Unit 5. Road surface

Vocabulary

abundantly - повсеместно

asphalt - асфальт

available - доступный

concrete - бетон

damage - разрушать

drain through - просачиваться

durable - долговечный

foot traffic — пешеходное движение

frequent - частый

granite - гранит

gravel - гравий

green house - парниковый

harmful - вредный

increase - увеличивать

infiltration - проникновение

layer - слой

leaking oil — утечка масла

limestone - известняк

melting - плавящийся

moreover — помимо того

paving method — метод мощения

permeable — проникающий

porous - пористый

recyclable - пригодный для переработки

reduce - уменьшать

repair - ремонт

replace - заменять

require - требовать

runoff - сток

sand - песок

service life — срок службы

site — строительная площадка

slab - блок

slide - скользить

slip - поскользнуться

surface - поверхность

sustain - выдерживать

traction — сцепление с дорогой

underlay (with) — залегать под

vehicular traffic — движение автотранспорта

walkway - тротуар

weather conditions — погодные условия

Road surface is the durable surface material laid down in order to sustain vehicular or foot traffic, such as a road or walkway.

In the past, gravel road surfaces and granite setts were used. These surfaces were replaced by asphalt or concrete.

Concrete roads have a long service life. Concrete road do not require frequent repair. C oncrete roads are not damaged by the leaking oils from the vehicles or by the extreme weather conditions. It is produced from abundantly available limestone.

But vehicles tend to slip or slide on concrete road due to rain and snow. The paving cost of the concrete road is little higher than asphalt paving. In case the concrete road breaks, the whole concrete slab is replaced.

Asphalt roads provide better traction and help to keep roads free from ice and snow. Asphalt is a recyclable material. Moreover, it takes less time to build an asphalt road than a concrete road.

But heavy rain and other extreme weather conditions damage the asphalt road, and the roads need to be repaired frequently. Melting asphalt produces lots of harmful greenhouse gases. Also costly petroleum is required to produce asphalt.

Today, permeable paving methods are used for low-impact roadways and walkways. There are many options for permeable pavement materials.

Two alternatives to traditional asphalt pavement that are used on sites to reduce runoff and increase infiltration are porous pavement and modular block pavement.

Porous pavement is a 2-4 inch covering of permeable asphalt over layers of stone, gravel, and filter fabric that lets storm water drain through the surface and into the subsoil.

Modular block pavement consists of perforated concrete slab units underlain with gravel. The surface perforations are filled with coarse sand.

Answer the questions to the text:

1. What materials are used for road surface?
2. What are the advantages of concrete?
3. What are the advantages of asphalt?
4. What are the disadvantages of concrete?
5. What are the disadvantages of asphalt?
6. What does permeable paving method mean?

Exercises:

1) Find the equivalents:

поверхностный слой дорожного покрытия, укладывать, с целью, выдерживать, транспортный поток, заменять, асфальт, бетон, требовать ремонта, протечка масла, доступный, известняк, сцепление, проницаемое мощение, сток.

2) Translate:

foot traffic, walkway, gravel, to be replaced by, to have a long service life, to require frequent repair, to be damaged by, leaking oil, weather conditions, to be produced from abundantly available, to tend to, to provide better traction, to keep roads free from, to produce greenhouse gases, the leaking oils from the vehicles.

3) Complete the sentences:

Road surface is a surface material laid down

a) in order to contain different materials.

b) intended to sustain vehicular or foot traffic.

c) in order to slip or slide on the road.

4) Rewrite the sentences from Active into Passive voice:

1) They lay down road surface in order to sustain traffic. 2) In the past, they used gravel road surfaces and granite setts. 3) They replaced these surfaces by asphalt or concrete. 4) The leaking oils from the vehicles don't damage roads. 5) But heavy rain and other extreme weather conditions damage the asphalt road. 6) Melting asphalt produces lots of harmful greenhouse gases.

References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_surface