journal 2

i think that english at the usb its very well. maybe could be better but in general its good. its a good idea that the usb teachs special english for architects because we can learn a lot of terms that we dont understand in the past. maybe english 1 and 2 are a too simple, i think they could be focus on architecture too. it was great to learn how to say brick, steel, iron, lintel, shell etc.

id love the on line component. its very useful because its too easy tho show our works, its easy to know what we have to do at class. id learn how to use blogspot and buzznet to make presentations, audacity to record some texts and id learn a lot of tools in the yahoo page very useful to show my ideas and projects
the on line component its a tool to be in contact with great pojects about architecture.....there you can know about important buildings, projects or architects.....also you can see some conversations with friends.....i have my final presentation about the architetc santiago calatrava....i think it is the best architect nowaday. i also have in my blog information about materials for construction like wood, stone, iron and steel. I have many important buildings in the chigago city I think it is very good because i have diferents kinds of information like brainmaps, chatlogs, texts, photos. i think that using the on line component in an english class its very usefull because there you can post all your works, read and write texts and the teacher can review all this stuffs in a easy way.

i think that the fourth english have to be focus on architecture, so we can learn all the basic grammar but with architecture vocabulary by an example. i thinks it will be great and more apropiate

bridges.

What is a “bridge”?
a bridge its a structure that is built above and across a river, road, or other obstacle to allow people or vehicles to cross it

What are the different types of bridges mentioned in the sites you consulted?
Arch and Vierendeel truss bridges
Arch bridges
Cable-stayed arch bridges
Cable-stayed bridges
Cantilever bridges
Clapper bridges
Covered bridges
Girder bridges
Hyperbolic paraboloid bridges
Lenticular bridges
Movable bridges
Pontoon bridges
Portal bridges
Ship bridges
Slab and girder bridges
Slab bridges
Stressed ribbon bridges
Suspension bridges
Trestle bridges
Truss bridges
Tubular bridges

What is the technology involved in bridge construction?
Some steps are common to almost all erection processes. First, the girder must be transported from the workshop to the erection site. Next, in almost all erections, a crane of some sort is utilized to take members off the truck or barge and lift and hold them in place while they are attached. Finally, scaffolding is erected on the supports, piers and/or the bridge itself to allow workers access to the bridge in order to tighten bolts at joints, weld members together, as well as paint joint areas and perform other necessary work.
In fact the production methods for steel bridges vary greatly with the type and complexity of the bridge and from company to company. Since that is a great deal to try to address we'll show you the flow of our production line outlining the major steps common to most bridges to give you an idea for what is involved in the fabrication of a bridge.
Pre-Fabrication
Cutting and Marking
Butt Welding
Drilling
Pannel Assembly
Assembly, Welding, & Correction
Machining
Trial Assembly
BlastingPainting


Orinoco's river Bridge
Spanning some 2,140 kilometers, the Orinoco river is South America's third largest river, but it only has one bridge so far. By contrast, the Rhine river in central Europe with its 1,320 kilometers in length is crossed by more than 1,000 bridges. A second bridge over the Orinoco, under construction 100 kilometers away in Ciudad Guayana.The Orinoco Bride project involves the construction of a multi-span cable-stayed bridge for road and rail transportation with 1,020 meters of clamps over a total length of 3,180 meters and width of 24.7 meters. The cable-stayed clamps are supported by 4 reinforced concrete pylons, each approximately 120 meters high.
Due to seasonal changes, the bridge needs to be able to withstand fluctuations in tide levels The levels can vary by more than 12.5 meters between the highest and lowest tide levels. This has meant that the piles supporting the bridge have had to be installed to depths of up to 85 meters in some places - an enormous challenge for the construction project.

acoustic walt disney concert hall

Designed by Frank Gehry, the hall is the most significant work ever created by a Los Angeles architect in his native city. The hall's flamboyant undulating exterior — whose stainless steel forms unfold along downtown's Grand Avenue with exquisite lightness — is a sublime expression of contemporary cultural values. Its intimate, womb-like interior should instantly be included among the great public rooms in America.But what makes the building so moving as a work of architecture is its ability to express a deeper creative conflict: the recognition that ideal beauty rarely exists in an imperfect world. It is this tension — and the delicacy with which Gehry resolves it — that makes Disney Hall such a powerful work of social commentary. That he could accomplish this despite a tortured construction process that dragged out over 16 years is a minor miracle. Its success affirms both Gehry's place as America's greatest living architectural talent and Los Angeles' growing cultural maturity.

1. How are each of the aspects shown in the video related to architecture and/or urban planning?
the entire video its related to architecture because it shows a lot of important buildings, in urban planing we can understant how the city organized the parks, the roads, the markets. even in the part when the video talk about sports is related to architecture because we can see the instalations, or the buildings where the sports are having a practice.

