MODULE 1. BUILDING MATERIALS.
Unit 1. Stone and Rocks.
Active vocabulary
1. Adaptability [əˌdæptə'bɪlɪtɪ]
2. Availability [əˌveɪlə'bɪlɪtɪ] ,
3. Basalt ['bæsɔːlt]
4. Brick [brɪk] ,
5. Brittleness ['brɪtlnɪs] ,
6. Cement [sə'ment]
7. Chalk [ʧɔːk]
8. Coarse-grained [ˌkɔːs'greɪnd]
9. Concrete ['kɔŋkriːt]
10. Crushed rock [krʌʃt'rɔk]
Crushed stone [krʌʃt'stəun]
11. Diorite ['daıəraıt]
12. Dolerite ['dɒləraıt] ,
13. Dolomite ['dɔləmaɪt]
14. Dressing ['dresɪŋ] , ,
15. Durability [ˌdjuərə'bɪlɪtɪ] ,
16. Fire resistance ['faɪə rɪ'zɪstəns]
17. Gabbro ['gæbrəʊ]
18. Gneiss [naɪs]
19. Granite ['grænɪt]
20. Granular ['grænjələ] ,
21. Gypsum ['ʤɪps(ə)m] ()
22. Hardness ['hɑːdnɪs]
23. Igneous rock ['ɪgnɪəs'rɔk]
24. Lime [laɪm]
25. Limestone ['laɪmstəun]
26. Marble ['mɑːbl]
27. Metamorphic rock
[ˌmetə'mɔːfɪk'rɔk]
28. Mortar ['mɔːtə] ,
29. Natural material
['næʧərəl mə'tɪərɪəl]
30. Parapet ['pærəpɪt] , ,
31. Quarry ['kwɔrɪ] ( );
32. Quarrying ['kwɔrɪŋ] ()
33. Quartz [kwɔːts]
34. Rock [rɔk]
35. Rubble ['rʌbl]
36. Sandstone ['sændstəun] ,
37. Schist [ʃɪst]
38. Sedimentary rock
[ˌsedɪ'mentərɪ'rɔk]
39. Slate [sleɪt]
40. Steel [stiːl]
41. Stone [stəun]
42. Strength [streŋθ] ,
43. Substance ['sʌbstəns] ,
44. Syenite ['saɪɪnaɪt]
45. Synthetics [sɪn'θetɪks]
46. Tensile strength ['tensaɪl'streŋθ] ()
47. Timber ['tɪmbə] ; ,
48. Travertine ['trævətɪn] ,
49. Tuff [tʌf] ()
50. Weathering ['weð(ə)rɪŋ] ,
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Pre-reading task
Exercise 1. Read the information below and match the names of the materials with photographs.
| glass stone brick timber steel cement | |||
1.______________
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2. _______________
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3. ______________
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4. ________________
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5. _______________
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6. ______________
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Building materials can be divided into two main groups: natural and man-made. Stone and wood (timber) are natural materials, used by man since ancient times. Man-made materials include brick, cement, concrete, steel, glass, metal and more modern materials including plastic and synthetics.
Reading
Exercise 2. Read, translate the text and write a list of advantages and disadvantages offered by stone.
STONE
The history of mankind began with the Stone Age marked by the use of tools and weapons made of stone. Before that, the difference between animals and homosapiens was largely physical. But once human beings started using stones, the world of both changed entirely.
Stone (Fig. 1.1) is the natural, hard substance formed from minerals and earth material which are present in rocks. Rock is the portion of the earths crust without definite shape and structure. Almost all rocks have a definite chemical composition and are made up of minerals and organic matter. Some of the rock-forming minerals are quartz, dolomite, etc. The various types of rocks from which building stones are usually derived are granite, basalt, marble, slate, sandstone and limestone.
