учебное пособие
по английскому языку
«СТРОИТЕЛЬНЫЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ»
(Student’s book)
Санкт-Петербург 2010
Чиркова Е.И., Черновец Е.Г., Цуприк Ю.С.
Учебное пособие по английскому языку
«Строительные материалы»
для курсантов II курса специальности IA /
ВИТИ. – Спб., 2010. – 117 с.
Units XI-XIV (Level B), Supplementary Reading, Translation guide (Unit I) написаны д.п.н.,
профессором Чирковой Е.И.
Units I-X (Level B), Use of English for Units I-X (Level B) написаны к.п.н., доцентом
Черновец Е.Г.
Units I-XIV (Level A, Level C), Unit XV (Test focus), Приложение (Teacher’s book) написаны
к.псих.н. Цуприк Ю.С.
Общая редакция осуществлена Цуприк Ю.С.
© ВИТИ, 2010
Contents
Vocabulary
1. Mind the different meanings of the word “building”
Level A
2. Read and translate the sentences:
Building – здание 1) The Empire State building is one of the world’s tallest
Building - строительный buildings.
Building – строительство 2) There are different types of building materials.
syn. construction 3) House building is an important industry in our
country.
4. Give Participle II(V3) of the verbs: to classify, to know, to divide, to take, to fabricate
5. Make examples with these verbs in Present and Past Tense, using the table above, and
translate them.
1. Read and translate the sentences. Mind the different meanings of the word
Levels B,C
“building”. Consult Task 1 and Active Grammar (Level A) if necessary.
2. Read the words and guess their meanings. Then consult Task 3 (Level A) to check if you
were right.
3. Make up collocations. The first word is from column A and the second is from column B.
A B
building
natural by/according to origin
interior by/ according to purpose
to fabricate finish
stone
to classify
material
bearing houses
finishing structure
artificial deposits
binding
5. Now read the text in Task 6 (Level A) to see if you were right.
Building materials
By origin
artificial binding
no bearing
technological structures
changes
stone concrete plastics
7. Decide if the following statements are true or false. Correct the false ones.
1. All building materials can be divided into main and finishing materials.
2. Natural materials are not fabricated.
3. Cement, clay and concrete are fabricated.
4. Steel and concrete belong to main building materials.
5. Cement and concrete are taken from natural deposits.
6. Lime and gypsum are used in building foundations.
7. We use concrete for making artificial stones.
8. Steel and concrete are used for making bearing structures.
4. Scan the text and guess the meaning of the words in italics.
5. Find the synonym of the word “common” (обычный, распространенный) in the text.
6. Guess the meaning of the word “brush” from the context of the underlined sentence.
Divide the text into logical parts.
5. Помните, что для перевода не всегда подходит первое, данное в словаре значение
слова. Необходимо определить какой частью речи слово является в данном
предложении, а также учитывать контекст.
These new houses face the face (n.) – лицо; (v.) – выходить, быть
park. обращѐнным (к кому-л., чему-л., в
определѐнную сторону)
I like this building
material.
That building material is like the previous one.
This new modern material is something like concrete. like – (adj.) -
What is it like? подобный, похожий;
It looks like wood. (adv.)- так; как что-л.;
подобно чему-л;
look – (n.) взгляд; внешность (v.) – любить,
(v.) смотреть; выглядеть нравиться,
6. В английском языке Participle II часто ставится предпочитать
после определяемого слова(*), но при переводе на
русский ставится перед ним.
basic raw *material used - основные используемые сырьевые материалы
Переведите на русский язык, используя словарь:
the materials applied the experimental observations made
secondary materials bought the equipment installed
the design proposed the method applied
Building materials can be classified in various ways: according to the form in which they
come from the manufacturer (piece products, roll materials, mastics, etc.), basic raw material
used (ceramics, materials based on mineral binders, polymeric materials, etc.), manner of
manufacture (materials and products fabricated by moulding, forgerolling, etc.), field of
application (materials for walls, roofs, heat insulation, etc.), origin (natural or manmade,
mineral or organic), and so on.
9. Прочитайте текст еще раз, выберите лучший вариант его перевода (А или B).
Обоснуйте свой выбор.
Level A
Stone has been mainly used for building for thousands of years. It has often
been used for large monuments because it is durable and can be easily carved.
Brick, which has been used since at least 2000 BC, was the chief building
material in the ancient Near East. It is easy to produce, transport and lay. Wood is
easier to acquire, transport and work than other natural materials.
Concrete is an artificial mixture of cement and water with pieces of sand and
stones. It was used in ancient Egypt and elsewhere, but it became most useful in the late
1800s when people learned to make it stronger.
Egypt is a country which is rich in stone and was sometimes even called the
"country of stone". Egypt has a lot of limestone formations, which the Egyptians called
Level B
"white stone", because during the Cretaceous period Egypt was covered with seawater.
The country is also rich in sandstone, but it was never really used much until the New
Kingdom.
Many of the pyramids were built with a number of different stone materials. Most of
the material used was limestone. It was used to build the pyramid core, while fine white
limestone was often employed for finishing exterior of the pyramids and to cover interior
walls, though pink granite was also often used on inner walls.
Level C
homes or structures. From mud to metal, and from plastic to grass has been used to
create living abodes and their related structures. These days there is a multibillion
dollar industry involved in the production and assembly of various building materials.
And much environmental concern has recently surfaced about the effects of such a
massive resource extraction on a global scale. Mud, Stone, and Brush are probably the
most basic building materials aside from tents. Peoples all over the world have used
these three materials together to create homes to suit their local weather conditions. In
general the stone and brush are used as the basic structural components in these buildings,
while the mud is used to fill in the space between acting as a type of concrete and insulation.
able - способный
compressed –
сжатый
conductive -
проводящий
definition -
определение
dense – плотный
endure - durable –
выдерживать прочный,
долговечный
hardness - твердость
insulate -
изолировать
porous - пористый
Home task:
pressure speak on the building materials classification according to the
-давление
scheme (Level A) using the phrases underlined in the text (Task 6, Level A)
proper –
присущий,
свойственный
resistance -
сопротивление
strength – сила ,
прочность
tense –
натянутый, тугой
tensile –
растяжимый,
эластичный
withstandability –
устойчивость,
стойкость
- ability, enable - pore, porosity
- compression, compressive - press
- conduct, conductivity , conductor - property
- define, defined - resist, resistant
- densely, density - strengthen, strong, strongly,
- durability strengthened
- hard, harden, hardened - tension
- insulation, insulated, insulator - withstand
4. Lightweight concrete has high _______ and low density. a) pores b) porosity c) porous
10. Materials that __________electric current (эл. ток) easily a) conduct b) conducts
are called conductors. c) conducting
11. There are two basic methods of prestressing steel: pre- a) tensioning b) tense c) tensile
tensioning and post-__________.
1. Lightweight concrete has high _____ and low density. a) pores b) porosity c) porous
2. The___ of granite depends on the quantity of the a) durable b) durability
quartz.
4. Materials that __________electric current (эл. ток) a) conduct b) conducts
easily are called ___________. c) conductors d)conductivity
6. ____________ strength is the response (ответ) of a a) compress b) compression
material to_____________. c) compressive d)compressor
1. Stone doesn’t burn or melt if you heat it. A. It’s heat resistant.
2. Brick doesn’t corrode if you put it in water. B. It’s dense.
3. Stone lasts long. C. It’s corrosion resistant.
4. Concrete has a lot of pores in relation to its volume. D. It’s durable.
5. Stone has a lot of mass in relation to its size. E. It’s porous.
6. Plastic doesn’t allow water to pass through it. F. It’s water-proof.
Levels B,С
Steel good sound insulation
Stone good thermal insulation
has the property of
Glass high compressive strength
Brick high tensile strength
it can resist high compressive forces
it can resist high tensile forces
This means
it does not transmit heat easily
it does not transmit sound easily
5. Make sentences about the materials with “can …, but … can’t” or “can … and … can”
Model: (bend/metal/wood) You can bend metal, but you can’t bend wood.
1. (heat/air/water)____________________________________________.
2. (melt/plastic/wood)_________________________________________.
3. (stretch/nylon/glass)________________________________________.
4. (break/glass/wood)_________________________________________.
5. (cut/wood/metal)___________________________________________.
6. (compress/air/glass)________________________________________.
Level A
1) requirements (требования) that building materials should meet,
2) materials that are commonly used in construction,
3) the difference between common building materials,
4) the properties of wood,
5) the properties of stone,
6) basic groups of properties.
All materials have certain properties that can be defined and tested. Materials that are
used for structural purposes should meet several requirements. In most cases it is important
that they should be hard, durable, fire-resistant and easily fastened together.
The most commonly used materials are steel, concrete, stone, wood and brick. They differ
in hardness, durability and fire-resistance.
Wood is the most ancient structural material. It is light (легкий), cheap and easy to work.
But wood has certain disadvantages: it burns and decays (разрушается, гниет).
Stone belongs to one of the oldest building materials used by man. It possesses many
valuable (ценный) properties. They are mechanical strength, compactness, porosity, sound
and heat insulation and fire-resistance.
Some materials should have very high compressive strength (for example, an engineering
brick).
There are three basic groups of properties: physical (describing mass and structure, as well
as the response of the materials to water, gases, heat, fire, etc.), mechanical (ability to resist
deformation) and protective (ability to withstand the destructive (разрушительные) factors).
VALUABLE PROPERTIES OF
wood stone brick
lightness
…
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A)
in Translation bank
Levels B,С
8. Read the text in Task 6 (Level A). Consult Active Grammar (Level A) if necessary. Complete the table in
Task 7.
9. Arrange the properties from the table in Task 7 (Level A) into three basic groups.
12.Scan the text. Guess the meaning of the words in italics. Read the text again. Decide what group each
property in Task11 belongs to. Complete the table below the text.
Translation bank
subjected to a bending or torsion (twisting) force, both tensile and compressive forces
are simultaneously at work. When a metal bar is bent, one side of it is stretched and
subjected to a tensional force, and the other side is compressed.
Tension is a pulling force (тяговая сила); for example, the force in a cable holding a
weight. Under tension, a material usually stretches, returning to its original length if the force
does not exceed the material’s elastic limit. Under larger tensions, the material does not
return completely to its original condition, and under greater forces the material ruptures.
Engineers must know how materials respond to external forces, such as tension,
compression, torsion, bending and shear (поперечная сила). All materials respond to
these forces by elastic deformation. Materials return their size and form when the
Level С
external force disappears. The materials may also have permanent deformation or
they may fracture.
The results of external forces are creep and fatigue. Creep is slow, permanent
deformation that results from a steady force acting on a material. Materials at high
temperatures usually suffer from deformation. Fatigue is the growth of cracks under
stress. No deformation is seen during fatigue, but small cracks propagate through the
material. Knowledge of tensile stress, elastic limits, and the resistance of materials to creep
and fatigue are of basic importance in engineering.
Level A
мало few bricks little cement
несколько/некоторое количество a few bricks a little cement
Levels B,C
more bricks
…….. bricks (много the most bricks
(больше/еще
кирпичей) (большинство кирпичей)
кирпичей)
a few bricks
the fewest bricks (меньшее
(немного, …………….. (меньше
количество кирпичей,
несколько кирпичей)
меньше всего кирпичей)
кирпичей)
much cement (много more cement (больше the most cement (большая
цемента) цемента) часть цемента)
the least cement (меньшее
a …….. cement less cement (меньше
количество цемента,
(немного цемента) цемента)
меньше всего цемента)
3. Match the following description with the word from the box.
Consult t.3 (Level A)
melting point, solid, luster, plasticity, shape, to melt, ore , liquid, opacity
1) An attractive shiny appearance
2) Rock or earth from which metal can be obtained.
3) The property which something has when it is difficult or impossible to look through.
4) The property of being easily made into any shape.
5) The form which something has.
6) To heat a metal object until it becomes a liquid.
7) The temperature at which a solid substance becomes a liquid.
8) Hard, with a fixed shape.
9) Substance that is not a solid or gas.
Level C
elements. At room temperature most metals are 1________________ and have a
silvery grey, shiny appearance called 2______________. Most metals are good
3_____________ of heat and electricity. Metals also have considerable4_______. They
can be pulled into wire and pressed into sheets. Because of their 5_______________,
conductivity and 6_______________ to be worked into different forms, metals are
important building materials.
6. Look through the text and guess the meaning of the words in italics.
Metals
Level A
About three-quarters of all known chemical elements are metals. Most of
metals are found in ores (mineral-bearing substances), but a few such as
copper, gold, platinum and silver frequently occur (встречаются) in the free
state because they seldom react with other elements.
The physical properties of most metals include high density and high
strength, hardness, ductility and malleability. Most metals also have great
plasticity: they can change their shape without breaking. At room temperature metals are
solid. Optically speaking, metals are opaque and lustrous. Metal is a chemical element that
is a good conductor of both electricity and heat.
Metals began to be widely used as construction materials not so long ago. Before the
beginning of the 19-th century metals played little structural role in the process of
building. Mostly they served for joining parts of buildings. The first all-metal structure was
built in Europe in the 18-th century. It was a cast-iron bridge across the river Severn in
England. The strength of the bridge was so great that now, more than two centuries after
its construction, it still carries heavy modern traffic across the Severn.
In the first half of the 19th century many architects began to use cast iron and
wrought iron for industrial construction in Europe and North America. Steel was not
widely used because it was expensive. Inexpensive steel first began to be produced and
used only with the invention of the Bessemer process, in the 1850s. From that period on,
metal became popular and useful building material. The famous Eiffel Tower of Paris was
constructed of wrought iron in 1889. By that period a few steel frame (каркас, несущая
конструкция) skyscrapers had already been built in the United States. That was the
beginning of the new era: a new highly useful and popular construction material was
introduced into building industry.
6. Find the word “state” (given in bald type) in the text. Does it have the same meaning in both word
combinations? Choose the proper meaning:
a)государство, страна b)штат c)состояние
7. Read the text again. Say if the following statements are true or false.
1) Most chemical elements are metals.
