Built Environment Reference

A detonator is a small explosive device that activates a larger bomb while ensuring a time delay for safety. Detonators can be electrical, chemical, mechanical, or wireless, meaning that a cellphone can be used to trigger the electrical charge necessary to initiate the larger explosion. In most detonating mechanisms, a fuse that is inserted into the larger explosive device is set off by connected chords that run an electrical charge from the detonator to the bomb itself.

A trademark name for a smooth, hard plastic top surface made of sheets of special paper laminated in synthetic resins. Formica was invented in 1912 in New Zealand and due to its durability, ease of cleaning, and heat-resistance, it quickly became a successful product that was in high demand all over the world, especially in the furniture industry.

A pipe or a cement structure designed to let water flow under a road. Such structures can be either embedded in the ground under the road, or protrude up, forming a raised ramp in the road. Some culverts are so large that one can walk or even drive a vehicle through them when they are empty.

In the context of mining and oil drilling, casing refers to a large pipe that is inserted into a well's borehole and then cemented into place. Casings serve various purposes including providing a strong foundation for drilling deeper into the reservoir, preventing water contamination, and containing high pressure oil zones so that blowouts do not reach the surface.

A large medical facility located next to the University of New Mexico (UNM) campus in Albuquerque, New Mexico. First known as the Bernalillo County Indian Hospital, the facility was opened in October 1954, and its construction was a joint project of Bernalillo County and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. At the time, it was the only hospital dedicated to serving the area’s Native American communities. In the late 1960s, the hospital became part of UNM and was renamed the Bernalillo County Medical Center. In 1979, it was again renamed to the University of New Mexico Hospital.

The power to rule on legal issues within a certain geographic area. Different courts (for example municipal, district, or federal) will be assigned authority over particular areas or particular cases, depending on state and federal divisions and regulations.

A towing truck sent by the police force to sites of traffic collisions, accidents, or other incidents that require the removing of a disabled vehicle from the road. The term"wrecker" derives from the function this vehicle provides in cleaning up car "wrecks."

A small work space within a large office that is partitioned off, usually with low walls.

In Spanish, this phrase is the imperative, or command, to "be careful" or to "take care."

A crowbar, also known as a wrecking bar, is a metal bar with a flat, wedge-shaped edge at one end. A crowbar is a work tool used for prying things open through the use of leverage.