5. Read the text again and answer the questions that follow (1-8):

1. What are three main functions of floor?

2. What is the normal classification of floors? Characterize it.

3. How does a concrete slab function?

4. Why is it necessary to ventilate a space under timber floors at ground level?

5. What are the requirements for a typical oversite concrete floor slab?

6. What types of concrete ground floor prevail?

7. What are the necessary elements for building a timber floor?

8. What is the appropriate size of softwood boards to reduce shrinkage gaps?

Follow-up

6 A) Find the synonyms in the text for the following words:

Kind, construction, obstacle, to guarantee, abutting, contraction, component, building process, straining, to penetrate.

b) Explain the expressions in bold from the text and make up sentences of your own. Use English-English dictionaries to help you.

7 Give the English equivalents to the following and use 5 of them in small situations:

Нижнее перекрытие, верхнее перекрытие, бетонная плита, висячая деревянная конструкция, железобетонная плита, несущая стена, хорошо вентилируемый, обработанный пропиткой, за один раз, расположенный рядом блок для бетонирования, в шахматном порядке, сплошной фундамент, несущая стена из ячеистого бетона, кирпич-сырец (пустотелый кирпич), гидроизоляционная прослойка, облицовочная стеновая панель (мауэрлат), балка пола, доска пола.

8 Which questions could you ask to get these answers?

1. Upper floors are either reinforced concrete slabs or suspended timber structures that are supported on load-bearing walls.

2. Since concrete shrinks as it dries you should lay it in areas that are no larger than 3 metres by 3 metres or 10 square metres.

3. Raft foundations also need steel reinforcement.

4. Wall plates are timber pieces about 75×100 mm that are used as bases for fixing floor joists.

5. Softwood boards should be at least 25 mm thick and less than 100 mm wide.

9 Use the words below to complete the sentences: the hardcore bed

The purpose of the hardcore bed is to:

1. provide a 1) _____ bed that will keep the concrete slab warm and dry;

2. resist the growth of vegetation;

3. provide a level base for the oversite concrete.

The hardcore bed consists of material that resists 2) _____, such as broken brick, stone or rock.

The pieces should be large enough to ensure plenty of space so that 3) _____ isn’t trapped within the hardcore, the layers should be put down about 150-200 mm thick and flattened by hand with a tool called a 4) _____ to consolidate them. Also the machine called a plate vibrator can be used for large areas of hardcore.

The blinding

The finished hardcore has a rough, 5) _____ surface that should be smooth before laying the damp-proof membrane. It is done by laying about 50 mm of sand, ashes or weak, dry concrete slurry called blinding over the surface of the hardcore. The surface should be carefully leveled and there are no sharp 6) _____.

The damp-proof membrane

The membrane’s purpose is to prevent 7) _____ entering the building through the concrete slab. It is usually a heavy-duty polythene sheet that is tough enough to be handled on a building site without 8) _____ or puncturing. The material should stay intact even when workers walk over it while they fix 9) _____ in the floors and lay concrete. The dpm should be laid so that the edges 10) _____ the joints.

rammer, dampness, overlap, projections, moisture, open-textured, tearing, reinforcement, crushing, free-draining