AASHTO: The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials. Pavements and roadways along the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road should be designed in accordance with AASHTO standard specifications.

AMDAL: Analisis Mengenai Dampak Lingkungan-A thorough environmental impact assessment carried out in accordance with Indonesian regulations. 

Alignment: The positioning/placement of the road. The horizontal alignment is the placement of the center line of the proposed road. The vertical alignment determines the contour of the road. 

As-built: As-built refers to the properties of the project as constructed, defined by final drawings, specifications, manuals and operating instructions. 

Bailey bridge: The Bailey bridge is an easily constructed pre-fabricated truss bridge typically used in emergencies.  

BRR: The Bureau for Reconstruction and Rehabilitation, the Indonesian agency in charge of post-tsunami reconstruction in Aceh.  www.e-aceh-nias.org

California Bearing Ratio (CBR): The California Bearing Ratio (CBR) is a penetration test developed by the California State Highways Department to measure the load-bearing capability of soils used for building roads. The harder the surface, the higher the CBR rating.  

Cone penetration test (CPT): Cone penetration tests are used to determine stratification of soil, soil density, and stress conditions. Results can be used for designs of foundations in sand and gravel.*Note* A correlation between the SPT and CPT can be used to assess past earthquake characteristics. 

Culvert: A culvert is a structure used to enclose a flowing body of water. It may be used to allow water to pass underneath a road, railway, or embankment. Round pipe culverts and concrete box culverts are the most common types. 

Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESAL) : A measurement of pavement performance under axle loads of varying magnitudes equated to the number of 80-kN (18,000-lb.) Anticipated traffic on the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road is 6 million ESALs, or equivalent to 500 trucks and 500 buses per day. 

ESA: Refers to an environmentally sensitive area. 

Girder: A girder is a large concrete or steel support beam-- the horizontal support used in construction. 

Hot mix asphalt (HMA): A form of asphalt concrete that is mixed at a contractor's hot mix plant, transported to the roadway in dump trucks, placed using a paver, and compacted with steel-wheel or rubber-tired rollers.  HMA will be used for almost all paving of the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh road. 

Maintenance of traffic (MOT): A Maintenance of Traffic Plan ensures that the existing roads and crossroads remain in operation and access to all properties is maintained throughout construction.  The proposed Maintenance of Traffic Plans will be more complicated and thus more important in the villages than in the remote areas. 

Punch List: The list of deficiencies mutually developed between USAID and the Contractor, to be corrected as a part of the project acceptance process.

P2JJ: The Acehnese provincial department of public works, partnering with USAID on the project. 

RKL: Rencana Pengelolaan Lingkungan- the Indonesian environmental management plan implemented during phase I of the Banda Aceh-Meulaboh road. 

RPL: Rencana Pemantauan Lingkungan-the Indonesian environmental monitoring plans implemented during phase I of the Banda Aceh-Meulaboh road. 

Right-of-way (RoW): A parcel of land granted by deed or easement for construction and maintenance according to a designated use-in this case, the Banda Aceh to Meulaboh highway. 

Roadway: This term covers the road and all associated features included any bridges and water crossings.

Standard penetration test (SPT): Standard penetration tests are used to determine the relative stiffness and strength of soils. 

TNI: Tentara Nasional Indonesia- the Indonesian military. Many roads and bridges along the west coast were built by the TNI during thirty years of conflict with separatist movement GAM. (Free Aceh Movement) 

Truss: Engineered pre-fabricated framework of the steel bridges, designed to carry its own weight and superimposed design loads, that most often functions as a structural support member.  A truss employs one or more triangles in its construction.