Art of building

1. Read and translate the text:

Part I

The first houses were built for the purpose of protecting their owners from the weather and, therefore, were very simple – a roof to keep off the rain or snow, and walls to keep out the wind.

The buildings erected now can be divided into two broad classifications: they are either for housing or for industrial purpose.

As far as the material is concerned, the building can be divided into stone (or brick), wood and concrete types. The brick is an artificial material made of clay then burnt to harden it. The natural stone (rubble masonry) is used for footing and foundations for external walls carrying the load. The buildings made of stone or brick are durable, fire-proof and have poor heat conductivity.

The tiers or levels which divide a building into stages or stories are called floors. These may be of timber but in stone buildings they are made of ferro-concrete details in great and small sizes.

The coverings or upper parts of buildings constructed over to keep out rain and wind and to preserve the interior from exposure to the weather, are called roofs. These should tie the walls and give strength and firmness to the construction.

Every building must be beautiful in appearance and proportional in various parts. The interior should be planned to suit the requirements of the occupants while the exterior must be simple without any excesses.

Any building should be provided with water, electricity, ventilation and heating system.

Getting water into the house is called plumbing. The plumbers have also to get the water out after it has been used. The first part of this problem is called water supply and the second one is called drainage or sewerage.

2. Translate Russian part of each sentence into English. Add some information to these statements:

1) The first houses were built в целях защиты от погоды. 2) Здания, которые строятся сегодня сan be divided into two broad classifications: они предназначены либо для жилья, либо для промышленных целей. 3) The building can be divided into каменные (кирпичные), деревянные или бетонные типы. 4) The building made of stone or brick are долговечные, огнеустойчивые и имеют высокую теплоизоляцию. 5) Floors may be of timber, но в каменных зданиях they are made of железобетонных деталей. 6) Roofs should tie the wall sand give прочность и твердость сооружению. 7) Интерьер should be planned to suit требованиям жильцов, в то время как экстерьер must be simple without any excesses. 8)Каждое здание should be provided with вода, электричество, вентиляция и heating system. 9) Подача воды в дома называется plumbing. 10) Начальная фаза водопровода называется water supply, а финальная фаза –drain age or sewerage.

Part II

Almost everybody saw the construction of a building and *followed its progress with interest¹. First the excavation is dug for the basement, then the foundation walls below ground level are constructed; after this the framework is erected and clothed with various finishing materials and protected by several coats of paint.

The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the framework. It is intended for safety carrying the loads imposed. The floors, walls, roofs and other parts of the building must be carefully designed and proportioned.

The architect or designer must decide, what the size of the walls, the floors, the beams, the girders and the parts, which make up the framework, will be and how they will be placed and arranged.

Here are the main parts of a building and their functions.

Foundations serve to keep the walls and floors from contact with the soil, to guard them against the action of frost, to prevent them from sinking and setting which cause cracks in walls and uneven floors.

Floors divide the building into stories. They may be either of timber or may be constructed of a fire-resisting material. Walls are built to enclose areas and carry the weight of floors and roofs. The walls may be solid or hollow. The materials used for the walls construction can be brick, stone, concrete and other natural or artificial materials.

Roofs cover the building and protect it from exposure to the weather. They tie the walls and give strength and firmness to the structure.

1. Put following word combinations concerning the construction of a building in order according to the text, translate them:

возводить каркас, защитить несколькими слоями краски, выкапывать яму для фундамента, покрывать различными отделочными материалами, возводить стены фундамента ниже уровня земли.

2. Correct the statements. Add much more information:

1) The part upon which the stability of the structure depends is the size of the walls. 2) Finishing materials, several coats of paint must be carefully designed and proportioned.

3) The architect or designer must decide, what the size of framework, color of the floors, width of walls, quantity of paint’s coats, how they will be mixed and cut.

3. Which of these words belong to construction of foundations or floors or roofs:

to keep from contact with the soil, to divide the building into stories, to cover the building, brick, to prevent from sinking, to carry the weight, to tie the walls, to guard against the action of frost, timber, to protect from exposure of the weather, hollow, to give strength, stone, cracks, a fire – resisting material, firmness, to enclose areas, concrete.

Part III

Turnkey construction is the type of assistance in building different facilities. In this case the employer engages the contractor to design, manufacture, test, deliver, install, complete and commission a certain project and the contractor undertakes full responsibility for the project construction and commissioning.

The contractor then undertakes endeavors to conduct a survey and design work, as well as to work out *basic and detailed engineering² and supply equipment. As a rule, the contractor’s highly qualified specialists are made responsible for doing part or full construction work, carrying out installation, *start-up and adjustment operations³.

