The development of the metallurgical and machine-building industry made possible mass production of prefabricated large-size concrete and reinforced concrete structural elements.
Reinforced concrete is a building material in which the joint functions of concrete and steel are advantageously utilized. Сoncrete is brittle and cannot withstand tensile stresses, and it cannot therefore be used in structures subjected to tensile stresses under load. But if steel is introduced into concrete, it changes the property of the monolith.
There are two kinds of reinforced concrete: with ordinary reinforcement and concrete with prestressed reinforcement. Reinforced concrete structures and elements are widely used for residential and industrial buildings.
In many cases bricks too are very satisfactory for the use in construction. Bricks generally present a pleasing appearance and can be obtained with various qualities, colours, and textures.
Light-weight building bricks differ from ordinary clay bricks in a lower volume weight and lower thermal conductivity, and are therefore more economical than ordinary bricks.
One of the most significant facts about both industry and building has been the appearance of plastics. Plastics have found a wide application in many industrial fields (machine-building, aviation, textile industry, etc.)
Выучите слова.
mass production – массовое производство
brittle - хрупкий
prefabricated concrete elements – сборные бетонные элементы
reinforced concrete elements – железобетонные элементы
tensile stress – растягивающее напряжение
volume weight – объемный вес
rigid - жесткий
resin - смола
bending loads – изгибающие нагрузки
Задание 1. Ответьте на вопросы.
1. What types of construction are reinforced concrete structures and elements used for? 2.What new materials have come into use in industry and building? 3.What made possible mass production of prefabricated large-city concrete elements? 4.How dose steel introduce it to concrete change its properties? 5.In what industrial fields are plastics used?
Задание 2. Прочтите, определяя, какие из данных предложения относятся к описанию бетона, кирпича или пластмасс.
1. There are some kinds of structural materials that have appeared comparatively recently, sometimes they consist of one polymer. 2. In many cases bricks are very satisfactory for the use in construction. 3. There are some kinds of materials which are brittle and cannot withstand tensile stress. 4. If steel is introduced into some kind of material it changes its properties. 5. Some building materials offer a good resistance to compressive loads.
Задание 3. Найдите подлежащее в каждом предложении, переведите предложения.
1. Bricks generally present a pleasing appearance. 2. Reinforced concrete units are widely used for residential houses and in industrial buildings. 3. To reinforce ordinary concrete structures is to introduce steel rods in stretched zones of concrete elements. 4. That the development of the metallurgical and machine-building industry made possible mass production of prefabricated large-size concrete structural elements is a well-known fact. 5. Which material can be used for a particular part of the building depends on the kind of load to which it is subjected.
Задание 4. Переведите, обращая внимание на форму прилагательных.
1. Portland stone is often used in larger buildings. 2. Prestressed reinforced concrete structural elements require less material and cement. 3. The bigger the prefabricated elements of a house the faster they can be assembled.
Text B. Plastics
Synthetic plastics are man-made substances which not only change their shape under great heat and pressure, but change their chemical state also.
They are light and hard, being produced by mixing together a number of gases and liquids. A synthetic or man-made product must be both better and cheaper than the natural material it is to replace.
Plastics combine all the fine characteristics of building material together with good insulating properties and are fireproof as well. Architects and engineers use them to add color and beauty to modern homes and offices.
The greatest advantages which plastics are expected to give the world is that they will make the people no longer depend upon nature for their materials.
Unit 4