Eng-Tips is the largest forum for Engineering Professionals on the Internet.
Members share and learn making Eng-Tips Forums the best source of engineering information on the Internet!
-
Congratulations dmapguru on being selected by the Eng-Tips community for having the most helpful posts in the forums last week. Way to Go!
DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH
- Thread starter hanxi
- Start date
I don't know of any "official" defined difference, but I generally think of a trench as being an excavation that is temporary and will be closed or backfilled; whereas, I consider a ditch to be an open excavation intended to remain that way, typically with sloped sides. Usually a ditch is intended for stormwater management or storage.
I am not a native English speaking person,thus short vocabulary,I do admit.
However a 'trench' means to me having more longitudinal dimensions and most usually temporary for various purposes e.g cables laying,pipelines laying etc. jobs and back-filled afterwards.
Whereas a 'ditch' to me means an excavation deeper and somewhat ir-regular shaped;most usually there for longer periods.
However English speaking(Mother tongue)personnel may contribute even more.
Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)
However a 'trench' means to me having more longitudinal dimensions and most usually temporary for various purposes e.g cables laying,pipelines laying etc. jobs and back-filled afterwards.
Whereas a 'ditch' to me means an excavation deeper and somewhat ir-regular shaped;most usually there for longer periods.
However English speaking(Mother tongue)personnel may contribute even more.
Best Regards
Qalander(Chem)
MiketheEngineer
Structural
I would say a trench is man made and only temporary - where as a ditch may be man made or not and considered permanent.
Ditch
NOUN: A long narrow trench or furrow dug in the ground, as for irrigation, drainage, or a boundary line.
VERB: Inflected forms: ditched, ditch·ing, ditch·es
Ditch
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig or make a long narrow trench or furrow in. 2. To surround with a long narrow trench or furrow. 3a. To drive (a vehicle) into a long narrow trench, as one beside a road. b. To derail (a train). 4. Slang a. To get rid of; discard: ditched the old yard furniture. b. To get away from (a person, especially a companion). c. To discontinue use of or association with: ditch the job at the hamburger stand. d. To skip (class or school). 5. To crash-land (an aircraft) on water.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig a ditch. 2. To crash-land in water. Used of an aircraft or a pilot.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English dich, from Old English
trench
NOUN: 1. A deep furrow or ditch. 2. A long narrow ditch embanked with its own soil and used for concealment and protection in warfare. 3. A long, steep-sided valley on the ocean floor.
VERB: Inflected forms: trenched, trench·ing, trench·es
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To cut a trench in. 2. To fortify with trenches. 3. To place in a trench. 4. To make a cut in; carve.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig trenches or a trench. 2. To verge or encroach. Often used with on or upon.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English trenche, from Old French, from trenchier, to cut, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *trincre, variant of Latin truncre, from truncus, trunk. \
NOUN: A long narrow trench or furrow dug in the ground, as for irrigation, drainage, or a boundary line.
VERB: Inflected forms: ditched, ditch·ing, ditch·es
Ditch
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig or make a long narrow trench or furrow in. 2. To surround with a long narrow trench or furrow. 3a. To drive (a vehicle) into a long narrow trench, as one beside a road. b. To derail (a train). 4. Slang a. To get rid of; discard: ditched the old yard furniture. b. To get away from (a person, especially a companion). c. To discontinue use of or association with: ditch the job at the hamburger stand. d. To skip (class or school). 5. To crash-land (an aircraft) on water.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig a ditch. 2. To crash-land in water. Used of an aircraft or a pilot.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English dich, from Old English
trench
NOUN: 1. A deep furrow or ditch. 2. A long narrow ditch embanked with its own soil and used for concealment and protection in warfare. 3. A long, steep-sided valley on the ocean floor.
VERB: Inflected forms: trenched, trench·ing, trench·es
TRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To cut a trench in. 2. To fortify with trenches. 3. To place in a trench. 4. To make a cut in; carve.
INTRANSITIVE VERB: 1. To dig trenches or a trench. 2. To verge or encroach. Often used with on or upon.
ETYMOLOGY: Middle English trenche, from Old French, from trenchier, to cut, perhaps from Vulgar Latin *trincre, variant of Latin truncre, from truncus, trunk. \
From the Dictionary of Civil Engineering by John C. Scott
Trench – a narrow long excavation with timbered or bare sides, vertical or battered.
Ditch – an excavation made by humans that is long and narrow, such as a channel or trench cut through earth or rock to carry water for drainage or irrigation.
Trench – a narrow long excavation with timbered or bare sides, vertical or battered.
Ditch – an excavation made by humans that is long and narrow, such as a channel or trench cut through earth or rock to carry water for drainage or irrigation.
Many years ago I worked for a trencher manufacturer. I have dug many a trench with a ditch digging machine. They actually had the word "ditch" in their name. Most in the USA will recognize who they are - Ditch Witch Trenchers. Trenching machine and ditching machine were used pretty interchangeably, althought when a ditch was dug by humans, with it naturally being less well defined than a tranch excavated by a trenching machine, it was never referred to as a trench, it was always a ditch. A crew of ditch diggers (yes there was such a thing back then) was never called a crew of trenchers.
To me, a trench is something that is dug with specialty machinery specifically with the intent that it be refilled when a pipe or wire or etc that is to be buried is inserted while a ditch is dug with the intent that it always remain open as a channel for flow.
But that is just me. I didn't get that out of any dictionary, just from lots of dirt that I have moved. Oh, yes, sorry, I remember that this is a Civil Engineering forum, sorry - soil, that is.
rmw
To me, a trench is something that is dug with specialty machinery specifically with the intent that it be refilled when a pipe or wire or etc that is to be buried is inserted while a ditch is dug with the intent that it always remain open as a channel for flow.
But that is just me. I didn't get that out of any dictionary, just from lots of dirt that I have moved. Oh, yes, sorry, I remember that this is a Civil Engineering forum, sorry - soil, that is.
rmw
- Thread starter
- #10
- Status
Similar threads
- Locked
- Question
- Question
- Locked
- Question
- Question
