Some building professions

A man, who has been an apprentice for some years in a building trade and has therefore enough skill to be considered a skilled worker at his trade*, is called tradesman or craftsman.

He may be a carpenter-and-joiner, bricklayer, mason, slater-and-tiler*, plumber, electrician, house painter, glazier, floor-and-wall tiler, plasterer, paper-hanger, steeplejack, hot water fitter* and so on.

Bricklayer is a tradesman who builds and repairs brickwork, lays and joints salt glazed stoneware drains, sets, chimney pots, manhole frames and fireplaces. He renders brickwork, including the insides of manholes. A sewer and tunnel bricklayer is a specialized bricklayer. In some districts of Great Britain, bricklayers also fix wall and flooring tiles and slanting and lay plaster and granolithic floors. But elsewhere these are plasterer’s specialities.

Carpenter is a man who erected wood frames, fits joints, fixes wood floors, stairs and window frames, asbestos sheeting and other wallboard. He builds or dismantles wood or metal formwork. The two trades of carpenter and joiner were originally the same, and most men can do both, but specialize in one or the other. In the USA the term “carpenter” includes a joiner. The word is derived from the French word charpente, which means a wood or metal framework.

Joiner is a man who makes joinery and works mainly at the bench on wood, which has been cut and shaped by the machinists. His work is finer than the carpenter’s, much of it being highly finished and done in a joinery shop which is not exposed to weather*.

In Scotland a joiner is a carpenter-and-joiner.

Mason is a stone worker or stone setter. In Scotland and the USA a bricklayer is usually also a mason. A fixer or a fixer mason or a builder mason is a mason who sets prepared stones in walls, whether the stone be only facing or to the full wall thickness.

Plasterer is a tradesman who may be a fibrous plasterer or a plasterer in solid work. The latter lays successive coats of plaster or rendering and fixes fibrous plaster such as mould сornices and wall pattern. He can use a horsed mould, erect lathing for plaster, and apply stucco*.

A construction manager, or CM, provides services similar to those of general constructor, but represents client’s interest during all phases of the building process – design as well as construction. They are usually paid a negotiated fee for the scope of services rendered.

For example, working with the architect during design, the CM provides updates cost projections so that a client will know probable costs, which the project evolves. A general constructor, however, doesn’t usually enter the scene until after the design is complete.

The CM decides who bids the job, picks up the request for invitation to bid, evaluates the bids, and awards work to the most reasonable bidder. The CM also prepares contracts and sends them out to the subcontractors. The owner sings the contracts with each subcontractor, unlike a general constructor who signs these contracts. As a result, the subcontractors are under the CM’s direction.

The CM may also be responsible for the safety of workers on the construction site.

* … to be considered a skilled worker at his trade – может считаться искусным в своём ремесле

* … slater-and-tiler – кровельщик (мастер по укладке черепицы)

* … hot water fitter – теплотехник

* … which is not exposed to weather – который не подвержен погоде

* … He can use a horsed mould, erect lathing for plaster, and apply stucco

- Oн может использовать опалубку для бетона, крепить сетку под штукатурку и применять отделочный гипс.

Exercise 1

Find English equivalents in the text

Считаться искусным в своём ремесле, заниматься кирпичной кладкой, мастер по укладке черепицы, ремонтировать кровлю, собирать деревянные рамы, столярная мастерская, верхолаз, каменщик, многослойная штукатурка, быть подверженным влиянию погоды, класть стены из готового камня, предоставлять услуги, предполагаемая стоимость, самый подходящий покупатель, подписывать контракт с субподрядчиком, отвечать за безопасность рабочих.

Exercise 2

Add the missing information from the text

1. … is called tradesman or craftsman.

2. A fixer or a fixer mason or a builder mason is a mason who … .

3. In the USA the term … .

4. In some districts … ,and slating and lay plaster and granolithic floors.

5. … , including the insides of manholes.

Exercise 3

Match the words with their definitions

1) craftsman	a) someone whose job is to repair water pipes, baths, toilets etc
2) joiner	b) someone who covers roofs, floor etc. with tiles
3) plumber	c) someone whose job is making and repairing wooden objects
4) glazier	d) someone whose job is to cover walls and ceilings with plaster
5) slater	e) someone whose job is cutting stone into pieces to be used in buildings
6) tiler	f) someone whose job is to build walls, buildings etc with bricks
7) bricklayer	g) someone who is very skilled at a particular craft
8) plasterer	h) someone who puts together or repairs water pipes
9) carpenter	i) someone who represents client’s interest during all phases of the building process
10) hot water fitter	j) someone whose job is to fit glass into window frames
11) mason	k) someone who makes wooden doors, window frames etc
12) construction manager	l) someone who covers and repairs roofs

Exercise 4

Arrange the given words in pairs of

a) synonyms

build, wood, job, assistance, requirement, manufacture, apartment, usual, supply, different, timber, construct, entirely, produce, work, factory, various, up-to-date, provide, ordinary, help, flat, plant, modern, demand, completely

b) antonyms

dismantle, useless, bottom, unusual, increase, speed up, adverse, heavy, useful, slow down, usual, light, assemble, reduce, upper floor, favourable.

