Glossary

This glossary is generated automatically. If you believe you have a better definition than the one given, please click on the link and edit the page it points to. For more information about this and other glossaries click here.

Acronyms . A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . All

Package Sewage Treatment Plant - A package sewage treatment plant is a compact sewage treatment system suitable for treating the waste generated by populations of up to 5000 people.

Paleoflood - A Paleoflood is a flood that has occurred before historical records were kept. Data on such floods can be derived from geological and botanical information. The collection and analysis of pre-historical flood data to identify paleofloods, is called paleohydrology.

Paper Road - A Paper Road is a road reserve created on a plan of subdivision for the purpose of creating a residential address, emergency vehicle access or pedestrian and bicycle access. Usually located at the front of allotments overlooking public open space when vehicle access is available form a rear laneway.

Parent Asset - A parent asset is the asset that a particular asset component belongs to.

Parent Facility - A parent facility is the facility within which a particular asset is located.

Park - A park is a bounded area of land, usually in its natural or semi-natural (landscaped) state and set aside for some purpose, usually to do with recreation.

Park Furniture - Park furniture is a collective term for park benches, seat shelters and similar pieces of equipment installed within parks.

Parking Bay - A Parking Bay is a single marked parking space.

Parking Lane - A parking lane is a lane within the road carriageway, and typically immediately adjacent the kerb used for vehicle parking.

Passive Asset - Passive Asset refers to below ground assets such as water and sewer mains.

Path - A path (or pathway) is a route from one point to another.

Pathway - A pathway is a footpath, bicycle path or other area constructed or developed by a responsible road authority for use by members of the public other than with a motor vehicle.

Pathway Reserve - A Pathway Reserve is a generally narrow open space reserve located between private property and linking reserves such as roads and open space on either side.

Patrol Grading - The term Patrol Grading is used to describe the grading of unsealed roads. It is very similar to, and is sometimes used interchangeably with the term Maintenance Grading. If there is a difference between the two terms it is probably that patrol grading is seen as more of a go out and look for problems and fix them when you find them activity, and maintenance grading is a more scheduled activity where the whole of the road is graded irrespective of condition.

Pattern of Consumption - A pattern of consumption is a graph of the rate of consumption of an asset's service potential.

Pavement Condition Index - A Pavement Condition Index (PCI) is a numerical score given to a road pavement to represent its condition.

Pavement Deformation - Pavement deformation is the change in a road surface from the intended construction profile.

Pavement Integrity Index - Pavement Integrity Index (PII) is a combined index of the pavement faults in sealed road surfaces used widely in New Zealand. It is a ‘weighted sum’ of the pavement defects divided by total lane length. PII combines surface faults (CI) with rutting and shoving.

Pavement Management System - A Pavement Management System is a software system designed to manage road seals & pavements. A system typically uses road hierarchy & condition information and to produce suggested optimal maintenance and reconstruction programs.

Pavement Marking - Pavement Marking or Road Marking is any markers, lines, words or symbols painted on or affixed to a road surface designed to instruct or assist motorists and/or the process of creating those marks.

Paver - A paver is a pre-cast piece of concrete or brick commonly used in exterior hardscaping applications.

Paving - The term paving can mean a paved surface such as paving stones, bricks, concrete or asphalt, or the act of constructing that surface.

Pedestrian - A pedestrian is a person travelling by foot along a road, road reserve or footpath.

Pedestrian Access Way - A Pedestrian Access Way is a narrow strip of land providing pedestrian access to and between facilities such as a parks and roadside footpaths. It is common for example for a pedestrian access way to allow pedestrians to move between the ends of adjacent cul-de-sacs that are separated by a long distance by road.

Pedestrian Crossing - A pedestrian crossing is a section of road marked with white stripes designed to afford pedestrians a safe place to cross.

Pedestrian Operated Signals - Pedestrian Operated Signals are traffic signals that are activated in response to a pedestrian pressing a button.

Pedestrian Signals - Pedestrian Signals are the Symbolic Walk / Don't Walk signals found at signalised intersections, and at mid-block pedestrian crossings controlled by Traffic Lights.

Pedestrian Tunnel - [[include pedestrian-underpass]]

Pedestrian Underpass - A Pedestrian Underpass or Pedestrian Tunnel is a a specially constructed underpass for pedestrians and/or cyclists beneath a road or railway, allowing them to reach the other side in safety.

Penstock Valve - A penstock valve, is a large square slide style valve used as a flow stop, as in a well inlet, mounted flush to a wall.

