656

1.We felt shock waves in the cavern floor as 80 m below ………. detonated.

a)hill side

b)shaft

c)explosives

2.The Gotthard Base Tunnel ………. through difficult geology.

a)bores

b)passes

c)goes

3.In the next 12 months work will get under way at the two ………. of Amsteg and Faido.

a)access adits

b)tunneling firms

c)site office

4.With the need to minimize ………. provision has been made to transport as much materials by rail as possible.

a)tunnel spoil

b)environmental impact

c)water-bearing rock

5.Work on the adits at Bodio and Erstfeld which will form the ………. of the new Gothard tunnel will follow later this year.

a)exploratory bores

b)trial bores

c)outer ends

4. With a partner answer the questions.

1.Who pressed the red button to set off the first explosive charges for the 800 m access shaft?

2.Is Gotthard tunnel one of the most expensive railway projects under way in the world?

3.What is the hardest part of the Gotthard project?

4.Will working simultaneously from five work sites reduce construction time?

5.What if the type of rock near by Furka base tunnel?

6.How many trial bores were made from around the site of access shaft at Sedrun?

7.What problem did the engineers encount after trial boring at Sedrun? How did they tackle the problem?

8.Was it possible to provide the direct rail-based excavation?

9.What was the depth of the running tunnel at Sedrun?

10.How will the tunnel spoil be reused?

5. Read the summary of the text and correct some technical mistakes.

Gotthard base tunnel in the Alps is one of the largest civil engineering projects of recent years. It passes through difficult geology and at great depths beneath the Alps. Simultaneous work from three work sites will reduce construction time with the first train due to run through in 2011. The hardest part of the project — creating running tunnel through the most difficult geology. the rock is a type of sugar-crystal dolomite varying from water bearing rock to almost liquid. To chose the best technologies many exploratory bores were made.

The direct rail-based excavation was possible and to minimize the environmental impact it was decided to transport 50 % of materials for the tunnel by rail. Special railway lines were constructed including signaling, power supplies and extra passing loops. The most of the materials for the tunnel transported by rail will be metal. Much of the tunnel spoil will be brought out by rail too.

A funicular railway has been installed to transport workers up and down the hillside. Workfaces for the running tunnels will include:

—a cavern at the bottom of the Sedrun shaft to provide space for moving equipment,

—creating passageways and initial tunnel sections through the easy geology,

—the twin tunnels and crosspassages which should connect with a drive from the Amsteg access,

—a second face at Sedrun boring the tunnels south,

—fitting out on the outer ends of the tunnel.

Many technical challenges lie ahead, but this huge project promises to transform the heart of Europe’s rail network.

6.Make a list of technical aspects that you should consider when designing a deep hard rock tunnel.

7.These statements about tunnels and viaduct in Hong Kong are all false. Read the text below and correct them.

1)Kwai Tsing tunnels pass in easy geology.

2)A mixed-face earth pressure balance TBM has been used for the second time in Hong Kong to excavate a key section.

3)With an 8.7 m diameter with a cutting head, the TBM is capable of digging only hard rock.

4)Tai Lam tunnel was excavated using shield-driven tunneling method.

5)The elevated alignment through the north-west New Territories avoids cutting across roads and disrupting the flow of water down drainage channels in flood-prone areas but doesn’t provide minimizing land take.

6)Viaduct noise preventing measures include a 1 m high parapet, train skirts and fixed slab track mounted on wood pads and resilient baseplates.

Tunnels and Viaducts

The underground sections comprise the Kwai Tsing tunnels passing under heavily built-up areas in the south, and the Tai Lam tunnel beneath the Tai Lam Country Park. To cope with mixed ground conditions and to avoid disruption to busy road traffic, a mixed-face earth pressure balance TBM (tunnel boring machine) has been used for the first time in Hong Kong to excavate a key section of the Kwai Tsing tunnels. With an 8.7 m diameter cutting head, the TBM is capable of digging through soft and waterlogged ground as well as hard rock.

Work on the southern section of tunnels is about 70 % complete.

At 5.5 km in length, the Tai Lam tunnel is the longest rail or road tunnel in Hong Kong. Excavated using traditional drill-and-blast methods, it was due to hole through last month. Application of the tunnel lining and construction of the central wall is proceeding alongside the excavation.

As well as minimizing land take, the elevated alignment (эстакадная трасса), through the north-west New Territories avoids cutting across roads and disrupting the flow of water down drainage channels in flood-prone areas. To ensure that these channels perform their vital function unobstructed (беспрепятственно), construction activity has been confined to the dry season. Special arrangements are in place for contractors to remove plant and materials from the worksites whenever there is a risk of flooding.

