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 millennium.

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 12-48mm 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, материал

cladding – покрытие

deflection – прогиб, провес

to resist – противостоять, выдерживать

to anchor – скреплять, закреплять

layer – слой

circumference – окружность

I. Choose the right preposition

1. It is supposed that Greenwich should be the place where the world should celebrate its step … the new millenium.

a) during b) in c) into d) onto

2. Tensioned steel cables are arranged radially … the surface of the dome.

a) under b) on c) in d) at

3. Both the tensioned cables and cladding carry loads by deflection accompanied by increase … tension.

a) in b) for c) with d) on

4. The forces in the cables, 40 tonnes in each radial line have to be resisted … the centre where they come together.

a) from b) over c) at d) by

5. At the edge the forces are resisted … vertical ground going 12m down into the gravel layers.

a) by b) on c) in d) with