Use of stone in building construction is traditional in the places where it is produced, although even there its high cost limits its use. Stone has been used in the construction of most of the important structures since prehistoric age. Most of the forts all over the world, the Taj Mahal in India, the famous pyramids of Egypt and the Great Wall of China are only a few examples. Stone has also been extensively used in almost all the elements of building structures, as load carrying units and for enhancing the beauty and elegance of the structure. But stone has gradually lost importance with the advent of cement and steel. The major disadvantages of stone which overshadow its use are the difficulties in its quarrying or transportation and dressing which consume a lot of time. The quarrying process is the only operation involved in the production of natural stone. The open part of the natural rock from which useful stone is obtained is known as quarry.
The advantages of stone are its durability and strength, hardness, resistance to fire and weathering, and its adaptability to sculptural treatment. But stone has poor tensile strength.
Use of stone as building material depends on the nature of the work, type of the structural element in which it is used and its quality, availability and transportation cost. For structural purpose granite, sandstone, limestone, marble and slate are most useful. Stones are used to erect the foundation and walls of buildings, dams, bridges, etc. Tunnels and above-water elements of bridges are built of granite, diorite, gabbro and basalt. Elements of stairs and parapets are manufactured from granite, marble, limestone, tuff, etc. Marble is used in construction industry for aesthetic purposes and strength.
Stone walls are one of the oldest construction methods known to mankind. The first stone walls were made laying up stones without any mortar. With this method stones are held together by gravity. These walls are usually larger at the base. In Ireland and north-eastern UK counties this kind of wall was made by farmers to create fences. It was quite a long and labour-intensive method, but with no costs. When cement appeared, the first mortared stone walls were created, where cement paste fills the gaps between the stones (from Building Materials).
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| Advantages | Disadvantages |
| 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. | 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. |
Exercise 3. Match the terms in the box with the appropriate definition.
| Tensile strength Dressing Weathering Transportation Strength Quarry Rock Durability Mortar Stone |
1. ___________ a) a place where stone is dug out of the ground; b) to obtain stone from a stone pit by cutting, digging, etc.
2. ___________ hard substance that rocks are made of, often used as a building material.
3. __________ a mixture of cement or lime or both with sand and water, used as a bond between bricks or stones or as a covering on a wall.
4. ___________ the solid mineral material forming part of the surface of the earth and other similar planets, exposed on the surface or underlying the soil.
5. __________ the ability to withstand wear, pressure, or damage.
6. ___________ the conversion of a rough material into the one ready for use.
7. ___________ the capacity of an object or substance to withstand great force or pressure.
8. __________ the act or process of moving people or things from one place to another.
9. __________ the mechanical and chemical breakdown of rocks by the action of rain, snow, cold, etc.
10. __________ a measure of the ability of a material to withstand a longitudinal stress, expressed as the greatest stress that the material can stand without breaking.
Exercise 4. Match the words in columns A and B to make word combinations. Translate them into Ukrainian.
A B Word combination Translation
Stone paste __________________ _____________
Chemical treatment __________________ _____________
Construction stone __________________ _____________
Sculptural mineral __________________ _____________
Quarrying purpose __________________ _____________
Natural construction __________________ _____________
Organic age __________________ _____________
Building strength __________________ _____________
Earths cost __________________ _____________
Transportation matter __________________ _____________
Aesthetic process __________________ _____________
Cement industry __________________ _____________
Rock-forming crust __________________ _____________
Tensile composition __________________ _____________
Exercise 5. Look for words in the text above to complete each of the groups of synonyms.
1. Completely, utterly, fully, wholly, _________________.
2. Part, _________________.
3. Form, _________________.
4. Different, diverse, _________________.
5. To restrict, to bound, _________________.
6. Widely, largely, to a great extent, _________________.
7. Arrival, coming, beginning, _________________.
8. Shortcoming, drawback, _________________.
9. To construct, to raise, to build, _________________.
Exercise 6. A) Match the nouns 1 6 with the correct adjectives af.
1. Durability a) resistant to
2. Strength b) hard
3. Hardness c) strong
4. Resistance to d) adaptable
5. Adaptability e) durable
6. Brittleness f) brittle
B) Complete these sentences by choosing the correct words in bold.