Despite these constraints (ограничения), substantial progress has been made in the construction of the 35 km of viaduct, which will be the longest bridge structure in Hong Kong. The viaduct decks are constructed using pre-cast methods and assembled on piers at a rate of 14 spans or 500 m per week.

Deck assembly was 70 % complete by mid-March, and we currently expect the last part of the deck structure to be erected during July.

A 1.3 m high parapet functioning as a noise barrier is being installed on both sides of the deck. This forms part of an innovative system that should make west Rail one of the quickest railways in the world. Other measures include train skirts and floating slab track mounted on rubber pads and resilient (упругие) baseplates. Together these will trap train noise at source and reduce vibration substantially.

Test 9

II. Fill the gaps with one of the words.

1.Working from a short adit into the hill site, a number of ………. were drilled.

a)wells

b)trial bores

c)shafts

2.The tunnel spoil will be ………. as aggregate for concrete.

a)reused

b)strengthened

c)carried out

3.The shaft has been sunk into the rock down to the ………. of 547 m above sea level.

a)height

b)raise

c)altitude

4.The workers will open a second face ………. the tunnels south.

a)boring

b)cutting

c)laying

5.This rack equipped line ………. down sharply into the valley below the town.

a)reduces

b)drops

c)goes

III. Match parts of the sentences.

KEYS to test 6 for self control

I. 1-d, 2-g, 3-a, 4-f, 5-c, 6-e, 7-b, 8-k, 9-m, 10-l. II. 1-c, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a, 5-b, 6-a, 7-b, 8-b, 9-a, 10-c. III. 1-T, 2-T, 3-F, 4-F, 5-T, 6-T.

KEYS to test 7 for self control

I. 1-c, 2-d, 3-b, 4-j, 5-k, 6-a, 7-i, 8-e, 9-g, 10-f. II. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-c, 5-a.

III. 1-d, 2-c, 3-e, 4-a, 5-b.

KEYS to test 8 for self control

I. 1-d, 2-b, 3-g, 4-c, 5-f, 6-a, 7-j, 8-e, 9-h, 10-i. II. 1-a, 2-c, 3-b, 4-a, 5-b.

III. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-e, 5-d.

KEYS to test 9 for self control

I. 1-f, 2-h, 3-c, 4-g, 5-a, 6-i, 7-e, 8-j, 9-d, 10-b. II. 1-b, 2-a, 3-c, 4-a, 5-b.

III. 1-d, 2-b, 3-a, 4-c, 5-e.

PART III

ROAD CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY

Unit 10

Read the text.

The MDC Gottwald track-laying cranes offer cost-effective features required for maintaining railway routes. Railway crane is designed specifically for track-laying duties and equipped with telescopic boom only. Loads such as track panel, switches and bridge sections can be lifted with the boom in horizontal position, telescoped and transported. In this way, work can be carried out safely under catenary.

A minimum over-tail ensures that the crane can work transverse to traveling direction without hindering the traffic on the adjacent track. The admissible axle loading can be maintained by a correlating number of axles and through a tailor-made counterweight arrangement.

On the patented crane GS 150.14 TR, the boom can be telescoped in or out to either end of the crane and in this way the working direction can be changed without slewing the superstructure.

The crane has no tail radius. There is no counterweight obstructing the adjacent track when the crane works to the side. The crane is designed for a self-propelled speed of 100 km/h. Towing it in train order to go from one job site to the other is no longer necessary but can be done at speeds up to 120 km/h. The strictest exhaust limits are met and extremely efficient sound insulation is provided for night work in populated areas.

The AC 50 R crane combines the performance of a mobile crane with the specific features of a telescopic railway crane. It is equipped with genuine railway bogie. All wheelsets are hydraulically driven and braked which results in an outstanding gradeability as well as traveling on rails at a speed of up to 25 km/h. As the crane still meets the axle load limitations for road traffic, the site can be reached at high speed. Setting up the crane on rails requires a minimal space due to its excellent maneuverability. The crane can fulfill lightweight jobs both on railway tracks and on lightrail systems.

1. Read and remember the meanings of the words.

2. Choose the best title for the text.

•Track-laying and bridge-building cranes

•Earth-moving machinery

•Excavators

•Road construction machines

•Mobile cranes

4. With a partner discuss the questions.

1)How are track-laying and ordinary cranes different?

