Vocabulary

to consider - принимать во внимание property - свойство

requirement - требование to meet requirements – отвечать требованиям fire-resistant – огнеупорный steel – сталь

to decay – гнить ancient – древний

to harden – твердеть crushed stone - щебень

prestressed - предварительно напряженный reinforced concrete - железобетон

reinforcement – арматура glass reinforced plastics - стеклопластик

polyester resin - полиэфирная смола availability- наличие

hard - твердый, жесткий purpose – цель

concrete – бетон brick - кирпич

clay – глина disadvantage - недостаток

fine – мелкий aggregate - заполнитель

cement – цемент gravel - гравий

rod - стержень, брус fibre - волокно

chemicals – химикаты glass – стекло

coarse - крупный

Building materials

In order to build a house the civil engineer must consider many important factors: the choice of materials, their physical properties, availability, cost, etc. Materials to be used for structural purposes should meet a number of requirements. In most cases they should be strong, durable and fire-resistant.

Steel, concrete, stone, timber and brick are the most commonly used building materials. Timber is the oldest structural material known to mankind. It is light, cheap and easy to work with. But timber has certain disadvantages: it burns and decays. Timber used for building purposes is divided into two groups: softwoods and hardwoods. Softwoods are chiefly used in construction, while hardwoods are generally used for decorative purposes.

Bricks were known many thousands of years ago. They are molded from clay into the required shape. Bricks are usually rectangular in shape. They are hardened by being fired in a kiln.

Concrete is one of the most important building materials. It is difficult to imagine modern structures without concrete. Concrete is made by mixing together a proportion of fine and coarse aggregates with cement and water. Crushed stone, broken brick and gravel are considered to be coarse aggregates. Sand is the best fine aggregate. Both quarry and river sands are extensively used.

Reinforced concrete is a combination of two of the strongest structural materials available - concrete and steel. There are two kinds of reinforced concrete: with ordinary reinforcement and concrete with prestressed reinforcement. Concrete is reinforced by the incorporation of steel rods.

Plastics and glass reinforced plastics are comparatively new building materials, but they have already found many uses in modern construction. Plastics combine all the best characteristics of building materials with good insulating properties. Plastics are produced from chemicals. Glass-reinforced plastics are produced from polyester resins reinforced with glass fibres. Plastics and glass-reinforced plastics are the materials to be used in modern construction on a large scale.

Exercise I

Answer the questions:

1. What must a civil engineer consider to build a house?

2. What requirements should building materials meet?

3. What are the most commonly used building materials?

4. Into what groups is timber divided?

5. For what purposes are they used?

6. What does concrete consist of?

7. What fine and coarse aggregates do you know?

8 .What components does reinforced concrete include?

9. What is the process of reinforcing ordinary concrete structures?

10 Why have plastics already found use in modern construction?

Exercise II

Give the necessary English equivalents:

1. Materials used in modern construction should (отвечать нескольким требованиям).

2. (Лесоматериал) is light, cheap and easy to work with, but it has certain (недостатки).

3. (Кирпичи) are hardened (обжигом в печи).

4. Building materials should be (прочный, огнеупорный).

5. Concrete is made by mixing cement, sand, gravel and water (в нужных пропорциях).

6. (Ввести стальные стержни в бетон) is to reinforce ordinary concrete structures.

7. Plastics are produced from (химикаты).

8. Sand is the best (мелкий заполнитель).

Exercise III

Translate into English:

1. Для строительства здания необходимы разнообразные строительные материалы.

2. Кирпич, лесоматериалы, бетон, железобетон и пластмассы - это наиболее важные материалы, применяемые в строительстве.

3. Сталь используется в качестве арматуры в железобетонных конструкциях.

4. Бетон изготовляется путем замешивания в соответствующих пропорциях мелкого и крупного заполнителей, цемента и воды.

5. Кирпич - это искусственный материал, изготовленный из глины и закаленный обжигом па солнце или в обжиговой печи.

6. Железобетон состоит из двух прочнейших материалов - бетона и стали. Он широко применяется для строительства жилых и промышленных зданий.

7. Пластмассы и стеклопластики являются новейшими стройматериалами. Они обладают хорошими изоляционными свойствами.

TEXT B