Giáo trình tiếng anh chuyên ngành kinh tế xây dựng

Giáo trình tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Xây dựng được biên soạn với mục đích cung cấp tài liệu chuyên ngành hẹp về xây dựng cho sinh viên bao gồm 10 bài đề cập tới các lĩnh vực trong ngành xây dựng như xây dựng dân dụng, các loại nhà xây dựng , kết cấu, móng, vật liệu xây dựng, cơ học đất.

TrƯờng đại học phƯơng đông

LỜI NểI ĐẦU

Nh chúng ta đã biết tiếng Anh chuyờn ngành rất quan trọng trong việctiếp cận với nền khoa học kỹ thuật hiện đại trên thế giới nhất là trong xu thếtoàn cầu hóa và hội nhập quốc tế nh hiện nay

Giáo trình tiếng Anh chuyên ngành Xây dựng đợc biên soạn với mục

đích cung cấp tài liệu chuyên ngành hẹp về xây dựng cho sinh viên bao gồm

10 bài đề cập tới các lĩnh vực trong ngành xây dựng nh xây dựng dân dụng,các loại nhà xây dựng , kết cấu, móng, vật liệu xây dựng, cơ học đất

Tập giáo trình này cung cấp cho sinh viên vốn từ vựng về xây dựng,các mẫu câu và ngữ pháp cơ bản , các phần phát triển kỹ năng giúp các em saukhi học xong có thể sử dụng trong giao tiếp, trong quá trình công tác

Trong quá trình biên soạn không tránh khỏi những thiếu sót rất mongđược sự đúng gúp ý kiến của cỏc em để tập giỏo trỡnh ngày càng phự hợp hơn,hữu ớch hơn cho việc sử dụng Tiếng Anh như một cụng cụ đắc lực trong cụngviệc và học tiếp về chuyờn mụn

Xin chõn thành cỏm ơn GS Nguyễn Tài, Chủ nhiệm Khoa Kiến trúcCông trình tạo mọi điều kiện hỗ trợ việc biờn soạn

Người biờn soạn

Nguyễn Thị Ánh Tuyết

Unit 3 Building materials and types of construction 12

UNIT 1

WHAT IS CIVIL ENGINEERING?

The term Civil Engineering originally came into use to distinguish from military engineering, Civil engineering dealt with permanent structures for civilian use, whereas military engineering dealt with temporary structures for military use A more appropriate definition of civil engineering is that it deals with the design and construction that are intended to be stationary In practice, this definition includes buildings and houses, dams, tunnels, bridges,canals, sanitation systems, and the stationary parts of transportation systems –highways, airports, port facilities, and roadbeds for railroads

Civil engineering offers a particular challenge because almost every structure or system that is designed and built by civil engineers is unique Onestructure rarely duplicates another exactly Even when structures seem to be identical, site requirements or other factors generally result in modifications Large structures like dams, bridges, or tunnels may differ substantially from previous structures The civil engineer must therefore always be ready and willing to meet new challenges

Within the field of civil engineering itself, there are subdivisions: structural engineering, which deals with permanent structures; hydraulic engineering, which is concerned with systems involving the flow and control

of water or other fluids; and sanitary or environmental engineering, which involves the study of water supply, purification, and sewer systems

Obviously, many of these specialties overlap A water supply system, for example, may involve dams and other structures as well as the flow and storage of water

In a nuclear power plant, civil engineers are responsible for the design and construction of the plant itself, as well as the protective shielding around the nuclear reactor In the project of this kind, the engineer is a member of a team that is often headed by a system engineer who coordinates the

contribution of all members of the team Because teamwork is necessary in somany engineering projects, nowadays, an important qualification for

engineers is the ability to work successfully with other people

( Source : Lê Thị Hoài Thao và các cộng sư, English of civil

engineering, tâm bồi dưỡng cán bộ, Bộ Xây Dựng , 1997 )

