UNIT 4. BRIDGE BUILDING IN THE MIDDLE AGES.

Vocabulary

arch compression line – компрессионная линия (давления), линия деформации

as an example – в качестве примера

(to) apply – применять, употреблять

bridge builder – мостостроитель

calculation – вычисление, расчет

centre of gravity – центр тяжести

concerning – относительно, касательно

(to) erect – воздвигать, сооружать

neither … nor – ни …ни

suspension bridge – висячий мост

Renaissance – эпоха возрождения, ренессанс

temporarily – временно

tensile strength (of steel) – предел прочности на разрыв (свойство стали, работающее на растяжении)

truss bridge – мост со сквозными фермами

with respect to – что касается…,

Neither necessity nor the material means existed could stimulate the building of bridges. The church engaged itself in the building of bridges. It is worth noticing that there was a transition from half-circular arches to shorter arches and ellipses. Pont d'Avignon, which was built in the years 1177 to 1188 with as many as 21 spans and a total length of over 900 metres, for a long time was the longest bridge in Europe.

With the emergence of the Renaissance and modern times, the building of bridges flourished again. Le Pont-Neuf, built by Marchand in 1578 – 1604 and which is one of the most famous bridges in Paris, may stand as an example of this period.

The design of stone bridges was for a long time based on empirical rules. The bridge builders did not have any explicit theory or static calculations to lean on. Theoretical considerations concerning stone bridges started with Lahire in 1695, when the arch compression line was defined. Culman introduced calculations of bridges with an elastic centre of gravity about 1850. Wooden bridges and steel bridges had a strong epoch along with the development of truss theory. In 1757, Grubenmann made a big bridge in Schaffhausen in Switzerland with a span of almost 100 metres, though he probably did not know this scientific development. Culman was the first one to systematically apply graphic methods for truss structures in 1866.

Maxwell, Cremona and Mohr, just to mention a few, performed a further development of truss theory. The previous limits to span lengths were expanded with the introduction of truss bridges made out of steel, The span length of truss bridges temporarily culminated with the building of the Firth of Forth Bridge, erected in 1889, with a largest span of 521 metres and the Quebec Bridge from 1917, with a main span of 548.6 metres. With respect to large spans, it is also the utilization of the tensile strength of steel in bridges that makes this feasible.

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. What was characteristic of bridge building in the Middle Ages?

2. When did the building of bridges flourish again?

3. What are the most famous bridges of that period?

4. When did the first theoretical considerations start? Who defined the arch compression line?

5. Name some outstanding bridge builders of the Middle Ages and explain what they did for the development of bridge building.

6. What was acknowledged in Russia in the 1840s?

7. What made it possible to expand the previous limits to span lengths?

Exercises:

1) Find out if the statements are true. If the statement is false, correct it. If the statement is correct develop the idea using the information given in the text.

1. The Renaissance was a peak in the history of bridge building in the Middle Ages.

2. The design of stone bridges had been based on static calculations and theoretical considerations until 1695.

3. Culman was the first who started to apply graphic methods for truss structures.

4. 5. The utilization of the tensile strength of steel in suspension bridges makes it possible to build bridges with longer spans.

5. Nowadays Pont d'Avignon is the longest bridge in Europe.

2) Use the vocabulary in the box to replace the words in italics.

Utilization	With respect to	Concerning	Calculations
Apply	Feasible	Acknowledged

1. Culman was the first one to systematically use graphic methods for truss structures in 1866.

2. The bridge builders did not have any explicit theory or static computations to rely on.

3. Theoretical considerations regarding stone bridges started with Lahire in 1695, when the arch compression line was defined.

4. It was admitted in Russia in the 1840s.

5. As to large spans, it is the usage of the tensile strength of steel in suspension bridges that makes this possible.

3) Translate from English into Russian.

To be neither for nor against, the political necessity, material means, a total length, the emergence of the Renaissance, stand as an example, explicit theory, theoretical considerations, to define a problem, the development of truss theory, it is widely acknowledged that, with the introduction of, made out of wood, limits to span lengths, to the limit, on a temporary basis, he neither knows nor cares.

