because of better shielding, easier handling during emplacement, simpler backfilling and covering with earth materials, and reduced potential for erosion.

CONT

Underground repository for radioactive waste.

OBS

See also "disposal site", and "final repository (or disposal site)".

French

Domaine(s)
  • Gestion des déchets
  • Déchets nucléaires
  • Tiroir - Commission canadienne de sûreté nucléaire
CONT

[...] au 1er janvier 1957, on avait déjà emmagasiné aux États-Unis environ 280 000 m3 de déchets liquides à haut niveau de radioactivité dans 170 dépôts.

CONT

Déchets solides. [...] La méthode de stockage généralement employée consiste à enfouir les substances dans des zones où le sol peut retenir les radionuclides et où le danger d'une contamination des eaux souterraines est minimal. Le danger potentiel de ces dépôts et les précautions nécessaires pour sélectionner, utiliser et contrôler les zones d'enfouissement dépendent naturellement des radionuclides présents et des niveaux d'activité.

Spanish

Campo(s) temático(s)
  • Gestión de los desechos
  • Desechos nucleares
  • Compartimiento - Comisión Canadiense de Seguridad Nuclear
Key term(s)
  • depósito de desechos radioactivos
  • repositorio de desechos radioactivos
Save record 5

Record 6 1990-10-31

English

Subject field(s)
  • Earthmoving
  • Excavation (Construction)
CONT

Although the pick and shovel still represent the basic tools for hand excavation, numerous others have been developed for special uses. The digging bar, for instance, is useful for digging deep, narrow holes or trenches where a pick cannot be swung.

French

Domaine(s)
  • Terrassement
  • Fouilles (Construction)
CONT

Terrassements manuels. (...) Les deux outils de base du terrassier sont la pioche servant à ameublir le terrain et la pelle pour le chargement. (...) selon qu'il faut un ou deux piocheurs pour ameublir le terrain chargé par un pelleteur, on dit que la terre est à deux ou trois hommes (...)

Spanish

Save record 6

Record 7 1982-08-30

English

Subject field(s)
  • Foundation Engineering
OBS

For the protection of the hand digger in the hole, the vertical sides of the excavation have to be shored. Three principal methods of shoring are(1) horizontal wooden lagging,(2) the Chicago-well method, employing vertical boards supported by circular steel rings, and(3) the Gow method using telescoping steel shells...

French

Domaine(s)
  • Technique des fondations
OBS

Pour protéger le terrassier dans le puits, les parois verticales sont étayées. Il existe trois principales méthodes d'étayage, qui sont : (1) le boisage horizontal, (2) la méthode de Chicago, utilisant des madriers verticaux maintenus par des cerces métalliques, et (3) la méthode de Gow, employant des cylindres d'acier télescopiques [...]

Spanish

Save record 7

Copyright notice for the TERMIUM Plus® data bank

© Public Services and Procurement Canada, 2026
TERMIUM Plus®, the Government of Canada's terminology and linguistic data bank
A product of the Translation Bureau

Display options

Change the order of display of the official languages of Canada
Option to display the non-official languages (Spanish or Portuguese)
Display definitions, contexts, etc., on records

Features

GCtranslate (available on the Government of Canada network only)

Use this artificial intelligence prototype to translate Government of Canada content up to and including Protected B. Available to employees of selected departments and agencies only.

Writing tools

The Language Portal’s writing tools have a new look! Easy to consult, they give you access to a wealth of information that will help you write better in English and French.

Glossaries and vocabularies

Access Translation Bureau glossaries and vocabularies.

Date Modified: