Unit 5 Text a.Materials Used for Structural Purposes (Part 2).

Wood. Wood is the most ancient structural material. Together with stone it was widely used by the primitive man for building a hut, protecting him from stormy weather and wild animals. In comparison with steel wood is lighter, cheaper, easier to work and its mechanical properties are good. For some purposes it has certain advantages over steel. The ease with which wood can be shaped and fastened together especially with nails and screws, is the chief reason why it has been the leading structural material since man used tools.

On the other hand, wood has certain disadvantages as compared with other structural materials. First, it burns and there­fore it should not be used for fire-proof buildings. Second, it decays and is not considered so durable as steel and concrete.

Brick. Bricks as a structural material were known many thousand years ago and are used as a substitute for other ma­terials found in natural state. Bricks are hard and easily fastened together with the help of mortar which makes them suitable for construction purposes. A brick building is strong, durable and weather resistant. It has, however, certain disadvantages. First, its foundation requires durability and takes up a much larger space than that of a wooden structure and is consequently more expensive. Second, the process of constructing a brick building is very slow and requires much skilled labour on the site. Such limitations of bricks led to the development of steel frame technique which allows an easy assembly of structural parts and makes possible the use of new materials.

Выучите слова.

deal with – касаться, иметь дело с

drink - пить

pipe - труба

mixture - смесь

sand - песок

crush - дробить, разрушать(ся)

hard - твёрдый

owing to – благодаря, из-за

strength - прочность

sound - звук

nearly - почти

protect - защищать

weather(n) - погода

cheap - дешёвый

expensive - дорогой

finish – заканчивать(ся)

in comparison with – по сравнению с

as compared with – по сравнению с

shape – форма, оформлять

lead(3) – вести, приводить

on the other hand – с другой стороны

burn(3) – гореть, сжигать

therefore - поэтому

(un)suitable – (не)пригодный

proof – стойкий, упорный, защитный

consider – считать, рассматривать

know(3) - знать

substitute - заменитель

certain - определённый

reason - причина

slow - медленный

site – строительная площадка

bring – приносить, доставлять

(dis)advantage – (недостаток), преимущество

construct – строить, сооружать, конструировать

state – состояние

mortar - раствор

frame – рама, каркас

assembly – сборка

Задание 1. Ответьте на вопросы.

1. What properties does wood possess?

2. What are the advan­tages of wood?

3. What disadvantages does wood have?

4. Since what time is brick known to man?

5. How is brick used?

6. What makes brick suitable for building purposes?

7. What are the advantages of brick?

8. What technique allowed an easy assem­bly of structural parts?

9. Are any new building materials used now in construction?

Text B. Some Facts about Buildings.

The buildings erected nowadays can be divided into two general classes: buildings for housing and industrial buildings.

As far as material is concerned buildings can be divided into brick, wood, concrete and steel buildings. Brick is an artificial building material made of clay which is then burnt for hardening. Natural stone is used for footings and foundations, for external walls carrying the load.

Buildings made of stone are durable and fire-resisting. The floors divide a building into stories. They may be either of timber, or in brick buildings, of reinforced concrete details of big and small sizes.

The coverings or upper part of buildings keep out rain and wind and preserve the interior from exposure to weather. They are called roofs. They tie the walls and give strength and firmness to the construction.

Every building must have a beautiful appearance. The interior should be planned to meet the requirements of the occupants while the exterior must be simple.

Every building should be provided with water, electricity, ventilation and heating systems. The water supply and sewerage systems are called plumbing. Careful consideration must be given to the amount of money which is to be spent in building the house.

An estimate depending upon the design of the building must be calculated after which work on the building can be started.

Задание 2. Переведите предложения, обращая внимание на слова с окончанием “-ing”.

1. Cutting stones and timber became possible with the invention of tools. 2. Building of skyscrapers was started in the 19^th century. 3. By using industrial methods construction may be considerably increased. 4. Erecting tall buildings without using building mechanisms in now unthinkable. 5. The use of fine tools resulted in developing building methods. 6. Methods of designing structures are changing. 7. Up-to-date building is based upon using industrial methods of work. 8. Due to introducing mechanical aids labour productivity increased greatly.