Puolikiinteät

Puolikiinteät is a Finnish term that describes objects, systems or parameters that are not completely fixed but have partially fixed elements or constraints. The concept is context-dependent and is used across engineering, construction, economics and information technology.

In engineering and construction, puolikiinteät connections or supports refer to junctions that restrain movement in most directions but allow limited movement to accommodate loads, temperature changes or tolerances. For example, a semi-fixed bearing may resist radial displacement but permit a small amount of axial movement or rotation to absorb expansion. In structural design, semi-fixed joints can balance stiffness and flexibility to improve safety and serviceability.

In economics and contracts, puolikiinteä describes pricing or compensation structures that combine a guaranteed base component with a variable component tied to performance, usage or market conditions. A puolikiinteä salary might include a fixed base pay plus a performance bonus, while a puolikiinteä price may have a base price with conditional adjustments.

In information technology and data management, puolikiinteät parameters are values set during deployment or configuration that can be overridden within policy rules, such as capacity reservations that are fixed up to a limit but can be reallocated.

Etymology: from Finnish puoli- meaning half or partial, and kiinteä meaning fixed. The term is used alongside related concepts such as fixed, variable, and semi-fixed in technical literature.