Prehistoric temples of malta

Task 2. Reading

BUILDING CONSTRUCTION
Building construction is the industry and techniques involved in the creation of structures, especially those used by people to live in. People construct buildings from an early ages. The need in a building construction firstly was tied with the need for a shelter to regulate the effects of climate.
Human shelters were at first very simple and perhaps lasted only a few days or months. But in time, more durable buildings began to appear. The first shelters were just to live in, but later other functions, for example storage and ceremonial, were housed in separate buildings. Some buildings obtained own symbolic as well as functional value, marking the beginning of the distinction between architecture and construction.
Early building materials were leaves, branches, and animal hides. Then, people come up to use more durable natural materials – clay, stone, timber. Mankind always strived to construct buildings of ever greater height and span; this was made possible by the development of stronger materials and by knowledge of how materials behave and how to exploit them to greater advantage. Synthetic materials – such as brick, concrete, metals, and plastics – were used. Change in energy available to the construction process also helped to build bigger constructions, starting with human muscle power and developing toward the powerful machinery used today.
This is only one trend in the history of building. Another major trend involves the degree of control over the interior environment of buildings: increasingly precise regulation of air temperature, light and sound levels, humidity, and other factors that affect human comfort.
At present building construction is very complex. Everything starts with the design. Design process for buildings is highly organized and consists of research establishments that study material properties, officials who adopt safety standards and designers who determine user needs and design a building to meet those needs. Then goes the construction itself. The construction process includes the manufacturers of building products and systems, the craftsmen who assemble them on the building site, the contractors who employ and coordinate the work of the craftsmen, and consultants who specialize in such aspects as construction management, quality control, and insurance.
Today, building construction is a significant part of industrial culture, which serves the diverse needs of the society.