1. Modern materials such as steel, concrete and composites are now used to build bridges that are strength/ strong and durability/ durable.
2. For maximum strength / strong and durability/ durable, the stones should be fit together in an arch with no mortar because mortar before stone, reducing the lifespan of the bridges.
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3. Asphalt is used in road construction because it is strength / strong.
4. Granite, an igneous rock formed from magnum, is hardness / hard and brittleness / brittle.
5. Because of its hardness / hard, granite is frequently used for buildings and monuments.
6. Granite is resistance / resistant to most acids, such as soft drinks and juices, as compared to marble.
7. Lightweight stone is adaptability / adaptable for use in yachts, elevator cabs, aviation and other locations.
8. The strength / strong of the material is very important.
C) Write a paragraph about the main properties of stones using the words from exercise 6A.
Exercise 7. Translate the following word combinations and phrases into English. If you have any difficulties look for them in the text (exercise 2).
1. _________________________
2. _________________________
3. _________________________
4. _________________________
5. _________________________
6. _________________________
7. _________________________
8. _________________________
9. _________________________
10. _________________________
11. _________________________
12. _________________________
13. _________________________
14. ________________________
Exercise 8. Answer the questions to the text in exercise 2.
1. When did mankind start using stone?
2. What is stone?
3. What is rock?
4. What is the difference between stone and rock?
5. What rocks do you know from which building stones are derived?
6. How is stone used in construction?
7. Is stone the most popular building material today?
8. What limits the usage of stone as the building material?
9. What are the main properties of stone?
10. What types of stone are the most popular for structural purpose?
11. What types of stone are used for building tunnels and above-water elements of bridges?
12. What types of stone are used for the elements of stairs and parapets?
13. What is marble used for?
14. How were the first stone walls made?
15. When were the first mortared stone walls created?
Exercise 9. Complete a dialogue with questions or answers.
Q: ______________________________________________________?
A: The history of mankind began with the stone age.
Q: What is stone?
A: ______________________________________________________.
Q: ______________________________________________________?
A: Rocks include granite, basalt, marble, slate, sandstone and others.
Q: What examples of stone constructions all over the world do you know?
A: ______________________________________________________.
Q: ______________________________________________________?
A: Stone is durable, strong and resistant to fire, and weathering.
Q: Was mortar used in the first stone walls?
A: ______________________________________________________.
Q: ______________________________________________________?
A: Stone is used to make foundations, walls of buildings, dams, bridges, etc.
Exercise 10. Read the text below and complete it with clauses ag.
a) granite, basalt, diorite, dolerite and syenite are
b) igneous or sedimentary rocks
c) a result of solidification of molten mass
d) on the basis of geological classification,
e) metamorphic rocks include
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f) are stronger and more resistant
g) have become pressed
CLASSIFICATION OF ROCKS
Natural stone materials include different rocks. _____________, rocks are classified as igneous, sedimentary and metamorphic.
Igneous rocks are of volcanic origin and are formed as _______________ that lie below or above the earths surface. Igneous rocks are formed from liquid rock from volcanoes that becomes solid as it gets cold. The specific characteristics of this rock type is a full-crystalline and uniform granular structure. They are cracked, crushed and polished quite well. _______________ examples of igneous rocks.
Sedimentary rocks arerocks that are formed from substances that have been left by water, wind, or ice and ___________________ together through time. This group includes sandstone, limestone, dolomite, gypsum, chalk and others. As compared to limestone, dolomites ________________________ to weathering.
Metamorphic rocks are formed from _____________________ as a result of the action of the earth movements, temperature changes, liquid pressures, etc. _______________________ slate, marble, gneiss and different schists, the latter being used mainly for making crushed rocks.
Exercise 11. Place the following rocks which were mentioned in the text above into the correct spaces.
Limestone, Gypsum, Slate, Granite,