VOCABULARY

temporary/'temprəri/ (a): tạm thời

appropriate /ə'prouprieɪt/ (a): thích hợp

structure /'strʌkt∫ə/ (n): kết cấu; structural /'strʌkt∫ərəl/ (a)

dam /dæm/ (n): đập nước

sanitation /,sæni'tei∫n/ (n): sự cải thiện, điều kiện vệ sinh

roadbed /'roudbed/(n): nền đường

challenge /'t∫ælindЗ/ (n): sự thách thức

unique /ju:'ni:k/ (a): duy nhất

duplicate /'dju:plikeit/ (v): sao lại, làm thành 2 bản, nhân đôi

identical /ai'dentkəl/ (a): giống hệt nhau

substantial /səb'stæn∫əl/ (a): lớn lao, quan trọng, thực tế

willing /´wiliη/(a): tự nguyện, sẵn lòng

subdivision /'sʌbdi,viЗn/ (n): sự phân nhỏ, phân nhánh, bộ phận

hydraulic /hai'drɔ:lik/(a): thuỷ lực, chạy bằng sức nước

environment /in'vaiərənmənt/ (n): môi trường

purify /'pjuərifai/ (v): lọc, làm sạch

sewer /'sjuə/ or /su:ə/ (n): cống rãnh

overlap /'ouvəlæp/ (v): gối lên nhau, chồng chéo

obviously (adv): rõ ràng, hiển nhiên

result in /ri'zʌlt in/ (v): gây nên, có tác động tới, đưa tới kết quả

nuclear reactor /'nju:kliə ri:'æktə/ (n): lò phản ứng nguyên tử

shielding /ʃi:ldiŋ/(n): tấm, lớp che chắn

specialties /'spe∫əlti/ (n): ngành chuyên môn

modification /,modifi'kei∫n/ (n): sự thay đổi, sự sửa đổi

military engineering /'militəri enʤɪ'nɪərɪŋ/ (n): xây dựng quân sự

purification /,pjuərifi'keiʃn/ (n): sự làm sạch, lọc sạch

distinguish /dis´tiηgwiʃ/ (v): phân biệt

originally /ə'ridʒnəli/(adv): nguồn gốc, ban đầu.

storage /'stɔ:ridʤ/(n): sự lưu trữ,dự trữ.

PRACTICE

I Comprehension questions:

1 In what way do civil engineering and military engineering differ?

2 What stationary structures does civil engineering deal with?

3 Why is civil engineering said to offer a particular challenge?

4 Why must the civil engineers be ready and willing to meet new challenges?

5 What is civil engineering sub-divided into?

6 Do these branches of civil engineering work independently?

7 What are civil engineers’ responsibilities in a nuclear power plant?

8 What is the role of a system engineer?

9 What is one of qualifications engineers should have nowadays?10.Why is it an important qualification?

Now, complete these sentences in the same way:

a Structural engineering……

b Hydraulic engineering ………

c Sanitary or environmental engineering

d A water supply system

e Civil engineering in a nuclear power plant

2 Write questions for these answers without referring to the text a ?

- The design and construction that are intended to be stationary b .?

- It includes buildings and houses, dams, bridges, etc c .?

- Because large structures like dams, bridges or tunnels may differ substantially from previous structures d ?

- Structural engineering, hydraulic engineering and environmental engineering e .?

- No, it doesn’t It deals with permanent structures f .?

- It is also called sanitary engineering g ?

- The design and construction of the plant itself h .?

When an architect receives a commission for a building, he meets the client and discusses his requirements After visiting the site, the architect draws up preliminary plans and, together with a rough estimate of the cost, submits them to the client for his approval If the client suggests changes, the architect incorporates them into the final design which shows the exact dimension of every part of the building At this stage, several building contractors are invited to bid for the job of constructing the building When they submit their tenders or prices, the architect assists his client in selecting the best one and helps him to draw up a contract between the client and the contractor.

Work now starts on the building As construction proceeds, the architect makes periodic inspections to make sure that the building is being constructed according to his plans and that the materials specified in the contract are being used During the building period, the client pays the bills from the contractor Subsequently, the contractor completes the building and the client occupies it For six months after completion there is a period known as the “defects liability period” During this period, the contractor must correct any defects that appear in the fabric of the building Finally, when all the defects have been corrected, the client takes full possession of the building

(Source: JAMES CUMMING English for Science and Technology-Architecture

and building construction, , NXB Xây Dựng, 2008.)

