Glossary entry

French term or phrase:

circulation

English translation:

circulation area

Added to glossary by Thomas Miles
Sep 19, 2018 11:09
5 yrs ago
12 viewers *
French term

circulation

French to English Bus/Financial Real Estate
This is the Asbestos Technical File attached as an annex to a Lease for a large office complex. In this file, specific areas of the building are named (as you will see below) to specify where asbestos might be found.

One of these areas is "circulation", which I have provisionally translated as "corridors" (having rejected "passages" because this is not a castle!)

Here are the instances where it appears:
"Bâtiment RIE à RdC et 1 sous sol : vestiaires, circulation, cuisine, plonge"
"Parkings, circulations, locaux technqiues,"
"palier ascenseur, escalier de secours, local électrique, circulation, trémies ascenseurs"

With thanks as ever.

Discussion

Thomas Miles (asker) Sep 19, 2018:
Thanks to all Apologies for being absent from the debate on my half day - but I am heartened by your answers and discussion! If you don't mind I shall review tomorrow morning when I get back to work.
Stuart and Aida Nelson Sep 19, 2018:
@ Tony Take it easy :). If you see we have also included 'AREA' in our answer and thank you for the confirmation. We are not extrapolating too widely from a single example and certainly not seeking thereby to deny the existence of the term in other usages. Cheers, lets Thomas decide :)
Tony M Sep 19, 2018:
@ the Nelsons 'area' here doesn't refer to the SURFACE (or floor) area, it simply refers to 'an area where circulation takes place'

Your example is only one narrow subset of all uses of the term... and apparently in a domestic rather than commercial context. I fear you are extrapolating too widely from a single example and seeking thereby to deny the existence of the term in other usages.
Stuart and Aida Nelson Sep 19, 2018:
circulation area Circulation area is the floor area of verandah, passages, staircase, balconies etc. which are used for movement of persons using the building
https://www.dreamhomeguide.in/what-is-circulation-area/
Ana Vozone Sep 19, 2018:
Good reference document for "circulation" and "circulation areas".

https://www.jica.go.jp/southafrica/english/activities/c8h0vm...

Proposed translations

+4
1 hr
Selected

circulation area

This is awlays a bit tricky, as we don't tend to use it in this countable way in EN.

The trouble is, you will also come across 'circulations horizontales / verticales' — while the former can be 'corridors', obviously the vertical ones aren't! Also note that 'corridor' tends to express soemthing about the form it takes — i.e. usually longer than it is wide; you probabaly wouldn't call a theatre foyer or hotel reception or station concourse a 'corridor' — yet they are all, generically, 'circulations' — which is really more about its function than its form.

That's why I'm suggesting this, as being one accepted technical term in EN in the exactly equivalent field (architecture / building planning).
Just like with 'piece of equipment' or 'item of clothing', adding the auxiliary 'area' in this way neatly solves the countable / uncountable issue.

--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 6 hrs (2018-09-19 17:59:08 GMT)
--------------------------------------------------

A well-meaning and expert colleague who sadly no longer pariticpates in KudoZ has sent me the following reference information:

"Ehe BSI Glossary of Bldg & CE terms defines "circulation element - Construction for the movement of persons and goods" (it seems to refer to things like steps,
treads, risers etc.) and "circulation space - Space for the movement of persons,
goods or vehicles" (both are one of the three "base terms", the other being
"stair").

Scott's Building dictionary defines "circulation area, circulating area - A passage, corridor, hall, or stairway used for circulation from room to room"
and
"circulation - In planning, the proper arrangement and proportioning of areas and spaces to facilitate movement of people from room to room, their access,
communication, egress, or escape"."
Peer comment(s):

agree Ana Vozone
20 mins
Thanks, Ana!
neutral Stuart and Aida Nelson : see discussion, circulation area would not fit with parkings which are also included in the context
2 hrs
Oh but yes it would! 'Circulation area' is the dedicated term used in the field to refer to ANY area where people circulate; it may, of course, refer to purely pedestrian circulation, or also vehicular.
agree B D Finch : Circulation area(s) is used as a countable noun in English. It's the correct technical translation and it's quite wrong to translate this as "corridors". One has circulation areas in open plan offices, car parks etc. and they aren't necessarily linear.
4 hrs
Thanks, B! Your expert input is most welcome — I was so hoping you'd happen along!
agree Daryo
6 hrs
Thanks, Daryo!
agree Michele Fauble
7 hrs
Merci, Michele !
Something went wrong...
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer. Comment: "Thank you for your opinion and references. Although I do not personally like the term "circulation area", I see that it is used by reputable architectural sources."
-1
6 mins

passageways

Alternatively, "halls and hallways"

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/passageway
Note from asker:
I had thought of somethinig similar to start with! Thanks all the same.
Peer comment(s):

disagree Tony M : 'passageway' would be quite the wrong register here, and 'hall(way)' scarcely better, as well as being more restrictive than the source term.
1 hr
Something went wrong...
9 mins

transitable areas

IMO corridors does not fit with parkings, transitable area would do the job.

The collection of transitable areas is used to determine evacuation paths.
https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/7479014/

They will be fnished with a gravel layer in non-transitable areas and with nonslip
ceramic foor tiles in transitable areas
https://propertysalesmarbella.co.uk/dt/asst/developments/Cas...
Note from asker:
Thanks to you both (first time I have seen a binôme on here!)
Peer comment(s):

agree Daryo
13 mins
Thank you :)
neutral Tony M : I don't think this is the usual, or even one commonly-used term.
1 hr
salue, really?
disagree B D Finch : No, this is a technical term and the correct translation is "circulation area" as any surveyor or architect would confirm.
5 hrs
well, well if you say so..
Something went wrong...
+1
1 hr

Transit aisles / transit corridors

Asbestos was used as insulation so these areas would expect to be enclosed, by walls for example.

Examples: "..after factoring in area lost to driveways, transit aisles, lift shafts, structure and reasonable areas allocated for ."
Note from asker:
I think this could work in an airport or railway station!
Peer comment(s):

neutral Tony M : I don't think this is the usual, or even one commonly-used term.
11 mins
agree GILLES MEUNIER : Sure...
1 day 21 mins
Something went wrong...
Term search
  • All of ProZ.com
  • Term search
  • Jobs
  • Forums
  • Multiple search