DIFFERENCE OF TRENCH AND DITCH

[hanxi]

Hi to all, good day... Im confused with the term "trench" and "ditch"... Ive tried to find its definitons but still im not in disarray... Is TRENCH and DITCH the same ? Thanks for any comment...

 

[Ron]

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.

 

[786392]

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)

 

[MiketheEngineer]

I would say a trench is man made and only temporary - where as a ditch may be man made or not and considered permanent.

 

[cvg]

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. \

 

[bimr]

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.

 

[kslee1000]

bimr's references sound better. Ditch is more related to water conveying in civil works.

 

[rmw]

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

 

[kslee1000]

Ditch - User (water) friendly.
Trench - No (water), thanks.

 

[hanxi]

Im so thankful of you guys for your great replies... I'll sum it up and made a generalization...
Thanks Ron, 786392, MiketheEngineer, cvg, bimr, rmw and kslee1000 for all your efforts... Keep doing these Sirs, you help a lot... Thank you...