H
habitat
Habitat is that location where a plant or animal
lives. Also, habitat includes areas that are or may be occupied
by a threatened or endangered species.
Environmental Manual
halftone
A halftone is an analog image, usually a photograph,
composed oSf small spots of varied size, giving the illusion of
a continuous tone (for example, a newspaper photograph examined
under a magnifying glass).
Communications Manual
handicapped
Handicapped refers to people who have physical
or mental impairments that substantially limit one or more major
life activities. In the context of transportation, the term usually
refers to people for whom the use of conventional transit facilities
would be impossible or would create a hardship. These people are
also known as transportation handicapped or as people who have a
public transportation disability.
handling cylinders
Handling Cylinders are cylinders used to determine
when the concrete strength is adequate to remove nonstressed concrete
members from the casting forms.
700-I, Structural Test Procedures Manual
hard coding
Hard coding is a method of eliminating the need
for manually coding input data on source documents when the computer
has permanently associated certain input data with specific accounting transactions.
hash function
A hash is a function that maps keys to integers,
usually to get an even distribution on a smaller set of values.
Information Security Manual
haul
Haul is the distance or route over which a load
is transported.
hazard elimination program
HES
hazardous atmosphere Hazardous atmosphere is an
atmosphere that may expose employees to the risk of death, incapacitation,
impairment of ability to self-rescue (that is, escape unaided from
a permit space), injury, or acute illness from one or more causes.
The causes include flammable gas, vapor, or mist in excess of 10
percent of its lower flammable limit (LFL); airborne combustible dust
at a concentration that meets or exceeds its LFL; atmospheric oxygen
concentration below 19.5 percent or above 23.5 percent; atmospheric
concentration of any substance for which a dose or a permissible
exposure limit is published and, any other atmospheric condition
that is immediately dangerous to life or health.
hazardous materials
HAZMAT
Hazardous materials are any solid, liquid, or
gaseous material that, because of quantity, concentration or physical,
chemical, or infectious characteristics, may (a) cause or significantly
contribute to an increase in mortality or an increase in serious
irreversible or incapacitating illness, or (b) pose a substantial
present or potential hazard to human health or the environment when
improperly treated, stored, transported, disposed of or otherwise
managed.
Right of Way Collection
hazardous waste
Hazardous waste, as defined in federal law, is
a solid waste or combination of solid wastes that, because of quantity,
concentration or physical, chemical or infectious characteristics,
may: (a) cause or significantly contribute to an increase in mortality
or an increase in serious irreversible or incapacitating illness;
or (b) pose a substantial present or potential hazard to human health
or the environment when improperly treated, stored, transported,
disposed of or otherwise managed.
Environmental Manual
hazardous waste operations
HAZWOPER
Hazardous waste operations is an emergency response
activity.
head (static)
Head (static) is the height of water above any
plane or point of reference. The energy possessed by each unit of
weight of a liquid, expressed as the vertical height through which
a unit of weight would have to fall to release the average energy
possessed. The standard unit of measure shall be the foot.
header bank
The header bank is the embankment placed directly
at the beginning or ending of a bridge structure.
Bridge Detailing Manual
headwall
Hdwl
A headwall is the supporting structures at the
ends of drainage structures.
Hydraulics Manual
headwater
HW
Headwater is that depth of flood water impounded
upstream of a culvert due to the influence of the culvert restriction,
friction, and configuration.
heat or lot
Heat or lot is the amount of material produced
during a certain period of time determined by the producer.
heat sink
Heat sink is a solid or liquid placed in the microwave
oven to absorb energy after the moisture has been driven from a
test specimen. The heat sink reduces the possibility of over-heating
the specimen.
Manual of Testing Procedures
height of cover
HC
The height of cover is the distance from crown
of a culvert or conduit to the finished road surface or the base
of rail.
hierarchy of Texas highways
The hierarchy of Texas highways is: Interstate,
US, SH, State Loops or Spurs, FM/RM, County Roads (CR), and Business
Routes (BR).
Bridge Inspection Manual
highly-available, highly-reliable
Terms which define a condition in which a technological
architecture has been constructed with redundant (or backup) systems,
components and/or communication pathways such that it is highly resistant
to failure.
High Mast Illumination Details
(HMID)
Contained in the Traffic Operations Standard Plans.
Highway Illumination Manual
high mast lighting
High mast lighting is lighting fixtures mounted
at heights of 100 feet or more.
Highway Illumination Manual
high occupancy toll
A fee charged to vehicles using an HOV facility
and carrying fewer than the required number of occupants.
high occupancy/toll lane
HOT lane
High occupancy/toll (HOT) lanes serve both HOV
users and those willing to pay a toll to use the restricted lane
(typically during hours of peak demand).
high occupancy vehicle
HOV
A vehicle having more than one occupant. Examples
include carpools, vanpools, buses, and mini-buses. Transportation
systems may encourage HOV use by having designated HOV lanes and
designating a minimum number of occupants required to use these
lanes.
high occupancy vehicle lane
HOV lane
High occupancy vehicle (HOV) lanes provide preferential
treatment to carpools, vanpools and buses carrying a minimum number
of people in each vehicle. Dedicated lanes are restricted for this purpose,
either on a part-time or full-time basis.
high pressure sodium vapor lamp
High pressure sodium vapor lamps are electric
light sources in which light is generated by an arc discharge in
an atmosphere containing sodium mercury and xenon vapors.
high risk area
A high risk area is a room or location that contains
information resources used to support critical department functions
that, if lost, would cause a work stoppage crucial to department
operations. The central mainframe computer room is a high risk area.