2. Write your opinion about the city in the video from the point of view of an architect or urban planner.

its a city very organizated. the bigs and pretty parks create i n the city a way to have a different time. the streets are very good, the traffic its very well because exists a great subway to go over the streets. even you can find a city down the floor. its a city creted for winters. its a precious city very organizated in all the ways.

Journal 1

My blog its a tool to be in contact with great pojects about architecture.....there you can know about important buildings, projects or architects.....also you can see some conversations with my friends. so....i have my final presentatio about the architetc santiago calatrava....i think it is the best architect nowaday. i also have information about materials for construction like wood, stone, iron and steel. I have many important buildings in the chigago city
I think it is very good because i have diferents kinds of information like brainmaps, chatlogs, texts, photos.....Maybe i can improve it with web links about new projects or costructions.

i think that using blogs in an english class its very usefull because there you can post all your works, write texts and the teacher can review all this stuffs in a easy way.

i will be an architect, so i think blogs can help me with my presentations, a lot of people around the world could know me at the web, so they could send me a message to ask me help with a design....I hope!! and then i could meet a lot of architects in other countries.
its also could be an interesting way to show my projects and constructions......so, it will be an important tool for me.

chatlog 1 about blogs

daniela_morin86: i think blogs are good because its a cool way to interchage all the ideas, photos or text that you like
daniela_morin86: its very we
alfredo : i think the are a good tool for the students, because let us be always in contact
daniela_morin86: very easy to create and its very simple to give the link to your friends or people even you dont know
alfredo : also, give us the opportunity to see interchange the ideas and works we have done as you just said
daniela_morin86: yes and the teacher could send interesting texts and links too ther pages at the web
alfredo : yeah u r right
daniela_morin86: i have another blog in hotmail.....but its only the interchange my photos with my friends
alfredo : i think thatt is very important because the blogs brings you the opportunnity to have some personal information online
daniela_morin86: thenyou can even talk about your favorite music, hobbies, movies
alfredo : and anytime u want to some persons see it u only have to give her/his the link
daniela_morin86: yes....and the web nowodays its the most important way to investigate
alfredo : that sounds interesting...
alfredo : I dont have other blogs... I only use the pc in order to download mp3
daniela_morin86: yes....a lot of people have this kind of blog.....its only for fun......but onthe otherhandiknow people who has blogs for interchange important investigatios or works
daniela_morin86: well in this blog you cant save your music too
alfredo : maybe i will create one
daniela_morin86: itsvery cool...because if you loose all the informationor your pc....you are not going to loose this music or photos beacuse they are going onthe web
alfredo : and this blog u already have brings u the opportunnity to meet new people?
daniela_morin86: well....let me see your blog
daniela_morin86: my urlblog its danielamorindiaz86.blogspot.com
daniela_morin86: i hopeyou enjoy it
alfredo : that is good, because i that way u dont lose space in ur pc saving mp3
alfredo : ok
daniela_morin86: yes its good for this too
alfredo : i dont anything in my blog but maibe u find something interesting
alfredo : alfredoblog1.blogspot.com
daniela_morin86: wow your blog itsvery good
daniela_morin86: i think its very well.....maybe you can add more photos
alfredo : u have interesting articles in ur blog
alfredo : yeah well... im working on that
daniela_morin86: the most important thing its that we have anarchitecturalblog...because we are architectural students
daniela_morin86: so we can copy some ideas from each one
alfredo : anytime anywhere
daniela_morin86: i`d love to publicate a lot of photos about interesting projects or great importants buildings
alfredo : maybe i can add some works to my blog too
daniela_morin86: maybe about structures, or materials...... too lear more obout it
daniela_morin86: yes it is a good idea
alfredo : ok... I will
daniela_morin86: publicate your own works....too show it too a lot of people.......i will do it too
alfredo : do u meet new people on this page, u already have an architectural blog?
daniela_morin86: i lovethat you have a lot of links to other architectural pages
daniela_morin86: i dont have it
alfredo : who*
daniela_morin86: well...i dont really like to meet people inthe web....so im not interested inthat
daniela_morin86: but i sael inthe others people bogs
alfredo : yes... sometimes u just waste your time meeting new people on the web
daniela_morin86: i create this blog in september....english 4.....so its very complete with text or works at this class
alfredo : ahhhhh ok...
alfredo : i thought u start work with ur blog in englis 5 like me...
daniela_morin86: anothe wood thingabout this blogs its that you can do presentations like in powerpoint....did youknow it??
daniela_morin86: +good
daniela_morin86: itsvery easy and.....you have it at the web
alfredo : no i dont know that
alfredo : i really like to see ur blog
daniela_morin86: id love your blog too
alfredo : it gives me a lot of ideas in order to improve mine
daniela_morin86: yes i would take some ideas too....thanks
alfredo : well maybe we can change some ideas some other time
daniela_morin86: sure.....byee!!
alfredo : bye
alfredo : take care

