Re: Slopes and inclinations

[J. Tallman]

Hello, In the pure architectural sense slope is expressed as the ratio between vertical(the rise) and horizontal(the run).  This is most commonly used when designing and specifying roof pitches.  We commonly use 3/12 and 4/12 roof pitches on the homes we design based on the average rainfall for this region.  That is 3" rise to 12" of run, or 4" rise to 12" of run.  6/12 is the equivalent of 45°.  Framer's squares have the inch markings arranged in such a way as to make it easy to figure the rate of slope in the field (or on a ladder), much easier than using a protractor or plumbline arrangement to define or check an angular measurement. Jim Tallman Artisan Industrials Corp.   Anselmo Pérez Serrada wrote: Hi everyone,    Now that you're talking about drainage inclinations, I'd like to pose a lexical question:                     Which is the difference between 'inclination' and 'slope'? As far as I can see, I gather that in English both are interchangeable terms that denoteso the angle between some plane with the vertical line as also the angle made with the(horizontal) ground. You can only notice the difference through the context. In Spanish (and I suppose in other Latin languages) there is a difference, not alwaysobserved, between 'inclinacion' (=inclination?) and 'pendiente' (=slope?): the first oneis the angle between the plane and the vertical line and the second one is itscomplementary. That's why we talk about 'La torre inclinada de Pisa' (the leaning towerof Pisa) but not 'La torre pendiente de Pisa'. I am telling that because sometimes English documents are confusing and maybe itcould be useful to establish that difference in the standard technical gnomonic lingo: * Slope: Angle between a plane's maximum slope line and its horizontal projection.* Inclination: Angle between a plane's maximum slope line and a vertical line intersecting it. (Obviously, both are terms are linked by Slope = 90 deg - Inclination) I haven't found any reference to this in my English dictionaries, so maybe my proposal isa gramatical aberration: that's why I am making this question! Cheers, Anselmo