Documente Academic
Documente Profesional
Documente Cultură
Daciana Indolean
Editura Mega
Cluj-Napoca, 2012
Contents
Preface7
About this book9
Module 1: Personal Development
Unit 1: Learning Styles 15
Unit 2: The Common European Framework of Reference
for Languages 19
Module 2: Science and Technology
Unit 3: Civil Engineering25
Unit 4: Buildings34
Unit 5: Construction Materials45
Unit 6: Construction Processes57
Unit 7: Writing for Science68
Unit 8: Presenting Your Scientific Work83
Module 3: At Work
Unit 9: The Business Environment95
Unit 10: Writing for Business 102
Unit 11: Building up the Business 117
Unit 12: I Can Do Business! (Or Can I?) 130
PREFA
Cartea doamnei Daciana Indolean English for Civil Engineering a fost, nc de la prima lectur, o plcut surpriz. Pentru
c nu este vorba de un alt manual de englez, adresat inginerilor
constructori, ci de o nou abordare a predrii limbii engleze n
domeniul tehnic. Este o carte despre rolul pe care limba englez
l joac n dezvoltarea profesional a inginerului secolului XXI. Ca
parte a comunitii europene i n plin proces de globalizare, nu
mai este suficient s poi meteugi cuvinte n maniera marelui
Shakespeare; pentru inginer este important s poat comunica cu
partenerii si de munc i afaceri ntr-o limb care, de cele mai
multe ori, nu este limba matern a nici unuia dintre interlocutori.
Doamna Daciana Indolean a intuit foarte bine acest aspect i,
prin aceast carte, vine n sprijinul tinerilor studeni, viitori constructori, relevndu-le feluritele moduri n care limba englez i
poate ajuta n conturarea i consolidarea carierei lor. Lucrarea
abordeaz inovativ studiul limbii engleze, mbinnd elementele de
vocabular i gramatic cu dezvoltarea abilitilor de comunicare,
cerine fundamentale n societarea modern n care trim astzi.
Lucrarea este structurat n trei pri care acoper aspecte legate
de strategii de dezvoltare personal, engleza tehnic n domeniul
ingineriei civile i, respectiv, n mediul de afaceri. Deosebit de util
este prezentarea Cadrului European de Referin pentru Limbi
Strine, a modurilor de autoevaluare a cunotinelor, stiluri de
nvare i strategii de dezvoltare personal pe tot parcursul vieii.
De asemenea, este creativ introducerea termenilor i formulrilor specifice domeniului ingineriei civile n contextul utilizrii
acestora n limba scris, citit sau vorbit i crearea abilitilor de
comunicare nelegerea / transmiterea unui mesaj oral sau scris.
Noiunile de gramatic i vocabular se completeaz ntr-un mod
firesc i apelarea la mijloace moderne de informare i documentare, inclusiv internetul, face nvarea plcut i uoar, ntr-o
manier interactiv.
7
Dear students,
This practical course has been created for your specific communicational needs as future engineers.
Structure
I divided the book into three modules, each module dealing with
three distinct aspects: learning styles and evaluations, civil engineering and business communication.
The educational objective of this course is to assist you in your personal and professional development by means of specific teaching
modules.
The first module introduces elements of lifelong learning and
self-evaluation. It will assist you in the further improvement of
your communicational competence even after the completion of
the English course.
The second module presents the universe of civil engineering. It
will enable you to acquire the vocabulary related to science and
technology behind civil engineering, and it will reinforce the language structures in use in these specific fields, thus enabling you
to cope with the subjects taught as part of your academic training.
The third module will enable you to operate with specific language
structures and skills required by the industrial and commercial
environment. This will allow you to communicate successfully
with the various categories of people encountered in your future
line of work: crew, superiors, clients, etc.
Educational strategy
The course is based on a combination between individual tasks
meant to strengthen the foundation of your communication in
English (grammar and vocabulary exercises), combined with interactive tasks, designed to reinforce English as a communicational
tool for future civil engineers.
9
Learning portfolio
You should be aware of the fact that no matter how frequent or
how intensive English classes are, they will never fully meet your
learning needs. This is why your class work will be completed by
other learning activities. This learning portfolio should contain
the following:
1. classroom notes
2. assignments
3. a written learning plan based on the self-evaluation of your
English communicational instruments. You should do this
at the beginning of each semester and re-evaluate it after the
final tests of each semester
4. a list of words and expressions related to disciplines connected to civil engineering, explained in English and
translated into your mother language (25 words per semester)
5. a translation of an authentic text on disciplines or areas
related to civil engineering from English into your mother
language (5 pages per semester)
6. upper-intermediate grammar exercises that should sustain
and improve language operations: irregular plurals of nouns,
adjectives and their comparisons, prepositions, verb tenses
and aspects, conditional clauses, modal verbs, relative
clauses, etc.
Evaluation
Your performance will be evaluated several times during each
semester by means of short formative assignments, meant to help
you determine your strong and weak points in connection to the
specific language aspects covered by the units or module.
At the end of each semester, you will sit for a summative test, carrying the weight of the final mark.
Marking system
Your performance to the tests will be evaluated according to the
following criteria:
10
Points
CEFR levels
4050
B2
2540
B1
1024
A2
2. Attitude (A)
Your response receives a Pass only if you employ the proper attitude towards the reader or the audience. This means that your
document is reader-friendly and the communication conveys a
positive message.
11
Attitude
Points
4050
2540
1024
3. Personal commitment
Although not marked, attendance is an important factor that can
pass judgment over your final mark. It can deny you sitting for the
final test. Please refer to the university regulations about this issue.
4. Plagiarism
Plagiarism is another aspect that can influence your final mark.
While it is acceptable to use the work of others as long as you
acknowledge its origin, copied portfolios or homework will deny
you entrance for the final test.
Final mark: L + A (minimum 25 points for each criterion to
pass)
At the end of this book, you should be able to demonstrate communicational competences at the CEFR level of B2.
12
Module 1
Personal Development
E Thats logical.
Follow the process, procedure or rules.
Theres no pattern to this.
We can work it out.
Quantify it or prove it!
Lets make a list!
15
TOTAL SCORE
This is what I think or feel about that. A B C D
Ill get back to you on that.
E F G
Ill consider it.
Let me do some research about that.
Based on which letter collected most points, read the short description of the seven learning styles:
A Visual style
If you use the visual style, you prefer using images, pictures, colors
and maps to organize information and communicate with others.
You can easily visualize objects, plans and outcomes in your minds
eye. You also have a good spatial sense, which gives you a good sense
of direction. You can easily find your way around using maps and
you rarely get lost. When you walk out of an elevator, you instinctively know which way to turn. Some pursuits that make the most
of the visual style are visual art, architecture, photography, video or
film, design, planning (especially strategic), and navigation.
B Aural style
If you use the aural style, you like to work with sound and music.
You have a good sense of pitch and rhythm. You typically can sing,
play a musical instrument, or identify the sounds of different instruments. Certain music invokes strong emotions. You notice the music
playing in the background of movies, TV shows and other media. You
often find humming or tapping a song or jingle, or a theme or jingle
pops into your head without prompting. Some pursuits that use the
aural style are playing, conducting or composing music and sound
engineering.
C Verbal style
The verbal style involves both the written and spoken word. If you
use this style, you find it easy to express yourself both in writing and
verbally. You love reading and writing. You like playing on the meaning or sound of words, such as in tongue twisters, rhymes, limericks
16
and the like. You know the meaning of many words, and regularly
make an effort to find the meaning of new words. You use these
words, as well as phrases you have picked up recently, when talking
to others. Pursuits that use the verbal style include public speaking,
debating, politics, writing and journalism.
D Physical style
If the physical style is more like you, its likely that you use your body
and sense of touch to learn about the world around you. Its likely you
like sports and exercise, and other physical activities such as gardening or woodworking. You like to think out issues, ideas and problems
while you exercise. You would rather go for a run or walk if something
is bothering you, rather than sitting at home. Pursuits that involve
the physical style include general physical work, mechanical, construction and repair work, sports and athletics, drama and dancing.