After the construction is completed the precommissioning starts, that is testing, checking and meeting other requirements, which are specified in the technical handbooks.

As soon as all works in respect of the precommissioning are completed and the project is read for the commissioning, the contractor notifies the engineer (Project manager) with the message. The contractor begins the commissioning immediately after the engineer does the issue of the Completion Certificate.

The contractor carries out the guarantee test during the commissioning to make sure that project will reach the designed performance.

Operational acceptance of the project takes place when the guarantee test has been successfully completed and the guarantees met. As a rule the contractor supplies spare parts so that the project could normally operate during the maintenance guarantee period.

Turnkey contracts are always long-term undertakings involving several parties, among them foreign and local subcontractors. They are usually won as a result of tenders where the bidders compete for the contract on the terms most fav our able for the customer.

A few explanations to the text:

1. … followed its progress with interest – с интересом следил за его ростом

2. basic and detailed engineering – выполнение проектной документации

3. start-up and adjustment operations – пуско-наладочные работы

Key vocabulary/expressions:

basement- фундамент, основание; подвал

beam – балка, балансир

cause – причина, сторона

coat – покрытие

commission- пускать в эксплуатацию

contractor – подрядчик

designed performance – проектная мощность

girder – поясная балка, прогон

precommissioning works – предпусковые работы

spare parts – запасные части

plumbing – водопровод

solid – массивный

hollow –полый, пустой

engage – обязывать

endeavor – стремление

survey - контроль

1. Finish these sentences:

1) Turnkey construction ... 2) ... engages the … to design, manufacture, test, deliver, install, complete and commission a certain project. 3) The contractor undertakes full … and then endeavors to conduct … 4) … made responsible for doing part or full construction works … 5) The precommissioning tests, checks and … 6) … notifies the engineer … and begins the commissioning after the issue … 7) The contractor carries out the guarantee … 8) … when the guarantee test has been successfully …

2. Step-by-step speak briefly what means “turnkey construction”.

3. Test your own attention. Find English equivalents in the text:

огнеупорный материал _______________________________________

бутовая кладка ______________________________________________

дополнительная нагрузка _____________________________________

различные отделочные материалы ______________________________

защитить несколькими слоями краски ___________________________

нулевой цикл ________________________________________________

сертификат о завершении строительства _________________________

строительство «под ключ» _____________________________________

проектно-изыскательные работы ________________________________

местные и иностранные субподрядчики __________________________

5. General understanding. Answer the questions to the text. Using these questions as a plan speak briefly about art of building:

1. What purpose is the natural stone used for?

2. What are the buildings made of stone and brick?

3. Should the coverings tie the walls?

4. What must every building be?

5. What are the main parts of a building?

6. What are their functions?

7. What kind of facilities is constructed on a turnkey basis?

8. What are the responsibilities of the contractor?

9. Why is a turnkey contract a long-term undertaking?

10. How is a turnkey contract usually won?

11. What can the Completion Certificate tell us about?

12. What building professions have you come across in the text?

6. Listen to the text “Impressions of Modern Architecture” and answer the questions to the text:

Key-words to the text:

similar – похожий

opportunity – возможность

alike – похожий

remind – напоминать

oblong – продолговатый

building site – стройплощадка

resist – противостоять

Test

“Impressions of Modern Architecture”

1. Architectural styles are probably similar now because

a) architects have no more natural building materials

b) architects have no opportunities they had in the past

c) architects are all alike or nearly alike.

2. If architects are asked to make plans for houses

a) they design wonderful churches and cathedrals

b) they have done some very good work

c) they have to design huge blocks of flats, offices and so on.

3. The blocks of flats in our towns are ___ whether the fronts and sides are ___

a) huge boxes- square or oblong

b) another big boxes- found or oval

c) prefabricated- rectangular or triangular.

4. Many of new schools are prefabricated, which means that

a) much of the building work is done on the building site

b) much of the building work is done in factories

c) much of the building work is done in the outside.

5. Modern buildings look like _______ but they are________

a) occupants inside- alike outside

b) proportionally from top view- simply planned inside

c) boxes from the outside- well planned inside.

6. The Imperial Hotel in _______ was designed by _______ architect _______

a) Tokyo- Japanese- Panasonic

b) New-York- American- Frank Lloyd Wright

c) Tokyo- American- Frank Lloyd Wright.

7. It was designed to

a) to resist earthquakes

b) to suit the landscape

c) to tie the walls.