Vocabulary

equilibrium – равновесие

obvious – вероятный, очевидный

wagon – тележка, повозка, фургон

masonry pier – каменный столб

tie – растянутый элемент

rod – стержень, прут, брус

specimen – oбразец

to failure – повредить

to estimate – оценивать

to allow – допускать, разрешать

to bypass – обходить, окружать, окаймлять

reliance – уверенность, опора

frame – остов, каркас

Text 7 the millenium dome

Since the Greenwich meridian and thus the world time finds its origin in Greenwich, in Britain the idea has been conceived that it should be the place where the world should celebrate its step into the new millenium.

The centre of the Millenium celebrations is the Millenium Dome, the largest single public assembly building in the world. The architect of the Dome, Richard Rogers, is famous for such works as the Pompidou Centre, opened in 1977, and the Lloyd's of London building.

The Dome is an exceptional example of building engineering. The Dome itself provides an enclosure for the exhibition to protect the exhibits and the visitors from the weather.

The concept of the Dome's roof is apparently very simple. Tensioned steel cables are arranged radially on the surface of the dome and held in space by hangar and tie down cables at 25m intervals. The surface is defined as a spherical cap.

Between the cables, tensioned coated fabric is used as cladding. Both the tensioned cables and cladding carry the loads by deflection accompanied by increase in tension.

The forces in the cables, 40 tonnes in each radial line have to be resisted at the centre where they come together and at the boundary where they are anchored. In the centre of the roof there is a 30m diameter tension ring consisting of 12–48 mm diameter cables which carry a total of 700 tonnes. At the edge the forces are resisted by vertical ground anchors going 12m down into the gravel layers and horizontally by a concrete ring beam 1000m in circumference which carries the loads in compression.

Vocabulary

to conceive – задумывать, представлять

millenium – тысячелетие

cable – кабель, канат, трос

fabric – ткань, материя

cladding – покрытие

deflection – прогиб, провес

to resist – противостоять; выдерживать

Text 8 the development of the house

The first houses in different countries of the world were made of wood. At that time the greater part of our planet was covered with thick forests¹. Even in those days men found ways of using wood as a building material. In some places they tied together the tops of several trees and covered them with the hides (skins) of animals. In other places they covered them with leaves or grass.

The primitive² people's first houses were tents or huts. Primitive building required no tools. The invention of tools permitted the cutting of stones and timber. Stone was the most convenient building material³ in countries where there was not much wood but plenty of stone.

People began to use stone widely to build their houses many cen­turies ago. With the development of stone cutting finer tools appeared.

The column has played an important part in the history of building. Most of the building of old times was based upon the column and beam method⁴ of construction.

About 4,000 years before our era the Egyptians possessed great con­structional know-how (ability)⁵. They built simple houses by present standards'. They used bricks which in their most primitive form were not burned⁶, but were hardened⁷ by being dried in the sun. Since the middle ages⁸ brickwork has been in constant use everywhere, in, every sort of construction and in every architectural style. They made flat roofs because there was very little rain in Egypt. Their buildings were simple in construction but very beautiful. We still admire their monu­ments, sphinxes and palaces.

Greek builders learned much from Egyptian builders. They built their houses with slanting roofs⁹ because the climate of these two countries differs greatly. Soon Greek builders became second to none¹⁰ in column making. But they added the arch, thus adding much strength and beauty to their buildings.

The use of precast¹¹ concrete, a very advanced construction technique, has many advantages' over other building materials. Precast building units can be assembled at the site all the year round in any weather. The precast concrete technique which is constantly being im­proved in our country plays a great role in our extensive building program.

Notes

1. thick forest — густой лес

2. primitive — 1) первобытный; 2) примитивный, простой

3. convenient building material — подходящий стройматериал

4. the column and beam method — колонно-балочный метод

5. know-how (ability) — умение

6. to burn — обжигать

7. to harden — придавать твердость, "прочность

8. since the middle ages — начиная со средних веков

9. slanting roof — покатая крыш

10. to be second to none — не иметь себе равных

11. precast — сборный