E Logical style
If you use the logical style, you like using your brain for logical and
mathematical reasoning. You can recognize patterns easily, as well
as connections between seemingly meaningless content. This also
leads you to classify and group information to help you learn or
understand it. People with a strong logical style are likely to follow
such pursuits as the sciences, mathematics, accounting, detective
work, law and computing programming.
F Social style
If you have a strong social style, you communicate well with people,
both verbally and non-verbally. People listen to you or come to you for
advice, and you are sensitive to their motivations, feelings or moods.
You listen well and understand others views. You may enjoy mentoring or counseling others. Some examples of pursuits that people
with a strong social style may follow include counseling, teaching,
training and coaching, sales, politics, human resources, and others.
G Solitary style
If you have a solitary style, you are more private, introspective and
independent. You can concentrate well, focusing your thoughts and
17
feelings on your current topic. You are aware of your own thinking,
and you may analyze the different ways you think and feel. Those
that have a strong solitary style include authors, researchers, park
rangers and security guards. Peak performers in any field often have
a good solitary style behind other more dominant styles.
(http://www.learning-styles-online.com)
Assignment In teams of five, choose the three most useful learning styles for a future civil engineer. Compare your results with the
others teams.
18
Independent Speaker
A1
A2
B1
beginner
elementary
intermediate
B2
upper
intermediate
Proficient Speaker
C1
C2
advanced
proficiency
Listening
I can understand
a. terms and expressions
b. simple sentences, short messages, announcements and
instructions
c. main ideas in professional dialogues (meetings, training sessions)
d. the main ideas and complex lines of argument in professional
dialogues, documentaries, presentations, scientific discourse
Reading
I can understand
a. familiar terms and expressions, notices, warning signs, technical specifications
b. predictable sentences in everyday used materials, advertisements, prospectuses, menus, timetables, short and simple
e-mails
c. key elements of descriptions of processes, business letters or
technical specifications
d. articles and reports concerned with contemporary science
and technology, technical specifications, business letters and
other specific documents
Spoken interaction
I can
a. answer very simple and basic questions related to the technological processes and specific tasks related to my work
b. handle very short social and professional exchanges even
though I cannot usually understand enough to keep the conversation going
c. deal with most situations likely to arise when communicating with a speaker of English. I can enter unprepared into a
conversation on familiar topics related to professional activities or free time
d. interact with a degree of fluency and spontaneity with other
speakers. I can take an active part in discussions in the professional contexts, business meetings and other social events
20
Spoken production
I can
a. indicate the machines, devices and tools frequently used in
constructions, the way they operate and the construction
materials used
b. basic phrases and sentences to describe in simple terms my
profession and the professional environment, working conditions, devices, tools and machines, construction materials
and specific technological processes
c. simple descriptions of processes or materials, basic comments of the latest discoveries, expressing my personal
reactions and opinions
d. clear detailed descriptions of a wide range of subjects related
to the professional field. I can create complex presentations
for training sessions or product launch
Writing
I can write
a. short and simple messages, fill in forms with minimal details
(name, position, contact details, technical specifications, construction materials)
b. short and simple messages, e-mails and order forms
c. letters describing a product or a technological process,
expressing my professional opinion on the matter in a less
elaborate sentences
d. clear, detailed text on a wide range of subjects related to my
profession, instructions or reports, giving reasons and recommendations, business letters and memoranda
22
Module 2
Science and Technology
25
Material engineering
Earthquake engineering
expectation
consequence
chamber
gathering
assessment
28
2. Westminster Abbey,
photo by Chris O
drive
form
operate perform
Example
The carpet layer is the person who lays out the carpets in a building.
1. The bricklayer
2. The carpenter
3. The electrician
4. The painter
5. The plumber
8. Based on your personal knowledge, write definitions for the following geometric figures:
30
Triangle
Square
Circle
Rectangle
Parallelogram
Pyramid
Sphere
Cube
Area
Volume
9. 20 relative pronouns and adverbs have been left out of the text.
Write the correct missing pronoun or adverb.
Physics is the science of matter and its motion the science (1) deals
with concepts such as force, energy, mass and charge. It is the general analysis of nature (2) is conducted in order to understand how
the world around us behaves.
Classical mechanics is a model of the physics of forces (3) act upon
bodies. Mechanics is subdivided into statics (4), models objects at rest,
kinematics (5), models objects in motion, and dynamics (6), models
objects subjected to forces. The classical mechanics of continuous
and deformable objects is continuum mechanics (7), can itself be
broken down into solid mechanics and fluid mechanics according
to the state of matter being studied. The latter is the mechanics of
liquids and gases (8), includes hydrostatics, hydrodynamics, pneumatics, aerodynamics and other fields. Electromagnetism is the
science (9) describes the interaction of charged particles with electric
and magnetic fields. It can be divided into electrostatics (10), is the
study of interactions between electric charges at rest, and electrodynamics (11), is the study of interactions between moving charges
and radiation. Electromagnetism encompasses various real-world
electromagnetic phenomena. For example, light is an oscillating electromagnetic field (12) is radiated from accelerating charged particles.
Aside from gravity, most of the forces that we experience everyday
are ultimately a result of electromagnetism. Thermodynamics is the
science (13) studies the effects of changes in temperature, pressure
and volume on physical systems at the macroscopic scale, and the
transfer of energy as heat. The starting point for most thermodynamic considerations are the laws of thermodynamics, (14) postulate
that energy can be exchanged between physical systems as heat or
31
Conduction
Radiation
It is no secret that a house will lose heat in the winter and allow heat
in during the summer. Heat, or thermal energy, flows continuously
through materials and space, taking the path of least resistance and
flowing from the warmer object to the colder object. To understand
how thermal insulation works, it helps to understand the three mechanisms of heat energy transfer: convection, conduction and radiation.
In winter, the heat in a familys living room invariably flows by air
movement to spaces that are not heated, such as the basement, attic
or garage. This is an example of heat flowing through moving air,
known as convection. Another example is when heat is transferred
from hot coffee, through the cup, to the hand holding the cup. This
is known as conduction, or the process by which heat transfer takes
place in solid matter. A third example can be found when a rooftop
32
is warmed by the energy of the sun. This is an example of the transfer of heat through space via electromagnetic waves (radiant energy),
known as radiation. (Bynum, R., 2001, Insulation Handbook)
12. Now match the same terms with their alternate definitions
(1) is the transfer of heat by physically moving the molecules from
one place to another.
(2) is the process by which heat transfer takes place in solid matter.
(3) involves the transfer of heat through electromagnetic waves
and absorption of that energy by a surface.
13. Translate the following definitions into English. Use relative
pronouns.
1. Chimia este tiina care se ocup de studiul compoziiei,
structurii, proprietilor i transformrilor substanelor prin
regruparea atomilor i modificarea legturilor.
2. Elementul chimic reprezint o specie de atomi cu aceeai
sarcin nuclear.
3. Compusul chimic este gruparea mai multor atomi unii prin
legturi chimice.
4. Atomul reprezint cea mai mic particul dintr-o substan,
indivizibil prin procedee chimice dar divizibil prin procedee fizice.
5. Molecula este cea mai mic particul dintr-o substan care
poate exista n stare liber i care pstreaz toate proprietile chimice ale substanei respective.
(www.dexonline.ro)
Unit 4 Buildings
Descriptions
In technical English, descriptions can be used to visually present
an object.
Descriptive sequences:
1. Spatial sequence for static or mechanism at rest
2. Functional sequence for mechanism in action
3. Chronological sequence order of assembly
A good technical description should use clear and limiting titles
for each chapter and appropriate level of detail and technicality (adapted to the audience and the purpose of the document).
In addition, the description should be impartial, objective and
non-judgmental, and should focus on the observable details, such
as measurements and dimensions, concrete, specific, material
details expressed using precise technical language. Visuals should
be generously used. (Lannon, 2007, Technical Communication)
Adjectives describe nouns or pronouns by giving us information
on their size, shape, color, origin, material or use. They also help
us compare two items.