4) Translate into English.

1. Стоит обратить внимание на переход от полукруглой арки к строительству эллиптических конструкций.

2. Расцвет строительства мостов пришелся на эпоху Ренессанса.

3. Этот мост, построенный в 1578-1604 гг., один из самых известных во Франции, может служить примером мостостроения того периода.

4. Проектировка каменных мостов основывалась долгое время на эмпирических наблюдениях, а не на точных расчетах.

5. С появлением мостов со сквозными фермами прежняя длина пролета была значительно увеличена.

6. Это свойство стали сделало возможным строительство мостов с большими пролетами.

5) Form nouns from the following adjectives and translate them into Russian:

Long, wide, height, broad, deep, thick, strong.

Dimension is a measurement in length, breadth, or thickness. Study these ways of describing dimension.

How long is it? It is 484.5 cm long. The length is 484.5 cm.

How wide is it? It is 165.0 cm wide. The width is 165.0 cm.

How high is it? It is 157.5 cm high. The height is 157.5 cm.

How heavy is it? It weighs 2, 570 kg.

How much does it weigh? The weight is 2, 570 kg.

UNIT 5. ANCIENT BRIDGES.

Vocabulary

arch bridge – арочный мост

available – пригодный, доступный

beam – балка

(to) build out of – строить из

(to) consist of – состоять из

(to) cross natural barriers – пересекать естественные преграды

to develop – развивать(ся)

(to) exchange goods – обмениваться товарами

floating bridge – наплавной или понтонный мост

however – однако, тем не менее

pillar – опора

suspension bridge – висячий мост

span – пролет

various – различный, разнообразный

The history of bridges can be traced back to the origin of human civilization. Contact between different groups of people led to the exchange of goods and services, which made it necessary to establish channels of communication between the various societies. Trails and roads emerged, people built simple bridges to cross natural barriers and facilitate traffic.

The first bridges were very primitive. They were built out of wood and stone, the building materials that nature made available. A simple trunk of a tree or a stone across a stream eased the crossing and can be called a bridge.

People used ropes to cross greater gaps, as a result primitive suspension bridges appeared. Later on bridge construction developed into more complicated structures.

Primitive stone bridges developed to simple arch bridges built of stones laid on top of each other with a slight offset, until they met in the middle. This kind of arches can be found in ancient Egypt, Greece, Asia Minor and Mexico. Such a construction method only allowed short spans.

Floating bridges were also built a long time ago. One of the most famous floating bridges is Xerxes' bridge across Hellespont built in 480 BC in the war between Persia and Greece.

Unfortunately, there are few records and little information available about the first bridges. The earliest reference to a bridge takes us back to about 2650 BC. It was a bridge across the Nile at Menes, but without any details about it. We have, however, detailed information about a bridge that was built across the Euphrates about 500 years later. This bridge consisted of wooden beams on a foundation of stone pillars and had a span of about 10 metres. Some examples of early bridges that exist today are Tarr Steps in Exmore, England, built about 1000 BC, and an arch bridge across the river Meles by Izmir in Turkey, built about 850 BC.

Answer the questions according to the text:

1. What did contact between different groups of people lead to?

2. Why did people start to build bridges?

3. What materials were used for the construction of the first bridges?

4. What led to the construction of the first suspension bridges?

5. Do we have enough information about the first bridges?

6. Give all possible information about the bridge across the Euphrates.

7. What bridges that exist nowadays can you name? When and where they built?

8. Describe the first arch bridges. Where was this kind of bridges built? What was the main drawback of such a construction method?

9. When and where was the most famous floating bridge built?

10. What materials were used for bridge building in China?

11. When was the An-Chi bridge built?

12. What type of bridge was the AnLan bridge? What is its total length? How many spans did it have?

Exercises:

1) Circle the best answer to each of the following questions:

1. The first paragraph tells us about …

a) the emergence of bridges;

b) the origin of human civilization;

c) the exchange of goods between different groups of people.

2. The second paragraph …

a) contains a detailed description of the first bridges.

b) shows that the first bridges had rather a primitive structure.

c) tells us about materials used for bridge building.