2) Metals are solid at room temperature, but when they are melted they break easily.
3) Metals can conduct electricity and heat.
4) Metals play little role in the process of building.
5) The bridge across the river Severn was the first all-metal structure.
6) Cast iron and wrought iron was widely used for industrial construction in Europe and North America
in the first half of the 19th century.
7) Steel was an expensive building material before the invention of the Bessemer process.
8) Metal became popular building material at the end of the 19th century.
Levels B,С
6. Does the text give answers to the following questions:
1) Where are most metals found?
2) What metals seldom react with other elements?
3) Are metals much stronger and harder that stones?
4) What are the main properties of metals?
5) Are metals solid at any temperature?
6) In what year did metals begin to be widely used in construction?
7) Did metals play the least important role in construction in the 19-th century?
8) When and where was the first all-metal structure built?
9) Who built the cast-iron bridge across the river Severn?
10) What kinds of iron were introduced in the first half of the 19-th century?
11) Why was steel as a building material not popular for a long time?
12) What was the result of the invention of the Bessemer process?
13) What materials is the famous Eiffel Tower constructed of?
14) From what time has metals been widely used as building material?
7. Read the text again. Give the main stages of using metals in construction process.
8. Look through the text and guess the meaning of the underlined words.
Read the text and choose the most appropriate title from the list A-C:
A. Ores
Level С
B. Production of metals
C. Ores and metals
Metals are found naturally in Earth’s crust (земная кора). A few metals, such as gold and
silver, are found in a pure state, not in ores. Most metals are found mixed with rock in substances
called ores. The ores first are taken out of the ground, and then metals are separated from other
substances. The separation is most often done with heat. The ore is heated until chemical
substances mixed with metal turn into gas and the metal melts. Other ways to separate metal
from ore involves electricity or chemicals.
Once the metal is separated from the ore, it can be shaped, or worked, in one of two ways. The ways
of working a metal depends on its properties. The first way, called cold working, is done with metal at
room temperature. In that process metals are bent, rolled, pulled or pressed flat. The second way of
shaping metal is called hot working. In that process the metal is heated to very high temperatures. Once
it is heated it melts and becomes liquid and can be formed into shapes. Some metals are worked hot at
first and then worked cold for a fine finish.
A B A B A B
silver железо cast iron цинк steel алюминий
gold серебро zinc углерод copper латунь
lead золото carbon олово aluminium медь
iron свинец tin чугун brass сталь
2. Study Active Grammar. Translate the sentences below. Pay attention to punctuation marks.
Active Grammar. Giving example
We use “ like, such as, for example/ for instance” to give examples:
Scientists are creating alloys with improved properties such as higher strength and durability.
Some metals like gold and silver are only used as decoration.
Ferrous alloys are widely used for bearing elements, for example, steel and cast iron.
3. Read the text and complete it with the sentences given below the text. One sentence is extra.
Scientists often combine metals with other metals. They also combine metals with materials that are
not metals. These combinations are called alloys. __________1____________ Scientists make alloys because
they have more valuable properties than a metal itself. Iron is the main element of the most frequently used
alloys. __________2___________. When iron is mixed with carbon, the resulting alloy is steel. Such alloys
have different properties. It depends on how much carbon there is in the alloy. Alloys that contain no iron are
called non-ferrous. __________3__________ Examples of copper alloys are brass and bronze.
1. Read and translate the sentences. Consult Active Grammar (Level A).
Levels B.C
1) Like bronze, brass is a copper alloy.
2) Building materials are made of many natural products such as clay, sand, wood and many
others.
3) Steel is a strong metal and like other metals is a good conductor of electricity.
4) Products, such as glass and metals, can be reused.
5) Many building materials, for example, glass, metals, concrete, can be reused.
3. Read the text and complete it with the sentences given after the text. One sentence is extra.
Ferrous and non-ferrous metals and alloys
________1_______ To meet these requirements, scientists create alloys – metals consisting of more
than one element. These elements may be either metals, non-metals or both – to improve properties of
metals. ________2________ Steel, for example, is an alloy of iron and carbon. Steel is much stronger and
easier to work with than iron. Steel is therefore used for building construction and many other industries.
Alloys that contain no iron are called non-ferrous. ___________3__________ The most important non-ferrous
alloys include brass – an alloy of copper and zinc – and bronze – an alloy of copper and tin. The increase of
zinc content, for instance, increases the tensile strength, which makes the properties of an alloy more
valuable in construction.
a) Alloys with iron as the main element are called ferrous alloys, from Latin “ferrum”, meaning “iron”.
b) Copper alloys are the largest group of non-ferrous alloys.
c) Scientists combine metals and non-metals to make alloys.
d) Despite the great variety of natural metals, engineers often require materials that have specific
properties which none of the metals have.
4. Read the text and the questions to it. Cross out the questions to which there is no
answer in the text.
Level C
Listen to the text about historical development of metals and choose the most appropriate
alternative a, b or c:
Listen to the text and say if the following statements are true or false.
Level C
Correct the false ones.
B , Cfalse
true
+ -
1. Gold and silver were the first alloys discovered by man.
Archeologists found ancient objects made of gold, silver,
2.
copper, lead, tin and iron.
3. Bronze had more valuable properties than copper.
Bronze is an alloy of coper with lead, that has a low melting
4.
temperature and is easier to cast.
5. The Bronze Age began about 3000 BC .
6. Brass was much stronger than iron.
7. The Iron Age began in the 6th century AD.
Home task (Levels A, B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the
text in Translation bank
Translation bank
Nonferrous metals and nonferrous alloys are not based on iron and include
metals and alloys of aluminum, brass, bronze, copper, lead, tin, titanium, zinc,
nickel, etc. They are used in different spheres, for instance, in construction and in
medical devices. Many nonferrous metals can be used in alloys and are chosen for
specific characteristics such as strength, magnetic and electrical properties, and
corrosion resistance. Nonferrous metals and nonferrous alloys are useful because of their
versatility (многофункциональность, универсальность), high density, and tensile strength.
Level B
Iron is the main component of the most widely used alloys, the ferrous alloys. The
name comes from the Latin “ferrum”, meaning “iron”. When carbon is dissolved in iron, the
resulting alloy is steel. Ordinary carbon steel, or wrought carbon steel, has various properties
depending on its carbon content. It can be given other properties by including other
elements. Steel containing manganese is easier to shape, steel with nickel is rust resistant.
Chromium steels are hard and strong. Silicon steels have magnetic properties that make
them ideal in electric devices.
Level С
original shape. Most metals also have great plasticity: they can change their shape
without breaking. Metals also have considerable elasticity. A metal spring can be
stretched, for example, but when the load is removed, it contracts to its original
length.
All metals can be formed by drawing, rolling, hammering and extrusion, but
some require hot-working. Metals are subjected to metal fatigue and creep (the slow
increase in length under stress) causing deformation and failure. Both effects are taken into
account by engineers when designing, for example, airplanes and gas-turbines.
3) Marble is a natural stone that have/has been used as main and finishing material in building
construction.
4) A few types of stone have/has become popular with sculptors and builders.
Vocabulary
2. Match the words from column A and B: A B
3. Read the text and match the titles to the paragraphs. One title silica мрамор
is extra. shale/slate сланец
a) Marble as one of the most beautiful building materials.
b) Artificial stones in construction marble песчаник
c) Stones in design of the building feldspar полевой шпат
d) Natural stones
sandstone кремнезем
e) Characteristics of marble as building material
1. Stones play important role for exterior and interior designing of the building. They are used in building
walls of the house and in decoration pieces.
2. Stones may be artificial and natural ones. Natural stones are created by nature. They are divided into
three geological classes: sedimentary (осадочные), igneous (вулканические) and metamorphic.
Natural stones are naturally good. They are always shiny and lustrous, while (в то время как) artificial
stones can lose their color. Natural stones have been used in house building since ancient times. They
are used as main and finishing material.
3. Marble is a good building material. It is one of the most durable natural stones. Marble is also one of
the best heat and fire resistant stones among all the natural stones. Marble stone varies widely in
hardness and colour. It can be used in interior or exterior of the houses or buildings.
4. Marble has very soft look, and therefore it is very popular with sculptors especially. Various
monuments and places have been built using this stone. The best is the Taj Mahal, which is one of the
Seven Wonders of the World. Marble still provides elegance and beauty to our modern era.
4. Read the text in T.3 again and complete it with the sentences given below. One sentence is extra.
a) Its durability depends on the quality of the quartz and the nature of the feldspar.
b) It can be broken like many other building materials.
c) Granite is also proof against the action of frost.
5. Tick () columns according to the texts p.30 (level A) and p.31 (Level B).
Marble Granite
used in house building since ancient times
used as main material
used as finishing material
used in construction of bridges
durable natural stone
Its durability depends on the quartz and the feldspar
one of the hardest stones available
is frost resistant
is fire and heat resistant
has a beautiful look
Home task:
translate the 3rd and the 4th paragraphs of the text in T.3
6. Compare marble and granite according to the model:
- Both marble and granite ………………
Levels B,C
Read the text and 14 statements. Cross out the statements that do not correspond to the text content:
Types of Stone
Man has been creating art ever since he found that he could shape it by striking a softer stone with a
harder one. Over the millennia, a few types of stone have become popular with sculptors and builders. Here
are the most common ones used for carving from three different types of rock: igneous, sedimentary and
metamorphic.
Igneous: The characteristics of igneous rocks result from the way in which they were formed. Deep in
the earth, under the intense heat of volcanic action, magma was forced up through the older solid rock. It
then cooled, forming granite, basalt and diorite. Granite is made of quartz crystals and feldspar which contain
silica. Granite is very hard stone and difficult to carve. Diamond saws (алмазная пила) and cup grinders
(шлифовальный круг) cut through granite easily and can speed up the carving and finishing process. Granite
comes in a wide variety of colours, and the crystal size can vary from large and coarse to very fine and dense.
Sedimentary: As rocks began to erode from wind and sun, the particles were washed into low lying areas
where the sediment accumulated. In the sea, small plants and animal forms died and drifted to the bottom,
adding to the sediment. Over thousand of years, the pressure of these layers cemented the sediment onto
limestone or sandstone.
Limestone is formed on the sea floor from sediment and the bodies of primitive sea creatures. It is
composed mainly of the mineral calcite or calcium carbonate. Limestone is easy to carve and will hold small
detail work, but is also strong. It can be polished, but the polish doesn’t last long outdoors. Sandstone is
formed from sedimentary sand held together by silica or calcium carbonate.
Metamorphic: Metamorphic: rocks are formed when a sedimentary layer is exposed to heat
and pressure and undergoes a chemical change which forms a new crystalline material.
After metamorphism, limestone becomes marble. Marble has been the most popular stone for carving
since the time of the ancient Greeks. Marble is moderately hard to work. It will hold very fine detail. Alabaster
is a very soft stone for carving. In fact it is so beautiful that the viewer may overlook your sculptural forms and
only admire the stone. Soapstone, or steatite, is soft enough to carve with a knife. It is composed of talc and
has slippery, soapy feel.
8. Read the text and divide it into paragraphs according to the plan:
Level C
1. Origin of marble.
2. Stones called “marble”.
3. Various colors.
4. Usage of marble.
5. Disadvantages of marble.
Marble is metamorphic rock composed wholly or in large part of calcite or dolomite crystals. The
crystalline texture is the result of metamorphism of limestone by heat and pressure. The term marble is
applied to any limestone or dolomite that takes a good polish and is suitable as building stone or ornamental
stone. Marbles range in color from snow-white to grey and black, yellow, pink and green. The colour depends
on the presence of impurities. Marble is used as a material in statuary and monuments, as facing stone in
buildings and colonnades. Like all limestones, it is corroded by water and acid fumes and thus it is an
uneconomical material for use in open places and in large cities. The presence of certain impurities decreases
its durability. Marbles are quarried in all parts of the world.
Home task: Level B: translate the 1st and the 3rd paragraphs of the text in T.3
Level C: translate the text in T.9 in writing
Prepositions in special questions. Look at the sentences. Compare the position of the
preposition in the Russian and English questions. Translate the following questions
into Russian.
what ... from - из чего
what ... for - для чего
where ... from - откуда
what ... in - в чем
A B A B
cut резать quarry печь для обжига
straw сушить kiln добывать
dry солома lay класть
2. Read the text on p. 36 and guess the meaning of the words in Italics. Answer the questions below the
text.
1. Study Active Grammar and Vocabulary (Level A).Do Tasks 2, 3 (Level A).
Levels B,C
2. Read the text and choose the most suitable heading for each of the numbered paragraphs.
There is one extra heading. Give the title to the text.
a) rick composition d) Development of brick-making
b) Types of bricks e) History of brick-making
c) Sundried bricks
1. The common brick is one of our greatest inventions in construction industry. It is an artificial
stone and can be made from clay, soft slate, calcium silicate, concrete or shaped from quarried stone.
Clay has always been the most common material for making bricks. Brick-making transforms low-strength
clay into strong and durable building material.
2. Brick is one of the oldest building materials. The ancient Babylonians made brick houses 6000 years ago.
The ancient Egyptians made bricks from mud (clay) and dried them in the sun. Often mud was mixed with
some other materials. Adding some sand helped to keep these bricks from cracking. Making sundried
bricks with a little straw helped to bind the clay. The ancient Romans made stronger bricks by baking
them in kilns. The process took several days. The bricks were kept in kilns, where the temperature
reached 1000 °C, for a day or so, then cooled bricks gradually (постепенно).
3. Bricks were widely used as a building material in the 1700, 1800 and 1900s. Early builders often made
their bricks right at the construction site (место). In the 1800s people developed new and faster ways of
making bricks. Factories began producing them in large quantities.
4. Common brick is the everyday building brick. It doesn’t have special color or texture. It is typically red.
Face brick is often applied on top of common brick. It’s made in a variety of colors, is more durable than
common brick, and is graded according to its ability to withstand freezing temperatures and moisture.