Comparison degrees of adjectives
1. Monosyllabic adjectives use er and est
Strong, stronger, the strongest
2. Disyllabic adjectives ending in y, er, ow, le also use er and est
Easy, easier, the easiest
Narrow, narrower, the narrowest
3. All other use more and the most/less and the least:
difficult, more difficult, the most difficult/less difficult, the least
difficult.
4. Irregular forms:
good, better, the best
bad, worse, the worst
34
95%
1983
4. Identify and list all the adjectives and adverbs used in the text
which refer to the size of the building.
5. Read the text about the Palace of the Parliament again and decide
what type of description sequence is used.
6. Write the adjectives corresponding to these geometric figures:
square, rectangle, circle, ellipse, triangle, sphere, pyramid, cone, cylinder, cube.
7. Turn these adjectives into nouns, and then complete the table by
giving the antonyms and their corresponding nouns.
Adjective
Noun
Antonym
Noun
High
Long
Wide
Broad
Deep
Hard
Tough
Rough
Transparent
Rigid
37
1.
2.
3.
Price
210 Euro
330 Euro
150 Euro
11 / 2003
1 / 2003
6 / 2000
Kilometer
1.345km
610km
1.960km
1.200 h
610 h
1.860 h
Power
11kw
3kw
11kw
Fuel type
Diesel
Diesel
Diesel
10 l
7l
12 l
Operating hours
Fuel consumption
Q1: (power)?
A1: Excavator 2 has only 3kw.
Q2: (expensive)?
A2: Excavator 3 costs just 150 Euros.
Q3: (expensive)?
A3: Excavator 2 costs 330 Euros.
Q4: Which two excavators display equal power?
A4: (powerful)
Q5: (recent)?
A5: Excavator 1 was first registered in November 2003.
Q6: (mileage)?
A6: Excavator 2 has only 610km.
Q7: (mileage)?
A7: Excavator 3 has 1.960km.
Q8: (fuel consumption)?
A8: Excavator 3 uses 12 l of fuel.
Q9: (fuel consumption)?
A9: Excavator 2 uses 7 l of fuel.
Q10: (good deal)?
38
9. Write the answer to question 10 in the form of a report, providing arguments for your choice. Use the template below (1 page).
To:
From:
Date:
Title of the report
Introduction (reason for writing the report)
Findings (comparison of the three excavators in relation to the purpose of the report)
Conclusion (which excavator is the best deal)
10. This report contains several spelling mistakes. Identify and correct them.
The purpous of this report is to decide which of the three excavators presented in the tabel is considered to be the best deal. After
examening the information in detail, and comparing the technical
specifications of these excavators we can conclud that clearly the
best choise is excavator 1.
Firstly, one of the key importance reasons acording to which we
chose this excavator is the affordible price, of 210 Euro, and the
power. With a power of 11kw its the most powerfull excavator of
the three.
Secondly, it has a relatively low fuel consumption of 10l. Also this
excavator was registered the most recently, which means that it is
the leatest model.
In conclusion, this excavator is the best choice, considering the
price, the power and the fuel consumption.
11. Re-write the following statements using the words in the box.
compliant
fireproof
permanent
volatile
earthquake resistant
lightweight
remote control
eco-friendly
low pour point
stable
39
an iwan (an arch shaped doorway) topped by a large dome and finial.
Like most Mughal tombs, the (8) elements are Persian in origin.
The base structure is (9) a large, multi-chambered cube with
chamfered corners, forming an (10) octagon that is approximately
55meters on each of the four long sides. On each of these sides, a
(11) pishtaq, or vaulted archway, frames the iwan with two similarly shaped arched balconies stacked on either side. This motif of
stacked pishtaqs is replicated on the chamfered corner areas, making the design completely symmetrical on all sides of the building.
Four minarets frame the tomb, one at each corner of the plinth
facing the chamfered corners. The main chamber houses the (12)
sarcophagi of Mumtaz Mahal and Shah Jahan; the actual graves
are at a (13) level.
The marble dome that surmounts the tomb is the (14) feature. Its
height of around 35meters is about the same as the length of the
base and is accentuated as it sits on a (15) drum of roughly 7meters
high. Because of its shape, the dome is often called an onion dome
or amrud. The top is decorated with a lotus design, which also serves
to accentuate its height. The shape of the dome is emphasized by
four (16) domed chattris (kiosks) placed at its corners, which replicate
the onion shape of the main dome. (17) decorative spires (guldastas)
extend from edges of base walls and provide visual emphasis to the
height of the dome.
The minarets, which are each more than 40meters tall, display the
designers penchant for symmetry. They were designed as working
minarets a (18) element of mosques, used by the muezzin to call
the Islamic faithful to prayer. The minarets were constructed (19)
outside the plinth so that, in the event of a collapse (a (20) occurrence with many tall constructions of the period), the material from
the towers would tend to fall away from the tomb. (Adapted from www.
wikipedia.org)
Amrud Chattris
Guldastas
Minaret
14. In pairs, student A reads the following house description and
the student B draws the house plan on an A4 paper.
The house is located in the beautiful suburbs of Cluj Napoca, in the
south-west region, at about 30minutes drive downtown.
It is a fully renovated property with four bedrooms, courtyard and
garden.
The entrance door on the ground floor is leading to an open plan
room used as a living room with wooden ceiling and wainscoting.
Size of the room is 25m2. There is a wooden staircase at the left end
of the room leading to a large bedroom of the same size, with ceiling
windows. Under the staircase there is a door leading to separate WC
and lavatory.
On the right side of the entrance, we find a 45 m2 kitchen and
dining area, with a sliding door leading to a covered terrace area
approx. 5m2 in size, ideal for sipping wine and taking in the views
on a warm summer evening. The kitchen has a swing door, wooden
ceiling and wainscoting. Fittings include double sink, one dishwasher, five electric sockets, one oven socket, three phase current
supply and installation for the ventilation hood. The dining area
has a minibar, tiled floor and a door leading to the 7 m2 utility
room, which houses the boiler, plumbing for washing machine and
storage space.
The first floor accommodates three bedrooms with wooden floors.
Bedroom 1 is 18m2 , bedroom 2 is 15m2 and the master bedroom
is 25m2. Bedrooms 1 and 2 share the bathroom situated between
them, while the master bedroom has a separate bathroom. Both of
them have WC, sinks and bathtubs and both measure 3m2 each.
The front courtyard houses one separate building for storage and the
car park lane. The back yard has a swimming pool and a barbeque
patio.
42
The basement covers the entire area of the house and is divided into
a cellar and a wine cellar.
The total plot area is 1347m2.
15. Watch the documentary on Gothic cathedrals and identify the
main elements of this type of construction
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xkfmK-CLvcc&feature=related
44
45
Binary nouns
1. tools or instruments scissors, pliers, tweezers
2. articles of clothing worn on the lower half of the body overalls,
shorts, pants
3. optical lenses sunglasses, binoculars, glasses
Non count nouns singular in form: cattle, clergy, people, majority,
intelligence
Non count nouns plural in form: communications, arms, data,
goods, media
ARTICLES: the
QUANTIFIERS: a bit of, a little, a load of, a lot of, all, any, enough,
less, lots of, more, most, much, no, none of, plenty of, some, tons of
BOTH COUNT AND UNCOUNT
1. the singular form and the plural form have two different
meanings
fish fishes (more than one species)
2. they are group nouns (can be used both with the singular or
the plural form)
The crew is/are very tired today (as a whole or each member)
1. Read the text and create a chronological classification (timeline)
of the insulation materials.
For thousands of years, house structures were designed to best suit
the climate of their location. For example, using the earth as an insulator, the Egyptians retired to the coolness of subterranean chambers
and grottoes on hot days. Historians believe that the ancient Greeks
and Romans discovered asbestos and found many uses for it because
of its resistance to heat and fire. The Romans even used cork for
insulation in shoes in order to keep their feet warm. Pliny, in the first
century, referred to the use of cork as an insulating material for roofs.
