Building Construction

UNIT 1

Building Construction

Text: Building Construction

Grammar:

• Word order (Синявская, p. 361)
• Word-building suffixes of nouns: -er/-or (Синявская, p. 21)

New words:

1. (dis)advantage, n. [dısqd´va:ntıG] преимущество (недостаток)
2. affect, v.  [q´fekt]  воздействовать, влиять
3. assembly, n.  [q´semblı]  монтаж, сборка
4. clay, n.   [cleı]   глина
5. concrete, n.  [´kOnkri:t]  бетон
6. construction, n. [kqn´strAkS(q)n] строительство
7. determine, v.  [dı´tE:mın]  определять
8. durable, adj.  [´djV (q)bl]  долговечный, прочный
9. employ, v.  [ım´plOı]  нанимать
10. environment, n. [ın´vaırqnmqnt] окружающая среда
11. erection, n.  [ı´rekS(q)n]  сооружение, возведение
12. exploit, v.  [´eksplOıt]  использовать
13. property, n.  [´prOpqtı]  свойство
14. quality, n.  [´kwOlıtı]  качество
15. span, n.   [spæn]  пролет; протяженность
16. structure, n.  [´strAktSq]  конструкция, строение
17. technique, n.  [tek´ni:k]  метод, способ, технология
18. value, n.   [´vælju:]  значение, ценность
1. Translate the following derived words.

Model : verb stem + -er/ -or/ -ist® noun with the meaning of the doer of the action

to build – строить ® builder – строитель

To design ® designer;   to manufacture ® manufacturer;

to contract ® contractor;  to separate ®separator;

to work ®worker;    to use ®user.

2. Read the following international words. What Russian words do they associate with?

Activity, architecture, climate, comfort, consultant, control, to coordinate, effect, factor, function, industry, natural, material, metal, to organize, plastic, process, to regulate, social, standard, symbolic, synthetic, system, temperature, tendency, ventilation.

 

3. Translate the following word combinations.

Building construction, construction methods, controlled environment, to regulate the effects, durable structures, increasing durability, symbolic value, powerful machinery, research establishments, safety standards; user needs, construction management, quality control.

 

4. Find the antonyms.

early    exterior

natural   late

interior   complicated

durable   at once

advantage   fragile

powerful   synthetic

gradually   disadvantage

simple   weak

5. Find the synonyms.
1. to involve  a) to consist; b) to include; c) to imply.
2. to erect    a) to assemble; b) to work; c) to construct.
3. dwelling   a) build; b) building; c) builder.
4. to exploit  a) to use b) to employ; c) to operate.
5. significant   a) simple; b) complicated; c) important.
6. control   a) operation; b) regulation; c) modification.
7. diverse   a) safe; b) varied; c) durable.
8. to affect   a) to influence; b) to employ; c) to determine.
6. Fill in the gaps with the words given below.
1. Building construction is an ancient … activity.
2. Cathedrals and palaces possess symbolic … while blocks of flats and shops a functional one.
3. The construction process is highly organized and … manufacturers, workers and contractors.
4. Research is being done to increase the … of building materials.
5. If you want to … this material to greater advantage you should know its … .
6. Shelters were one means by which human beings were able … themselves to a wide variety of climates.
7. One of the first building … were leaves and animal hides.

(value, to exploit, to adapt, human, include, materials, properties, durability)

7. Put the prepositions into the sentences and translate them.
1. First dwellings appeared ancient people wanted control the effects the climate. (to, of, because)
2. There were several tendencies the history building. (of, in)
3. Methods construction has been changing the course time starting human muscle power powerful machinery. (of, with, towards, in, of)
4. Construction is a process has developed thousands years and numerous civilization. (through, that, of, over)
5. The major building projects were built a carefully designed plan the time construction them was much greater. (for, to, of, since)

 

8. Make up sentences out of given words.

 

1. Is, process, highly, the design, organized.
2. Shelters, simple, at first, human, were, very.
3. Today, is, culture, of, building, industrial, construction, a part.
4. To have, structures, as well as, began, symbolic, value, functional.
5. People, of ever greater, a search for, began, height and span, buildings.

 

9. Read and translate the text.

 

Building Construction

Building construction is the techniques and industry involved in the assembly and erection of structures, especially those used to provide shelter. Building construction is an ancient human activity. It began with the need for a controlled environment to regulate the effects of climate.

Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. Gradually more durable structures began to appear. The first shelters were dwellings, but later other functions, such as food storage and ceremony, were housed in separate buildings. Some structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and building.

The history of building is marked by a number of tendencies. One is the increasing durability of the materials used. Early building materials were leaves, branches, and animal hides. Later, more durable natural materials--such as clay, stone, and timber--and, finally, synthetic materials – such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics – were used. Another is a search for buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. A third major trend involves the degree of control over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, and other factors that affect human comfort. Another trend is the change in energy available to the construction process, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.

At present building construction is complex. The design process for buildings is highly organized and consists of research establishments that study material properties, officials who adopt safety standards and designers who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs.

The construction process is also highly organized; it includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.

Building construction today is a significant part of industrial culture, which can produce a widely varied built environment to serve the diverse needs of society.

 

10. Agree or disagree with the statements.

 

1. Building construction is relatively new form of human activity.
2. First dwellings were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months.
3. Natural materials are clay, stone, and timber.
4. One of the trends involves the control over the exterior environment of buildings.
5. Building construction is developing from the powerful machinery towards human muscle power.
6. The design process for buildings consists of research establishments, officials and manufacturers of building products.

 

11. Match the beginnings of the sentences (1 – 7) to their ends (a – h) using the information from the text.

 

1. The design process consists of …
2. The construction process includes …
3. The distinction between architecture and building appeared when …
4. The interior environment of buildings involve …
5. A designer is a person who …
6. Contractors are persons or companies who …
7. The duties of consultants include …

 

1. research establishments, official institutions and designers.
2. manufacturers, craftsmen, contractors and consultants.
3. the increasing durability of the materials, buildings of greater height and span, the control over the interior environment and the change in energy available to the construction.
4. structures began to have symbolic as well as functional value.
5. regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, etc.
6. determines user needs and designs a building to meet those needs.
7. employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen.
8. construction management, quality control, and insurance.

 

12. Answer the questions to the text.

 

1. What is building construction?
2. Why did it appear?
3. What marked the distinction between architecture and construction?
4. How many tendencies are there in the history of building? What are they?
5. What natural building materials do you know? Synthetic ones?
6. What made possible the erection of high and long buildings?
7. What does the control over interior environment imply?
8. How has the construction methods been changing in the course of time?
9. What constitutes the design process?
10. What does the construction process include?

 

13.   a) Make up the right sentences according to the model.

 

Model: Igloos were built of icy bricks by Eskimos.

 

I.   igloo   1. timber    a) Indians

II.  wigwam   2. brick    b) Europeans

III. hut   3. fabric    c) Sumerians

IV. log cabin  4. icy bricks    d) Beduins

V.  ziggurat   5. leaves and branches  e) early people

VI. tent   6. animal hides   f) Eskimos

 

b) Suggest other early dwellings and building materials they were built of.