Текст B

The most important properties of building materials are their cost, their mechanical properties, which include their weight, their thermal and acoustic properties, their durability and their resistance to fire. Other important properties which are connected with the basic properties of the material are the ease of manufacture of the material, the corrosion and chemical resistance and the texture and appearance of the material.

Building materials may be divided into natural and artificial. The examples of natural building materials are wood, sand, clay. The examples of artificial building materials are cement, concrete, brick. The most important mechanical properties of building materials are their weight, tensile strength, shear strength, compressive strength, fatigue resistance, elasticity and creep under load. Other important mechanical properties are their strain capacity and their resistance to rain and moisture. All these properties of materials are based on those values which are given by standard tests and, in many cases the full details of the test ought to be known in order to assess the material. Some properties, for example the compressive strength of concrete, depend on the way the test is done and are based on other general properties.

Notes:

assess v. определять, оценивать

manufacture n. производство, изготовление

strain capacity деформационная способность, податливость

texture n. структура; текстура

Ответьте на вопросы к тексту.

1. What are the most important properties of building materials?

2. Are there any other important properties of building materials? What are they?

3. What are the two types of building materials?

4. What are the examples of each type?

5. What are the important mechanical properties of building materials?

6. What values are they based on?

7. Does the way the test is done influence any properties?