cabecera

English translation: head (of the slope)

GLOSSARY ENTRY (DERIVED FROM QUESTION BELOW)
Spanish term or phrase:cabecera
English translation:head (of the slope)
Entered by: Comunican

08:17 Aug 6, 2019
Spanish to English translations [PRO]
Tech/Engineering - Environment & Ecology / Landfill drainage
Spanish term or phrase: cabecera
Am struggling to find a meaning for cabecera that fits here - the obvious translation is "head" but I'm not sure if that makes sense....
Any landfill specialists out there this morning, please?
Thanks very much

"Cuneta de recogida de la escorrentía superficial en cabecera del vertedero (aguas limpias)."
"Zanja drenante de intercepción de flujo subsuperficial en cabecera del vertedero (aguas limpias)."
"Los caudales de escorrentía superficial procedente de la cuenca de cabecera localizada al norte del vertedero son los mismos que..."
"En lo que respecta a la zanja drenante, y aplicando el mismo procedimiento de cálculo descrito para la zanja de cabecera, se estima que "
Comunican
United Kingdom
Local time: 08:42
head (of the slope)
Explanation:
It is impossible to be sure without better context, but I think that it is likely that "cabecera" here refers to a slope somewhere on or in the vicinity of the landfill. "Head of the slope" (the top of a slope), & its companion term "toe of the slope" (the bottom of a slope), are common terms in drainage engineering. Because erosion of the slope by runoff from rainfall may be unacceptable, sometimes a drainage ditch is constructed across the top of the area of interest on a slope. This ditch intercepts surface runoff and sends it off to the sides of the slope, not permitting it to flow down the slope where it could cause erosion.
The problem is "vertedero": it can mean landfill or garbage dump; slope or hillside; weir or dike.
We don't normally speak of the head of a landfill - the head of something is a geometric feature, the highest point. But landfills generally have almost flat top surfaces during operation - the landfill is typically built up in near-horizontal layers using heavy equipment to dump, spread & compact the refuse. However, after closure, the top surface of the landfill mass is typically sloped to promote drainage & prevent ponding of water on the surface that could infiltrate into the mass & cause unacceptable chemical reactions within the mass; but the slope of the top surface has to be carefully designed so that water flowing across it & moving away from the landfill doesn't achieve velocities high enough to cause erosion.
Selected response from:

Thomas Walker
United States
Local time: 01:42
Grading comment
Thanks very much Tom, you sure know about landfills! And thanks everyone else for your help.
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer



Summary of answers provided
4landfill head
patinba
3head (of the slope)
Thomas Walker
2head-waters
Ana Vozone
2hydrant
Simon Charass


Discussion entries: 1





  

Answers


11 mins   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
head-waters


Explanation:
This is what my dictionary says.

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/headwaters

https://www.collinsdictionary.com/dictionary/english/headwat...

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Note added at 21 mins (2019-08-06 08:38:33 GMT)
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For "zanja", I found (in my very old dictionary): ditch, trench, drain; a pit dug in the ground.

Ana Vozone
Local time: 08:42
Works in field
Native speaker of: Native in PortuguesePortuguese
PRO pts in category: 4
Notes to answerer
Asker: Many thanks Ana, I saw that too, but am unsure whether "cuenca de cabecera" would be "headwaters basin" and "zanja de cabecera" would be "headwaters trench" and if these are correct terms...

Asker: Thanks Ana, my dictionaries say the same ;-) I'm just not sure of the right translation for "cabecera" in the context of landfill drainage...

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5 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 4/5Answerer confidence 4/5
landfill head


Explanation:
See Figure 1 in the pdf:

www.diva-portal.org/smash/get/diva2:1001243/FULLTEXT01.pdf
by D Nordmark - ‎2014
landfill head. Methane oxidation string. Gas drainage. Wells for gas, sampling and drainage water. Soil. Excavates. Bio fuel ash. Shredded tires. GLD+rock dust ...

patinba
Argentina
Local time: 05:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 80
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8 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 2/5Answerer confidence 2/5
hydrant


Explanation:
hydrant: a discharge pipe with a valve and spout at which water may be drawn from a water main (as for fighting fires)

Simon Charass
Canada
Local time: 04:42
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish, Native in FrenchFrench
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11 hrs   confidence: Answerer confidence 3/5Answerer confidence 3/5
head (of the slope)


Explanation:
It is impossible to be sure without better context, but I think that it is likely that "cabecera" here refers to a slope somewhere on or in the vicinity of the landfill. "Head of the slope" (the top of a slope), & its companion term "toe of the slope" (the bottom of a slope), are common terms in drainage engineering. Because erosion of the slope by runoff from rainfall may be unacceptable, sometimes a drainage ditch is constructed across the top of the area of interest on a slope. This ditch intercepts surface runoff and sends it off to the sides of the slope, not permitting it to flow down the slope where it could cause erosion.
The problem is "vertedero": it can mean landfill or garbage dump; slope or hillside; weir or dike.
We don't normally speak of the head of a landfill - the head of something is a geometric feature, the highest point. But landfills generally have almost flat top surfaces during operation - the landfill is typically built up in near-horizontal layers using heavy equipment to dump, spread & compact the refuse. However, after closure, the top surface of the landfill mass is typically sloped to promote drainage & prevent ponding of water on the surface that could infiltrate into the mass & cause unacceptable chemical reactions within the mass; but the slope of the top surface has to be carefully designed so that water flowing across it & moving away from the landfill doesn't achieve velocities high enough to cause erosion.

Thomas Walker
United States
Local time: 01:42
Specializes in field
Native speaker of: Native in EnglishEnglish
PRO pts in category: 8
Grading comment
Thanks very much Tom, you sure know about landfills! And thanks everyone else for your help.
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