By Martin Loosemore, Andrew Dainty and Helen Lingard,

2003 (Typeset in Sabon by Taylor & Francis Books Ltd Printed and bound in Great Britain by St Edmundsbury Press, Bury St Edmunds).

http://www.petronet.ir/documents/10180/2323250/

human_resource_management_in_construction

8. Read the text below and answer the question:

What does a wide range of activities in modern construction industry comprise?

What are major segments of the construction industry?

What are ancient historic examples of building constructions?

What do modern methods of construction involve?

What are two main products of modern construction methods?

What do modern European methods of construction include?

Text 1 B

Construction

 

From the pyramids of Egypt to the international space station, construction industry has always faced the challenges of the future - advancing civilization and building our quality of life. Today, the construction industry is undergoing vast changes - the technological revolution, population growth, environmental concerns, and more.

Modern construction industry is a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair. Construction is a process that consists of the building or assembling of infrastructure. Houses, apartments, factories, offices, schools, roads, and bridges are only some of the products of the construction industry.

This industry’s activities include the building of new structures, including site preparation, as well as additions and modifications to existing ones. The industry also includes maintenance, repair, and improvements on these structures.

The construction industry is divided into three major segments. Each of them requires a unique team to plan, design, construct and maintain the project.

1) The construction of buildings. This segment includes contractors, usually called general contractors, who build residential, industrial, commercial, and other buildings.

2) The Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction. This segment comprises establishments whose primary activity is the construction of entire engineering projects (e.g., highways, dams, bridges, tunnels, and other projects related to the infrastructure), and specialty trade contractors, whose primary activity is the production of a specific component for such projects. Specialty trade contractors in Heavy and Civil Engineering Construction generally are performing activities that are specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings.

3) Industrial construction. Specialty trade contractors perform specialized activities related to all types of construction such as carpentry, painting, plumbing, electrical work.

The construction of buildings is considered to be an ancient human activity. It began with the purely functional need for a controlled environment to moderate the effects of climate. The earliest practices of building construction may have commenced between 4000 and 2000 ВС in Ancient Egypt and Mesopotamia (Ancient Iraq) when humans stopped their nomadic existence, thus causing a need for the construction of shelter. The most exiting example of large structure constructions are the Pyramids in Egypt.

Other ancient historic examples of building constructions include the Parthenon by Iktinos in Ancient Greece, the Appian Way by Roman engineers, the Great Wall of China and the stupas constructed in ancient Sri Lanka. The Romans developed civil structures throughout their empire, including especially aqueducts, insulae, harbours, bridges, dams and roads.

Modern methods of construction are more complicated than in early history of mankind. Today’s professional builders understand building science and know how to build a house that not only looks good, but also well constructed and great to live. New houses are bright and comfortable all year-round, and take full advantage of the many advances in building products, materials and technologies.

Another most important change that has occurred during the modern time all over the world is that the process of construction has been steadily moving away from the building site. Modern methods of construction involve the manufacture of buildings with potential benefits such as faster construction, fewer housing defects, and reductions in energy use and waste.

Typically modern methods of construction involve the manufacture of buildings parts off-site in a specially designed factory. The two main products of modern methods are: 1) panels, including ready-made walls, floors and roofs, which are transported to the site and assembled quickly, often within a day; 2) modules - ready-made rooms, which can be pieced together to make a whole house or flat. Modules are used most frequently for bathrooms or kitchens, where all the fittings are added in the factory.

In Europe modern methods of construction also include innovative site-based methods, such as use of concrete moulds. The components are made in factories to precise specifications and then shipped to building sites where trained building crews install them. The benefits of using such pre-manufactured components are numerous. Prefabricated components can be brought in as they are needed and installed immediately. Furthermore, these materials and products are manufactured under strict quality control and confirm to construction standards. A range of materials is used for construction of buildings, the most common being wood, steel and concrete, although many houses have a brick outer layer and so look like traditional houses.

 

Notes on the text:

stupas - ступа (куполообразное сооружение на могиле царя или вождя; хранилище реликвий)

insulae – блок домов; квартал (в древнеримской архитектуре)

 

 

TEXT EXERCISES

 

9. Give Russian equivalents to the following word combinations:

 

faced the challenges of the future, quality of life, undergoing vast changes, high hazard industry, primary activity, trade contractors, to moderate the effects of climate, reductions in energy use, the construction of shelter, full advantage, to move away from the building site, the manufacture of buildings parts off-site, ready-made walls, innovative site-based methods, to precise specifications, pre-manufactured components, prefabricated components, strict quality control

 

10. Give English equivalents to the following words:

 

подрядчик, плотина, плотничные работы, водопровод, шоссе, укрытие (кров), акведук, гавань, за пределами площадки

 

11. Fill in the necessary prepositions. Consult the text if necessary:

 

e.g.: quality of life

 

to face the challenges ___ the future; a wide range ___ activities; the building ___ new structures; to be divided ___ three major segments; each ___ them; the production ___ a specific component ___ such projects; to relate ___ all types of construction; the effects ___ climate; a need ___ the construction ___ shelter; the example ___ large construction; history ___ mankind; all ___ the world; two main products ___ modern methods; to be made ___ factories; to be manufactured ___ strict quality control; to be used ___ construction ___f buildings

 

12. Match the beginnings from part A with the endings from part B:

A)

1. From the pyramids of Egypt to the international space station, construction industry has always...

2. Modern construction industry is...

3. This industry’s activities include...

4. The construction industry is...

5. Construction generally are performing activities that are...

6. The construction of buildings is considered...

7. Modern methods of construction are more...

8. Another most important change that has occurred during the modern time all over the world is that...

9. Modules are used most frequently for...

10. The components are made in factories to precise specifications and then...

B)

A)... specific to heavy and civil engineering construction projects and are not normally performed on buildings.

B)... bathrooms or kitchens, where all the fittings are added in the factory.

C)... complicated than in early history of mankind.

D)... the building of new structures, including site preparation, as well as additions and modifications to existing ones.

E)... to be an ancient human activity.

F)... the process of construction has been steadily moving away from the building site.

G)... faced the challenges of the future - advancing civilization and building our quality of life.

H)... divided into three major segments.

I)... shipped to building sites where trained building crews install them.

J)... a high hazard industry that comprises a wide range of activities involving construction, alteration, and/or repair.

 

13. Translate into English:

 

Гражданское строительство - область техники, посвященная сооружению крупных зданий и систем. Гражданское строительство обеспечивает все необходимое для нужд транспорта, как бытовых, так и промышленных: дороги, мосты, каналы, аэропорты, водопроводные системы, плотины, портовые сооружения и туннели.

Для гражданского строительства непременным условием является тщательное изучение местности, свойств применяемых материалов, особенностей почвы, гидравлических параметров.

К области гражданского строительства примыкают такие дисциплины, как архитектура, ирригация, транспорт, почвоведение, геодезия, гидравлика, а также технология строительства в прибрежных и океанских зонах.

 

Научно-технический энциклопедический словарь // http://dic.academic.ru/dic.nsf/ntes/

14. Read and summarize the text below:

 

Text 1 C