2)What kinds of cranes do you know?

3)What operations do they perform?

4)What operations do track-laying and bridge-building cranes perform?

3.Read the text again and write down key words to describe the cranes.

5.Match the words with opposite meanings.

6. Complete the sentences with the words and phrases from the text.

a)______________________________correlating number of axles and through a tailor-made counterweight arrangement.

b)As the crane still meets ______________________________, the site can be reached at high speed.

c)The crane has no __________ .

d)_____________________________ and on lightrail systems.

e)The crane is designed ____________________ of 100 km/h.

f)Railway crane is designed specifically for track-laying duties and __________________ .

Optional tasks

1. Check your knowledge.

1. ‘Specific’ is an adjective. Choose the verb corresponding to it.

•specifying

•specify

•specificen

•specificing

2.Choose the antonym to the word 'admissible'.

• unadmissible

• iradmissible

• disadmissible

• inadmissible

3.‘Traffic, insulation, space’ — these words are ...?

• pronouns

• adverbs

• uncountable nouns

• adjectives

4.What word is missing? The … can be telescoped in or out to either end of the crane.

• boom

4)Railway crane is designed specifically for track-laying duties and equipped with telescopic boom only.

5)The boom can be telescoped in or out to only one end of the crane.

IV. Read three possible ways to complete the sentences and choose the only one correct.

A.Towing can be done at ……..

a)speeds up to 25 km/h

b)speeds up to 100 km/h

c)speeds up to 120 km/h

B.The MDC Gottwald track-laying cranes are ……….

a)self-propelled

b)loco-hauled

c)stationary

C.The crane ………..

a)doesn’t meet any limitations

b)meets the axle load limitations

c)meets speed limitations

Unit 11

Read the text.

The VPRS-02 roadbed alignment, leveling and tamping machine is intended to perform longitudinal and lateral alignment of railroad track, lining of track and tamping of ballast around ties, switch assemblies and cross-members. The VPRS-02 machine is used for construction, maintenance and repair of railroad tracks built to the gauges of 1435 mm and 1520 mm with rails of different specific gravity — up to R-65. Rails are laid on wooden or concrete ties bedded in various type of ballast.

The VPRS-02 is a multi-purpose machine of cyclic action. It performs alignment, lining and tamping of track on main-lines, switching lines and at switch assemblies and can do these operations simultaneously or one at a time. The machine operates either in semi-automatic or manual-control mode.

The VPRS-02 machine is most effective when used for regular maintenance of track after overhaul (prior to first and second track raising maintenance), raising of track and interim maintenance. The VPRS-02 develops high transportation speed and can easily be transported to worksites at up to 200 km away. The machine operates within temperature range from –10 °C up to +40 °C.

VPRS-02

The VPRS-03 roadbed leveling, tamping and alignment machine is designed to perform longitudinal and transversal leveling and lining of railroad tracks, as well as tamping the ballast under ties and around butt-ends of ties, under bars of switch assemblies and cross-members.

The machine is used for the construction, repair and routine maintenance of railroad tracks built to the gauges of 1435 mm and 1520 mm with rails of up to and including the R-65 type laid on wooden or reinforced concrete ties that are bedded in various types of ballast.

The VPRS-03 is a multi-purpose railroad machine operating in cycles. It performs, simultaneously or separately, leveling, alignment and tamping of railroad tracks in either semi-automatic or manual mode, both on main and switching lines, and at switch assemblies.

The machine is equipped with an additional removable device for hoisting a third rail for working on heavy switch assemblies with bars of reinforced concrete. This device makes it possible to handle the third rail and to partially tamp a long bar in the 3rd point for fixing it.

The machine has two-tie tamping units for tamping one tie from 2 sides and two neighboring ties from the internal side.

The machine's transmission is on the basis of a hydrodynamic drive developed by BelAZ (manufacturer of heavy-duty trucks). The drive turns on only in the transportation mode for changing the tractive force in relation to road conditions.

Leveling systems of the machine are controlled by a microprocessor system. An on-board computer with a keyboard for the input of current data is designated for collecting and storing information about the condition of the track before and after leveling, and about rated parameters of the track, as well as for calculating, generating control signals, providing an interface for the user, etc.

The machine is most effectively used in routine maintenance of tracks after a major repair (prior to the first and second track raising), in track raising and medium repair.

Due to the high transportation speed the VPRS-03 can be promptly delivered to a work site that is up to 200 km away.

The machine operates within the ambient temperature range of –10 °C through +40 °C.

VPRS-03