: nhà thầu xây dựng : tiến hành, tiến triển : chỉ, định rõ

: khách hàng (bên A) : giai đoạn sửa các thiếu sót (giai đoạn bảo hành) : phác thảo, bản vẽ

: sơ bộ, bước đầu : bản dự toán sơ bộ

: định kỳ, theo chu kỳ : lỗi, hư hỏng

: khung nhà, cấu trúc, cơ cấu : sau đó

COMPREHENSION CHECK

A Find a word or an expression in the passage which means:

1 To be given the job of designing a building

2 To offer to a client for his consideration

3 To combine into a whole

4 To offer to do some work at a certain price

5 To look at the building work in detail at regular intervals

6 Named or described exactly

7 An interval of time after the building has been finished during which the contractor is responsible for correcting any faults in it.

8 To have complete ownership of the building

B Questions

1 What does an architect do to have the final design for a building?

2 Who are invited to bid for the job of constructing the building?

3 Who helps the client to choose the best contractor?

4 What does the architect do when the construction proceeds?

5 What is the client’s task during the building period?

6 When does the client occupy the building?

7 When does he take full possession of the building?

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Reading and writing

Exercises 1 Complete this flow diagram Use the information from the main text.

CLIENT ARCHITECT

UNIT 3

UNIT 3

BUILDING MATERIALS AND TYPES OF CONSTRUCTION

Building materials are used in two basic ways In the first way they are used to support the loads on a building and in the second way they are used to divide the

sign

s a con

signs a contract with the

i) helps client h)

assits his client in selecting a g)

suggests changes

pays m)

from contractor

CONTRACTOR

space in a building Building components are made from building materials and the form of a component is related to the way in which it is used We can see how this works by considering three different types of construction:

1 In one kind of construction, blocks of materials such as brick, stone, or concrete are put together to form solid walls These materials are heavy, however, they can support the structural loads because they have the property of high compressive strength Walls made up of blocks both support the building and divide the space in the building.

2 In another type of construction, sheet materials are used to form walls which act as both space-dividers and structural support Timber, concrete and some plastics can be made into large rigid sheets and fixed together to form a building These buildings are lighter and faster to construct than buildings made up of blocks.

3 Rod materials, on the other hand, can be used for structural support but not for dividing spaces Timber, steel and concrete can be formed into rods and used as columns Rod materials with high tensile and compressive strength can be fixed together to form framed structures The spaces between the rods can be filled with light sheet materials which act as space dividers but do not support structural loads.

(Source: By JAMES CUMMING English for Science and Technology Architecture and Building Construction, NXB Xây Dựng, 1999.)

: cường độ chịu nén : cường độ chịu kéo : cứng

: liên quan : có liên quan đến : đổ đầy, lấp kín : lắp, lắp ghép : kết cấu dạng khung : xây dựng tấm phẳng : xây dựng khối : đặc tính, tính chất : tường, vách ngăn : cách, phương thức làm : đỡ kết cấu

B Answer the following questions:

1 How are building materials used?

2 What are building components made from?

3 What is the form of a component related to?

4 How many forms of building components are there? What are they?

5 How many types of construction are there? What are they?

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Exercise 1

Whether these statements are true or false Correct the false statements:

1 Rod materials can be used for both dividing space and supporting the building

2 Concrete can be used as a block material, a sheet material and a rod material

3 Steel is used for frame construction because it has high tensile strength and low compressive strength

4 The sheet materials, which act as space divider in a frame construction building, can be very light because they do not support structural loads

5 Mass construction buildings are light whereas planar construction buildings are heavy

Exercise 2

Complete the following sentences

1 Walls made up of blocks are used to

2 Sheet materials used in planar construction function

3 Rod materials used in frame construction are not used for

Exercise 3:

1 Read the text again and complete this table by putting ticks in the boxes to show the functions of the components:

Function of components

Form of material Structural support

only

Space dividing only Both structural

support and space dividing

has the property of

good sound insulation.

good thermal insulation.

high compressive strength.

high tensile strength.

