Unit 6 Text a.Building Materials.

All building materials are divided into three groups:

1. Main building materials such as rocks and artificial stones, timber and metals.

2. Binding materials such as lime, gypsum and cements.

3. Secondary or auxiliary materials which are used for the interior parts of the buildings.

We use main building materials for bearing structures, binding materials are used for making artificial stone and for joining different planes. We use secondary ma­terials for the interior finish of the buildings.

If the materials do not require any technological changes in their chemical structure they are called natural building materials.

These are: stone, clay, sand, lime and timber.

The importance of a practical knowledge of geology is quite obvious. The engineer should be acquainted with the general structure of rocks. He must study the manner in which any particular rock weathers in the locality where it is to be used.

The erecting of large modern buildings would not have been possible, unless new building materials had been used. The great structures of our days required new methods of construc­tion. Had not the building materials used in the structures of the feudal period undergone great changes, no progress in building would have been possible. As the labour of man grew more expensive, the working out of natural stones decreased being replaced by brick which soon came largely into use.

Выучите слова.

main – главный,основной

artificial - искусственный

timber – строевой лес, древесина

bind(3) - связывать

lime - известь

interior - внутренний

bear(3) – нести, выдерживать

join - соединять

secondary - второстепенный

change – изменять(ся)

clay - глина

locality - местность

fel(d)spar – полевой шпат

strong – прочный, крепкий

art - искусство

utilize - использовать

mark – отметить. отметка

insulate - изолировать

surface – покрывать, отделывать

surfacing - покрытие

provide – снабжать, обеспечивать

weather(v) – выветриваться, противостоять внешним воздействиям

prefabricated members - предварительно изготовленные (сборные элементы)

on a large scale – в больших масштабах

expose – подвергать(ся)

wet – влажный. влага

various - различный

kind – вид, сорт

subject(to) – подвергать(ся)

connect - соединять

closely – тесно, плотно

grow(3) – расти, становиться

increase – увеличивать(ся)

decrease – уменьшать(ся)

brick - кирпич

soon - вскоре

watertight - водоупорный

constantly - постоянно

resistance - сопротивление

destruction - разрушение

external - внешний

achieve - достигать

unit – деталь, элемент

general – общий, главный

Text B. From the History of Building.

Many thousands of years ago there were no houses such as people live in today. In hot countries people sometimes made their homes in the trees and used leaves to protect themselves from the sun. In colder countries they dwelt in caves. Later people left their caves and trees and began to build houses of different materials such as mud, wood, or stones.

Then people found out that bricks made of mud and dried in the hot sunshine became almost as hard as stones. In ancient Egypt especially, people learned the use of these sun-dried mud blocks. Some of their buildings are also standing after several thousands of years.

The ancient Egyptians discovered how to cut stone for building purposes. They erected temples, palaces and huge tombs. The greatest tomb is the stone pyramid of Khufu, king of Egypt. The ancient Egyptians often erected their huge buildings without thinking of their usefulness.

The ancient Greeks also understood the art of building with cut stone, and their buildings were beautiful and useful. They often used pillars, partly for supporting the roofs and partly for decoration. Parts of these ancient buildings can still be seen today in Greece.

During the last hundred years many new methods of building have been discovered. One of the most recent discoveries is the use of steel as a building material.

Nowadays when it is necessary to have a very tall building, the frame of it is first built in steel and then the building is completed in concrete. Concrete is an artificial kind of stone, much cheaper than brick or natural stone and much stronger than they are.

Notes:

mud – глина

sun-dried –высушенный на солнце

to cut – резать

ancient – древний

Задание. Переведите предложения, учитывая многозначность слова “that”(тот, та, то, что, который, чтобы, слово-заменитель).

1. The earliest civilization of which there is any information is that of Egypt. 2. There is evidence that about 4,000 years B. C. the Egyptians possessed great construction ability. 3. The first, or general, impression of a building is usually that of its form, or mass. 4. It is important that the architect should possess a good knowledge of all methods of construction. 5. The great difference between primitive and modern building is that the former required practically no tools. 6. The Iron Age brought tools that led to the development of carpentry. 7. It is prefabrication that speeds up construction work. 8. Facing materials are those made specifically to perform a decorative function.