tenerifes opera house

Before the official opening of Frank Gehry's much anticipated Walt Disney Concert Hall in October, Santiago Calatrava's Tenerife Opera House in Santa Cruz, Tenerife will open to the public. With its inauguration on September 27, the Opera House will bring attention both to the city of Santa Cruz and the Canary Islands, a grouping of seven islands west of Morocco. An autonomous region of Spain, the islands are known more for its nightlife and beaches than for cultural amenities, though surely this building is an attempt to infuse the islands with both high culture and world-class architecture
A esthetically, the Opera House follows from sculptural studies that Calatrava investigated earlier in his career. With an absence of program and scale, the sculptures were useful for the architect/engineer to develop novel forms generated from the study of forces. This investigation lead to the dramatic, symmetrical form of the building, an engineering marvel in concrete and stone. His method is contrary to Gehry's, whereby designs like the Disney Hall, embody artistic intuition instead of engineering skill, though each creates objects of unique beauty.

MY Final presentation

this is the direcction of my final project

danielamorin.buzznet.com

Wood

Today literally thousands of products that we take for granted come from solid wood, wood pulp and chemicals derived from wood. Why is wood man's most important building material? First, only wood is a renewable resource. No other building material-- steel, aluminum, brick, concrete, plastics, glass, ceramics--can be regenerated as can trees. And trees also provide wildlife habitat and recreational areas while they grow.

Advantages of woodWhen compared with competing construction materials, wood has many other advantages.

• Wood is available in many species, sizes, shapes and conditions and can suit almost every demand.
• Wood is readily available and is a material most people are familiar with.
  In comparison to other raw materials, wood requires far less energy to process into products.
• Wood has a high strength-to-weight ratio and therefore performs well as a structural material.
• Wood is easily cut and shaped with tools and fastened with adhesives, nails, screws, bolts and dowels.
• Wood is lightweight and easy to install.
• Wood, when dry, has good insulating properties against heat, cold, sound and electricity.
• Wood has good shock resistance and absorbs and dissipates vibrations.
• Because of the variety of grain patterns and colors, wood is an esthetically pleasing material and its appearance can be enhanced by many finishes.
• Wood is easily repaired and wood structures are easily remodeled.
• Wood combines with almost any other material for both functional and esthetic uses.
• Wood can be highly durable if properly protected or treated.

Disadvantages of woodBiological deterioration and fire are two obvious threats or disadvantages to wood use.

Biological deterioration. Because of the sugars and starch in untreated wood, it is a source of food for a variety of fungi, insects and other organisms. Given the right circumstances, they can break down and consume the cellulose, lignin and other components of wood and damage the wood members of a structure. Wood preservation is used to prevent this kind of damage.

Wood is combustible when provided with adequate heat and oxygen. In fact, wood is the most widely used fuel in many parts of the world. Wood's combustibility often limits the use of lumber products to light-frame construction such as housing and similar structures. However, some commercial building designs call for and permit the use of heavy timber construction. Untreated large wooden beams are often safer in a fire than unprotected steel beams. When subjected to high temperatures, steel rapidly loses its strength and rigidity. This can lead to the sudden collapse of a building with great risk to life and property. Large cross- sectional timbers, on the other hand, burn slowly from the outside in, often retaining a good proportion of their strength during a fire and after it has been extinguished. For some uses, building codes or standards require wood to be protected by fire retardant treatment.
Wood: Many Varieties Create Wide Variations in Properties

Wood may appear to be a very simple material, but its make-up is quite complex. All wood is composed of four chemical components: cellulose, lignin, hemicellulose and extractives, which combine to form a cellular structure.

Variations in the characteristics and volume of the four components and differences in cellular structure result in some woods being hard and heavy and some light and soft, some strong and some weak, some naturally durable and some prone to decay. Four primary reasons account for the great variation in wood and its properties.

• First, there are many varieties of trees. Each variety, such as red oak, loblolly pine and Douglas fir, is known as a species. There are approximately 50,000 species of trees in the world and the properties and characteristics of these various woods differ markedly. Within a single species, physical and chemical properties are relatively constant; therefore, selection of wood by species alone may often be adequate. Thousands of different tree species grow in North America; however, only 60 or so have commercial use and even fewer are suitable for treating.
  
• A second reason for variation between pieces of wood occurs within each tree. For instance, it is common for the wood found toward the center of a tree trunk (the heartwood) to be quite different from that found toward the outside (the sapwood).
  Another reason for differences within a wood species results from where the tree grows. We could expect radiata pine grown in New Zealand, South Africa and Brazil to be affected by differences in sunlight, latitude, rainfall and wind. The same tree species growing high on a mountain will produce quite different wood characteristics from its twin planted at the same time in a nearby fertile valley.
  
• Finally, after a tree is harvested, the different ways that wood is processed (sawn, seasoned, chemically treated, machined, etc.) will also affect the characteristics of the final wood product. For reasons like these, wood is a variable and complex material, whose properties can never be precisely predicted. Satisfactory treatment must take into consideration the various characteristics of different species and their intended uses.