Information Security Manual
high speed rail
HSR
A rail service having the characteristics of intercity
rail service which operates primarily on a dedicated guideway or
track not used, for the most part, by freight, including, but not
limited to, trains on welded rail, magnetically levitated (MAGLEV)
vehicles on a special guideway, or other advanced technology vehicles,
designed to travel at speeds in excess of those possible on other types
of railroads. High Speed Rail has exclusive right of way and serves
densely traveled corridors at speeds of 90 miles per hour and greater.
High speed rail corridors/tracks may be shared with freight trains.
highway
Hwy
Highway is the entire width between the boundary
lines of every way publicly maintained when any part thereof is
open to the use of the public for purposes of vehicular travel.
Equipment Manual
highway advisory radio
HAR
A highway advisory radio refers to dedicated frequencies
carrying traffic information.
Highway Bridge Program
HBR
The Highway Bridge Program is a federal-aid program.
The program was once known as Highway Bridge Replacement and Rehabilitation
Program (HBRRP).
Historic Bridge Manual
highway class
Highway class is the rural/urban description of
the lane characteristics.
Finance Division
highway functional classification
The highway functional classification of routes
according to use, such as arterial, collector, and local. This classification
is for transportation planning and design purposes.
highway cost index
HCI
The highway cost index is a measure of the effect
of inflation on the highway dollar. Used until 1985 to determine
the amount of transfer from the General Fund.
highway maintenance and service
equipment
Highway maintenance and service equipment includes
both on-road and off-road equipment.
Equipment Manual
highway overpass
A highway-overpass is a grade separation where
the subject highway passes over intersecting highway.
Bridge Detailing Manual
Highway Safety Plan
HSP
A highway safety plan documents top priority highway
safety problems and the strategies to address them. The plan is
submitted to and approved by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
and the Federal Highway Administration for funding under the federal
402 program.
highway structure
Highway structure is a general term to refer to
various highway design features which are of particular concern
to utility installations, i.e., bridges.
ROW Utility Manual
highway system designation
Highway system designation is the description
of highways, from point "A" to point "B," including highway system
(i.e., FM, IH), highway number, direction, mileage, and counties
affected.
Texas Reference Marker (TRM) System User's
Manual
Highway Trust Fund
HTF
The Highway Trust Fund is a federal account established
by law to hold receipts collected by the government and earmarked
for highway programs and a portion of the federal mass transit program.
It is supported by the federal gasoline tax and other user taxes.
highway underpass
A highway-underpass is a grade separation where
the subject highway passes under an intersecting highway.
Bridge Detailing Manual
highway voucher
A highway voucher is TxDOT’s voucher number.
Finance Division
historic
Historic is Native American and Euro-American
archaeological sites in North America dating after A.D. 1492.
Environmental Manual
Historic Bridge Team
HBT
A Historic Bridge Team is an interdisciplinary
team organized by the Bridge Division project manager to handle
historic bridge projects.
Historic Bridge Manual
historic properties
Buildings, structures, objects, sites or districts
with historical or archeological significance that are listed in,
or eligible for listing in, the National Register of Historic Places.
historic sign
A historic sign is a sign that is attached to
and is a contributing feature of a historic building or structure.
Maintenance Collection
historically underutilized business
HUB
- A historically underutilized business is a business that is formed for the purpose of making a profit and is at least 51 percent owned by one or more persons who are United States citizens and are recognized by the State of Texas as having been economically disadvantaged because of their identification as members of a qualifying group - Asian Pacific, black, Hispanic, native Americans or American women - and who actively participate in the control, operation, and management of the business in proportion to their ownership interest. Owners must be residents of Texas, and the business must have a permanent business office located in Texas.Purchasing Manual
- A historically underutilized business is any business so certified by the General Services Commission.Engineering Architectural and Surveying Services Manual
home-based work trip
Home-based work trips are trips between a person’s
home and place of employment for the purpose of working.
Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
home-based non-work trip
Home-based non-work trips are trips between a
person’s home and other destinations which are not for the purpose
of working.
Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
host-based
Host-based is information, such as audit data
from a single host, which may be used to detect intrusions.
Information Security Manual
horizontal alignment
Horizontal alignment is the positioning of a roadway,
as shown in the plan view, using a series of straight lines called
tangents connected by circular curves.
Survey Manual
horizontal curve
A horizontal curve is a simple, circular arc joining
two straight lines known as tangents.
