Project schedule

Forman				supervision
Labourers				Doing manual work
Machine drivers		Excavating ground
Steel erectors				Erecting steelwork
Bricklayers					Building brickwork
Plumbers							Installation of pipework and sanitary fittings
Joiners	Manufacture of doors, windows, screens, etc.
Carpenters	Fixing of floor joists, roof timbers, doors, windows, etc/
Roofing contractor								Laying roof covering
Cladding fixers							Fixing cladding
Heating contractor	Installation of heating equipment
Electricians	Installation of electrical equipment
Glaziers				Putting in glazing
Decorators					Decorating building

 

b. Make up sentences explaining the causes of the delays in the schedule. Use the phrases in the box:

Explaining causes That was a result of … That was because of … That was largely due to (the fact that)… …contributed to that.

Describing results As a result we had to… It lead to… It resulted in… …was a direct result. …so… Consequently,…

 

Example:

Excavation was delayed for two weeks due to the fact that he excavator broke down.

The excavator broke down which lead to a two-week delay in excavation.

The broken excavator resulted in a two-week delay in excavation.

A two-week delay in excavation was a result of the broken excavator.

 

c. Show all the changes in the project schedule.

 

2. Write your report according to the following format:

 

A common structure for a formal report is: § Title § Terms of reference /Introduction § Main body (Findings) § Conclusions § Recommendations Terms of reference /Introduction usually includes: § who asked for the report § why the report is being written § the purpose/ subject of the report § when it should be submitted by The introduction to the report sometimes contains the Procedure – where/how you got the information. Findings are the facts you discovered. Conclusions are what you think about the facts and how you interpret them. Recommendations are practical suggestions as to what should be done to solve the problem, remedy the situation, etc.

 

 

Unit 9

New Technologies in Construction

“Building is really not a job for human beings in this day and age. When technology gives us the potential we should leave repetitive tasks to machines and free humans to perform creative work”

(B.Khoshnevis, an engineering professor at the University of Southern California)

	Lead in

What do you understand by the word “technology”? Can you give a definition?

 

The words in the box are used in Wikipedia to define the term “technology”. Organise them in the right way to restore the definition (it includes two sentences).

	1. is needs, of to fulfill the current state of or to produce to satisfy desired products, technology to solve how to combine our knowledge wants. problems, resources   2. tools raw and skills, materials. includes processes, technology techniques, technical methods,

 

	Activity 1

1. No doubt, conventional building technologies will hold their place at the market for long. Houses made of brick, wood, mass reinforced concrete and other materials are still popular. But it does not prevent progressive builders from moving forward...

There are many reasons why builders utilize modern technologies of construction. Can you name any of them?

2. You are going to listen to the interview with Mark Cooper, Senior Analyst of the National Audit Office, UK. This influential government body in the UK was commissioned to prepare a report about the use of modern methods in construction.

Make notes of the reasons for using modern methods listed in the report.

 

3. Listen again and answer the following questions:

a. What are the advantages of using modern methods of construction in comparison with the traditional ones?

b. What changes do new methods make to:

§ the number of workforce on the construction site?

§ the period of construction?

§ the quality of houses?

§ the cost of construction?

c. How much money is it planned to invest into construction with the use of modern methods?

Activity 2

BUILDING TECHNOLOGIES OF THE THIRD MILLENIUM

1. You are going to read an extract from the article “Houses built by robot?!”