Refractory (огнеупорный) bricks are made from clays with a high alumina or silica content or nonclay
minerals such as bauxite, zircon, silicon carbide, or dolomite. Refractory bricks are heat resistant and are
used in various types of kilns and fireplaces. Calcium silicate bricks are often made in areas where clay is
not readily available. Glazed bricks are made primarily for walls in buildings such as dairies, hospitals, and
laboratories, where easy cleaning is necessary.
3. Correct mistakes in the following questions to the text above. Three questions have no mistakes.
Answer the questions.
1) What one of the greatest inventions in construction industry?
2) Is clay the only component of brick?
3) When Babylonians did make brick houses?
4) How ancient Egyptians make bricks?
5) Did sand help to keep bricks from cracking?
6) Did straw helped to crack the clay?
7) How many did days ancient Romans bake bricks in kilns?
8) Where did early builders often made their bricks?
9) When did people develop new and faster ways of making bricks in large quantities?
10) What the main types of bricks?
Artificial stones
Synthetic stone products are called artificial stones. They have been used from
Level A
the 18th century. They are made from concrete and special colored pigments.
Brick is also an artificial stone. It can be made from clay, soft slate, calcium
silicate, concrete or shaped from quarried stone. Brick is one of the oldest building
materials, because making bricks is easier than cutting natural stone for building
construction. Brick has been used since at least 2000 BC. The ancient Egyptians made
bricks from clay and dried them in the sun. Often clay (mud) was mixed with some other
materials. Sand, for instance, helped to make bricks harder. A little straw helped to bind the
clay. Brick was fire- and weather-resistant, and it was easy to produce, transport and lay.
Modern bricks are burnt in kilns and are of high quality. They have such valuable
properties as good shock resistance, high melting point and satisfactory porosity. They may be
beautifully colored. There are thousands of different bricks, but most of them are made from
clay and kiln-fired.
Levels B,C
1. Является ли кирпич искусственным камнем?
2. Из чего делают искусственные камни?
3. Почему искусственные камни лучше для строительства, чем
природные?
4. Из чего изготовляли кирпич древние египтяне?
5. Египтяне сушили кирпич на солнце?
6. Для чего использовалась солома?
7. Помогал ли песок сделать кирпичи прочнее?
8. Как римляне делали более прочные кирпичи?
9. Из чего состоит современный кирпич?
5. Read the text and complete the scheme according to its content:
Modern Artificial Stones
Many artificial stone products are both lightweight and durable. They may have any
desired colour. Every type of artificial stone is made by mixing small, lightweight pieces of
aggregate, Portland cement, and different iron oxide pigments.
This mixture is poured into hundreds of different flexible molds which vibrate. This
vibratory motion is the key to producing realistic textures and color variations in each
individual stone. Because these stones are very similar to concrete and are manufactured
under controlled conditions, they are very durable.
The fact that modern artificial stones are lightweight gives them a unique advantage
over natural stones. They are easily attached to the required surface using a layer of mortar.
The stones are set directly into this fresh mortar. Manufactures recommend using specific
colored mortars depending upon the color of the stone used.
Artificial stones
6. Work in pairs. Ask and answer questions on the scheme in T.6. Consult Active Grammar.
7. Read the text and complete the scheme below. Give the title to the text. Level С
Brick is one of the world’s oldest building materials, because making bricks is easier than
cutting natural stone for building construction. A brick is a block of ceramic material used in
masonry (каменная кладка) construction. It is usually laid using mortar.
Bricks were made in the following way: first, workers dug up the clay. Sometimes they mixed the clay with
sand or other materials to make it stronger. Next, workers formed the clay into small rectangular blocks called
bricks. After the bricks dried, workers baked or fired them in very hot ovens called kilns.
Nowadays clay bricks are formed in one of three processes – soft mud, dry press or extruded. The soft
mud method is the most common as it is the most economical. It starts with the raw clay, preferably in a mix
with 25-30% sand to reduce shrinkage. The clay is first ground and mixed with water to the desired
consistency. The clay is then pressed into steel moulds with a hydraulic press. The shaped clay is then fired at
900-1000ºC to achieve strength. The dry press method is similar to soft mud method, but it starts with a much
thicker clay mixture. Using this method we make more accurate, sharper-edged bricks. The greater force in
pressing and the longer burn make this method more expensive. With extruded bricks the clay is mixed with
10-15% water to make hard dense bricks. The material is put on conveyers and given the proper width and
depth. Then it is cut into bricks by a wall of wires. Holes are made in the bricks by the die (штамп). Extruded
bricks are lighter and have thermal properties different from solid bricks. The cut bricks are hardened by
drying between 20 and 40 hours. Then the conveyer moves through a continuously fired tunnel kiln.
Brick-
Ancient making Modern
method methods
ways of making
materials used
- ways of making, ways of ways of
- materials used making, making,
materials used materials used
Home task (Levels B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the
text in Translation bank
Translation bank
rocks have erupted from a volcano, while plutonic rocks have cooled at depth, and are
often coarse-grained (granite and dioirite). Sedimentary are rocks that laid down as
layers, often on the sea floor. This group includes limestone, sandstone and mudstone.
Metamorphic stones are igneous or sedimentary rocks that have been recrystallised by
the effects of pressure and heat. Marble is metamorphosed limestone, schist is
metamorphosed sandstone, and slate is metamorphosed mudstone.
Translate the text in writing
Building brick, also called common, hard, or kiln-run brick, is made from
ordinary clay or shale and is fired in kilns. Face brick is better quality and has better
Level B
durability and appearance than building brick. Because of this, face bricks are used in
exposed wall faces. The most common face brick colors are various shades of brown,
red, gray, yellow, and white. Clinker brick is overburned in the kiln. Clinker bricks are
usually rough, hard, durable, and sometimes irregular in shape. Pressed brick is made
by a dry-press process, not by kiln firing. Pressed bricks have regular, smooth
faces, sharp edges, and perfectly square corners. Ordinarily, they are used like face brick.
Glazed brick has one surface coated with a white or colored ceramic glazing.
Level C
Ease of working. The best stones to work are moderately soft, lacking cracking
and of even grains so that they can be sawn in any direction as well as being carved or
shaped.
Strength and durability. Almost all rocks have high enough strength for most
building uses, but only the hardest are suitable for high wear areas (steps and paving)
Good building stone also needs to be resistant to decay from frost, acid pollution and general
weathering.
Appearance. Pleasing colour and texture is a commercial necessity and for use in
decorative panels a hard dense stone that retains a high polish is required.
2. Read the sentence. Choose the most appropriate variant of translation for the words given in bold
type.
There are two basic types of aggregates: fine aggregate and coarse aggregate.
fine – 1) тонкий, изящный 2) прекрасный, совершенный 3) мелкий
coarse – 1) грубый 2)невежливый, вульгарный 3) крупный
3. Read the text and choose the most appropriate heading from the list (A-E) for each part of the text.
There is one extra heading which you do not need to use:
A. Classification of concretes
B. Composition of concrete
C. Application of concrete
D. Properties of concrete
Concrete
1. This artificial stone is a mixture which consists of cementing components and aggregate. The cementing
component includes a matrix mixed with water. The examples of binding materials are Portland cement
and rapid-hardening cement. Aggregates are inert materials; they may be fine or coarse. Clean sand is the
best fine aggregate. Crushed stone, blast furnace slag and gravel are used as coarse aggregates.
2. Nowadays concrete is the main constructional material because it possesses many valuable properties:
durability, fire- and frost-resistance, compressive strength, etc. However (однако), concrete has some
disadvantages and builders should know them very well. For example, low corrosion resistance and low
tensile strength.
3. There are several classifications of concrete. It may be divided into groups according to the type of
binding material (cement, silica or gypsum), the type of aggregate (fine or coarse), the structure (dense,
porous, cellular concretes), the weight (light or heavy), the purpose (plain (ordinary) or special).
Vocabulary
Levels
1. Learn the words. Consult Task 1 and 2 (Level A)
B,С
Field of nouns verbs adjectives/
application participles
Classification bulk density silicate classify heavy comm
application gypsum divide super-heavy on
cement purpose fall into light plain
super-light mass
organic specia
l
gener
al
Composition, mixture paste harden bind fine
production matrix cement set mix coarse
aggregate gypsum consist produce crushed
blast furnace slag silicate pour last rocklike
stone stonelike
Properties
quality quality acid hard strong
aamount amount durable
3. Read the text and choose the most suitable word underlined in the sentences:
In its simplest from/form, concrete is a mixing/mixture of paste and aggregates. The paste
consisting/lasting of Portland cement/gypsum and water binds/mixes fine and coarse aggregates. Through
chemical reaction called hydration, the paste hardens/mixes and becomes as strong as stone.
4. Read the text in T.3 again and complete the table:
CONCRETE
Level A
Aggregates ….
… Classification
durability
type of …. type of …
aggregate
…
… … dense
silica … …
… … …
…
…
…
light purpose
…
…
…
Home task: …
Level A: learn the words in T.1, 2
4. Complete the sentences with a suitable word/phrase:
5. Look through the text and guess the meaning of the words in italics. Read
the text and make up a plan of it: Level C
Concrete
Concrete is a building material consisting of a mixture of matrix, water and fine or coarse aggregates.
Coarse aggregates are generally gravel, crushed stone and blast furnace slag. The most typical fine aggregate
is sand. Cement and Portland cement are used as matrix. Before hardening the mixture is called a concrete
mix. Cement, sand, gravel and water are taken in proportional amounts and mixed. The quality of concrete
depends mostly on the quality of the cement used.
The process of production consists of pouring the mixed components into forms and holding them there
until they set and harden. The process of hardening generally lasts for about 28 days. The paste hardens
through chemical reaction of cement with water. A paste of Portland cement and water binds inert
aggregates into a rocklike mass.
There are two ways of production of concrete. It can be produced by mixing the ingredients and pouring
the mixture into forms on the construction site. Then it is called in-situ (cast-in-place) concrete. If concrete is
produced in a factory and used for manufacturing elements of a building, it is called precast concrete.
Concretes may be classified according to their bulk density (объёмный вес), the kind of cementing
material and application. By the bulk density concretes are divided into heavy and lightweight, super- heavy or
super-lightweight. By the kind of cementing material they may be cement, silicate and organic. By application
they fall into mass (common, plain) concrete and special concretes. Common concretes are general-purpose
ones. They are used for making load-bearing elements of buildings. Special-purpose concretes include
hydraulic (гидротехнический), acid-resistant, heat-resistant and other types. Hydraulic concrete is strong,
frost-resistant and water-resistant. Acid-resistant concrete offers good resistance to attack by concentrated
inorganic acids.
Important properties of all types of concrete are durability, water-resistance, frost-resistance, corrosion-
resistance, thermo-resistance and compressive strength.
Listening
1. Read the geographical names and give their Russian equivalents:
Assyria, Babylon, Egypt, Greece, Rome, Roman Empire, Isle of Portland
Names of inventors: John Smeaton; Joseph Aspdin
2. Listen to the text about the history of cement and concrete. Choose the best variant.
Level B
1. Cement and water bind the ______ 3. Roman cement __________
together. a) has been used for many centuries
a) aggregate b) was forgotten
b) concrete c) was used by Babylonians
c) clay 4. The history of the cement like the one which
2. Builders in ancient _________ used lime we use now started in_________ century.
and gypsum as binding materials. a) 17-th
a) Assyria and Babylon b) 18-th
b) Egypt, Rome and Greece c) 19-th
c) Assyria and Egypt
5. ________ cement was invented in the 6. _______ laid the foundation for modern
second part of the 18th century. cement industry with the invention of
a) Portland Portland cement.
b) lime a) Aspdin
c) hydraulic b) Smeaton
c) Aspdin and Smeaton
Vocabulary Level A
1. Study the vocabulary. Translate the word combinations given below.
reinforce (v) – укреплять, усиливать, pour (v) – лить, налить
армировать bar (n) – балка, арматурный стержень, прут
reinforcement – усиление, арматура fibre (n, adj.) – волокно; волоконный
embed (v) – 1)вставлять, внедрять, вводить, mesh (n) – сетка syn. grid
врезать; 2)покрывать wire – проволока; провод
chop (v.) - рубить, разрубать, крошить
embedded steel
reinforced concrete
chopped wire
tension caused by wind
steel bar
iron mesh
concrete mixer
2. Read the text and underline sentences with Participle II. What is the function of Participle II in every
sentence? Translate the sentences.
Reinforced concrete
Common concrete has a high level of compression strength, while the tensile strength is rather low. It
doesn’t easily resist tension stresses caused by wind, vibration and other forces. Concrete can crack under its
own weight, so it should be reinforced.
Concrete that includes embedded metal (usually steel) is called reinforced concrete. It is generally
reinforced by steel bars or fibre and iron mesh. During construction, bars or mesh are placed in a form and
then concrete from a mixer is poured to embed them.
Reinforced concrete combines the tensile strength of metal and the compression strength of concrete.
It helps concrete to resist external forces.
Reinforced concrete was invented in 1849 by Joseph Monier. Later it was used in railway ties (шпалы),
pipes (трубы), floors, arches and bridges.
1. Read four definitions of reinforced concrete and answer the Level B,C
questions. Consult Active Grammar and Vocabulary (Level A).
B,C
1) What are the ingredients of reinforced concrete?
2) What is the function of steel bars and mesh?
3) What other material may be used as reinforcement?
Reinforced concrete is a strong hard building material composed of sand, gravel, cement
and water with metal bars or mesh added to provide extra resistance against stresses.
Reinforced concrete is a composite building material made from combination of
concrete and steel to produce a material with good resistance to stresses.
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which steel reinforcement bars, plates (пластины) or
fibre are embedded to strengthen a material that would otherwise be brittle (хрупкий).
Reinforced concrete is concrete in which steel is embedded in such a manner that two
materials act together to resist forces. The reinforced steel – rods, bars or mesh absorb
tensile and compressive stresses in a concrete structure.
