Text B. We have mentioned some problems connected with building

We have mentioned some problems connected with building. One of them is a foundation. Architects and engineers are aware of the problems involved in laying building's foundations. They do not always realize to what extent the earth can be pressed down by the weight of a building. Too little allowance has sometimes been made for the possibility of a heavy structure’s sinking unevenly. There are a lot of examples of foundations1 problems. One of them is the Leaning Tower of Pisa. Why did the Leaning Tower of Pisa lean? The answer is that its foundations were not soundly laid. Though the Leaning Tower is 14 feet out of the perpendicular, it has never toppled. But there is a way out. As the building began to lean over, the builders altered the design of the upper storeys to balance it. At the same time as one side of it sank into the ground, the earth beneath was compressed until it became dense enough to prevent further movement.

That's why a foundation engineer has a lot of work. But in a tall modern structure the load may be very heavy indeed. In this way the foundation engineer has an extremely important job to do. He must have understanding of soil mechanics, which entails a scientific study of the ground to see what load it can be without dangerous movement. The engineer must collect undisturbed samples of earth from various depths. By examining this, the engineer can forecast the probable shifts in the earth during and after building, according to the sort of the foundation he designs. Thus he comes to the most important decision of all in the building's construction. He decides whether the earth is a type that can best support each column on a separate solid block, or whether he must aim at lightness.

Exercise 11. Translate the words:

шов, транспортировать, опираться на, проект, пролет, труба, изгиб, грань, опорное кольцо, применять.

Exercise 12. Note in text B:

a. s- endings

b. That-functions

c. Modal verbs

UNIT 9

Exercise 1. Read the following:

6/7; 365 B.C.; 816 A.D.; 1/3; 1/5; 1/2; 8/9; 0.75; 2.426; 0.6; 0.25; 3.756; 0.5; 0.25.

Exercise 2. Words to be remembered:

suspension bridge – подвесной мост

iron – железо

chain – цепь

tension – растяжение

bottom – дно, нижняя часть

freeze – замораживать

derive – заимствовать

at the turn of the century – в начале века

to be interested in – интересоваться чем-либо (кем-либо)

parabolic – параболический

rink – спортивное сооружение, каток

deck – настил

lightweight structure – легкая конструкция

dead weight – собственный вес

live weight – рабочий (временный) вес

flutter (v., n.) – вибрация, вибрировать