Fig. 12. Joseph Monier

Pre-questions:

Do you know the name of J. Monier? What is he famous for?

10.2. Words and Word combinations to be remembered:

1.gardener	садовник
2.reinforced concrete	железобетон
3.horticulturist	садовод
4. to prove	доказать
5. worth	ценность, значение, значимость
6. duke	герцог
7.to offer	предлагать
8.mansion	дворец, особняк
9. to be satisfied	быть довольным
10. available	доступный,имеющийся в распоряжении, наличный
11. flowerpot	цветочный горшок
12. tub	кадка, бочонок
13. stable	твердый, прочный
14. enough	достаточно
15. to strengthen	усиливать, укреплять
16.embedded	вставленный, врезанный, вкраплённый, вмурованный; встроенный
17. mesh	петля, отверстие
18.to promote	продвигать
19. extensively	в значительной степени, сильно
20. toobtain	получать
21.trough	желоб
22. pipe	труба
23. basin	бассейн
24. the Castle of Chazelet	собор Шазеле
25. railway sleeper	железнодорожная шпала
26. to grant	разрешать, давать согласие на что-л.; предоставить право
27. to cover	предусматривать, разрешать
28. further	дальнейший
29. addition	дополнение
30.to contain	содержать в себе, включать
31. to protect	защищать
32. against	против, от
33. rusting	ржавление
34. to relate	относиться, иметь отношение, затрагивать; быть связанным
35. municipality	город, имеющий самоуправление муниципалитет
36. to expand	расширять, увеличивать
37.water supply	водоснабжение
38. sewerage networks	канализационные сети
39. diminishing need	уменьшающаяся потребность
40.reservoir	запас
41.tank	цистерна, бак
42.to oblige	обязывать, заставлять
43.urban	городской
44. applicable	применимый
45.housing	жилье
46.to describe	изображать, характеризовать
47. proof against	непроницаемый, защищенный от воздействия чего-л.
48. earthquake	землетрясение
49. humidity	сырость, влажность
50.to fell	падать
51. scaffolding	строительные леса
52. to sever relationship with smb.	разрывать отношения с кем-л.
53. family argument	семейная ссора
54. to declare bankrupt	объявить банкротом
55. overseas	за морем, за границей
56. take out	получать
57. significant	значительный
58. fee	денежный взнос, платеж
59. to maintain	поддерживать, сохранять
60. to opt to	предпочитать, выбирать
61. to sell his rights	продать свои права

10.2. Read and translate the text:

Joseph Monier, born 1823 was a French gardener and one of the principal inventors of reinforced concrete. Joseph was one of ten children born to a family of horticulturists. All hands being needed in the fields, Joseph was not sent to school. By the age of 17 he had proved his worth as a gardener, and the duke offered him a post at his mansion in Paris. Joseph took the opportunity to attend evening classes and learned to read and write.

As a gardener, Monier was not satisfied with the materials available for making flowerpots. He began making cement pots and tubs, but these were not stable enough. In order to strengthen the cement containers, he experimented with embedded iron mesh. He was not the first to experiment with reinforced concrete, but he saw some of the possibilities in the technique, and promoted it extensively.

Monier exhibited his invention at the Paris Exposition of 1867. He obtained his first patent on July 16, 1867, on iron-reinforced troughs for horticulture. He continued to find new uses for the material, and obtained more patents - iron-reinforced cement pipes and basins, iron-reinforced cement panels for building façades, bridges made of iron-reinforced cement, reinforced concrete beams. In 1875 the first iron-reinforced cement bridge ever built was constructed at the Castle of Chazelet. Monier was the designer.

Another application in 1878 covered reinforced concrete railway sleepers. When granted, this became the basis for a series of further additions. It contained a clear statement that the cement protected the iron against rusting.

As municipalities expanded their water supply and sewerage networks, there was a growing need for pipes, but a diminishing need for reservoir tanks. Monier was obliged to go further from urban areas in search of clients. In 1886 he was granted Patent for a system applicable to housing. Monier described the house as proof against earthquakes, ice, humidity, heat, and fire and received a commission to build such a house in Nice, possibly as a result of a recent earthquake. Monier's second son Paul asked to work on this project. On 24 November 1887, Paul was killed when he fell from the scaffolding. As Monier's eldest son, Pierre, had severed his relationship with his father over a family argument, Joseph found himself with no sons of working age to help him in the business.

In June 1888, the firm of J Monier constructeur was declared bankrupt, and in April 1889 went into liquidation. However, in 1890 he formed a new firm.

Monier took out patents in many countries, throughout Europe and overseas. Some of these were registered in the name of the patent agent, in accordance with local law, the British patent of 1883 being in the name of John Imray. Typically, patents were valid for 15 years, but it was necessary to pay a significant yearly fee to maintain them. Monier opted to sell his rights outside France to local businessmen and engineers.

Reinforced concrete is one the most important inventions of the mankind.

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