3. Read the text and decide which answer a, b or c best fits each space.
Common concrete does not easily resist 1_____________ stresses caused by wind, vibration
and other forces, therefore it is 2_____________ in many structures. In reinforced concrete
the tensile 3____________ of steel bars or glass 4___________ and compressive strength of
concrete work together. During construction, bars or mesh are placed in a 5______________
and then concrete from a mixer is poured to 6_____________ them. After the concrete has
hardened, it resists both tensile and compressive stresses.
4. Read the text. Four sentences have been removed from it. Choose from sentences A-D the one
which fits each gap. There is one extra sentence which you do not need to use.
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A) in
Translation bank
4. Do Task 4 (Level A).
Levels B,C
5. Pick up sentences with Participle II. What is the function of Participle II
in every sentence? Translate the sentences.
6. Correct mistakes in the following questions to the text in Task 4 (Level A). Some questions have no
mistakes. Answer the questions
7. Scan the text and guess the meaning of the words in italics. Level C
Reinforced Concrete
8. Read the text again. Divide it into logical parts. Give the title to each part.
Level A
cement and water. Ancient Assyrians and Babylonians used clay as binding material.
The Egyptians used lime and gypsum as binders. Lime had been used as the main
binder until the early 1800s. In 1824 an English inventor, Joseph Aspdin, burned and
ground together a mixture of limestone and clay. This mixture, called Portland
cement, has become the dominant cementing agent used in concrete production.
Concrete is a material that is very strong in compression, but relatively weak in tension. To
compensate for this imbalance in concrete's behaviour, rebar is cast into it to carry the tensile
loads. A rebar (short for reinforcing bar) is a steel bar, and is commonly used as a tensioning device
Level B
in reinforced concrete. Bars are usually formed from carbon steel.
Rebars were known in construction well before the era of the modern reinforced concrete.
Some 150 years before its invention rebars were used to form the carcass of the Leaning Tower of
Nevyansk (Невьянская ͷашня) in Russia, built on the orders of the industrialist Akinfiy (Ͷкинфий)
Demidov. The purpose of such construction is one of the many mysteries of the tower. The cast iron
used for rebars was of very high quality, and there is no corrosion on them up to this day.
Level С
Concrete should possess the qualities of strength, safety and durability. To
provide these qualities the concrete must be dense. To get these requirements the
material must be well graded, of a good quality, well mixed and the concrete must be
properly placed and protected until it is hardened. In securing a dense concrete, the
amount of water used is important. In mixing concrete water is required for chemical
reaction with the cement, wetting the surface of the aggregates and making the concrete into
a sufficiently workable state. Water-cement ratio is of great importance in securing a better
quality concrete. The quality and quantity of fine and coarse grained aggregates used is also
very important.
Vocabulary Level A
1. Look through the list of new words. Pronounce them correctly and try to
remember.
bend (v.) сгибать, гнуть, изгибать
strip (v.) срывать, очищать, счищать
notch (v.) размечать
lash (v.) складировать
keep (v.) держать, хранить
process (v.) обрабатывать
saw пила
put up строить, воздвигать (здание)
lumber пиломатериал
timber строительный лесоматериал; крепь, крепёжный лес
board доска
plank брус, толстая и широкая гладко оструганная доска, планка (от
20-ти см в ширину и от 5-ти до 10-ти см в толщину)
log бревно, лесоматериал, годный для распиловки
wood-lot лесной участок, делянка
bark кора (дерева)
2. Study the suffixes. Guess the translation of two adjectives given below.
NEGATIVE SUFFIXES: un-, im-, ir-, in-
WORD alloyed (сплавной) – unalloyed (беспримесный, чистый)
FORMATION material (материальный) – immaterial (нематериальный)
regular (правильный) – irregular (неправильный)
3. Read the text on p.54. Guess the meaning of the words in italics. Choose the best title for each paragraph.
One title is extra.
4. Read the following information and say where it can be placed in the text.
Choose one of the gaps (A-C).
People have used wood for millennia for many purposes, primarily as a fuel or as a
construction material for making houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, artworks, and
paper.
Wood Level A
1. Wood is a product of trees, and sometimes other fibrous plants, used for
construction purposes. People have used wood for millennia for many purposes, for example for making
houses, tools, weapons, furniture, packaging, artworks, and paper.
2. In construction wood is cut or pressed into lumber and timber, such as boards, planks and similar
materials. It is one of the oldest construction materials. Historically, wood for building large structures
was used in its unprocessed form as logs. The trees were just cut to the needed length, sometimes
stripped of bark (кора дерева), and then notched or lashed into place.
3. Wood is used in construction in most climates. Wood can be very flexible under loads. It keeps strength
when it is bended and when it is compressed vertically. Wood is durable material. The oldest log houses
in the world are over 800 years old. After earthquakes (землетрясения) most of the undamaged
buildings are made of logs.
4. Wood is an inexpensive material. Forest is a wood factory which produces wood using only solar
(солнечный) energy. In processing and production too, wood requires far less energy than other building
materials.
5. With the invention of mechanizing saws came the mass production of lumber. This made buildings
quicker to put up and more uniform.
4. Complete the scheme according to the text in task 3.
Wood
Properties
Usage
flexibility
making houses
…
…
Wood …
…
in construction
timber logs
5. Read more information about wood. Divide the text into logical paragraphs Levels B,С
according to their names:
Wood has been an important construction material since humans began building shelters,
houses and boats. Nearly all boats were made out of wood until the late 19th century, and
wood remains in common use today in boat construction. Wood to be used in construction
work is commonly known as lumber in North America. Elsewhere, lumber usually refers to
felled trees (срубленные деревья), and the word for sawn planks ready for use is timber.
New domestic housing in many parts of the world today is commonly made from timber-
framed construction. Engineered (man-made) wood products are becoming a bigger part of
the construction industry. They may be used in both residential and commercial buildings as
structural and aesthetic materials. In buildings made of other materials, wood will still be
found as a supporting material, especially in roof construction, in interior doors and their
frames, and as exterior cladding (наружная обшивка стен здания). Wood is also commonly
used as shuttering material (опалубка) to form the mould into which concrete is poured
during reinforced concrete production.
6. Read the text in task 5 again and answer the following questions.
7. Speak about wood in construction. Use the scheme in task 4 (Level A) to help you.
Home task (Levels B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the
text in Translation bank
Translation bank
Translate the text in writing:
A knot is a particular type of imperfection in a piece of wood; it
Level A
will affect the technical properties of the wood, usually for the
worse, but may be exploited for artistic effect. In a longitudinally
sawn plank, a knot will appear as a roughly circular "solid" (usually
darker) piece of wood around which the grain of the rest of the
wood "flows" (parts and rejoins). Within a knot, the direction of the wood (grain
direction) is up to 90 degrees different from the grain direction of the regular wood.
Level C
made wood, includes a range of derivative wood products
which are manufactured by binding together the strands,
particles, fibers, or veneers of wood, together with
adhesives, to form composite materials. These products are
engineered to precise design specifications which are tested
to meet national or international standards. Plywood is
sometimes called the original engineered wood
Typically, engineered wood products are made from the same
hardwoods and softwoods used to manufacture lumber. Sawmill
scraps and other wood waste can be used for engineered wood composed of wood particles
or fibers, but whole logs are usually used for veneers, such as plywood. Alternatively, it is also
possible to manufacture similar engineered cellulosic products from other lignin-containing
materials such as rye straw, wheat straw, rice straw, hemp stalks, kenaf stalks, or sugar cane
residue, in which case they contain no actual wood but rather vegetable fibers.
UNIT X. MORTAR
WORD Vocabulary
FORMATION
Level A
1. Complete the table with the following words. Translate them:
- application, applied
- coat, coated
- deliver, delivered
- exclude, exclusion, exclusive, exclusively
- filling, filled
- mason, masonry
- provided, provision, provider
- powder, powdered
- replace, replaced
Noun Verb Adjective Adverb Participle II
apply – применять
coating – покрытие,
облицовка
delivery - доставка
excluded -
исключенный
fill - наполнять
mason – класть камни
provide - снабжать,
давать
powder - порошок
replacement - замена
2. Read the text and choose the answer a, b or c which you think fits best according to the text:
Mortar
Mortar is a material used in masonry to fill the gaps between blocks in construction and
to bind the blocks together. The blocks may be stone or brick.
Mortar is a mixture of sand, a powdered binder such as cement, and water. It is applied
as a paste which then dries hard.
The earliest known mortar was used by the ancient Egyptians and was made from
gypsum. The form was mainly a mixture of plaster and sand and was quite soft.
Cement mortar is created by mixing Pozzolana or Portland cement with sand and water
and is harder than gypsum mortar. Though cement was first invented by the Egyptians, the
first known use of cement mortar is found in the Roman Empire. However, the use of cement
mortar did not become widespread (широко распространенный) in Europe until the 18-th
century and did not fully replace lime mortar until about 1930.
Lime mortar is created by mixing sand and quicklime (негашеная известь), or quicklime
and cement, and water. The earliest known use of lime mortar dates to about 4000 BC in
Ancient Egypt. Lime mortars were used throughout the world, notably in Roman Empire
buildings throughout Europe and Africa. Lime mortar dries very slowly. In some buildings, lime
mortar made of quicklime and sand alone may take several years or even decades to
completely solidify. When quicklime is mixed with cement, it dries faster.
3. Read the text “Mortar” in T.2 (Level A) and say what questions have no answer in this text.
1) What is mortar composed of?
2) Where is mortar used?
3) How does it work?
4) What are the most popular kinds of mortar?
5) In what construction was the first mortar used?
6) What is Pozzolana cement?
7) Who invented cement?
8) Was the use of cement mortar widespread in Egypt?
9) What does lime mortar consist of?
10) IS lime mortar widely used in modern construction?
11) Does lime mortar dry fast?
4. Look through the text and guess the meaning of the words in italics. Read the text and choose the most
suitable heading for each of the numbered paragraphs. There is one extra heading.
Dry Mortar Information
1. Earlier mortars were produced by masons or plasterers directly at the building site. This method could not
provide for the constant quality of mortars. To guarantee the constant quality, dry mortars are nowadays
produced and pre-mixed at factories and delivered to the building site in bags. After mixing with water
directly at the building site, dry mortars are immediately ready to use.
2. Since dry mortars are pre-mixed at the plant, any dosing and mixing errors can be excluded. This is a
guarantee for the production of top-quality products. Since mortars can be applied both manually and
mechanically, construction process becomes more rational. Dry mortars can be produced for various
specific applications.
3. In order to be ready to use, dry mortars must be mixed with water directly at the building site. This can be
made both manually and with continuous mixers. Mechanical processing of dry mortars, e.g. with the help
of plastering machines (штукатурный агрегат), makes the application easier.
A. Factory-produced mortars.
B. Mortar strength.
C. Ways of getting the mortar ready.
D. Advantages of dry mortars.
Level A
1.The purpose of mortar is to__________.
a) to hold blocks in place
b) bind the blocks in masonry
c) fill space between blocks
2. Masons use mortar for masonry when it is
_____.
a) wet
b) in the form of paste
c) dry
3. The earliest mortar was made from_____.
a) gypsum
b) plaster
c) lime
4. ____were the first to use cement mortar.
a) the Egyptians
b) the Romans
c) the Europeans
5. During the 19-th century_____mortars
were applied.
a) cement
b) lime
c) cement and lime
6. The first people who used lime mortar
were _______.
a) the Egyptians
b) the Romans
c) the Europeans
7. The disadvantage of lime mortar is that
it___________.
a) dries quickly
b) dries slowly
c) does not dry
3. Make up word combinations using the words of two columns.
A B A B A B
artificial sand decorative binder water-proof aggregate
cement stone organic coating fine material
porous mortar fire resistant lime mortar
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A) in
Translation bank
4. Read the text in T.4 (Level A) and complete the scheme below.
Levels B,C
Home task (Level B): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text
(Level B) in Translation bank
6. Read the paragraphs and rearrange them according to the plan. One item of Level C
the plan is extra.
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text in Translation
bank
Translation bank
most popular type of mortar is Portland cement mortar. Portland cement mortar
(often
known simply as cement mortar) is made by mixing Portland cement with sand and
water. It was invented in the mid-19-th century and gradually replaced lime mortar for
new construction. The main reason for this was that it hardens quickly. It helps to
speed up the construction. However, it should not be used for repair of older buildings
constructed in lime mortar.
Level B
with water this process is called slaking. After slaking we obtain slaked or hydrated
lime. Hydraulic lime is a kind of cementing lime that sets and hardens under water like
Portland cement. Hydraulic limes are widely used in Europe for mortars in masonry
construction. Both quicklime and hydrated lime are white in colour. Limes vary in
chemical and physical properties very much. Quicklime is commonly produced by
burning well graded limestone in rotary kilns.
Level C
admixture is defined as an admixture which consists of a polymeric compound that acts
as a main ingredient for the improvement of mortars and concretes properties. The
polymeric admixtures include latexes or emulsions, water-soluble polymers, liquid
resins and monomers. They have strength, low permeability and deformability,
adhesion, durability and reduce the incidence of drying shrinkage cracking.
Vocabulary Level A
1. Match the words in column A and the translation in column B.
A B A B
particle зерно песка, песчинка silt мука, порошок
to range варьироваться to rub осадок, шлам, ил
grain частица flour тереть
2. The verb “to feel” has several meanings. Read the sentences and choose the best
translation.
Sand
1. Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided rock and mineral particles. Sand
particles range in diameter from 0.0625mm (or 1⁄16 mm, or 62.5 micrometers) to 2
millimeters. An individual particle in this range size is called a sand grain.
2. The next larger size class above sand is gravel, with particles ranging from 2 mm up to
64 mm. The next smaller size class is silt: particles smaller than 0.0625 mm down to
0.004 mm in diameter.