Early inhabitants of Spain lined their stone houses with cork bark,
and North African natives used cork mixed with clay for the walls of
their dwellings.
46
As technology developed, so did innovations to improve the comfort of human beings. Introduction of the fireplace and chimney by
the Norwegians and people of Iceland during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries provided controlled, artificial heat. It was evident
that the task soon became not only how to keep heat out but also
how to keep heat in. The thatched huts of northern Europe were
built with a roof, up to 2 ft thick, of woven straw and walls of clay
and straw. Early Spanish mission houses of the southwestern United
States, where temperatures rose to 140F, were comparatively cool
due to clay straw walls several feet thick. Similarly, the indigenous
peoples of the South Seas built huts of dried sea grass. The hollow
fiber of the dried sea grass provided a good degree of thermal resistance. Mineral fiber another important insulating material was
first used by the natives of the Hawaiian Islands to blanket their
huts. The fibers came from volcanic deposits, where escaping steam
had broken the molten lava into fluffy fibers.
It was not until the advent of the industrial revolution of the
late nineteenth century that deliberate commercial application of
thermal insulations became mainstream. For example, blanket-type
insulations were being developed throughout the 1890s.
Mineral wool was first commercially produced as a pipe insulator in Wales in 1840. It was almost 60 years later, in 1897, that C. C.
Hall, a chemical engineer, produced rock wool. By 1928, there were
eight plants manufacturing either rock wool or slag wool insulation
in the U.S.
Fiberglass had its first beginnings in ancient Egypt, when people discovered that they could draw hot glass into threads, which
were placed around vessels for decoration. The modern technique
of making fiberglass insulation, developed in 1931, involved jetting of molten glass through tiny heated holes into high-speed air
streams, wherein the resulting fibers are drawn very thin and to
great length.
Wood shavings were a very popular insulation product due to the
wide availability of raw materials and their low cost at the turn of
the century. Shavings often were treated with lime or some other
47
48
2. Read the text again and decide whether the statements are true
or false
1. Greeks produced asbestos in antiquity.
2. Cork is a tree.
3. The Norwegians were interested only in how to keep heat out.
4. North European huts had thin roofs.
5. Mineral fiber is a modern insulation material.
6. Blanket-type insulations were developed starting with the 1890s.
7. Mineral wool insulation was produced heavily in the U.S.
7. Reflective insulation materials were first patented in the 19th
century.
8. Flax is made of plastic.
9. Cellulose insulation is still a popular choice in the U.S.
3. Based on the text below and your own experience, arrange the
properties in the list in a diagram under these categories: physical,
mechanical, chemical, optical.
Acidity
Alkalinity
Brittleness
Composition
Color
Conductivity
Corrosion resistance
Creep
Density
Ductility
Elasticity
Fatigue
Hardness
Light reflection
Light transmission
Malleability
Plasticity
Shape
Size
Specific gravity
Stiffness
Strength
Toughness
Aluminum
Copper
Grass
Polyester
Sand
Tin
Cement
Cotton
Ice
Polystyrene
Silk
Water
Chrome
Foam
Leather
PVC
Silver
Wood
Clay
Glass
Mud
Rock
Steel
Wool
metallic
ceramics
polymers
type
composite
Construction
materials
structure
purpose
structural
elements
insulation
finishes /
decorations
51
High stress
More durable
Noncritical
Pressure
Reinforced (2)
Reinforcement
Stores
Strong
Stronger
Structural (2)
Waterproofing
Withstand
53
7. Watch the news about the use of recycled plastics (RP) for construction materials and answer the questions below.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ITve7kfKaBs
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
54
3. Chemical
3.1. Siliceous: granite, trap, sandstone
3.2. Argillaceous: slates, laterites
3.3. Calcareous: limestone
(Bhavikatti, S.S., Basic Civil Engineering)
56
Active voice is used for most non-scientific writing and in scientific writing when the passive voice might make the message too
unclear. Usually it makes the meaning clear for the readers. Sentences in active voice are more concise and use fewer words than
the ones using passive voice.
Passive voice is used when the focus is on the action. Who or what
is performing the action is not important or not known.
The building was demolished last night.
A mistake was made and the bridge did not pass final inspection.
57
Remember!
The object of the active sentence becomes the subject of the passive one or it can be dropped completely:
Workers are tearing the old building down.
The old building is being torn down (by workers).
The finite form of the verb is changed but the tense and aspect
remain the same:
The experts have performed all the safety tests.
All the safety tests have been performed (by the experts).
1. Read the following article and extract the main steps of constructing the igloo.
Most people have seen pictures of the domed snow block structure
known as an igloo. The Inuit build other snow block structures as
well, far more complex, but the small domed house most of us have
seen in cartoons and movies is a structure which can be constructed
in an afternoon.
The process needs a snow saw, a snow shovel, waterproof gloves and
snowshoes.
Construction begins with the cutting of snow blocks. In most areas,
snow falls without compacting enough to allow blocks to be cut.
Tramp an area the size of your intended snow block quarry for at
least 15 to 30minutes, then let it rest a half hour. Compaction causes
the small ice crystals of snow to melt. These quickly refreeze, forming
a more solid building material. The size of the blocks you cut will
58
depend on the size of the block you can handle comfortably and how
strong the compacted snow is.
Your quarry may be the area over which the igloo is built. With this
plan the quarry forms the floor of the igloo. The floor of the igloo is
below ground level. Since the entry ways are best set below the level
of the igloo floors, further excavation forms the entryway.
You will need the snow shovel to excavate a hole in order to reach the
underside of the first block and cut them free. Once the blocks are cut,
construction begins as an upward spiral. Each block is shaped after
it is cut from the quarry. The shape of an individual block depends
on the position in the spiral where it will be placed. Near the floor,
where the block may not be angled inward more than a few degrees,
blocks are rectangular. Near the center of the roof, where the blocks
are nearly horizontal, their shape may be nearly triangular. Cut out
an arc on the bottom of every block such that only the two bottom
edges of the block will rest on the block below. Properly set, the block
will make a gentle thunk. The compression of that gentle bump
will make it stick to the previous block. The final blocks must be set
from the inside.
After the final block is set, shovel snow onto the igloo and gently
pack it into holes and crevices. After a night or two of warming from
the inside and re-freezing, the igloo will be very strong.
The entry is done after the blocks are all set by cutting an entrance
down slope from the edge of the igloo.
(http://www.primitiveways.com/igloo.html)
2. Read the text again and extract the nouns related to construction and parts of a building and the verbs related to construction
processes.
3. Find the words in the text that mean:
1. Made of several connected parts
2. That cannot be penetrated by water
3. To permit
4. To walk with heavy or noisy steps
59
60
charged into the BOS vessel is: 4% C, 0.20.8% Si, 0.080.18% P, and
0.010.04% S.
4. The vessel is then set upright and a water-cooled lance is lowered
down into it. The lance blows 99% pure oxygen onto the steel and
iron, igniting the carbon dissolved in the steel and burning it to form
carbon monoxide and carbon dioxide, causing the temperature to
rise to about 1700 C. This melts the scrap, lowers the carbon content
of the molten iron and helps remove unwanted chemical elements.
It is this use of oxygen instead of the air that improves upon the Bessemer process, for the nitrogen (and other gases) in air do not react
with the charge as oxygen does. High purity oxygen is blown into
the furnace or BOS vessel through a vertically oriented water-cooled
lance with velocities faster than Mach 1.
5. Fluxes (burnt lime or dolomite) are fed into the vessel to form slag,
which absorbs impurities of the steelmaking process. During blowing,
the metal in the vessel forms an emulsion with the slag, facilitating
the refining process. Near the end of the blowing cycle, which takes
about 20 minutes, the temperature is measured and samples are
taken. The samples are tested and a computer analysis of the steel
given within six minutes. A typical chemistry of the blown metal is
0.30.6% C, 0.050.1% Mn, 0.010.03% Si, 0.010.03% S and P.