This means

it can resist high compressive forces.

it can resist high tensile forces.

it does not transmit heat easily.

it does not transmit sound easily.

UNIT 4

PROPERTIES OF CONCRETE

Concrete is produced by mixing together cement, water and mineralaggregates This mixture is placed into a suitable mould, compacted, andallowed to harden It is somewhat similar to building stone but has theadvantage that it can be easily moulded into any suitable shape and also that itcan be conveniently reinforced with steel rods to improve its structuralproperties

A concrete mix may be regarded as being made up of two parts-first theaggregates (sand and stones) and second the cement paste (that is, water andcement) The cement paste covers the surface of the stones and sand particlesbinding them together when it hardens The aggregate is not altered in anyway but is merely embedded firmly in a rock-like hardened cement paste

This cementing material is formed by the water and cement combiningtogether chemically by a process called hydration The chemical reactiontakes place quite slowly and continues for many years

The hardened cement paste becomes harder as the hydration continuesand consequently concrete becomes harder and stronger as it grows older

provided that the temperature and moisture conditions are suitable If,however, the concrete is allowed to dry out completely, its strength willincrease no further.

The longer it remains in a well condition, the stronger it will become It

is also liable to attack by the weather or by chemicals and it is necessary to ensure that it becomes strong enough to withstand such attacks

1f then concrete is properly made and has been allowed to harden forall sufficient length of time usually a few days, it can resist compresive forcesvery well and can withstand quite severe weather conditions, and it can resistabrasion

2 What are the advantages of concrete as a constructional material ?

3 What materials are combined to form concrete?

4 What is the cement paste?

5 What is hydration?

6 How long does the chemical reaction take place?

7 What will happen if the concrete is allowed to dry out completely?

8 What will happen if concrete stays in unsuitable temperature and

moisture conditions?

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

I Grammar

I Words and prepositions that go together

A dictionary shows you which preposition goes with a word

be similar to

be regarded as

be liable to

II Put a preposition into each gap

a.The bungalow is different the terrace house

b Many people regard concrete one of the

best construction materials

c I prefer the cottage the modem house

d A concrete mix may be regarded being made up aggregates, water and cement

e The young engineer is very pleased his plan of the house.

f The cementing material is formed by the water and cement

combining together

g Reinforced concrete is not the same prestressed concrete

h In case fire, please leave the building as quickly as possible

i If you have any problem with the equipment, ask our

help

III Choose the best answer

1 Concrete is produced by mixing together cement, water and

2 Concrete gains its strength through a process called

a Hydration c Porland cement

IV Gap filling

Fill in the blank with a suitable word

a The cementing material is formed by the water and

combining together chemically by a process called hydration

b Concrete can be conveniently reinforced with steel

to improve its structural properties

c If the concrete is allowed to dry out completely, its strength wil1

.no further

d The cement paste covers the and sand particles

e The aggregate is not in any way but is merely embedded

firmly in a rock like hardened cement paste,

f The longer concrete remains in a well condition, the it will become

g Concrete can resist forces very well and can quitesevere weather conditions

V Put the verb in bracket into the correct form

a Concrete (make) up of cement, sand, water and sized stones

b A concrete mix may be regarded as (be) made up of two parts first the sand and stones and second the cement paste

c The hardened cement paste (become) harder as the hydration continues

d If the concrete is allowed (dry) out completely, its strength will increase

no futher

e It is necessary (ensure) that concrete becomes strong enough (withstand) quite severe weather conditions.

f Concrete can be (reinforce) with steel rods (improve) its structuralproperties

g Not (allow) water (leave) the concrete is very important This process (call) curing

h Portland cement is a grey powder that (produce) a strong "glue" (hold) sand and stone together

i Water (need) for hydration

j Too much water forces each cement particles (expand) its limited strengthpotential to greater limits, weakening the finished concrete

UNIT 5

Site labour

The two most important men on a construction site are the contractor's agent and the navvy The agent is important because he acts for the contractors and has the authority of the contractor on the site The navvy is important because he, with perhaps hundreds of other navvies, does most of the work Compared with these two, although no civil engineer will happily admit it, the resident engineer comes third, for without him the work would be completed in time, though perhaps badly and at high cost to the client Most of the civil engineering design has been done by the time the contract has been signed, and the contractor is bound to follow the design as it is laid down in the drawings, though normally no contract is left without the supervision of a resident engineer or at least of a clerk

of the works or a civil engineering inspector.

