Volume 9 (2014): Edizione 1 (June 2014)

There are many problems related to pipe network rehabilitation, the main one being how to provide an increase in the hydraulic capacity of a system. Because of its complexity the conventional optimizations techniques are poorly suited for solving this task. In recent years some successful attempts to apply modern heuristic methods to this problem have been published. The main part of the paper deals with applying such technique, namely the harmony search methodology, to network rehabilitation optimization considering both technical and economic aspects of the problem. A case study of the sprinkler irrigation system is presented in detail. Two alternatives of the rehabilitation design are compared. The modified linear programming method is used first with new diameters proposed in the existing network so it could satisfy the increased demand conditions with the unchanged topology. This solution is contrasted to the looped one obtained using a harmony search algorithm

The blanket research of historical trusses in the territory of Slovakia has been running at our department since 2008. This research is done as teamwork in cooperation with experts from the field of conservation, and it is mainly focused on typology, construction, and the current technical and constructional state of investigated trusses. The long-time support of the grant scheme from the Ministry of Culture allows to get a fair amount of different data related to individual buildings and structures, which enables to carry out the in-depth research. In terms of their conservation and maintenance with an effort to extend their lifetime (the oldest known historical trusses in Slovakia are those of the 13th century), it is necessary to look into the microclimate impact of the under-roof space on wooden roof structures as well as to monitor the contemporary constructional and technical condition of a roof structure itself. The suitable microclimate in the under-roof space is influenced by a number of marginal conditions, constructional solutions of roof details, proper space ventilation etc

The paper deals with the design of non-rigid pavement, with emphasis on the effect of active zone on its deformation state. The concepts of determination of active zone are described. The results of numerical modelling of pavement laying on elastic subgrade are presented in the paper

The evaluation of daylight conditions in building interiors is based on the Daylight Factor concept after current Slovak standards. Criteria and requirements determined in these standards consider the worst daylight exterior conditions which are described by CIE overcast sky model. The sky luminance distribution of overcast sky is centrical to the zenith, so independence of window orientation to cardinal points is characteristic in daylighting calculations. The sky luminance distribution modelling is one of the main task of the daylight source research more than 50 years. It is evident that also other types of sky conditions exist in nature. An introduction of a new criterion based on photometric variables, which also consider sunlight influence, is expected. This article represents a study of the influence of the interior orientation on distribution of daylighting in attic spaces under an overcast and clear sky

Roofing is an important element in the construction of the roof. It is also one of the essential elements of the whole building. The choice of roofing should depend on technical parameters that affect the quality of the materials used and the price. The present paper is a comparative analysis of the properties of five roofing materials selected as examples with respect to twelve parameters. As can be seen from the comparative analysis of the roofing parameters, roofing tile is by far the best material, receiving the highest score in the ranking

Sustainable building materials are based on the use of renewable materials instead of non-renewable. Large group of renewable materials composes of plant fibres having high tensile strength are used as fillers into building material with reinforcement function of composite. This study aimed to establish the mechanical and physical properties of cement composites with organic fillers, such as wood pulp. Wood pulp cellulose is very interesting material as reinforcement in cement which contributes to a reduction of pollutants. Varying the producing technology (wood pulp and cement ratio in mixture) it is possible to obtain composites with density from 940 to 1260 kgm^-3 and with compressive strength from 1.02 to 5.44 MPa after 28 days of hardening. Based on the experimental results, cement composites with using unbleached wood pulp reach higher values than composites based on bleached wood pulp. Volume ratio of unbleached wood pulp in composites influences water absorbability of cement composites

The aeroelastic assessment of turbulences appearing in boundary layer of flat plates tested in the wind tunnel is treated in present paper. The approach suggested takes into account multiple functions in the analysis of flat plates subjected to laminar and turbulent wind forcing. Analysis and experimental assessments in the aerodynamic tunnel are presented. Some results obtained are discussed

A 3D model of a reinforced concrete building and was created in software ANSYS. The dynamic analysis was focused on the spectral response of the object represented by a random excitation experiment found in records in the form of load spectra

Geochemical modeling plays an increasingly vital role in a number of areas of geoscience, ranging from groundwater and surface water hydrology to environmental preservation and remediation. Geochemical modeling is also used to model the interaction processes at the water - sediment interface in acid mine drainage (AMD). AMD contains high concentrations of sulfate and dissolved metals and it is a serious environmental problem in eastern Slovakia. The paper is focused on comparing the results of laboratory precipitation of metal ions from AMD (the Smolnik creek, Slovakia) with the results obtained by geochemical modeling software Visual Minteq 3.0.

Nowadays, in the field of civil engineering there exists an upward trend towards environmental sustainability. It relates mainly to the achievement of energy efficiency and also to the emission reduction throughout the whole life cycle of the building, i.e. in the course of its implementation, use and liquidation. These requirements are fulfilled, to a large extent, by green buildings. The characteristic feature of green buildings are primarily highly-sophisticated technical and technological equipments which are installed therein. The sophisticated systems of technological equipments need also the sophisticated management. From this point of view the facility management has all prerequisites to meet this requirement. The paper is aimed to define the facility management as an effective method which enables the optimization of the management of supporting activities by creating conditions for the optimum operation of green buildings viewed from the aspect of the environmental conditions