6. The BOS vessel is tilted again and the steel is poured into a giant
ladle. This process is called tapping the steel. The steel is further
refined in the ladle furnace, by adding alloying materials to give the
steel special properties required by the customer. Sometimes argon
or nitrogen gas is bubbled into the ladle to make sure the alloys mix
correctly. The steel now contains 0.011% carbon. The more carbon in
the steel, the harder it is, but it is also more brittle and less flexible.
7. After the steel is removed from the BOS vessel, the slag, filled with
impurities, is poured off and cooled. (www.wikipedia.org)
7. Create a flowchart diagram (see example below) with the steps
of steelmaking process found in the text above. Add more boxes if
63
necessary. Choose the best suited voice for the purpose (active or
passive).
steelmaking
process
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hi9tOILaiNs
64
10. Write a full narrative description of the tensile stress experiment based on the notes below. Use simple present, transition
words and the passive voice.
1. Recording the original gauge lengths of the specimen
2. Calculating the mean diameter by measuring the diameter
in three different places using a micrometer and taking an
average
3. Attaching the Lindley extensometer to record the stretch
under the applied force
4. Inserting the specimen into the upper jaws of the machine
and attaching the Lindley extensometer to the machine
5. Adjusting the load scale to zero and locking the lower jaws
to hold the specimen in place.
6. Applying a small load to the Lindley extensometer to check
that it functions properly
7. Starting the necking, removing the extensometer and recording the elongation of the specimen using a divider and a ruler
8. Applying continuous load until the specimen fractures (www.
coursework.info)
11. Translate the following process into English. Use passive voice
and transition words.
Dl. Ion Pop, zidar, despre cum punem faianta:
Inainte de toate trebuie sa pregatim peretii. Daca au fost deja
65
66
feb. 2012
ID
Task Name
Start
Finish
mar. 2012
Duration
29.1
31 .01 .2012
31 .01 .2012
1d
Excavate
01 .02 .2012
03.02 .2012
3d
Formwork
06.02 .2012
07.02 .2012
2d
Concrete foundation
08 .02 .2012
09.02 .2012
2d
Super structure
10.02 .2012
01. 03.2012
3w
Masonry
10.02 .2012
01 .03 .2012
3w
Roofing
01 .03 .2012
09.03 .2012
1 w 2d
Electrical grid
09.03 .2012
13 .03 .2012
3d
HVAC
09.03 .2012
13 .03 .2012
3d
10
Plumbing
09.03 .2012
13 .03 .2012
3d
11
14 .03 .2012
15.03 .2012
2d
12
16.03 .2012
22 .03 .2012
1w
13
23.03 .2012
02 .04.2012
1 w 2d
14
Painting
03.04.2012
03.04.2012
1d
5.2
12 .2
19 .2
26.2
4.3
11 .3
18 .3
25.3
67
68
for the manner it happened), SWOT analysis, recommendations, conclusions, further research opportunities
8. References represents a complete list of the literature and
authors quoted and referred to in your work
Having a plan makes it easy to start elaborating on such a paper.
Specialists recommend step-by-step plans, like this one:
4.
in the spotlight instead of the research itself. However, passive voice has become unpopular when writing for science
in English nowadays. More and more research papers use
active voice to describe the experiments by using the first
person pronoun singular or plural (I or we). Of course,
you will not be able to eliminate all passive voice phrases
and they still play an important role in writing for science.
However, you should use it carefully and only in such situations that cannot be turned into active voice.
Some of the most used instruments are:
Defining relative clauses for defining the terms used in the
paper
Indirect or reported speech when quoting and paraphrasing
other peoples work
Modal verbs to express estimations, predictions, possibility
or speculations
Conditional clauses to form hypotheses and assumptions
Simple present for experiment descriptions
Comparison of adjectives and adverbs to compare results
and samples
1. Read the text and make a list of the main ideas from each
paragraph.
(1)
A scientific article is a description of new ideas and a demonstration of their correctness. An article can remain relevant for a
remarkably long time and, if published in a major journal, may be
read by thousands of other scientists.
(2)
Unfortunately many scientists do not write well. (...) Indeed,
perhaps we should not always expect scientists to write well the
skills required for science and writing are rather different.
(3) But that does not mean that scientists should be content
to write badly. Every scientist whose work is affected by a poorly
written paper will suffer: ambiguity will lead to misunderstanding; omissions will frustrate; obscurity will make readers struggle
71
2. Turn the main ideas from the text into a set of recommendations for scientific writers. Use modal verbs: must, should, ought
to, could, etc.
72
withstand without any physical and chemical change a temperature of 50C, which is a temperature normally reached of concrete
surfaces exposed to sun at most places of India during summer. A
coating sensitive to this temperature should not be tested with this
method.
(Kaushal Kishore, Simple Testing of Admixtures and Surface Coating for Permeability to Water, www.engineeringcivil.com)
construction labor, suppliers and subcontractors, all aided by attorneys, insurance and bonding underwriters, the design professional,
and the owner, must be organized and carefully coordinated.
Those who succeed in this complex and difficult business are the
ones who familiarize themselves thoroughly with the daily operations of their jobs. They are constantly learning by reading the latest
literature and professional journals and by attending seminars and
industry functions. They are alert and open-minded about new ideas.
They understand the needs of the clients and the design professional
and are able to tailor their services to them. (Borg, 2001, Construction
Project Management, p.70)
Causes
building block surface emit thermal radiation
urban canyon effect: tall buildings provide multiple surfaces
for the reflection & absorption of sunlight
blocking of wind blocks cooling by convection
waste heat (automobiles), air conditioning, industry
Effects
health extreme heat death
water quality
air quality
higher energy usage
Eng. Kaushal Kishore, What are Green Buildings?,
www.engineeringcivil.com
Mitigation
1. planting trees
air temp under them can be as much as 10C cooler
can be sited strategically to shadow roofs, pavements, walls
also cool by evapotranspiration
2. green roofs
keep the surface cool
can also be used to grow fresh local products
significantly reduce storm water run off
local birds attracted
3. permeable pavement
grid or block pavers incorporate grass
lighter colors than traditional pavement
porous have lower total mass than asphalt or concrete
reduced amount of heat absorbed
4. wall paint
solar reflective paints
5. roofs
painting them with solar reflective acrylic based coating
76
9. As part of the scientific committee of an international conference, you have just received the title and the abstract from a group
of researchers who wish to participate at the conference. You
noticed that the title and the abstract have not been properly written and you decided to send an e-mail to the authors informing
them of the things they need to correct.
THE NECESITATY OF UTILIZATION OF ACTUAL METHODS FOR
DESIGN AND CALCULUS OF BUILDING FOUNDATION AND
EFFICIENT PROCEDURES OF CONSOLIDATION OF SOME OLD
FOUNDATION
Abstract
In the first part of the paper are presented the principle of the reglementation in the field of geotechnique and foundation in Europe
and in Romania. Are presented the last isues of standards and norms.
In the second part of the paper starts from the observation that in
the last years, appeared many situations when the owners or designers impose the underworks for existing foundations. The types of
old foundations are very different and from these, the foundations
which create the most difficulties for execution or designing, are
those having in composition friable materials, rotten zones, cracks,
etc. For these cases one imposes special solutions of intervention.
In the paper one describes some of these types of foundations and
one presents the classical solution of consolidation of these types
of foundation and one presents the classical solution of consolidation utilizing simple concrete. Starting from classical solution, in the
paper is presented an improved procedure of consolidation utilizing
reinforced concrete, in two variants.
(Assoc. Prof. Eng. Ioan Has PhD, Assoc. Prof. Eng. Andrei Pogany PhD, Assist. Prof.
Eng. Aurelian Has, Eng. Ion Alexandrescu, the 14th International Conference, KBO,
Sibiu, 2008)
77
E-mail
To:
From:
Date:
Subject:
Message:
10. The following statistical data is the result of a survey among
engineers on the use of English at their workplace. Draft a list of
ideas for a research paper based on this data, by answering the
questions below or by using other interrogations.
1.
2.
3.
4.
78
11. Create three experimental designs based on these three Murphys laws. Use the template below.
1. An expert is a person who predicts the job will take the longest
and cost the most.