But between the agent and the navvy there are many other men who organize the work, help it to go smoothly, see to the arrival of the essential materials, check their quality and help to get the contract finished on time The chief of these is the general foreman, a man who has worked for many years on construction sites, either as a navvy and then as a ganger in charge of a group (gang) of navvies, or more usually, as a tradesman and then a foreman of his trade.

Tradesmen in civil engineering or building is the name given to masons, bricklayers, carpenters, plasterers, mechanical fitters and others who do a special kind of work with their hands (a trade) for which they gained the skill by a boyhood apprenticeship to a skilled man.

Since navvies do the concreting and digging which are essential to most foundation work, and foundations are the first work after the demolition and site clearance, navvies are usually the first men employed on a building site.

(Source: By Vi Thi Quoc Khánh, English for Architecture, Construction and

planning, NXB Xây Dựng, 2002)

VOCABULARY

to be bound to do sth : buộc phải làm gì

supervise (v) : giám sát thi công

supervisor (n) : người giám sát thi công

supervision (n) : sự giám sát

clerk (n) : người theo dõi tiến độ

civil engineering inspector : người giám sát kỹ thuật, thanh tra kỹ thuật

resident engineer : người giám sát các công trình trong vùng, bên A

boyhood (n) : thời niên thiếu

apprenticeship (n) : thời gian học việc

skilled man (n) : thợ lành nghề

COMPREHENTION CHECK

1 Why are the agent and navvy important on the construction site?

2 When has most of the civil engineering design been done?

3 Besides the agent and the navvy who organize the work? What do they do?

4 What does “tradesmen” mean?

5 Who are the first men employed on a building site?

SKILLS DEVELOPMENT

Reading and writing

Exercise 1: Look and read

Bar chart of the sequence of trades on a building site

Trade: steel erectors

Job: erecting the steelwork

Weeks working: 9 to 15

Trade: cladding fixers

Job: fixing the cladding

While the former erect the steelwork, the latter build the brickwork

the steel erectors have finished, the cladding fixers begin.

Use the bar chart to help you label the following drawings Then make similar

paragraphs:

The main type of concrete foundations are “independent” “strip”, “raft”, and “pile” For bridge building and other heavy engineering structures “caisson” foundations are used Independent foundations are used to support columns or piers which are unevenly spaced and unequally loaded A pad of concrete, plain or reinforced, is placed under each column or pier, the base of the pad extending far enough in all directions to spread the load evenly over the ground Strip foundations are used when a row of columns is so closely spaced that independent foundation would nearly meet When the columns are both near together and

regularly spaced, and carry nearly equal loads, raft (sometimes called “slab”) foundations, extending the whole length and breadth of a building, are used instead of strip foundations The raft may be a thick slab of mass concrete, or a thin slab of reinforced concrete, laid between lines of concrete beams joining the feet of the columns A raft foundation is often suitable in very soft ground, for it enables the building to “float” as a whole, where separate, independent foundations might sink by unequal amounts Piles are used to take the weight of a building when it is impossible to dig down to a solid layer of earth, either because the ground is water-logged or because there is a very great depth of poor soil Piles are solid lengths of timber, steel, or reinforced concrete, generally from 20 to 80 feet long driven into the ground by a heavy steam hammer Sometimes hollow steel tubes are used, being driven into the ground in the same way as solid piles and afterwards filled with concrete Before the concrete hardens, the tubes are withdrawn and can be used again

(Source: By Vi Thi Quoc Khánh, English for Architecture, Construction and

planning, NXB Xây Dựng, 2002 and figures by Roy Chudley revised by Roger Greeno, Construction Technology, Longman 2002)

lay – laid –laid (v) : đặt, để

unequal (adj) : không bằng nhau

harden (v) : đông cứng lại

withdraw (v) : rút ra

withstand (v) : giữ vững, trụ lại, cưỡng lại, chịu đựng nhiệt

COMPRESENSION CHECK

1 Why must the foundation of a modern building be strong enough?

2 What has to be done before laying the foundation? Why?

3 Why are towering skyscrapers hardly built in London?

4 What are independent foundations used for?

5 When are strip foundations used?

6 When are raft foundations used instead of strip foundations?

7 When are piles used?

a for load-bearing walls and for rows

of columns which are spaced so closely that pad foundations would nearly touch each other.

