UNIT 3

A. Reading Comprehension

The building needed a coherent structure

a. A regular structure
b. An integrated structural ring beam around tops of doors and windows connected to columns
c. An integrated structural ring beam around top of walls connected to columns
d. Triangular gable end walls must be structurally supported

e. This regularly structured building was able to withstand the impact of hazards. Notice the structure of
columns and floors which were all joined to each other in a regular format. Overhanging parts of the
building are all well supported by continuous columns to the foundations.

f. This illustrates good structural design principles for a hollow block or brick wall building with a
reinforced concrete structure. A complete structural frame around the building was tied in to the
foundation, the walls and the roof structure. Doors and windows had a beam over them to carry the
weight of the wall above and to strengthen the columns. The top of the walls was also tied together with
the columns, by a second reinforced concrete ring beam, and end walls are strengthened.

g. Good Structure. This was a well structured house that followed all the above design principles. Notice
the good foundation, the good structure framing the building, and the 2 ring beams connecting all the
building elements at the top of doors and windows and at the top of the walls. Gable end walls were also
strengthened with reinforced concrete.
h. This was an example of bad structural practice. This house had no structural columns and no ring
beams to hold the structure together. There were no columns at the corners, or within the walls, and
there were no ring beams at the top of doors and windows or at the top of the walls. This building would
have little resistance to being destroyed by any impact from nature, like an earthquake or a storm.

i. An example of poor structuring of a house. The columns were very poor, with concrete poured in
stages after the walls were built up, and the concrete had not fully covered the steel so that the
reinforcing would rust. The columns were too small and the steel was too close together. The concrete
was not tamped to ensure good compaction. Columns should not be made to fit within the thickness of
the wall because there was not enough room to properly cover the column reinforcement with concrete.
This kind of column did little to give a house structural strength. It would have been better to have a
proper column at the end of the wall on the right.

j. Not good structure. Another example of a house which had too little structure to brace the walls against
lateral forces. This was a common construction fault with hollow blocks. Columns were inadequate, too
small, and poorly constructed, and there should be a reinforced column between the door and the
window. The window and the door had inadequate structural support. When the forces of nature strike
this house, it would progressively deteriorate and be hard to repair.

k. Good structural practice. A good pattern of reinforced concrete columns and beams to strengthen all
aspects of the building including support to strengthen the triangular gable end wall so that it would not
fall when a lateral force strikes the building. All end walls of this nature needed a reinforced column to
strengthen them, or they were liable to fall when the building was subjected to a major lateral force. It
also had a reinforced concrete beam to top to all walls.
 l. It is essential that a wood frame structure mounted on a concrete frame/brick stub wall must be fully
anchored together. A bracket, as shown above left, made of noncorrodible metal, must be cast into the
bearing structure to provide a structural connection for the whole wall through to the foundation. The
wood column must be bolted to the bracket as shown, and the bracket must be fully secured into the
concrete as shown on the right.

Questions:
1. How could this structured building be able to withstand the effects of the hazard??
2. What was the function of the beam above the door and window??
3. How to attach a wooden frame structure to a concrete frame / stone wall?
4. What was a bad structural practice like?
5. What was good structural practice like?

B. Vocabulary
(Nouns)
Foundation: Pondasi/dasar, structure: susunan, beam: balok, Gable end walls: Dinding ujung pelana,
design: rancangan.

C. Grammar
1. Simple Past Tense in Active Voice:
The simple past indicates that an activity or situation began and ended at a particular time in the past
Example:

(+) Mr. David builded a coherent structure today

S V O Adverb of time

(-) Mr. David did not build a coherent structure today

S aux.v+not V O Adverb of time
(?) Did Mr. David build a coherent structure today?
Auxiliary verb S V O Adverb of time

So, the pattern of simple present:

(+) S+V.2 + O+Adverb of time or place
(-) S+did+not+ V + O+Adverb of time or place
(?) Did+S+V+ O+Adverb of time or place

2. Simple Past Tense in Nominal Phrase

This tense states about phrase such as Adjective, Noun, and Adverb of time or place
For example:

(+) It was a coherent structure in my village

S tobe Adjective Noun Adverb of Place
( - ) it was not a coherent structure in my village

( ? ) was it a coherent structure in my village?

 3. Simple Past Tense in Passive Voice
The Rules of Active Verb into Passive Verb
1. Only transitive verbs (verbs that can be followed by an object) are used in the passive.
its mean: kata kerjanya harus berobyek (transitive verbs)
2. In the passive, the object of an active verb becomes the subject of the passive verb.
its mean: objek kalimat aktif menjadi subjek kalimat pasif
3. In the passive, the subject of an active verb becomes the object of the passive verb which is preceded “by”
its mean: subjek kalimat aktif menjadi objek kalimat pasif yang didahului oleh kata “by”
4. The verbs must be changed into past participle (V3)
its mean: kata kerjanya harus dirubah kedalam bentuk V3.
5. The arrangement of sentence is appropriated with tenses
Its mean: susunan kalimat itu disesuaikan dengan tenses
6. Adverb of manner/frequency in passive verb is put before a verb
Its mean: keterangan cara dalam kalimat pasif diletakkan sebelum kata kerja.
For example;

A coherent structure was carefully built by Mr. David

S tobe adverb of manner V3 O

4. Exercise
Write the examples of simple past tense that include active voice, nominal phrase, and passive voice based on the
text!

Adopted from:
Willison, R.D. 2008. Handbook on good Building Design and Construction in the Philippines. Philippines: GTZ
Office Manila.
Azar, B.S. 2002. Understanding and Using English Grammar: Third Edition with Answer Key. New York: Pearson
Education.