79
2. Any tool dropped will fall where it can cause the most damage
3. No matter how clever and complete ones research is, always
someone knows more.
Experimental design
I. Purpose of experiment
II. Working hypothesis
III. Methods used
IV. Materials
12. Turn this set of instructions into an experiment description.
First, record the original gauge lengths of the specimen. At the same
time, calculate the mean of the diameter by measuring the diameter
in three different places with a micrometer. Then attach the Lindley extensometer to the specimen, apply the force that stretches the
specimen and record the amount of stretch.
Basically, you insert the specimen into the upper jaws of the machine
and then attach the extensometer to the machine. Adjust the load
scale to zero and lock the lower jaws to hold the specimen in place.
Apply a small load (e.g. 2KN) to the Lindley extensometer and check
if it is functioning correctly. When the necking began, remove the
extensometer and record the elongation of the specimen using a
divider and a ruler.
Continue to apply the load until you fracture the specimen.
(www.engineeringcivil.com)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RJf-Sd7QpQA
81
1. Is this statement technical communication is expert knowledge being translated true or false? What argument from
the talk can you mention in support of your claim?
2. What are some of the communication forms that can be
regarded as technical communication?
3. What happens when you begin to understand the three elements of the package?
4. Explain the three elements of the package: the goal, the target and the situation
5. What is the main idea of the talk?
15. Translate the following passage into English.
Betonul armat dispers cu fibre de otel este un material de constructie cu utilizare extensiva. n ultimele decenii s-au intreprins
numeroase studii pentru determinarea proprietatilor sale mecanice, precum si pentru largirea ariei de utilizare.
Lucrarea prezinta performantele mecanice si modul de comportare
la solicitari a betonului armat dispers, vizand asigurarea durabilitatii pardoselilor de tip industrial realizate din acest tip de beton.
(Balazs-Petz, Balint, One, Kiss, 2007, Pardoseli din beton armat dispers, Conferinta Structuri prefabricate din beton n centrul si estul Europei)
16. Create a short scientific research paper that contains the following elements:
a definition of the concept
a classification of its components or a classification of its
types
the purpose of the paper
the survey performed
results and analysis
summary or conclusions
references
For the survey, use the resources found at
https://www.surveymonkey.com
82
Introduce yourself
Introduce your subject
Present the structure of the content
Mention when you want them to ask
questions
83
Step-by-step plan
1. Identify the take away message
2. Collect relevant information
84
The delivery
The paper is about something, but its presentation is for someone.
Design it accordingly.
Dress to success
Smile
Look at your audience
Figure out hand and body movements
Avoid making sounds
Breathe
Find friendly faces in the audience
Know and rehearse every detail of your
presentation
Have back-ups ready to use
85
Converter is a system which converts the energy from the sea waves
into electrical power.
Before I talk about the system itself, let me tell you where it is located,
because some systems are located on the surface of the sea, and some
on the sea shore. But not this system. The Wave Energy Converter is
fixed to the seabed.
Ok, now lets look at the main components. The Wave Energy Converter has five main components or parts. These are: a very large
flexible disc, a lever, a chamber which takes in sea water, a set of
pistons, many sea water pipes, and of course a turbine on the land.
The main specifications of the system are as follows. The whole system on the seabed is 4.6meters high and 20.4meters long; the main
pipe is 125millimeters wide; the pressure of the water in the pipes
is 7000kilopascals, or 1000 psi, thats pounds per square inch. The
complete system can generate 100kilowatts of electricity.
Ok, thats enough number-crunching. Lets look at how the system works.
Heres a very simple account of the operation of the system. Lets start
with the sea. The sea wave oscillates. This oscillating motion pushes
the disc down in a linear motion. The disc makes the lever oscillate.
The oscillating lever makes the pistons move in a reciprocating motion.
Then the pistons push seawater from the chamber through the pipe at
high pressure. The high-pressure water then makes the turbine rotate.
And of course this generates electricity.
So, thats how it works. And of course this system has great benefits. The most important benefit is that wave energy is a renewable
energy resource; and of course, it uses no fossil fuels.
(Bonamy, D., 2009, Technical English 2, Audioscripts)
1.
2.
3.
4.
3. In teams of five, write appropriate openings for these presentations and then compare your work with the other teams.
1. A firefighter is giving a talk to the workers about fire hazards
on construction sites.
2. A doctor delivers a workshop to workers about first aid measures in case of construction site accidents.
3. The project manager presents the progress report on the
construction to the management board.
4. The chief engineer explains the crew a new technique of
reinforcing structural walls.
5. The professor presents civil engineering students cases of
construction failures and their consequences.
4. Give three examples of expressions for the situations below and
then complete the lists with expressions from 1 and 2:
1. Introducing yourself
2. Introducing the subject
3. Giving details about the structure of your presentation
4. Mentioning when you will answer the questions
5. Opening with an interesting fact or problem
6. Introducing and explaining a graph, photo or diagram
7. Moving to another idea
8. Summarizing
9. Providing conclusions
10. Closing the presentation
5. Change these extracts from research papers into presentation
elements (tables into graphs or diagrams, paragraphs into key
words or main points, animations, flowcharts, etc.).
1. The dry process of making cement
Limestone is crushed to a uniform and usable size, blended with
certain additives (such as iron ore and bauxite) and discharged on
88
a vertical roller mill, where the raw materials are ground to fine
powder. An electrostatic precipitator de-dusts the raw mill gases
and collects the raw meal for a series of further stages of blending.
The homogenized raw meal thus extracted is pumped to the top
of a preheater by air lift pumps. In the preheaters the material is
heated to 750C. Subsequently, the raw meal undergoes a process
of calcination in a precalcinator (in which the carbonates present
are reduced to oxides) and is then fed to the kiln. The remaining
calcination and clinkerization reactions are completed in the kiln
where the temperature is raised to between 1450C and 1500C.
The clinker formed is cooled and conveyed to the clinker silo from
where it is extracted and transported to the cement mills for producing cement.
(http://www.jkcement.com/HTML/manufacturing-process.html)
Steel
Copper
200
207
3,5
200
213
6,5
28,6
13,4
53,1
28,6
21,2
25,9
(http://www.scribd.com/doc/22919957/Tensile-Test-Lab-Report)
than for men. Tops can include blouses, stylish knit tops, a nice
sweater set, or classic sleeveless tops with a cardigan or jacket.
When choosing smart or business casual bottoms, women should
wear khakis or black dress pants, knee-length skirts, or pant suits.
Again, jeans are definitely not an option.
For shoes, women would do best to wear either dressy flats or mid to
low heels. Sometimes, chic boots can be worn as long as they have a
slight heel.
(http://www.ehow.com/about_5056844_smart-casual-dressing_.html#ixzz1yW9bxikI)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q5WT2vweFRY&feature=fvwrel
92
Module 3
At Work
95
2. In teams of five, based on the information from the article, determine which sectors are predominant in your home town and in
the country. Write your final results on the blackboard next to the
rest of the teams to get a complete picture for the country.
3. In pairs, determine what connection there is between these
various activities. Choose three different activities. For example:
Farming depends on packaging, wholesale and transportation. Present your final response in the form of a diagram. Compare and
discuss your results with the results of the other students.
Agriculture
Car making
Banking
Constructions
96
Consulting
Distribution
Engineering
Entertainment
Finance
Food and beverage
Information
Media
Metal working
Mining
Packaging
Real estate
Retail
Textile
Tourism
Transportation
University
Utilities
Wholesale
7. Watch Matt Stevens talk about the most important skills you
need when you start a construction business and answer the questions below:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zz7t5PCckW0
1. What are the two important skills you need when you begin
your own construction business?
2. What is the old saying in constructions?
3. Which are the craft skills he mentions? Can you think of
other craft skills?
4. Why is the craft skill more valuable?
5. What do you think crawling means in the business
environment?
8. Translate the following text into English:
Societatea cu raspundere limitata se defineste ca fiind acea societate in care raspunderea asociatilor pentru obligatiile angajate in
numele societatii se intinde numai pana la capitalul social subscris
iar asocierea are ca temei principiul intuitu personae.