5 Bearing piles b to support structural columns.

c where the bearing capacity of the soil is low enough to necessitate a strip so wide that transverse bending occurs.

d where the soil at normal foundation level cannot support ordinary pad, strip or

e for soils of low bearing capacity or where structural columns or other loaded areas are so close in both directions.

Exercise 2: Now label the drawings with the names of foundations

)

Ti

Exercise 3: Look and read

Example: The foundation subsided the column moved

Now use the above table to write similar sentences about causes and effects

Exercise 4: Look at these diagrams and put the events in the correct order to make cause/effect tables as in exercise 3

a)

- Hardcore below the floor contained soluble salts

- Salts interacted with cement in concrete floor

- Concrete floor expanded

- Cracks formed in floor

b)

- Heavy rain washed away gravel on roof

- Roof inadequately protected from the sun

- Roof heated up

-Roof expanded

-Wall/roof joint failed

- Wood was painted with poor quality paint

- Moisture content of wood increased

- Woodwork expanded

- Later the wood dried and contracted

- Gaps formed between window and frame

Exercise 5: Read this

Stabilizing the ground under the foundations prevents the columns from moving

Now complete these sentences in the same way:

a Removing the soluble salts from the hardcore

b Protecting the roof from the sun

c Painting the woodwork with good quality paint

UNIT 7

STRUCTURES

A structure is the part of a building that carries its weight We should also remember that anything built is a structure (From an aeroplane

engineer’s point of view, an aeroplane is a structure) A structure may be a dwelling house, or a pyramid in Egypt, the statue of Christ on the Andes, or

a dam built by beavers across a Canadian river A building is a structure with

a roof and much of civil engineering structural design is the design of

building structures The building as a whole is designed by an architect, particularly in a densely populated area For water engineers, sewage-

treatment engineers, and municipal engineers, structures are not always an important part of their work even though a road or a pipe is a structure since they both carry load

Every building structural design includes the foundation design The structural design itself includes two different tasks, the design of the

structure, in which the sizes and locations of the main members are settled, and the analysis of this structure by mathematical or graphical methods or both, to work out how the loads pass through the structure with the particularmembers chosen For a common structure such as a building frame, many methods have been developed for analysis, so that the design and analysis will be relatively easy and may need to be performed only once or twice.But for any unusual structures the tasks of design and analysis will have to

be repeated many times until, after many calculations, a design has been found strong, stable and lasting Cheapness does not enter into the quality of the design though it is important since a costly structure will probably not bebuilt and the designer’s fee will therefore be smaller

For the typical multi-story structure in a city, whether it is to be used for offices or dwellings, the most important member which the engineer

designs is the floor – for two reasons: it repeats all the way up the building, and it has the greatest effect on the dead load of the building.

These floors are generally of reinforced or prestressed concrete

because they resist fire better than steel or wood, an important consideration for a tall building There are two main types, the solid floor and the hollow-tiled (or ribbed) floor In the ribbed floor, as the drawing shows, part of the lower half of the slab is hollow, a great advantage because this concrete would not strengthen the floor, but it is more difficult to cast them with holes through them unless these holes are carefully planned beforehand

(Source: By Vi Thi Quoc Khánh, English for Architecture, Construction and

planning, NXB Xây Dựng, 2002 and figures by Roy Chudley revised by Roger Greeno, Construction Technology, Longman 2002)

VOCABULARY

structure (n) : kết cấu, cấu trúc, công trình

populate (v) : ở, cư trú, đưa đến ở, định cư

densely-populated area (n) : khu vực đông dân cư

sewage-treatment (n) : xử lý nước thải

structural design (n) : thiết kế kết cấu, vẽ kết cấu