I am pleased to present a work which marks a milestone in the history of public works and, more precisely, in that of permanent structures-a comprehensive dictionary of Civil Engineering terms. Since the beginning of time, Man has always tried to find a means to clear the obstacles which nature erected to displace him. With the first tree trunk thrown across a river, man sought to improve the crossing structure. After the invention of the wheel, and to satisfy his thirst for conquest (Roman ways), and comfort (aqueducts), man built bridges that became a preremptory necessity to move quickly. Thus, Man started to build wooden and