3. Suspension bridge appeared …

a) as a result people managed to cross greater gaps.

b) in 2650 BC when a bridge across the Nile at Menes was built.

c) when people started to use ropes for crossing greater gaps.

4. The fourth paragraph …

a) tells us about main drawbacks (недостатки) of first arch bridges.

b) gives us a full description of arch bridges built in ancient Egypt.

c) contains the description of the first arch bridges developed from primitive stone bridges.

2) Find out the statements that are true. If the statement is false, correct it. If the statement is correct develop the idea using the information given in the text.

1. People built bridges out of ferrous metals and alloys of non-ferrous metals, building materials that nature made available.

2. Trails, roads and primitive bridges facilitated communication between people.

3. The first reference to a bridge dates back to 2650 BC.

4. According to the best authorities people didn’t use ropes. As a result they couldn’t build suspension bridges.

5. There are enough records and much information available about the first bridges.

6. There is detailed information about a bridge built in 700 BC.

7. The bridge across the Euphrates consisted of horizontal beams supported by two stone pillars at each end and had a span of 10 metres.

8. There are no ancient bridges existing nowadays.

9. Primitive stone bridges evolved into arch bridges.

10. Chinese bridges were built out of stone, wood and ropes.

3) Match the words with a similar meaning:

a)	exchange	set up
b)	origin	simple
c)	establish	small river
d)	various	difficult
e)	emerged	appear
f)	build	of different kinds
g)	facilitate	ease
h)	primitive	construct
i)	stream	barter
j)	complicated	very old
k)	ancient	source

4) Match the following phrases from the article:

1. Which made it necessary	about a bridge across the Euphrates
2. People built bridges	out of wood and stone
3. Ropes were used	to the first year after his birth
4. There is little information available	to establish channels of communication
5. We have detailed information	of wooden beams on a foundation of stone pillars.
6. It consisted	to simple arch bridges
7. They were built	to cross greater gaps
8. They developed	to facilitate traffic
9. It takes us back	about the first bridges

5) Translate from Russian into English:

1. Это не трудно будет сделать при наличии таких инструментов.

2. Он считает такие методы необходимыми для поддержания дисциплины.

3. Его замечания прозвучали несколько неестественно.

4. Чувствовалась атмосфера взаимного уважения, естественная для старых друзей.

5. Он великолепно разгадывает кроссворды.

6. На наше счастье мы были недалеко от берега, когда лодка перевернулась.

7. Мы пошли домой кратчайшим путем через поле, хотя это было и опасно.

8. Еще с древности человек для перехода через ручьи, речки, овраги пользовался мостами примитивных типов. Ствол дерева, перекинутый с берега на берег, являлся простейшим видом балочного моста.

9. В XII столетии наиболее распространёнными на Руси были арочные деревянные мосты.

10. Инки строили верёвочные мосты, представляющие собой простейшую форму висячих мостов.

References:

https: //books.google.ru/books? isbn=9026518455

Watch the video and discuss it in class:

http: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=YPEPoWTi8qk

http: //www.youtube.com/watch? v=3EZAb1tkSfs#t=96

TEST

1. The Romans were__________ the static function of the arch, as means to distribute the load of the bridge.

a) know

b) aware of

c) stay in the know

d) keep up

2. The Roman arch was ___________ and consequently had s limited potential for the construction of bridges across large divides.

a) circular

b) round

c) oval

d) semi-circular

3. The three level of the bridge were built in dressed stone without ________.

a) concrete

b) bridges

c) mortar

d) water

4. Today only the stone bridges have _________ the wear and tear of history.

a) survived

b) lived

c) left

d) stayed

Translate the words into Russian:

5. gutter –

6. among –

7. outstanding –

Check true or false:

8. When supporting its own weight and the weight of crossing traffic, every part of the arch is under compression.

a) T

b) F

9. For this reason, arch bridges must be made of materials that are not strong under compression.

a) T

b) F

10. Built before the birth of Christ, the bridge is held together by mortar only in its bottom tier.

a) T

b) F

Fill in the gaps with necessary words:

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