Acest tip de societate imprumuta caracteristicile de la societatile
de capitaluri [corporate] sub aspectul constituirii capitalului social
si al modului de raspundere al asociatilor, dar si caracteristica ce
guverneaza societatile de personae, avand in vedere ca asocierea se
100
101
102
The memo
Recipients: crew, all staff members, various departments
Purpose: inform the recipients of decisions, provide instructions
or convey recommendations
Structure and layout:
To
Recipient
103
From
Sender
Subject
Very brief description of the matter
Message
the memo is usually sent by email
a copy is posted on special information walls
the message must be brief and to the point
lists are welcomed
No closing salutation or signature
The report
Recipients: CEO, superiors, crew
Purpose: analyze a situation, convey results and possible solutions
Structure and layout:
To
Recipient
From
Sender
Date
International standard: date in numbers, month in letters, year in
numbers
Title
The essence of the report in a few words
Introduction
States the purpose of the report and who requested it
Findings
contains the research method, and the data obtained
lists are appreciated as they ease the information extraction
You can also use full sentences if the message is better conveyed this
way, but please keep the sentences short and the message to the point.
Conclusions
Provides the analysis of the research
104
Recommendations
Gives the personal opinion of the writer on the matter
No closing salutation or signature
Document samples
Memo
To: all crew members
From: Ben Brown Chief Security Officer
Date: 14 June 2011
Subject: Important information regarding first aid measures on
construction sites
Due to the latest unfortunate events which took place on one of
our construction sites, I wish to invite all crew and staff to a special training on first aid. You will receive details about time and
venue from your direct superiors.
To: Jane Smith, CEO
From: David Epps
Date: 13 January 2012
Title: REPORT ON HOW TO ENHANCE QUALITY IN OUR COMPANY
INTRODUCTION: I was asked to write a report to the CEO regarding how we can increase the quality in our company.
RESEARCH RESULTS
After studying several articles from http://www.freebusinessforms.com/reports/3.html, this is what I found:
1. A companys quality ranking can be easily determined by the
degree of customer service given by those in client liaison
role such as Sales, Marketing, Administration and Accounts.
2. The best way to grasp the service they offer is to conduct a
customer service survey which should cover new and established customers. Some of the questions should be:
How quickly is the phone answered when customers call
How efficient are complaints dealt with
How friendly is the staff, etc.
3. The results are the starting point for setting up a quality
training program which should address the negative areas,
why they appeared and how they can be eliminated
106
108
1. Read these seven tips for effective writing and answer the
questions
1. Know your goal and state it clearly. Do you want the reader to
do something for you or are you merely passing along information? Do you want a response form the reader or do you want
him to take action? Your purpose needs to be stated in the communication without a lot of information that is not relevant.
Clarity is important in all of your writing.
2. Tone can help your writing be more effective. Certain forms of
communication, like cover letters and proposals need a formal
tone. Writing for someone you know well would need a more
informal tone. The kind of tone depends on the audience and
purpose of the writing.
3. Explain in clear terms what you want the reader to do. They
can not oblige if they do not understand. Also, they may not
even want to try to help if the communication is vague and
sloppy written. It is good to include why it is beneficial to
them to do what you ask or to help you.
4. Language needs to be simple. Do not overuse clichs, jargon,
and expressions or try to impress with big words. Keep sentences and paragraphs short and concise.
5. Less is more when it comes to length. Leave out words that do
not contribute to the main focus of the communication. This
can make the reader work harder to know why you wrote.
6. Using an active voice will strengthen your writing. Sentences
that are written in the active voice will flow better and are
easier to understand. Long, complicated sentences will slow
the reader down, even more so if they are written in the passive voice.
7. Good grammar and punctuation are very important. It is
a good idea to have someone else proofread your writing
before you send it. If you cannot do that, they try reading it
out loud.
(http://grammar.yourdictionary.com/style-and-usage/what-is-effective-writing-
communication.html)
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1. Writing for someone you know well would need a more informal tone. Do you agree with this statement when it comes to
business communication?
2. What is the meaning of the verb to oblige?
3. Can you give examples of unwillingness happening because
of bad writing?
4. What examples of clichs, jargon and expressions related to
civil engineering come to your mind which might be used
inappropriately when communicating with clients or other
stakeholders?
5. Why do you think the author does not encourage you to use
spell and grammar checkers on your computer to check your
written work?
2. Read the text again and classify the tips in two categories: dos
when writing and donts when writing
3. Based on the information from the text, give the definition of
effective writing.
4. Read the situations below and decide what document should be
written in each case and to whom.
1. Your construction company has successfully finished a new
residential building complex and invited all employees to a
party.
2. The cement supplier has failed to deliver the product on
time to your construction site for the third time.
3. The CEO needs to be briefed on the progress made with the
new skyscraper project.
4. You received a letter of complaint from the buyers and you
want to invite them to a negotiation meeting.
5. The HR department wants to organize English language
trainings for the workers and asked you to collect information on this matter.
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Poor
Attendance
Average
Leadership
Quality of work
Organization skills
Responsibility
Time management
Team work
Excellent
MO
TUE
Weekly crew
meeting
Visit constr.
site
Monthly
briefing with
chief eng
First aid
crew training session
WED
Visit construction site
Pricing &
proposal for
Mr. Johnson
THU
Meeting with
the architect
Interviews
for a new
architect
FRI
Weekly progress report
Team-building weekend
To: Eric
From: Jane
Date: 14 January 2012
Re: changes in your weekly schedule
Eric,
I really appreciate your effort in squeezing in the new events.
Thank you for a job well done! Please write to the chief engineers
and let them know about the changes.
Many thanks,
Jane
13. Change the tone and attitude of these messages to make them
formal and more business appropriate:
1. Hey guys, how are you all today doing? You remember that I cancelled the training last week on the site because it was raining cats
and dogs and the guy said he could not make it on time because
of that? Well, I just got off the phone with him and it looks like
the weather is improving and we should get together for that training seminar. Wednesday, 1 oclock, construction site, tell me you can
come. See ya!
2. Dear Mr. John,
I found out that you are interested in finding a company to construct
the new dorm building for students.
If you choose our company you will benefit of a lot of advantages
as: a car for the Rector (you), laptops for all the University Senate
members, free apartments for the management of the university and
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much more surprises. But the most important thing is that our work
will be done in time and you will have five years guarantee. And you
will easily discover that our price is much lower than the competition.
3. Dear Sir/Mme,
I received your letter of complaint regarding the minor flaws of the
house we built for you and we must tell you that if the bathtub fell
down through the floor it is not our fault. The floor was calculated
for three people, not for six.
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civil engineers must take part in and use include chemical testing
applications, drafting and design software, electrical test devices
and equipment, land surveying techniques and the metric system, to
name just a few pertinent items.
The civil engineer must also be certain to follow land use laws
and regulations every step of the way. This is extremely important as
one who does not abide by such rules and regulations may find that
the project is stalled, either temporarily or permanently. Therefore,
a specific duty of a civil engineer is to know the pertinent land use
laws and regulations and to follow them consistently.
One who is a civil engineer is also the key contact person regarding
the construction project in many cases. They will answer questions
directed towards them by individuals involved with the construction
project and the general public as well. While answering questions,
they will also be responsible for backing up their statements with
reports, graphs, charts and surveys.
Good analytical skills are a must for any civil engineer. Civil
engineers have to read and interpret many complex charts, diagrams, maps and reports. By having superior analytical skills, one
who fills this job role will find that they can complete their daily
job duties in an effective and efficient manner. One who does not
have good analytical skills may have a hard time in the role of a
civil engineer.
Above average communication skills are also a good thing for civil
engineers to possess. Civil engineers need to correspond with a wide
array of individuals throughout their profession. They will have to
deal with everyone from construction workers to CEOs of large corporations. Therefore, it is imperative that a civil engineer possesses
above average communicational skills as this will allow effective
communication with individuals involved in the job.