3. The size specification between sand and gravel has not always remained constant. A 1953
engineering standard set the minimum sand size at 0.074 mm. A 1938 specification was
0.05 mm. In the United States, sand is commonly divided into five sub-categories based on
size: very fine sand (1⁄16 - 1⁄8 mm diameter), fine sand (1⁄8 mm - 1⁄4 mm), medium sand
(1⁄4 mm - 1⁄2 mm), coarse sand (1⁄4 mm - 1⁄2 mm), and very coarse sand (1 mm - 2 mm).
4. Sand feels gritty (зернистый) when rubbed between the fingers, while silt feels like flour.
4. Read the text again and complete the table.
2. Read the text again and find the answer to the questions: What do you feel when you
rub sand or silt between the fingers? How many groups sand is divided into in the USA?
3. Look through the figures taken from the text and write what they mean.
from 0.0625mm to 2 millimeters - sand particles range in diameter
1
⁄16 mm - equals 0.0625mm
62.5 micrometers -
from 2 mm up to 64 mm -
from 0.0625 mm down to 0.004 mm -
0.02 mm -
the early 20th century -
1953 -
0.074 mm -
1938 -
0.05 mm -
1 1
⁄16 - ⁄8 mm diameter -
1 1
⁄8 mm - ⁄4 mm -
1 1
⁄4 mm - ⁄2 mm - 1) ............ 2) ............
1 mm - 2 mm
6. Read the text and choose the best title. Divide the text into logical parts:
The most common component of sand is silica, usually in the form of quartz. Quartz, because of its
chemical inertness and considerable hardness, is the most common mineral resistant to weathering
(разрушение под влиянием атмосферных воздействий). The composition of sand is highly variable. It
depends on the local rock sources (источник) and conditions. The bright white sands found in tropical and
subtropical coastal settings (побережье) are eroded limestone and may contain coral and shell fragments in
addition to other organic or organically derived fragmental material. The gypsum sand dunes of the White
Sands National Monument in New Mexico are famous for their bright, white color. Arkose (аркозовый
песчаник) is a sand or sandstone with considerable feldspar content. Arkose is typically grey. Some sands
contain magnetite (магнетит), chlorite (хлорит), glauconite (глауконит) or gypsum. Sands rich in magnetite
are dark to black in colour, as are sands derived from volcanic basalts and obsidian. Chlorite-glauconite sands
are typically green in colour. Sands derived from basaltic (lava) with a high olivine (оливин) content are also
green. Many sands, especially those found extensively in Southern Europe, have iron impurities within the
quartz crystals of the sand, giving a deep yellow colour. Sand deposits in some areas contain garnets (гранат)
and other resistant minerals, including some small gemstones (драгоценные камни).
a) The properties of sand
b) White sands
c) Types of sand
d) The composition of sand dunes
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A) in
4.Translation bank
Do Task 5 (Level A)
5. Scan the text in Task 6 (Level A). What is it about (there could be more than one Levels
answer)? B,С
- the sand particles, - the resistance of sand,
- the composition of sand, - the properties of sand,
- the colour of sand, - sandstone
6. Now read the text attentively. Fill in the gaps in the following sentences according to the text.
The most common component of sand is ... . The gypsum sand dunes are in ... .
Silica is found in the form of ... . The gypsum sand dunes are famous for ... .
Sand is chemically inert and considerably ... . Arkose is a sand or sandstone with ... .
Sand is resistant to ... . The colour of sands rich in magnetite is ...
The composition of sand is... . Chlorite-glauconite bearing sands are ... in
The composition of sand depends on ... . colour.
The bright white sands are found in ... . Sands found in Southern Europe have ... ...
The bright white sands may contain ... . and are ... in colour.
Home task(Level B): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text
(Level B) in Translation bank
8. Sand is used for many purposes. Match the field of industry and
application of sand in it. Level C
Level A
materials like asphalt and concrete. It is also used as a decorative material in
landscaping. Specific types of sand are used in the manufacture of glass and as a
molding material for metal casting. Other sand is used as an abrasive in sandblasting
and to make sandpaper.
Sand was used as early as 6000 B.C. to grind and polish stones to make sharpened
tools and other objects. Today, the processing of sand is a multi-billion dollar business with
operations ranging from very small plants supplying sand and gravel to a few local building
contractors to very large, highly automated plants.
Sand is transported by wind and water and deposited in the form of beaches,
Level B
dunes, sand spits, sand bars. In environments such as gravel-bed rivers and glacial
moraines it often occurs that many grain sizes are represented. Sand-bed rivers such
as the Platte River in Nebraska, USA, have sandy beds largely because there is no larger
source material that they can transport. Dunes, on the other hand, are sandy because
larger material is generally immobile in wind, and are a distinctive geographical feature
of desert environments.
The study of individual grains can reveal much historical information as to the origin
and kind of transport of the grain. Quartz sand that is recently weathered from granite
Level C
or gneiss quartz crystals will be angular. It is called grus in geology or sharp sand in the
building trade where it is preferred for concrete, and in gardening where it is used as a
soil amendment to loosen clay soils. Sand that is transported long distances by water or
wind will be rounded, with characteristic abrasion patterns on the grain surface. Desert
sand is typically rounded.
Questions to ask
- detailed information about the machine;
- its main features;
- working principles;
- technical data;
- prospectus and details of Sand Making Machine design.
2. Make up questions according to the information you are going to ask about. Use the
model.
I would be grateful for detailed information about the machine
We would like to know more about its main features
Could you send us the working principles
Would it be possible to have technical data
Could you let us know about prospectus and details of Sand Making Machine design
It is essential to select the right information to put in your letter. You should:
- include all the relevant points,
- not fill the letter with unimportant information;
- keep to the facts.
4. Which of the following questions would you ask in your letter? Answer yes, no or maybe.
- dates, - personal information, - details about the machine,
- details about the firm, - information about your - the colour of the machine,
- cost, company, - its size.
5. Learn the following rules.
ЗАПРОС, ТРЕБОВАНИЕ (LETTER OF REQUEST)
Цель таких писем - получить информацию, помощь и т.д., т.е. некое желательное для вас
действие со стороны ашего адресата.
План письма:
1. Дать ссылку на источник, их которого ы получили информацию о фирме.
- I am writing to enquire about the machine which you advertised in yesterday’s “Morning Post”.
- You were recommended to us by Mary Stuart from VSI firm.
- With reference to our call of yesterday, we would like more detailed information about your Sand
Making Machine design.
2. Представить себя коротко, свою фирму.
- Our company specializes in making building materials.
- We are one of the main producers of modern building materials in Russia, and we are interested
in ... .
- Our company, which is affiliate to the National Construction Company, is mainly concerned with
... .
3. Объяснить, почему ы пишете это письмо, проявить аш интерес.
- We are interested in buying this machine.
- We would like to know more about the technical data of the machine you advertised in the last
issue of “Morning Post”.
4. Объяснить, что бы ы хотели получить от адресата.
- Please would you send us ... .
- We would be grateful for detailed information about ... .
- Would it be possible to have ... .
- Could you therefore send us your prospectus and details of the ... .
5. Закончить письмо стандартной фразой.
- We look forward to hearing from you.
- We would be grateful for an early reply.
- Thank you for your attention. We hope to hear from you in the near future.
- We would like to point out that delivery before August, 1 is essential and hope that you can offer
us this guarantee. Thanking in advance for your help.
6. Подпись, имя и должность автора письма.
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear Sir/Madame,
We are writing in answer to your advertisement for VSI Sand Making Machine in
the May edition of “Military Engineer”.
As one of the largest building materials companies in Russia, we are interested in
retailing (полный комплект поставки) of this model.
Could you please send us your latest catalogue and price list, including details of
quantity discounts, service available, together with you firm promotion video
film.
We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours faithfully,
M. Nikolaev,
Managing Director.
a) Our joint venture CONSTRUCTION.RU Ltd. specializes in producing building materials for
different construction purposes. Since our business is expanding in Europe, we are
interested in long term contacts with your firm.
b)
c) Looking forward to hearing from you soon,
d) We would therefore appreciate if you could send us price list for sand making machines
you are selling and all their technical data.
e) Managing Director
f) With reference to our telephone conversation of today, we would like more detailed
information about your service.
g) We would be grateful if you could indicate your e-mail address to send our Essential
Elements to you. Or please let us know how to transfer them to you. We would be also
grateful to you if you would send us information about service you can provide.
h) Dear Mr. Simon,
i) Ann Smith
j) In the mean time we are kindly inviting you to visit our Internet home page to learn about
our company and its work.
k) Sincerely yours,
7. Study the advertisement below. Write the letter of request Levels B,C
according to the letter outline.
http://www.artificialsand.com/
VSI CRUSHER (дробилка)
Letter Outline
1. Modal verb can/could has different meanings. Study the examples in the table. Translate the
sentences.
Meanings Examples
- умственная способность - I can speak English.
- физическая способность - My grandfather could dance when he was young.
- возможность, вероятность - He isn’t at work. He can be home.
- просьба - Could you open the window?
- удивление - Can it be you?
LIMKING
2. moreover b) более того;
WORDS
3. in terms of c) вместо;
4. in short d) короче говоря;
5. instead of e) с другой стороны.
1. What is the meaning of the verb can/could in every sentence? Match the Levels B,C
numbers and the letters. Consult Active Grammar (Level A).
1. The cadets of our group can already read scientific A. Умственная и физическая
articles in English. возможность, способность
2. He cannot be at the construction site. It’s his day совершить действие в
off. настоящем или прошлом.
3. Ferrocement can be considered a type of thin B. озможность, зависящая от
reinforced concrete construction. обстоятельств.
4. The major differences can be as follows. C. ежливая просьба.
5. Could you give me the Building Regulations, D. Удивление, сомнение (в
please? вопросительных и
6. I couldn’t see him yesterday as I was out. отрицательных
7. Can’t you stop complaining all the time? предложениях).
a type of thin reinforced concrete construction; is reinforced with layers of continuous and
relatively small-diameter wire meshes; a modified form of reinforced concrete; the major
differences between mass reinforced concrete structural elements and ferrocement
members; thickness rarely exceeding 25mm; the reinforcement in ferrocement; reinforcing
bars used in reinforced concrete; structural behaviour; formwork is very rarely needed (or
used) for the fabrication.
Level A
5. Match the numbers and the letters.
1) continuous wire meshes a. высокая трещиностойкость конструкции
2) structural elements b. опалубка
3) superior cracking performance c. неразрезная арматурная сетка
4) formwork d. арматурный стержень
5) reinforcing bar e. элементы конструкции
Home task:
Translate the last part of the text in T.6 (*) in a written form.
4. Read the following text and find out what information is not given in it. Levels B,C
Complete the table in Task 6 (Level A).
5. Compare and contrast reinforced concrete and ferrocement. Use the Level C
following linking words:
both, but, like, unlike
Home task:
Translate the last part of the text in T.4 (*) in a written form.
CONJUNCTION
S 1. Study the sentences. Choose the proper variant of translation.
1. Reinforced concrete has been widely used in construction since the since –
beginning of the 20th century. a) с, с тех пор как
2. Since common concrete has low tensile strength, it is reinforced b) так как
with high-strength materials.
1. Because fibre reinforced concrete is corrosion resistant, it’s more because –
durable than reinforced concrete. a) потому что
2. Reinforced concrete isn’t durable because it’s not corrosion b) так как
resistant.
A B
1. Ways of making concrete stronger 1. Increase of durability
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A) in
2. Fiber reinforcement 2. Advantages of fiber reinforcement
Translation bank
3. Fire-resistant concrete 3. Disadvantage of plastic reinforcement
Vocabulary
Levels B,C
1. Do Task 1 and 2 (Level A).
2. Match the words in column A and translation in column B.
Column A Column B
- fracture toughness - сопротивление развитию трещин
- flexural strength - усталостная прочность
- structural integrity - прочность на изгиб
- resistance to fatigue - динамическое воздействие
- impact - температурная деформация
- thermal shock - структурная целостность
3. Read the text. Divide the text into three parts. Choose the best title for each paragraph. One title is extra.
A. The properties of fiber.
B. The components of fibre reinforced concrete.
C. The history of using fibre in construction.
D. Fiber is used to improve engineering properties.
Fibre Reinforced Concrete
Fibre *‘faibə] reinforced concrete contains fibrous material which increases its structural
integrity. Fibres include steel fibres, glass fibres, synthetic fibres and natural fibres. Fibres have
been used as reinforcement since ancient times. Historically, horsehair was used in mortar
and straw in mud bricks. In the early 1900s, asbestos fibres were used in concrete. By the
1960s, steel, glass, and synthetic fibres such as polypropylene fibres were used in concrete.
The "plastic" reinforcement can be as strong as steel, because it resists corrosion. Structures
can be reinforced with external reinforcement as carbon fibre. In this case especially the
strength can be increased. Research into new fibre reinforced concretes continues today. The
use of fibre reinforcement in concrete, mortar and cement paste can enhance (улучшать)
many of the engineering properties of the basic materials, such as fracture toughness, flexural
strength, resistance to fatigue, impact and thermal shock or spalling (расслаивание бетона).
4. Read the text again. Choose the answer (a, b or c) according to the text.
a) Right b) Wrong c) Doesn’t say
2. Fibre is a very strong building material.
3. Horsehair and straw are ancient natural fibres.
4. Synthetic fibres have been used since the second part of the 20th century.
5. Research into new fibre reinforced concretes has stopped.
6. Fibre reinforcement in concrete, mortar and cement paste enhances engineering properties.
7. Fibre reinforced concrete is fire resistant.
8. Engineering properties of the basic materials are fracture toughness, flexural strength, resistance to
fatigue, impact and thermal shock or spalling.
5. Read the text. Ask your partner some questions about steel-fibre reinforced Levels B,C
concrete. Use the question card.
Question card
Steel-fibre reinforced concrete (сталефибробетон) How / steel-
A number of fibre types are available as reinforcement. Round fibre/produce?
steel fibres (стружка), the earliest examples, are produced by cutting
round wire into short lengths. Steel fibres having a rectangular cross- What / thickness /
section are produced by cutting round wire about 0.25 mm thick. round wire?
