When I write notes for my engineering drawings I write them as concise as possible, and try my best to use words with an objective meaning.
One reason I do this is because the notes can get translated into any number of languages, and naturally I want them translated correctly.

This is not the actual note on my drawing, but it's something like this:
The pipe may be divided in multiple segments as long as the lengths are equal.

So . . . I have the three words "as long as" that are not referring to the pipe length, but instead it has a differnt meaning that has the potential to cause confusion when translated.

It will be a while before the drawing will be done and released, and I should be able to come up with a different way to phrase the note, so I not losing sleep over it
. . . But I wonder where "as long as" got the meaning that it has?

"provided that"

"The pipe may be constructed with segments of equal length."

I would also use "provided that."

How about "if"?

Actually, we are not answering his question.

--
JHG

http://www.grammarphobia.com/blog/2010/08/as-long-...

If pipe is cut up - all must be equal in length.

If they have trouble with this - then tell them to read my microwave handbook and translate THAT!!

I'd go with "provided that the segments are of equal length" or completely reword the sentence to say something like: "Pipe may be divided into multiple segments. If pipe is divided into multiple segments, the segments shall be of equal length."

If it is necessary to divide the pipe into segments, then the lengths of the pipe segments created must be equal.

Mike McCann
MMC Engineering
http://mmcengineering.tripod.com

Does the pipe segments have to be equal? I would prefer to state a minimum length of a pipe segment. If necessary the pipe may be divided into segments, minimum length of any pipe segments shall be x'.

Garth Dreger PE - AZ Phoenix area
As EOR's we should take the responsibility to design our structures to support the components we allow in our design per that industry standards.

The pipe may be divided in multiple segments of equal lengths.

It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts. (Sherlock Holmes - A Scandal in Bohemia.)

>. . . But I wonder where "as long as" got the meaning that it has?

I can't answer that, but the useage is centuries old.

The Oxford English Dictionary lists as long as under the adverbial form of long, in section 1b: In the comparative and superlative, or preceded by advs. of comparison (as, how, so, thus, too, etc), the adv. indicates amount of relative duration. so or as long as: often nearly equivalent to 'provided that', 'if only'.

The entry then cites useage as early as 1443: Rolls of Parlt.IV 424/1 Whiles and as longe as hit is or shall be soo.

ok, i think we can use other words to reduce opportunity for misinterpretation.

however, on a technical side, you're not limiting the number of equal lengths used; i think you envision 2 or 3 (maybe 4) equal lengths, but you're allowing 1000 equal lengths.

Thank you for the answers.
I will be using "provided that" along with a specified minimum distance.
I slept much better after reading this.

I’d go with provided that the pipes are equal lengths.

BTW Why do they have to be equal length? IS there some technical reason?

Rick Kitson MBA P.Eng

Construction Project Management
From conception to completion
www.kitsonengineering.com

Provided that as long as the lengths are equal, cut them up....Easy!

All cut lengths must be equal.

We have drawings translated multiple times also.
keep it short,to the point!

I'm not an engineer yet in the sense you guys are, but I've taken memory courses and I can tell you that the human brain works best using the principle of basic connections. "If, then" statements are the most basic and easy to understand connections, even if they are not the most concise. For example when talking about streetlights: "If green, then go.", or "If red, then stop.", or "If yellow, then slow down." The reason this is better is because it's more easily visualized than any other phrasing by a larger group of people - especially if their first language isn't English.

In your case it would be something like:
"If pipe needs to be divided, then pipe must be divided into equal lengths."

I also wanted to mention that basic connections strategy comes in handy particularly when you have a list of instructions, such as this:
You may go as long as the streetlight is green.
You must stop provided that the streetlight turns red.
You should slow down when the streetlight becomes yellow.

There is no repeated syntax here, and they have to strain to understand each different instruction using different methods of syntax.

Again, if you use repeated simple connections they get the hang of it a lot quicker - less translation errors.
If streetlight is green, then you may go.
If streetlight is yellow, then you should slow down.
If streetlight is red, then you must stop.