Performance Measure - A Performance Measure is a quantitative measurement of an aspect of an organisation's products, processes or services.

Periodic Maintenance - Periodic Maintenance is similar to, but more extensive than routine maintenance. Typically, periodic maintenance involves programmed clearing, programmed painting and programmed upgrades.

Personal Protective Equipment - Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is any protective clothing, helmets, goggles, or other garments or equipment designed to protect the wearer's body from injury by blunt impacts, electrical hazards, heat, chemicals, and infection, for job-related occupational safety and health purposes.

Picnic Area - A Picnic Area is an area within a park where members of the public can sit and eat.

Picnic Shelter - A Picnic Shelter is an open structure designed to protect seats and tables and any people dining on them from the rain. Picnic shelters are typically found within parks and similar facilities.

Picnic Table - A picnic table (also Park Table) is a table usually with attached bench seats located in a public place like a park for the use of visitors.

Pipe Bursting - Pipe Bursting is a trenchless method of replacing buried pipelines.

Pipe Fitting - A pipe fitting is a component of a pipeline, other than a pipe, which allows pipeline deviation, change of direction or bore.
Pipe fitting or pipefitting is the occupation of installing or repairing piping or tubing systems that convey liquid, gas, and occasionally solid materials. This work involves selecting and preparing pipe or tubing, joining it together by various means, and the location and repair of leaks.

Pit Depth Measurement - Pit depth measurement is a condition assessment technique that can be used to assess the condition of metallic pipes.

Place Name - A place name is the name of a city, town, township, suburb or locality.

Plan of Subdivision - A Plan of Subdivision (also Subdivision Plan) is a plan prepared by a land surveyor showing parcels of land intended for individual sale. Plans of Subdivision need to be approved a planning authority such as a Council prior to the sale of the individual land parcels.

Planned Maintenance - Planned maintenance is maintenance organised and carried out with forethought, control and the use of records to a predetermined plan.

Planning - Planning is the process of considering possible futures and putting into place mechanisms that increase the likelyhood of the future most acceptable to an idividual or organisation being realsied.

Playground - A Playground is a structured children's play area containing play equipment.

Playground Equipment - Playground Equipment is any play equipment installed within a playground.

Pluvial Flooding - Pluvial Flooding is the result of localised heavy rain generating surface runoff that exceeds the capacity of the stormwater system.

Pluviometer - A pluviometer is a rain gauge used to collect and measure precipitation, usually over a 24 hour period.

Policy - A policy is a deliberate plan of action to guide decisions and achieve rational outcomes.

Position Description - A Position Description is a document that describes the duties and the responsibilities of a particular role within an organisation.

PostgreSQL - PostgreSQL is an enterprise class Open Source Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) much like Oracle or SQL Server. Postgresql allows organisations to build multiple databases and manage them from a single location. Postgresql is very scalable, comes equipped with a procedural language (like Oracles PLSQL) for developers, supports features like triggers, and has a host of other features. Postgresql has been under development for around 15 years and is a very mature, well supported product that ultimately provides a strong foundation on which to build enterprise solutions.

Potable Water - Potable water is water of sufficiently high quality that it can be consumed or used without risk of immediate or long term harm.

Pothole - A pothole is a hole in a road pavement, frequently rounded in shape, resulting from the loss of pavement material under traffic.

Practical Completion - Practical Completion is that stage in the execution of the work under a Contract when—

Pram Crossing - A pram crossing (also kerb ramp) is a modified section of kerb & channel or a small bridge-like structure that allows prams, shopping trolleys, wheelchairs, and similar wheeled devices to transition smoothly from the footpath to the roadway.

Preschool - A preschool is a facility designed to accomodate pre-school children and their teachers.

Pressure Class - The pressure class refers to the pressure rating of a pipe. The rating is the minimum pressure and temperature at which the pipe is likely to burst. Different pipe materials will have different pressure classes.

Pressure Grouting - Pressure Grouting is the injecting of a grout material under pressure into a void.

Pressure Main - A pressure main is a pipeline that carries a fluid (typically water or sewage) at a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure.

Pressure Nominal - Pressure Nominal (PN) is a term used to describe the pressure that a PE Pipe is designed to safely withstand.

Pressure Reducing Valve - A pressure reducing valve (PRV) is a valve used to reduce the pressure to a pre-set downstream pressure.

Pressure Relief Valve - A pressure relief valve (PRelV) is a type of valve used to limit pressure surges within the water main system. A pressure relief valve is designed to open when a preset maximum pressure is reached. These valves are also known as Safety Relief Valves.