Exercise 5

Remember the difference between the use of the verbs make and do.

Translate into Russian. Use a dictionary.

make
certain	a contribution	a mistake
a journey	a complaint	a charge
money	a choice	a discovery
sure	an excuse	use of
a trip	an inquiry	room for

do
good	a sum	an experiment
harm	one’s best	a favour
business	one’s duty	a test
lessons	damage	the room
work	housework	the washing-up

a) Insert the necessary verb

1. If he … a mistake, he will have to … his lesson again.

2. It is only … you good.

3. Don’t worry; I will try to … my best to help you.

4. She would like to … a journey to Italy this summer.

5. Housewives usually … their washing up on Saturdays.

6. He just … an excuse and disappeared.

7. We are to … choices pretty often in our lives.

8. It will not … you any harm.

9. If a person likes his or her business, he or she will … it thoroughly.

10. The earthquake … a lot of damage to the location.

11. Joseph … his test better than anybody else in the group.

12. Joiner is a man who … joinery.

b) Translate the sentences with different meanings of the word make

1. Make sure that the door is locked when leaving your apartment.

2. Let’s make it up.

3. As you make the bed, so you may lie in it.

4. What am I to make of your behavior?

5. Two and three make five.

6. You must make your mind about this business till next Monday.

7. – Have you heard anything about John? – Yes, I know that he is in the start-up business now and is completely on the make.

8. Do you agree that a smiling boss makes for a happy and more productive employee?

Exercise 6

Learn the dialogue by heart

Boss: The customer said he wanted thicker lino for the floor.

Worker: Did he say anything about the colour?

Boss: Yes, the colour should be matched with the walls colour.

Worker: So, the colour must be light, much more lighter than the lino we have now.

Boss: I’ll order to bring the proper lino tomorrow.

Worker: Ok. And we also need two types of marble tiles for the toiletsand the bathrooms.

Boss: Yes, I’ve just ordered it.

TEXT 7

Study the words and word combinations

1) timber	- древесина
2) mining	- горная промышленность
3) valuable	- ценный
4) board	- доска
5) plywood	- фанера
6) veneer	- шпон, фанера
7) clay	- глина
8) moulding	- отливка
9) kiln	- печь для обжига
10) mortar	- раствор
11) sawdust	- опилки
12) rectangular	- прямоугольный
13) solid	- твёрдое тело
14) hollow	- полый
15) porous	- пористый
16) grip	- крепко держать, схватить
17) confidence	- уверенность
18) handle	- справляться
19) “would be”	- предполагаемый
20) pad	- подкладка
21) marble	- мрамор
22) limestone	- известняк
23) dam	- дамба
24) alloy	- сплав
25) durability	- долговечность
26) brass	- латунь
27) corrugated	- гофрированный
28) girder	- балка
29) artificial	- искусственный
30) apply	- применять
31) resin	- смола
32) raw material	- сырьё
33) inflammable	- легко воспламеняющийся
34) pattern	- форма
35) resistance	- cопротивление
36) sufficiently	- в достаточной мере
37) rigid	- жесткий
38) tool	- инструмент
39) impregnated	- пропитанный
40) thermosetting	- термически твердый
41) tough	- твёрдый
42) foamed	- вспененный
43) insulator	- изолятор
44) froth	- пениться
45) agent	- вещество
46) prefabricated	- сборный
47) strength	- cила
48) distinguished	- безупречный
49) moisture	- влажность
50) vapour	- пар
51) impermeability	- непроницаемость
52) sew	- соединять
53) nail	- прибивать
54) partition	- разделение
55) mineral wool	- минеральная вата
56) derive (from)	- получать, происходить
57) span	- промежуток времени
58) subject	- подвергать, подчинять
59) tensile	- растяжимый
60) sufficient	- достаточное количество
61) property	- свойство
62) pour	- лить
63) reinforced concrete	- железобетон
64) prestressed concrete	- предварительно напряжённый железобетон