A satisfactory fibre concrete in the hardened state requires that
the fibre reinforcement is uniformly distributed and that the concrete What / a
is well compacted (провибрирован). satisfactory fibre
Application of steel-fibre concrete may be classified into six concrete / the
categories: 1) Highway and airfield pavements; 2)Hydraulic structures hardened state?
(резервуары); 3)Fibrous shotcrete (торкрет-бетон); 4)Refractory
(жаростойкий) concrete; 5)Miscellaneous precast (отдельные Where / steel-fibre
сборные конструкции) applications; 6)Structural applications reinforced concrete
(структурные конструкции). / used?
5. Compare the Russian text with the English text in T. 3. What information is Level C
common in both texts?
Известны методы значительного повышения рабочих характеристик и
эксплуатационного ресурса конструкций за счет применения при их изготовлении
сталефибробетона, т.е. бетона с добавлением стальных волокон (фибр).
Сталефибробетон по сравнению с обычным неармированным бетоном обладает рядом
преимуществ: повышение прочности при сжатии до 25%, при осевом растяжении до
65%, при изгибе до 2,5 раз; повышение модуля упругости до 15%.
Сталефибробетон (СФБ) – бетон с хаотически равномерно расположенными по объему
стальными волокнами (фиброй). СФБ является композитным материалом. Он состоит из
трех составляющих: крупного заполнителя (щебень), стальных волокон (фибры) и
связующего материала (раствора). Свойства СФБ складываются из свойств его
компонентов и зависят от их количественного состава. Наиболее эффективной
реализацией всех положительных свойств сталефибробетона является использование его
для устройства полов в помещениях производственного назначения и местах общего
пользования. Для него характерны высокая износостойкость к образованию трещин,
высокие механические характеристики, а, следовательно, более длительный срок
службы, чем обычного железобетона. В мировой практике строительства около 70%
СФБ применяется при изготовлении промышленных полов. Свойства СФБ при
строительстве промышленных полов позволяют обойтись без армирования
металлическими сетками и уменьшить толщину слоя с 20 см до 18 см.
Home task (Levels B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text
in Translation bank
Translation bank
Translate the text in writing
Level A
Steel Fiber Reinforced Concrete. When added to the concrete mixture, steel fibers help
enhance many of concrete's mechanical characteristics. The fibers can be between
30mm and 100mm in length, and come in straight, textured and hooked varieties.
These fibers improve structural properties, including toughness, durability and tensile
strength of the concrete. Most importantly, the fibers help to restrain cracking which
occurs during the curing process.
Level B
precast building material and provides structure, insulation, fire and mold resistance in
a single material. AAC products include blocks, wall panels, floor and roof panels, and
lintels.
It has since been refined into a high thermally insulating concrete-based material used
for construction both internally and externally. Besides insulating capability, one of
AAC's advantages in construction is its quick and easy installation since the material
can be routed, sanded and cut to size on site using standard carbon steel bandsaws, handsaws
and drills.
Level C
reduced concrete strength because alkali reacted with the cement paste. Alkali
resistant glass fibers (AR glass) were then produced for providing long term durability.
AR glass is also used with newly developed low alkaline cement to get even better
durability.
Fibers are usually used in concrete to control plastic shrinkage cracking
(пластическая усадка) and drying shrinkage (усадка высыхания) cracking. They also lower
the permeability of concrete and thus make it more water-proof. GFRC is similar to concrete in
its characteristics, but it is 80% lighter. GFRC is produced in a wide selection of colors and
textures.
GFRC is ideal for building facade panels, domes, columns and other architectural details
traditionally made from precast concrete. GFRC is easily molded into different shapes with
clean lines and sharp details.
UNIT XIII. MODERN GLASS
Vocabulary Level A
1. Learn the following words by heart.
fragile – хрупкий to subject - подвергать tempered glass -
syn. brittle to plunge – погружать, закалённое стекло
tough – плотный, упругий, окунать insulation - изоляция
прочный transparent - прозрачный
5. Read the text and answer the questions from the previous exercise.
Glass is no longer a fragile material of limited usage. In recent years scientists have
created a number of tough and strong glasses. Some heat resistant glasses can be heated until
they are red and then plunged into ice water without breaking.
A lead glass is almost as heavy as steel. It remains transparent even when subjected to
heavy atomic radiation.
Tempered glass, made by heating glass until it begins to soften and then quickly cools
its surface, has the strength of cast iron.
And the strongest and toughest form of glass made today – fibre glass (стекловолокно)
– is stronger than any other material of the same weight, if its surface is perfect. Fibre glass is
now used in products including electrical insulation, building insulation, car bodies and so on.
Vocabulary Levels
1. Say in English. Consult Vocabulary (Level A) B,C
- хрупкий material
- a number of прочный and strong glasses
- some жаропрочный glasses can be heated
- погруженный into ice water without breaking
- remains прозрачный
- when подверженный to heavy atomic radiation.
- закаленное glass, made by heating glass
- including electrical изоляция
Open (открывать, отворять) – opening
2. Scan the text in Task 5 (Level A). Fill in the tableVary (различаться) – various
with the participles from the text given in boldEmit (испускать) – emittance
type.
- glassmaking as an art;
- glass in the construction of British
Museum Great Court;
- glass windows;
- glass made in kilns;
- an unusual building in St Petersburg
made of glass;
- the constituents of glass;
- coloured glass;
- glass figures;
- glass in architectural buildings;
- glass curtain walls;
- corrosion resistance of glass;
- prefabricated glass structures;
- bullet proof glass;
- glass spans.
8. Read the text again. Match the numbers and the letters. One letter is extra:
a) glass window c) glass curtain walls
b) glass kiln d) glass
e) space
f) frames in the roof structure
[Введите текст]
1 2 3
Home task: revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text (Level A) in
Translation bank
6. Read the text in Task 7 again. Choose the answer (a, b or c) according to the text.
Levels B,C
a) Right b) Wrong c) Doesn’t say
Level C
7. Work in pairs.
This is your house made mostly of glass.
Tell your friend about it.
What types of glass have been used to build it and
why? Use texts in Task 5 and Task 7 to help you.
8. Would you like to live in an all-glass house/a
house with glass roof?
Why? Give your reasons.
Home task (Levels B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the text
in Translation bank
[Введите текст]
Translation bank
Level A
of other minerals. This is known as soda-lime glass
and is used for glass bottles and jars, windowpanes,
and other common applications. In the late 1900s,
German chemist Otto Schott invented borosilicate
glass by adding boron to the mix. Heat-resistant glass
is glass that is more resistant to thermal shock than
ordinary glass. It is therefore suitable for industrial,
construction, and cooking applications where changes in
temperature would likely cause ordinary glass to shatter. Heat-resistant glass is usually
borosilicate glass, tempered soda-lime glass, or glass-ceramic.
Level B
controlling the optical and thermal properties of glass.
Glass containing metal is applied to many fields in this
modern society. Metal inside glass controls not only
color and refractive index but also the melting point of
glass. Glass used for electronic parts should have a
melting point of below 600 C. Otherwise the electronic
parts will be broken. This type of glass, which is called “low-
melting glass”, is becoming a more important material in the electronics field. Almost all of
low-melting glass contains lead, because the chemical bond between lead and oxygen is weak
and easily dissociates at a low temperature so that the melting temperature becomes low. The
lead largely decreases the melting temperature, without decreasing the chemical durability of
glass.
Glass which has a low melting temperature usually has low chemical durability, but glass
containing lead is special. Until recently the reason was unknown. However, studies have now
shown that it might be related to the structure of lead inside glass.
[Введите текст]
Fibre glass (or glass fibres). Glass fibres are useful because
Level C
of their high ratio of surface area to weight. However, the
increased surface area makes them much more susceptible
to chemical attack. By trapping air within them, blocks of
glass fiber make good thermal insulation.
The strength of glass is usually tested and reported for
"virgin" or pristine fibers—those that have just been
manufactured. The freshest, thinnest fibers are the strongest because the thinner fibers are
more ductile. The more the surface is scratched, the less the resulting tenacity. Because glass
has an amorphous structure, its properties are the same along the fiber and across the fiber.
Humidity is an important factor in the tensile strength. Moisture is easily adsorbed, and can
worsen microscopic cracks and surface defects, and lessen tenacity.
In contrast to carbon fiber, glass can undergo more elongation before it breaks. There is a
correlation between bending diameter of the filament and the filament diameter. The
viscosity of the molten glass is very important for manufacturing success. During drawing
(pulling of the glass to reduce fiber circumference), the viscosity should be relatively low. If it
is too high, the fiber will break during drawing. However, if it is too low, the glass will form
droplets rather than drawing out into fiber.
foundation - ?
WORD
3. Study Active Grammar. Find sentences with Participle I in the text. Translate them.
e.g. There are many *materials having valuable properties. Есть много материалов,
имеющих ценные свойства.
4. Read the text again. Say if the following sentences are true or
Level A
5. false. Correct the false ones.
1) Plastics are the result of scientific discoveries.
2) Bakelite was the first plastic.
3) Bakelite doesn’t change its shape when it’s heated.
4) All plastics are rigid.
5) Water doesn’t penetrate through plastics.
6) Plastics have many properties valuable in construction.
7) Plastics are widely used as main building materials.
1. Study the vocabulary (Level A).
2. Before reading the text answer the following questions: Levels B,С
What plastic products do you know?
Which of them are used in construction?
What are their main properties?
Are they main or finishing building materials?
3. Now do Task 2 and Task 3 (Level A).
4. Read the text again. Make up questions to the text. Answer them.
1) the foundation/ why/ was /the invention of bakelite /of the plastic industry?
2) have/ plastics/ similar/do all /properties?
3) mostly/ is /plastics /where /applied?
4) save energy/ how/ plastic /does?
5) building/ one of the main/ is plastics/ materials?
6) used/ in bridge construction/ has plastics/ been traditionally?
5. Read the text. Complete the text with suitable properties from the list.
light weight, easily shaped, waterproof, hard, impenetrable by light, abrasion resistant,
sunlight resistant, resistant to acids and chemicals
6. You are building your own house. Where would you use plastics? Why?
Would you like to have an all-plastic house? Give your reasons. Level C
Listening
2. Listen to the text and choose the best variant (a, b, c).
Level A
1)Plastics are produced by __________ . 4)Thermosetting plastics are _______ .
a) polymerization b) insulation a) heat resistant b) fire resistant
c) thermosetting c) environmentally friendly
2)The main component of plastic is ____. 5) Most plastics are __________ .
a) vinyl b) carbon c) chloride
a)environmentally friendly
3)Thermoplastics can be __________ . b)dangerous for people
a) reused b) recycled c) reformed c)dangerous for environment and people
Level B
1) There are ________of plastics. a) the UK b) the USA c) Germany
a)two types b) 50 types 4) Nowadays _______ is popular in building
c)many different types construction.
2) Plastics __________ . a) PVC b) polystyrene c) vinyl
a) can have different properties 5) The problem about plastics is that they
b) are heat resistant c) are elastic
a) have low weight
3) The first plastic widely used in building
construction was introduced in _____ . b) are cheap in transportation
c) are dangerous for environment
Level C
1)The composition of plastics includes a) the exhibition in Chicago
_______ as main component. b) the first part of the 20th century
a)polymers b) carbon c) compounds c) the second part of the 20th century
2)Polymerisation is the method of_____. 5)Plastic products are_______ .
a)recycling rubber b)reforming plastics a) easily maintained
c)producing plastics b) expensive to transport
3)Plastics are divided into two groups c) easy to break down
according to _________ . 6)Vinyl chloride and polystyrene are ____
a) their ability to change shape when heated a) the only dangerous plastics
b) valuable properties c)durability b) environmentally friendly
4)PVC window frames have been used c) the examples of carcinogens
since ___________ .
Home task (Levels A, B, C): revise vocabulary and grammar, translate the
text in Translation bank
Translation bank
Level A
PVC was accidentally discovered twice in the 19th century, first in 1835 by Henri Victor
Regnault and in 1872 by Eugen Baumann. In the early 20th century the Russian chemist
Level B
Ivan Ostromislensky and Fritz Klatte of the German chemical company Griesheim-
Elektron both attempted to use PVC in commercial products, but difficulties in
processing the rigid, sometimes brittle polymer blocked their efforts. in 1926 Waldo
Semon and the B.F. Goodrich Company developed a more flexible and more easily
processed material that soon achieved widespread commercial use.
Level C
condensation or polymerization products that can be moulded or extruded into objects
or films or fibres. Their name is derived from the fact that in their semi-liquid state
they are malleable, or have the property of plasticity. Plastics vary immensely in heat
tolerance, hardness, and resiliency. Combined with this adaptability, the general
uniformity of composition and lightness of plastics ensures their use in almost all
industrial applications today.
building materials, origin, purpose, natural, main, secondary (finishing), binding, artificial,
stone, sand, gravel, concrete, brick, plaster, plastics, timber, cement, lime, metals
2. Give the name to the described materials.
6. Make up sentences.
a) building/materials/divide/main/finishing/binding.
b) natural/materials/not/require/technological/changes.
c) cement/artificial/belong/building/material.
d) secondary/ require/ interior/ materials/ finish.
e) necessary/make/binding/stone/materials/artificial.
f) artificial/man-made/materials.
READING
In building construction, rock is cut into blocks and slabs or broken into pieces. It can be as
hard as granite and as soft as limestone or sandstone. Where available, stone has generally
been the preferred material for monumental structures. It has such a valuable property as
durability. It can be used in its natural state. But it’s difficult to quarry, transport and cut, and
its weakness in tension limits its use. The simplest stonework is rubble (бутовая кладка),
roughly broken stones bound in mortar. Some stones are strong enough to act as monolithic
(one-piece) supports. Roman built big stone bridges and aqueducts because stone has great
strength.
8. Read the text. Three sentences have been removed from it. Choose from the list A-D the one that fits
each gap. One sentence is extra.