For information on choosing type and size of a PRelV, refer to WSA03 2002 Water Supply Code of Australia.

Pressure Sustaining Valve - A pressure sustaining valve (PSV) is a type of valve that maintains pre-set minimum downstream pressure. This valve type is very similar to a safety relief valve.

Pressure Tapping - Pressure tapping is a procedure used to make branch connections to an existing water main or to enable maintenance to be carried out without disrupting water supply upstream of the tap. A very good animated demonstration of the procedure can be found here.

Preventive Maintenance - Preventive maintenance is maintenance carried out at predetermined intervals, or corresponding to prescribed criteria, and intended to reduce the probability of failure or the performance degradation of an item.

Primerseal - A primerseal is a single stage sprayed seal treatment.

Principal Road - A Principal Road is a highway, regional and through road.

Priority Infrastructure Plan - A Priority Infrastructure Plan (PIP) is a plan that identifies the future infrastructure needs of a Municipality. It provides a clear, transparent and certain basis for the calculation of infrastructure charges applicable to new developments.

Private Road - A private road is a road that is not subject to use by the public as of right.

Proactive Maintenance - Proactive Maintenance is targeted maintenance programmed in response to measurements indicating a heightened possibility of failure.

Probable Maximum Flood - Probable Maximum Flood (PMF), is the flood resulting from Probable Maximum Precipitation (PMP), including catchment conditions that are conducive to generating floods.

Problem Solving Technique - A problem solving technique is a structured methodology for trying to solve a problem.

Procedure - A procedure is a prescribed method for performing a task, often in the form of a step by step operational process.

Productivity - Productivity is a measure of efficiency of production which implies comparison of input in such terms as capital invested, wages paid, numbers employed, etc., with output.

Project - A project is a temporary undertaking, with a defined beginning, middle and end.

Project Management - Project management is the discipline of planning, organizing, securing, and managing resources to achieve specific goals.

Project Management Framework - A Project Management Framework (PMF) is a tool that helps an organisation plan and monitor the progress of a project. It is a statement of all the required tasks that need to be undertaken, as well as a timeline for each task and who is responsible for its implementation.

Property Connection Sewer - A Property Connection Sewer is a short sewer, owned and operated by a Water Agency, which connects the main sewer or Sewer Access Point to the Customer Sanitary Drain; it includes a junction on the main sewer, a property connection fitting, in some cases a vertical riser, and sufficient straight pipes to ensure the property connection fitting is within the lot to be serviced.

Property Damages - Property Damages means any claim for damage to property or for economic loss caused by the condition of a road or infrastructure but does not include any damage or loss arising out of personal injury or death.

Property, Plant & Equipment - AASB 116 defines Property, plant & equipment as tangible items that:
(a) are held for use in the production or supply of goods or services, for rental to others, or for administrative purposes; and
(b) are expected to be used during more than one period.

Property Service - The WSAA defines a Property Service as a portion of a property water service from the reticulation main to meter location.

Public Hall - A public hall is a hall that can be hired or is available for public functions.

Public Highway - A public highway is any area of land that is a highway for the purposes of the common law.

Public Lighting - Public Lighting is lighting for public spaces, including roads, parks and other public facilities.

Public Open Space - Public open space is land used or intended for use for recreational purposes by the public and includes parks, public gardens, riverside reserves, pedestrian and cyclist access ways, playgrounds and sports grounds.

Public Road - A Public Road is a road, street, walkway, laneway, right of way or thoroughfare that is vested in a Local Council or Government Department.

Public Toilet - A Public Toilet is a Toilet Block that is intended for use by the general public.

Public Transport - Public transport is a shared passenger transportation service which are available for use by the general public.

Public Transport Infrastructure - Public Transport Infrastructure is non-road infrastructure that is leased, maintained and operated by a provider of public transport, or other non-road infrastructure which supports the operation of public transport.

Pump - A pump is a device used to move fluids, such as gases, liquids or slurries. A pump displaces a volume by physical or mechanical action.

Pump Station - A pump station (or pumping station) is an asset designed to pump fluid from one location to another.

Pump Stool - A Pump Stool is a supportive, galvanised steel structure placed inside a sewage pump station, enabling the correct placement of pipework prior to the installation of the pump.

Acronyms . A . B . C . D . E . F . G . H . I . J . K . L . M . N . O . P . Q . R . S . T . U . V . W . X . Y . Z . All
Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License