One who is a civil engineer should also possess excellent problem solving capabilities. The role of a civil engineer is not an easy
one. There will be problems that arise from time to time which the
civil engineer will be responsible for fixing. With that said, one who
works as a civil engineer should have impeccable problem solving
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skills. They need to be able to survey potential or full-blown problems and come up with a solution for such problems as quickly as
possible. Since most construction jobs are on a stringent time schedule, it is important to not only be able to solve the problems that
arise but to do so in a quick and speedy fashion.
(http://www/exforsys.com/career-center)
4. Write a rejection letter to the candidate who did not get the position advertised in 3. Use ideas from the list or provide other ones.
7. This department is responsible for acquiring the goods and services necessary for the business.
8. This department tests to create new products and to determine
their viability
9. This department manages the business computers and data assets.
10. This department is responsible for communicating to the outside world.
6. Study the departments defined above and determine what
transformations they undergo in the case of the civil construction
industry. Give one example for each department.
7. Determine which skills and traits are needed for each department of a construction business.
Accuracy
Achievement
Adaptability
Administrative skills
Approachability
Budgeting
Building effective teams
Coaching skills
Communication (oral)
Communication (written)
Comparing results
Composure
Computer skills
Concentration
Conflict management
Creativity
Critical thinking
Customer focus
Decision-making
Delegating
Discretion
Empathy
Enthusiasm
Evaluation of staff
Flexibility
Following instructions
Humor
Initiative
Innovation
Leadership
Learning skills
Listening
Loyalty
Managing change
Motivating others
Negotiating
Openness to change
Organizational skills
Patience
Performance under pressure
Presentation skills
Prioritizing
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Social skills
Strategic thinking
Stress management
Supervisory skills
12. Create a message for your voicemail, record it, then listen and
analyze it together with your colleagues.
13. Write an employee incident report based on the explanations
below. Use reported speech.
Employee incident report
Date
Supervisor [you]
Employee (position)
Description of incident [summary of the incident]
Employee explanation
Witnesses
Incident outcome
Incident voice recordings
Hoe operator: Yesterday I was working at the site pioneering the
road. I was aware that the terrain stability report called for a
bench end haul. I noticed that the center marker of the road was too
far left down the slope. I decided to move to the right and started
cutting into the hill. I noticed that the ground was soft and slippery.
I knew that there was a seepage bowl in the area where the water
was seeping through the ground and it was flowing on top of the
solid rock. I arrived at the work site this morning at about 7. I began
working on the spur road where the heading hoe operator had left off
yesterday. After the driller/blaster set off a blast, I began to remove
the overburden [loose materials created by the blasting] and to prepare the area for the next shot. About half an hour later, I traveled
back and forth to pick up puncheon [small logs, branches, brush, etc.].
As I traveled back to get more puncheon, the machine broke through
the puncheon I just made and slid down along a slope. All I remember is that I toppled over
Driller/blaster: I arrived at the work site this morning at about 7,
together with the utility hoe operator. He began working on the spur
road. I prepared for blasting at the heading. At about 10 I set off a
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blast. The utility hoe operator moved in to the heading and began to
remove the overburden for my next shot.
After 20minutes or so, he traveled back and forth to prepare the platform for the excavator. Not soon after this, as he was going back to
get more puncheon, the excavator broke through the puncheon and
slid down the steep slope, which was probably a wet bank. After it slid
about 20meters or so, the machine toppled over a bedrock bluff [steep].
It landed upside down at about 45meters below the road. I announced
the incident over the radio. I saw the flames and smoke coming from
the excavator and ran down the hill with fire extinguishers. I saw the
utility hoe operator trapped in the cab but he was conscious.
A mechanic working nearby: I did not see the slide, I just heard it
happened and I tried to contact the utility hoe operator on the radio.
Then I went to the site and saw the driller/blaster trying to put out
the fire. I gathered more fire extinguishers and we managed to extinguish the fire. I saw the utility hoe operator trapped upside down
in the machine cab but he was conscious and he was talking to the
driller/blaster.
The supervisor: I was in the crew boat when the incident happened.
As soon as I heard about it, I arranged for a helicopter to come at the
site. I called more crew members and we tried to extricate the utility
hoe operator. There was a fuel spill and fumes in the area so I called
a local fire department to respond. They came with the jaws of life
and managed to take the hoe operator out of the excavator at about
2. The hospital said that he has serious injuries.
(http://www2.worksafebc.com/PDFs/investigations/IIR2005138190147.pdf)
14. Complete the incident report by adding a list of recommendations based on the findings of this incident. Use modal verbs such
as must for obligation and should/ought to for ideal situation or
advice.
1. The utility hoe operator did not have adequate experience and
training to work as a heading hoe operator
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2. The utility hoe operator did not receive adequate instructions and
information about the work and the area
3. There was poor planning and design for this phase of the road.
More field tests to determine the soil conditions were needed and the
road marker was not set properly
4. The change hand was not contacted for his input on whether the
utility hoe operator had the necessary experience working on steep
slopes
5. The operator protective structure of the machine failed; they did
not meet the minimum safety requirements
(http://www2.worksafebc.com/PDFs/investigations/IIR2005138190147.pdf)
the operators and the workers are not prepared for emergencies (power, electrical or mechanical failure)
not all points of entry are locked down after hours
the hazardous materials have not been labeled and stored in
proper containers or secured behind wired and locked fences
there are no warning notices or signs
(www.ehow.com)
16. Based on the report in 15, write a memo for all crew regarding
the issues that have to be improved or changed.
17. Based on the same report, write an email to a company specialized in signs and order warning signs for the designated areas and
posters informing the crew on the proper lifting techniques and
first aid measures.
18. Complete the email below with the proper voice, tense and
aspect of the verbs in brackets.
To: Jack
From: [your name]
Date:
Subject: the Joness new home
Dear Jack,
Thank you for your email. With reference to your request, here is
my progress report.
The clearing and layout (complete) on time. Unfortunately, the
excavation (delay) half a day due to an engine malfunction. Fortunately, we (fix) the engine and the formwork (finish) on schedule.
The concrete foundation (delay) one day, due to the fact that our
local concrete supplier (go) out of business and it (take) me one
day to find another supplier on such short notice. To make up
for lost time, I (organize) double shifts for the completion of the
structure and the masonry, so now we (is) back on track. Given the
weather news report, I (contact) all our suppliers to make sure that
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there are no delays in the delivery of lumber and tiles for the roof.
I already (talk) to the electricians and plumbers and they (assure)
me that the electrical grid, HVAC and plumbing (accomplish) on
time, provided the roofers complete their part as planned. So,
unless the weather (decide) otherwise, we (complete) the project
according to the initial schedule. If the Joness (decide) to visit the
site, I (be) more than happy to arrange this. I (talk) to our safety
officer to make sure he (make) all the necessary arrangements. I
(attach) some recent photos of the progress made. Please let me
know if you (need) anything else.
Kind regards,
[your name]
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CREW
1. Engineers: 2
2. Supervisors: 2
3. Workers (concrete, masonry, lath & plaster, flooring & tiling):
6
4. Excavator/bulldozer operators: 2
5. Welders (superstructure): 3
6. Workers (formwork, clearing): 2
7. Electricians: 2
8. HVAC, plumbers: 4
9. Painters: 3
PROJECT STAGES AND DURATION
1. Clearing and layout: 2 days
2. Excavate: 6 days
3. formwork: 4 days
4. Concrete foundation: 4 days
5. Superstructure + masonry: 6 weeks
6. Roofing: 2 weeks
7. Electrical grid, HVAC, plumbing: 6 days
8. Doors & windows: 4 days
9. Lath & plaster: 2 weeks
10. Flooring & tiling: 2 weeks
11. Painting: 3 days
1 week = 5 days
TOTAL DURATION: 4 months
PROBLEMS ENCOUNTERED
P1: Your regular supplier for concrete and steel bars has just gone
bankrupt.
1. Choose another supplier with similar prices but who can
deliver the materials with 1 week delay
2. Choose a supplier who can deliver on time but the prices are
25% higher than the initial estimation
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