FROM THE HISTORY OF BUILDING

 

The history of building extends as far back as that of civ­ilization itself. Primitive building required practically no tools and depended upon the mere piling up of stones or sun-dried bricks for walls and the using of branches for roofs. The invention of tools permitted the cutting of stones and timbers. The later use of finer tools, with the transition to bronze, is marked by the Egyptian pyramids and temples, while the coming of the Iron Age brought tools which made possible the development of carpentry and fine accurate stone cutting. Most of the building of old times was based upon the column and beam method of construction.

Great changes in building methods together with numer­ous mechanical inventions and the appearance of new mate­rials (such as concrete) resulted in great buildings being erect­ed during the following centuries.

The middle of the 19th century, with the use of steam and electricity saw deep changes in the entire range of building.

The modern building is designed by an architect who calls to his assistance consulting and technical services for the various mechanical and engineering factors which enter into it.

Taken as a whole, modern building constitutes a vital element of national industry. The great problem still ahead of building is to help satisfy such urgent social needs as min­imum-cost housing and the elimination of excessive city congestion.

A New and Higher Level of Building. The great discoveries of our time in physics, chemistry, and other sciences, and the use of atomic power have revolu­tionized technical development in the 20th century. The creative work of mechanical, technological, and civil engi­neers, architects and building workers, and a wide use of scientific inventions have raised building to a new higher level. It permits the industrialization of all construction work.

The achievements of builders, who are working at the construction of our metres, railways, hydroelectric sta­tions, etc., are well known the world over.

Great possibilities are open to our architects and builders by using modern achievements in science and technology in building. For example, plastics materials have been so greatly developed that they can be used almost everywhere in building. Also the development of science and technology has been of great help in mechanizing and speeding up con­struction.

Beams. Beams are very important members in many engineering structures and machines. A beam is a structural member that is subjected to forces acting perpendicular to it.

Common examples of beams are the steel beams used to support floors in buildings. In some cases of beams, the load will not be perpendicular to the beam but will act more or less at an angle.

Beams are usually classified according to the way in which they are supported. A simple beam is one that lies on two supports at the ends. In a built-in beam the ends are so fixed that they cannot turn when a load is applied. A beam can be built-in at one end and simply supported at the other. Some­times the ends of beams in structures and machines are built-in but not enough that the beam might be, considered fixed.

A cantilever beam is one that is fixed at one end and free at the other. If a beam lies on more than two supports, it is called a "continuous beam".

From the History of Brickwork. Brick is a universally used structural material, which in modern times is made by pressing clay into blocks and burn­ing them to hardness. Bricks in their most primitive form were not burned, but were hardened by being dried in the sun. In that form they were utilized during many centuries and are used even today in regions with the proper climate. Brick probably existed in times of which no record remained.

Since the Middle Ages, brickwork has been in constant use everywhere, in every sort of construction and in every architectural style. Good bricks are practically indestructible by fire or atmospheric action and more durable than stone.

At the beginning of the I9th century, mechanical processes came into everyday use and by the end of the century had almost entirely replaced the ancient hand-fashioned methods. Contemporary bricks are rectangular blocks with the stand­ard dimensions of about 2 1/4 by 3 3/4 by 8 in. They are pro­duced in a great variety for widely different purposes

2. Переведите на русский язык следующие английские словосочетания:

1. sun-dried brick; 6. the column and beam method of construction;

2. assistance consulting; 7. elimination of excessive city congestion;

3. plastics materials; 8. hand-fashioned methods;

4. a built-in beam; 9. cantilever beam;

5. the Middle Ages; 10. continuous beam.

 

3. Найдите в тексте английские эквиваленты следующих словосочетаний:

1. ручные методы; 6. механические изобретения;

2. консольная балка; 7. балка с заделанными концами;

3. прямоугольный блок; 8. вспомогательное консультирование;

4. неразрезная балка; 9. устранение чрезмерной городской скученности;

5. неразрушимый огнем; 10. стандартные размеры.

4. Найдите в тексте слова, имеющие общий корень с данными словами. Определите, к какой части речи они относятся, и переведите их на русский язык:

1. civilize 6. wide

2. architecture 7. differ

3. possible 8. entire

4. mechanic 9. hard

5. build 10. industrialize

 

5. Задайте к выделенному в тексте предложению все типы вопросов (общий, альтернативный, разделительный, специальный: а) к подлежащему, б) к второстепенному члену предложения).

 

6. Выполните анализ данных предложений, обратив внимание на следующие грамматические явления: формы и функции причастия, независимый причастный оборот, формы и функции герундия, герундиальный оборот, конверсия:

1. Great changes in building methods together with numer­ous mechanical inventions and the appearance of new mate­rials (such as concrete) resulted in great buildings being erect­ed during the following centuries.

2. Great possibilities are open to our architects and builders by using modern achievements in science and technology in building.

3. Plastics materials having been greatly developed, they can be used almost everywhere in building.

4. A beam is a structural member that is subjected to forces acting perpendicular to it. The radio station agreed to beam the Minister’s speech to the whole of Europe.

5. They insisted on brick being pro­duced in a great variety for widely different purposes.

 

7. Ответьте на вопросы по тексту:

1. What did primitive building require and depend upon?

2. What rind of great problem is still ahead of building?

3. What has revolu­tionized technical development in the 20th century?

4. Where can plastics materials be used?

5. What is the history of brickwork?

6. What are beams usually classified according to?

7. When did mechanical processes come into everyday use?