Stones are important for home constructing. Stones play important role for both
exterior and interior designing of the building. 1________________________. From building
beautiful walls of the house to decoration pieces, stones are useful. The only thing that differs
is the type of stone to be used. Stones may be artificial and natural ones. Though both are
used respectively for construction of houses.
Natural stones are creation of nature, i.e. they are created naturally. They have been
used in house building since ancient times. 2__________________________.
Artificial stone is a name for various kinds of synthetic stone products used from the
19th century. They are used in building construction, civil engineering work, and industry.
3______________________________. Artificial stones are generally used for exterior of the
house like walls, pavements, and roof flooring. Though some artificial stones are used as
decorative pieces.
Natural stones are naturally good. Their shine and luster for long cannot be faded.
While there is possibility that artificial stones lose its color.
9. Choose the sentences to make up two texts about two different building materials. Name them.
1. This is a workable mixture used to bind construction blocks together and fill the gaps between them.
2. This is an artificial stone made of a mixture of cement, aggregate and water.
3. The blocks may be stone or brick.
4. Mortar becomes hard when it sets.
5. In addition to its compressive strength concrete is fire-resistant and has become one of the most
common building materials in the world.
6. Modern mortars are typically made from a mixture of sand, a binder such as cement or lime, and
water.
7. The binder usually used today is Portland cement.
8. The aggregate is usually sand and gravel.
9. It can also be used to fix masonry when the original mortar has washed away.
10. Additives called admixtures may be used to accelerate hardening process of concrete in low
temperature conditions.
10. Some parts of the sentences (1-3) were removed from the texts. Insert them Levels B,
into the gaps (a-c). One part is extra.
C
1. ... allow big spans ...;
2. ... becoming a bigger part ...;
3. ... cellulose is used as a component of some synthetic materials ...;
4. ... new more advanced products will appear on the marketplace ... .
(1) _____________
Wood used in construction includes products such as glued (клееная) laminated timber
(glulam), laminated veneer lumber (LVL) (балки, склеенные из шпона). On the one hand
these allow the use of smaller pieces, and on the other hand (a) ________ . They may also
be selected for specific projects such as public swimming pools or ice rinks where the wood
will not deteriorate in the presence of certain chemicals. These engineered wood products
prove to be more environmentally friendly, and sometimes cheaper, than building
materials such as steel or concrete.
(2) ____________
Wood unsuitable for construction in its native form may be broken down mechanically
(into fibres or chips) or chemically (into cellulose) and used as a raw material for other
building materials such as chipboard (древесно-стружечная плита – ДСП), engineered
wood, hardboard (твердая древесноволокнистая плита - ДП), medium-density
fibreboard (MDF), oriented strand board (OSB) (структурированная плита). Such wood
derivatives are widely used: wood fibres are an important component of most paper, and
(b) ____________. Wood derivatives can also be used for kinds of flooring, for example
laminate flooring.
(3) ____________
Further developments include lignin glue applications, recyclable food packaging,
rubber tyre replacement applications, anti-bacterial medical agents, and high strength
fabrics or composites. As scientist and engineers further learn and develop new techniques
to extract various components from wood, or alternatively to modify wood, for example by
adding components to wood, (c) ____________.
LISTENING
Listen to the text and choose the best answer (a, b, c) to the following questions.
LEVEL A a) b) c)
1 Do metals make up 74% of Periodic yes no the text
Table? doesn’t say
2 Where are most metals found? in ores in free state in melters
3 Are most metals lustrous? yes no the text
doesn’t say
4 Can metals change their shape without yes no the text
breaking? doesn’t say
5 What do ferrous metals mostly consist iron and carbon and iron and
of? silicon chromium carbon
6 What is the carbon content in cast 2% less than 2% 2 to 4,3%
iron?
7 What is carbon content in steel? 2% less than 2% 2 to 4,3%
LEVEL C a) b) c)
1 Are there fewer metals in Periodic yes no the text
Table? doesn’t say
2 Do metals react with other yes no the text
elements to make an ore? doesn’t say
3 What property of metals lets them conductivity luster ductility
change their shape?
4 How Is cast iron obtained? iron is iron is it’s found
alloyed with alloyed with in ores
carbon chromium
5 Can non-ferrous metals be yes no the text
classified? doesn’t say
6 What can make cast iron more various high more
durable, heat and corrosion admixtures temperature carbon
resistant?
7 Is cast iron more durable than yes no the text
steel? doesn’t say
8 Is steel more brittle than cast iron? yes no the text
doesn’t say
SUPPLEMENTARY READING
Building material is any material which is used for a construction purpose. Many
naturally occurring substances, such as clay, sand, wood and rocks, even twigs and leaves have
been used to construct buildings. Apart from naturally occurring materials, many man-made
products are in use, some more and some less synthetic. The manufacture of building
materials is an established industry in many countries and the use of these materials is
typically segmented into specific specialty trades, such as carpentry, plumbing, roofing and
insulation work.
Building materials can be generally categorized into two sources, natural and synthetic.
Natural building materials are those that are unprocessed or minimally processed by industry,
such as lumber or glass. Synthetic materials are made in industrial settings after much human
manipulations, such as plastics and petroleum based paints. Both have their uses.
Mud, stone, and fibrous plants are the most basic building materials, aside from tents
made of flexible materials such as cloth or skins. People all over the world have used these
three materials together to create homes to suit their local weather conditions. In general
stone and/or brush are used as basic structural components in these buildings, while mud is
used to fill in the space between, acting as a type of concrete and insulation. A basic example
is wattle and daub mostly used as permanent housing in tropical countries or as summer
structures by ancient northern peoples.
Fabric
The tent used to be the home of choice among nomadic groups the world over. Two
well known types include the conical teepee and the circular yurt. It has been revived as a
major construction technique with the development of tensile architecture and synthetic
fabrics. Modern buildings can be made of flexible material such as fabric membranes, and
supported by a system of steel cables, rigid framework or internal air pressure.
The amount of each material used leads to different styles of buildings. The deciding
factor is usually connected with the quality of the soil being used. Larger amounts of clay
usually mean using the cob/adobe style, while low clay soil is usually associated with sod
building. The other main ingredients include more or less sand/gravel and straw/grasses.
Rammed earth is both an old and newer take on creating walls, once made by compacting clay
soils between planks by hand, now forms and mechanical pneumatic compressors are used.
Soil and especially clay is good thermal mass; it is very good at keeping temperatures
at a constant level. Homes built with earth tend to be naturally cool in the summer heat and
warm in cold weather. Clay holds heat or cold, releasing it over a period of time like stone.
Earthen walls change temperature slowly, so artificially raising or lowering the temperature
can use more resources than in say a wood built house, but the heat/coolness stays longer.
Peoples building with mostly dirt and clay, such as cob, sod, and adobe, resulted in
homes that have been built for centuries in western and northern Europe as well as the rest of
the world, and continue to be built, though on a smaller scale. Some of these buildings have
remained habitable for hundreds of years.
Ice
Ice was used by the Inuit for igloos, but has also been used for ice hotels as a tourist
attraction in northern areas that don’t have many winter tourists.
Thatch
Thatch is one of the oldest of building materials known; grass is a good insulator and
easily harvested. Many African tribes have lived in homes made completely of grasses year
round. In Europe, thatch roofs on homes were once prevalent but the material fell out of
favour as industrialization and improved transport increased the availability of other
materials. Today, though, the practice is undergoing a revival. In the Netherlands, for instance,
many of new builds too have thatched roofs with special ridge tiles on top.
8. Переведите текст письменно.
Brush
Brush structures are built entirely from plant parts and are generally found in tropical
and sub-tropical areas, such as rainforests, where very large leaves can be used in the
building. Native Americans often built brush structures for resting and living in, too. These are
built mostly with branches, twigs, leaves and bark.
9. Read the text, look at two plans and choose the one which corresponds to the content of
the text:
1. Composition 1. Aggregates
2. Origin of the word 2. Meaning of the word
3. Process of making 3. Quality of water used
4. Application 4. Common types
5. Production volume 5. Production
6. Concrete types 6. Properties
Concrete
10.Read the text and choose the most suitable heading for each of the numbered
paragraphs. There is one extra heading:
A. Durability
B. Thermal properties of concrete
C. Mixing
D. Concrete materials
1. The predominant raw material for the cement in concrete is limestone, the most
abundant mineral on earth. Concrete can also be made with fly ash, slag cement, and
silica fume, all waste byproducts from power plants, steel mills, and other
manufacturing facilities.
2. Concrete builds durable, long-lasting structures that will not rust, rot, or burn. Life spans
for concrete building products can be double or triple those of other common building
materials.
3. Homes built with concrete walls, foundations, and floors are highly energy efficient
because they take advantage of concrete’s ability to absorb and retain heat. This means
homeowners can significantly cut their heating and cooling bills and install smaller-
capacity HVAC equipment.
11.Read the text. For questions 1-10 choose the answer a, b or c, which you think fits best
according to the text:
Metals
Steel is an alloy consisting mostly of iron, with a carbon content between 0.2% and 2.1%
by weight, depending on the grade. Carbon is the most common alloying material for iron, but
various other alloying elements are used, such as manganese, chromium, vanadium, and
tungsten. Carbon and other elements act as a hardening agent, preventing dislocations in the
iron atom crystal lattice from sliding past one another.
Varying the amount of alloying elements and form of their presence in the steel (solute
elements, precipitated phase) controls properties such as the hardness, ductility, and tensile
strength of the resulting steel. Steel with increased carbon content can be made harder and
stronger than iron, but is also less ductile.
Alloys with a higher carbon content are known as cast iron because of their lower
melting point. Steel also differs from wrought iron, which can contain a small amount of
carbon. The advantages of steel are increased rust resistance and better weldability.
Though steel had been produced by various inefficient methods long before the
Renaissance, its use became more common after more efficient production methods were
developed in the 17th century. With the invention of the Bessemer process in the mid-19th
century, steel became an inexpensive mass-produced material.
Today, steel is one of the most common materials in the world, with more than 1300
million tons produced annually. It is a major component in buildings, infrastructure, tools,
ships, automobiles, machines, appliances, and weapons.
Modern steels are made with varying combinations of alloy metals to fulfill many
purposes. Carbon steel, composed simply of iron and carbon, accounts for 90% of steel
production. High strength low alloy steel has small additions (usually < 2% by weight) of other
elements, typically 1.5% manganese, to provide additional strength for a modest price
increase. Low alloy steel is alloyed with other elements, usually molybdenum, manganese,
chromium, or nickel, in amounts of up to 10% by weight to improve the hardness of thick
sections. Stainless steels contain a minimum of 11% chromium, often combined with nickel, to
resist corrosion (rust).
Hadfield steel (after Sir Robert Hadfield) or manganese steel contains 12–14%
manganese which when abraded forms an incredibly hard skin which resists wearing.
Examples include tank tracks and bulldozer blade edges.
Rock structures have existed for as long as history can recall. It is the longest lasting
building material available, and is usually readily available. There are many types of rock
throughout the world all with differing attributes that make them better or worse for
particular uses. Rock is a very dense material so it gives a lot of protection too, its main draw-
back as a material is its weight and awkwardness. Its energy density is also considered a big
draw-back, as stone is hard to keep warm without using large amounts of heating resources.
Dry-stone walls have been built for as long as humans have put one stone on top of
another. Eventually different forms of mortar were used to hold the stones together, cement
being the most commonplace now.
The granite-strewn uplands of Dartmoor National Park, United Kingdom, for example,
provided ample resources for early settlers. Circular huts were constructed from loose granite
rocks throughout the Neolithic and early Bronze Age, and the remains of an estimated 5,000
can still be seen today. Granite continued to be used throughout the Medieval period (see
Dartmoor longhouse) and into modern times. Slate is another stone type, commonly used as
roofing material in the United Kingdom and other parts of the world where it is found.
Mostly stone buildings can be seen in most major cities, some civilizations built entirely
with stone such as the Pyramids in Egypt, the Aztec pyramids and the remains of the Inca
civilization.
- what is wood?
- what are the main properties of wood?
- what is important for the choice of a definite wooden material?
- how was wood used in ancient times?
- what is a wood-lot?
- what has changed with the invention of mechanizing saws?
Wood
Wood is a product of trees, and sometimes other fibrous plants, used for construction
purposes when cut or pressed into lumber and timber, such as boards, planks and similar
materials. It is a generic building material and is used in building just about any type of
structure in most climates. Wood can be very flexible under loads, keeping strength while
bending, and is incredibly strong when compressed vertically. There are many differing
qualities to the different types of wood, even among same tree species. This means specific
species are better for various uses than others. And growing conditions are important for
deciding quality. Historically, wood for building large structures was used in its unprocessed
form as logs. The trees were just cut to the needed length, sometimes stripped of bark, and
then notched or lashed into place. In earlier times, and in some parts of the world, many
country homes or communities had a personal wood-lot from which the family or community
would grow and harvest trees to build with. These lots would be tended to like a garden. With
the invention of mechanizing saws came the mass production of dimensional lumber. This
made buildings quicker to put up and more uniform. Thus the modern western style home
was made.
3. Read the text and 20 statements. Cross out the statements that do not correspond to
the text content:
1. Stone has always been used in construction as it possesses valuable properties.
2. In the past stone was used more widely than nowadays.
3. Stone is one of the most expensive building materials.
4. Different types of stone were used for many purposes.
5. It is necessary for any builder to know the classification of stone by their origin.
6. Igneous stones are the hardest.
7. Granite is hard and non-porous.
8. Sedimentary rocks were formed on sea beds.
9. Limestone and granite are examples of sedimentary rocks.
10. Metamorphic stone was formed on sea beds.
11. Heat and pressure formed metamorphic stone from pre-existing stone.
12. All existing stones belong to one of the three groups.
13. Any stone can be used for construction.
14. Only special types of stone may be used for construction.
15. Different types of stone suit different purposes.
16. Both igneous and sedimentary stones are used for construction of walls.
17. Roofs are made of sandstone and limestone.
18. Granite is the hardest stone, it never cracks.
19. Some types of sandstone can’t be used for load-bearing elements.
20. Knowledge of the origin of stones can help builders to choose the right material for
structural elements.
