Interviewer: Professor, why do buildings sometimes fall down?
Professor: Basically, a building 1) …………… (collapse) because of some kind of structural failure.
Interviewer: And what is the cause of such structural failure?
Professor: Well, there are many causes of structural failure, but they all generally can 2) …………… (divide) into two categories. The first category can 3) …… ……… (define) as faults in design.
Interviewer: You mean these faults 4) …………… (cause) by architects?
| Building collapse in St. Petersburg was caused by "construction defect"
The building collapse in St. Petersburg was caused by foundation problems, Russian Emergencies Minister Sergei Shoigu told journalists. It appears that a number of blocks were missing from the foundation, which was 40 centimetres shorter than it should have been. Most probably, that was a "construction defect," as the minister put it. Besides, the soil and the hydrogeological situation have changed since the year 1971 when the building was erected, and that, too, could have affected the foundation, said Shoigu. Until 1969, there was a water channel here called Seldyanoi, but it was filled up with earth before the construction began.
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Professor: I’m afraid so, yes. Architects who 5) …………… (not / do) their jobs carefully enough, or builders who 6) …………… (not / carry out) the architect’s instructions properly. Whatever the cause, the effect is the same: a building or a bridge or some other such structure may 7) …………… (collapse and cause) death or injury.
Interviewer: Can you give me an example of what you mean?
Professor: Yes, let’s take reinforced concrete as an example. As you know, this is concrete which 8) …………… (strengthen) by bars of steel. But if a reinforced concrete beam does not contain enough steel, its tensile strength may be affected.
Interviewer: And what 9) …………… (happen) next?
Professor: Well, if the beam is subjected to a heavy load, a failure in tensile strength may 10) …………… (result) in the collapse of the beam.
Interviewer: I’ve been reading recently about the dangers of high alumina cement.
| What causes of building collapses do you know?
Can you give any examples of accidents in construction?
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Professor: Ah yes, that’s another good example – high alumina cement. This type of cement 11) …………… (originally / use) because it was much lighter but appeared to be very strong.
Interviewer: And isn’t it?
Professor: Usually, yes. But under certain conditions a weakness can develop. This weakness 12) …………… (cause) by a chemical reaction in the cement itself.
Interviewer: And that can be dangerous…
Professor: Well naturally, because any weakness in the cement directly 13) …………… (affect) the strength of the roof support or wall that is built from it.
Lara is going to sell her new building to a businessman. She has to inform him what stage the building is at and what site work has been done. Make up their conversation. Ask all possible questions both active and passive.
(Use the flow diagram from Activity 3 and the table below). Then act out their conversation.
| | Active
| Passive
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| Special questions
| What work has the survey team done?
| What work has been done by the survey team?
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| Answers
| The survey team has establish the legal geometric borders of the property and to drive
| The site has been prepared for excavating.
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| General questions
| Have machine-drivers dug up tree stumps?
| …………………………..
………………………….?
|
| Answers
| ……………………………………..
……………………………………..
| Tree stumps have been dug up.
|
|
| …………………………………….?
| …………………………..?
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| Learning strategy
Role-play helps you prepare for a real-world experience.
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