Survey Manual
horizontal (eye) gaze nystagmus
HGN
The horizontal (eye) gaze nystagmus is an involuntary
jerking of the eyes that occurs as a person moves his or her eyes
to the side when under the influence of alcohol or certain other
drugs. HGN is one of the indicators used in the Standardized Field
Sobriety Test.
horizontal entrance angle
Horizontal entrance angle is the angle, in a plane
parallel to the base of the tile, between a line in the direction
of the incident light and a line perpendicular to the leading edge
of the reflective surface.
Departmental Material Specifications
hot bins
Hot bins are aggregate bins that feed directly
into the weight-box or the proportioning mechanism.
Manual of Testing Procedures
hot mix
Hot mix applies to a paving mixture of asphalt
cement and aggregate which have been combined while hot. It is also
placed and compacted above 175º F. Temperature is a critical factor
in the workability of the mix, as well as the durability of the
finished pavement.
hot soak emissions
Hot soak emissions are evaporated gasoline emissions
occurring after the end of a vehicle trip due to the heating of
the fuel, fuel lines and fuel vapors.
Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
household
A household is an occupied dwelling unit in which
occupants form a single economic unit regarding housing.
Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
household income
- The household income is the median or average income earned by all persons living in a single household.Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
- The total gross income received for a 12-month period from all sources (earned and unearned) including, but not limited to wages, salary, child support, alimony, unemployment benefits, workers compensation, social security or the net income from a business. It does not include income received or earned by dependent children and full-time students under 18 years of age.Right of Way Manual
household size
The household size is the number of persons living
in one household. In travel demand modeling household size is generally
referred to as 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5or more person households.
Traffic Data and Analysis Manual
Houston automatic spooling program
HASP
The Houston automatic spooling program is a control
system for submitting jobs to a large scale computer that allows
the operators to control the flow of jobs through the system.
Houston District
HOU
The Houston District is a TxDOT district office
including the following counties: Brazoria, Fort Bend, Galveston,
Harris, Montgomery, and Waller. Area offices are located in Brazoria;
Fort Bend; Galveston; East, northeast, northwest, and south Harris
County, Montgomery and Waller. The Houston district also operates
the Galveston/Port Bolivar ferries and houses a Vehicle Titles and Registration
Regional Office.
Inside TxDOT
hub
A hub is a place of convergence where data arrives
from one or more directions and is forwarded out in one or more
other directions. A hub usually includes a switch of some kind.
Information Security Manual
HUB Subcontracting Plan
A Historically Underutilized Business (HUB) Subcontracting
Plan is a requirement placed on vendors to encourage their utilization
of historically underutilized businesses where subcontracting is practical.
Applies to all delegated purchases with an estimated total cost
of $100,000 or more where there are subcontracting opportunities
for the procurement. [TGC §2161.181-182, 1 TAC §111.11]
Purchasing Manual
human environment
Human environment means interpreted comprehensively
to include the natural and physical environment and the relationship
of people with that environment.
Environmental Manual
Human Resources Division
HRD
The Human Resources Division manages employee
services, oversees employee performance planning and evaluation,
and administers the department’s recruitment and training program.
Human Resources Management (former
SMT)
HRS
Human Resources Management is one of TxDOT’s seven
functional areas. The goal of the Human Resources Management is
to provide comprehensive human resources services to all TxDOT employees,
prospective employees and other users.
hydraulics
Hydraulics is a branch of engineering dealing
with liquids in motion.
hydric soils
Hydric soils are wetland soils. These soils favor
the production and regeneration of hydrophytic vegetation. A hydric
soil is either saturated with water and virtually free of oxygen
at or near the surface during significant periods of the growing
season or the soil is flooded for significant periods when the soil
temperature is above 5 degrees centigrade. Field indicators may
include gray color or mottling with chrome, manganese or iron concentrations,
an organic horizon, free water within the root zone and a sulfur
odor in the soil.
hydrogen ion
pH
Hydrogen ion refers to acidity or alkalinity of
water or soil. An ion is a charged atom or group of atoms in solution
or in a gas. Solutions contain equivalent numbers of positive and
negative ions.
hydrology
Hydrology is the study of the occurrence and distribution
of the natural waters of the earth.
hydrophytic vegetation
Hydrophytic vegetation refers to wetland plant
species. Plants adapted for life within habitats that have permanent
or alternating dry and inundated and/or saturated soil conditions.
hydroseeding
Hydroseeding is a method of broadcasting seed
and sometimes lime, fertilizer, and mulch together in a mixture
of water.
hyperlink
Hyperlinks are informational pathways that users
of an online document can select to summon new topics, or more detailed
information by clicking a mouse. Hyperlinks can unite different
topics and show their relationships through the retrieval of information
from an existing Web site or page, a specific file, or document.
Information Security Manual
hypertext
Hypertext is usually a word or term that is linked
to a definition, file or document.
Information Security Manual
Hypertext Markup Language
HTML
Hypertext Markup Language is the language used
to publish documents on the Word Wide Web portion of the Internet.
Information Security Manual
Hypertext Transport Protocol
HTTP
Hypertext Transport Protocol is an information-serving
protocol used to transfer files on the World Wide Web. Graphics,
text and sounds can be transmitted.
Information Security Manual