Stone
Stone has been used as a building material for thousands of years. It has long been
recognized as a material of great durability and superior artistic quality, the foremost choice
for buildings associated with status, power and religion. The pyramids in Giza, burial chambers
in the UK and temples in Malta were all built from stone over 4000 years ago and are still
standing. The use of stone in construction has declined over the last hundred years, but it
remains an aristocrat of building materials.
As far as ancient building materials, the most obvious ones would be natural stone,
particularly limestone and marble. All these were used extensively in the Middle East, and
Southern Europe. The Greeks and Romans used these materials for exteriors, for tile, for
support elements like columns, and for their artwork too – statues of gods, etc.
In working with stone one should know the various types of stone. There are three main
types, given their name from the manner whereby they were formed.
Igneous stone is formed when magma from below the earth's crust comes to the
surface and solidifies. The liquefied material from beneath the crust of the earth spews forth
from a volcano as lava. Igneous stones are hard and non-porous, the best example is granite.
Sedimentary stone is a soft and fairly porous rock formed from deposits of eroded pre-
existing rock that settled in layers mostly on sea beds, and became compacted. The best
examples are sandstone and limestone.
Metamorphic stone is a hard and non-porous rock formed from pre-existing rock that
has been altered by intense heat or pressure. The best examples are marble and slate.
There are huge variations within each of these rock types, caused by specific mineralogy
and geology conditions, and while any stone can be used for building, they each have
constraints that make them more or less suitable for different purposes. Granite, sandstone
and limestone can all be used for building walls, but slate is only suitable for roofs and floors.
Some types of granite can contain mineral salts that cause cracking; slate can contain harmful
minerals that break down on exposure to the atmosphere causing stone damage; and
sandstone can be too porous and fragile for load-bearing structures. An understanding of how
the rock material was formed will reveal how it can be used in a building, what its limitations
are, and how it will weather over time.
Concrete
Concrete is a composite building material made from the combination of aggregate
(composite) and a binder such as cement. The most common form of concrete is Portland
cement concrete, which consists of mineral aggregate (generally gravel and sand), Portland
cement and water. After mixing, the cement hydrates and eventually hardens into a stone-like
material. When used in the generic sense, this is the material referred to by the term
concrete.
For a concrete construction of any size, as concrete has a rather low tensile strength, it
is generally strengthened using steel rods or bars (known as re-bars). This strengthened
concrete is then referred to as reinforced concrete. In order to minimize any air bubbles that
would weaken the structure, a vibrator is used to eliminate any air that has been entrained
when the liquid concrete mix is poured around the ironwork. Concrete has been the
predominant building material in this modern age due to its longevity, formability, and ease of
transport.
Due to its cost, concrete is the most commonly used construction material in the
world. In fact, commercial builders have long used concrete wall systems for fast, cost-
effective erection of buildings. Precast concrete components will not corrode or rust and
require little maintenance to retain their durability. No painting is needed to protect a
structure built with precast concrete, nor is it necessary to apply any other protective
coatings.
Most of these advantages are due to the natural characteristics of concrete, which is
exceptionally strong. While its durability is irrefutable, builders are increasingly choosing
precast concrete for an entirely different reason: the significant life safety advantage it
provides over conventional masonry, steel, wood frame or block designs.
6. Прочитайте текст. Дайте название каждому абзацу. Одно название лишнее.
7. Read the text. Four sentences have been removed from it. Choose from sentences A-E
the one which fits each gap (1-4). There is one extra sentence which you do not need to
use.
Mortar
Glass
Modern Industry
Modern building is a multibillion dollar industry, and the production and harvesting of
raw materials for building purposes is on a world wide scale. Often being a primary
governmental and trade key point between nations. Environmental concerns are also
becoming a major world topic concerning the availability and sustainability of certain
materials, and the extraction of such large quantities needed for the human habitat.
10.Прочитайте текст. Сделайте устный перевод, выписав незнакомые слова.
Озаглавьте текст.
As the population of the world continues to grow, so does the need for housing, thus
cheap, easy to build accommodation for the thriving masses is a big problem in the developing
world.
Soil has been used as a building material for thousands of years, but unprotected
structures seldom withstand wet climates for long periods of time. Relatively new materials
such as cement have meant that blocks can be made which will last for centuries, but they are
too expensive for most people in developing countries. A possible solution to this would be to
make a block using soil that is then stabilized, as this adds strength and durability to the raw
material, even in less arid conditions.
Earth building is the most common method of making cheap accommodation since
earth or soil is readily available almost anywhere on the planet. To give an idea of how big the
earth building field Houben states: "Thirty percent of the world’s population, or nearly
1,500,000,000 human beings, live in a home of unbaked earth. Roughly 50% of the population
of developing countries, the majority of rural populations, and at least 20% of urban and
suburban populations live in earth homes. Statistics show that there must be an extra
36,000,000 homes built for the urban population in Africa alone, by the year 2000." Note
particularly that these figures do not include rural populations and indeed rural areas are
where earth homes are becoming more common.
Stabilization techniques can be broken down into three categories: mechanical, physical
and chemical.
Mechanical stabilization compacts the soil, changing its density, mechanical strength,
compressibility, permeability and porosity. Physical stabilization changes the properties of the
soil by acting on its texture, this can be done by: controlling the mixture of different grain
fractions, heat treatment, drying or freezing and electrical treatment. Chemical stabilization
changes the properties of the soil by adding other materials or chemicals. This happens either
by a physic-chemical reaction between the grains and the materials or added product, or by
creating a matrix which binds or coats the grains.
Stabilization fulfills a number of objectives that are necessary to achieve a lasting
structure from locally available soil. Some of these are: better mechanical characteristics
(leading to better wet and dry compressive strength), better cohesion between particles
(reducing porosity which reduces changes in volume due to moisture fluctuations), and
improved resistance to wind and rain erosion. Using one or more of the stabilization
techniques listed above, many of these objectives may be fulfilled. Optimum methods depend
greatly on the type of soil, and a careful study of the local soil is necessary to suggest an
effective method of stabilization.
In the case of mechanical stabilization, the soil is compacted to a greater density, and
there will always be an improvement in its mechanical properties with virtually any soil type.
This is not true however with other forms of stabilization, where different soil mixtures can
lead to better or worse properties using the same technique. In the majority of cases
mechanical stabilization is used in conjunction with a common chemical stabilizer, such as
cement. If the stabilizer and the soil are mixed together thoroughly and there is a suitable clay
fraction in the soil, the compaction process reduces the quantity of chemical stabilizer
required in the block. The increased density also increases the effectiveness of the cement
matrix, given that the cement is left in a moist environment (the hydration period to let the
cement cure) for at least 7-14 days
Cement composites
Building Products
In the market place the term Building products often refers to the ready-made
particles/sections, made from various materials that are fitted in architectural hardware and
decorative hardware parts of a building. The list of building products exclusively exclude the
building materials, which are used to construct the building architecture and supporting
fixtures like windows, doors, cabinets, etc. Building products do not make any part of a
bajingo rather they support and make them working in a modular fashion .It also can refer to
items used to put such hardware together such as glues, caulking, paint, and anything else
bought for the purpose of constructing a building.
(1) The construction industry consumes more natural resources than any other
industry. With increasing public awareness of the needs and demands of sustainable
development and environmental conservation, no other industry is called on as much as the
country's construction and building industry to evolve their practices to satisfy the needs of
our current generation, without curtailing the resources of future generations to meet theirs.
For example, concrete is by far the most important building material, with billions of tons
produced each year worldwide, and without which the nation's infrastructure is unthinkable.
Considerable progress and breakthroughs have been made in recent years in concrete
technology, which have largely gone unnoticed by the public at large.
(2) It has been said that more progress has been made in the last 25 years than in the
previous 150 years since Portland cement was invented. Modern cement composites can now
be engineered to have strengths approaching those of steel, energy dissipation capacities of
body armor, and durability properties that can make products last basically indefinitely, and
be as decorative and aesthetically pleasing as natural stone, yet with superior mechanical
properties. Fiber-reinforced composites permeated the aerospace and automotive industries
decades ago and are now slowly finding their way into civil engineering structures. Smart
materials, defined as those materials that can change their properties in response to external
conditions, are also being introduced into civil infrastructure systems, and so are new
developments in metals, with new high-strength steel alloys and non-corrosive steels that are
changing engineering practice. All of these advanced materials are essential for an efficient
renewal and maintenance of our infrastructure and offer exciting prospects for vibrant
research areas. Yet, all of these research efforts should be guided by the overarching goal of
reducing the construction industry’s footprint on planet Earth.
(3) One important series of research projects completed under the direction of
Professor Meyer resulted in the successful use of recycled glass as aggregate for concrete
products such as floor tiles, wall panels, table counter tops, etc. Several other projects dealing
with the beneficial use of recycled materials are briefly described on his Web site as well.
1. … the service life of concrete structures is often not as long as would be desirable.
2. Modern reinforced concrete emerged as the building material of choice towards the
end of the nineteenth century, and prestressed concrete followed in the late 1920s as a
special variation of structural concrete.
3. … a material that the architects say will save 125 tons of carbon emissions compared to
a concrete structure of similar size.
4. Another challenge is the capability of such structures to resist the effects of strong
ground motion as experienced during earthquakes.
5. We are looking at a variety of low carbon building materials including crop-based
materials, innovative uses of traditional materials and developing low carbon cements
and concretes to reduce impact of new infrastructure.
6. … the construction industry is a major contributor of environmental pollutants.
(а) ____________________ . Since then, the built environment has been shaped by
concrete as by no other structural material. Although the design and construction of
reinforced and prestressed concrete structures can be considered a «mature» field, with
almost 100 years of experience to draw on, there are always new challenges to be overcome
through research efforts.
Due to economic pressures or inadequate quality control, (b) ________________.
Research can lead to design and construction alternatives that result in much more durable
structures.
(c) _________________ . And then there are the security and safety concerns of a
public sensitized by recent terror attacks and natural disasters, which pose significant
challenges to the research community to devise schemes of protecting our built environment
against impact and blast loads, as well as other man-made and natural disasters.
Building houses out of crops could help combat climate change
The world's tallest wooden residential building is being built in Murray Grove, in
Hackney, London, by the architect Waugh Thistleton. The nine-storey building will be built of
cross-laminated timber panels – (d) _________________ .
Houses made of modern hemp, timber or straw composites could help combat climate
change by reducing the carbon footprint of building construction, according to researchers at
the University of Bath.
Currently (e) ______________, with buildings and other build infrastructure
contributing to around 19% of the UK’s eco-footprint.
The environmental impact of the construction industry is huge. For example, it is
estimated that worldwide the manufacture of cement contributes up to ten per cent of all
industrial carbon dioxide emissions.
(f) _______________________ . As well as reducing the environmental footprint, many
low carbon building materials offer other benefits, including healthier living through higher
levels of thermal insulation and regulation of humidity levels.
«A grid shell» is a structure which derives its strength from its double curvature (in the
same way that a fabric structure derives strength from double curvature), but is constructed
of a grid or lattice.
The grid can be made of any material, but is most often wood (similar to garden trellis)
or steel.”
8. О чем идет речь в следующем тексте? Озаглавьте его. Найдите в словаре, что
означают подчеркнутые сокращения
Foamed concrete or lightweight concrete derived from aqueous foams are suitable for
both precast and cast-in-place applications. Some of the highly insulative cementitious foams
at densities 48 kg/m3(3 pcf) to 645 kg/m3(40 pcf) or higher can be used as block fills,
lightweight roof deck and void-fill materials. Good strength characteristics with reduced
weight make lightweight concrete based on aqueous foams suitable for structural and semi-
structural applications such as lightweight partitions, wall and floor panels, and lightweight
blocks. Cementitious foams derived from premium systems are suitable for thin layer coating
applications where specific performance criteria are required.
Foamed concrete and foamed cement made with foam have very fine pore structure,
unlike that made with conventional proteinaceous and surfactant foams. The pore structure of
foams hardly show any sign of deterioration as the density of the foamed cement decreases to
below 160 kg/m3 (10 pcf). At densities below 160 kg/m3, the pore texture of foamed cement
derived from conventional foam agents becomes so coarse that most of them show severe
structural collapse.
The inert nature of foam systems makes them compatible with different kinds of
aggregates, fillers, extenders, accelerators, colorants, hydraulic inorganics and many other
additives.
- статья,
- реклама,
- текст учебника,
- часть разговора,
- письмо.
We are a company based in Asia and have been supplying the technology for the
production of lightweight foamed or cellular concrete locally & worldwide. We cater for small
and large scale production of foamed concrete such as precast wall blocks and panels. In
addition we also have experience in providing technology for cast in-situ wall systems,
decorative architectural components, floor screeds, roof insulation and also foundations or
bases for roads and building aprons.
We mainly do:
1) supply of foam generators and mixers;
2) supply of foaming chemicals;
3) training and technical assistance.
Our technology is not just about equipment & materials but it’s also know how &
method in producing quality foam concrete. Therefore we place great emphasis on
equipment, training & consultancy. We have been providing training & tailoring our systems
to small & medium builders for some time now and have exported our technology overseas.
We have made production of lightweight foam concrete simple with low capital investment
and we have tailored our equipment & techniques towards this end. Our equipment is
friendly, easy to install & maintain and available in various capacities depending on your
budget.
Welcome to cellular-concrete.com a resource for people interested in learning about
cellular concrete technology and the constructive role it plays in solving construction, mining,
and manufacturing challenges.
СТРОИТЕЛЬНЫЕ МАТЕРИАЛЫ
STUDENT’S BOOK
Учебно-методическое пособие
по английскому языку
___________________________________________________________
Подписано в печать . формат бумаги 60х 1∕16
Усл. печ. л. 6,5. Зак. 100.
Отпечатано на ротапринте.
_________________________________________________________________
Тип.ВИТИ