This paper describes extinguishing experiments to verify the possibility of increasing the efficiency of extinguishing low, medium and high pressure water mist charging by the electric field of high DC voltage. The experimental results confirmed the effects of the electrical voltage, the configuration of electrodes (anode, cathode), the volumetric water flow rate, water pressure and the type of mist nozzle. Higher extinguishing effect electrically charged water mist to extinguish showed a shorter times to extinguishment, a smaller volume of water to extinguish the fire and extinguishing a higher percentage of successful attempts. Benefit: faster and more efficient fire- fighting with less risk of injury and less consequential damages in a protected space.

Design of building envelope, that means layers of so called boundary constructions; is the key procedure within the design process. It might seem that this step is crucial only for industrial buildings with low-energy ambitions or those that are intended for international environmental certification. This article is focusing on valid Czech legal requirements and also on the coming nearly energy zero standard of buildings.

This report presents a new method for designing composite timber steel-fibre-reinforced concrete slabs with unprotected secondary timber beams subject to fire, taking tensile membrane action into account. The FE-model consists of material tests, push-out shear tests and beam tests, which had formed a preliminary study. The FE-model represents the behaviour of the floor slab tested in experiment, together with a collapse prediction for the slab. The FE-model with characteristic material properties includes a safety concept based on the Eurocode standards, and is applied to define the fire resistance of various types of timber steel fibre-reinforced concrete flooring.

Energy efficiency of industrial buildings in not very common topic. However, the quality of design must be based on valid national legislation and technical standards. Task to achieve best energy ratings is more and more frequently laid on building designer and energy specialist directly from investor – developer.

This two-part paper deals with the topic of environmental effectiveness of buildings. The goal of the paper is evaluation of expected embodied environmental impacts related with a detached family house. First part of the paper describes the evaluated building and used methods. Seven currently common variants of load-bearing structures (walls and floors) are described and compared. Five variants include masonry, while the sixth and seventh variant includes cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures. The evaluation follows Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology according to ČSN EN 15978 standard. The results of the evaluation are shown in the second part of the paper. Under the specified boundary conditions the variant with ceramic masonry filled with mineral wool has 5–14 % lower environmental impacts than other evaluated variants.

This two-part paper deals with the topic of environmental effectiveness of buildings. The goal of the paper is evaluation of expected embodied environmental impacts related with a detached family house. First part of the paper describes the evaluated building and used methods. Seven currently common variants of load-bearing structures (walls and floors) are described and compared. Five variants include masonry, while the sixth and seventh variant includes cast-in-place reinforced concrete structures. The evaluation follows Life-Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology according to ČSN EN 15978 standard. The results of the evaluation are shown in the second part of the paper. Under the specified boundary conditions the variant with ceramic masonry filled with mineral wool has 5–14 % lower environmental impacts than other evaluated variants.

The natural radioactivity lives mankind throughout its development. The effects of radiation to some extent they can influence the evolutionary history of life on Earth. It is therefore important to determine what values the natural radioactivity would reach different locations of the world.

Total cost of heating energy typically consists of two items. The former is the payment for consumed energy while the latter is the payment for reserved power capacity or reserved energy capacity in given period. If the customer pays for the reserved power capacity, he/she should address two questions: what is the most suitable level of reserved capacity and how to control the heating system so that the reserved capacity limits are not exceeded. Both questions can be readily solved with the aid of model based predictive controller.

Natural building materials are in recent years used still more often in civil engineering. One of these materials is also the straw. By its crushing and cutting into small pieces it is formed so-called crushed straw. The properties of this material, which are important for civil engineering, were not published yet unlike the properties of the straw in bales. In the Czech Republic there exist a many objects built from straw bales. In this paper there are described partial results of research which is implemented on Faculty of Civil Engineering, VSB – Technical University of Ostrava since 2013. The aim of this research it is to set fire resistance, thermal – technical properties and acoustical characteristics of crushed straw. There are described results of fire tests – flammability test and tests of single burning object (SBI). Subsequently there are referred results of thermal conductivity measurements, which were provided for different bulk densities of crushed straw.

The subject of this paper is a comparison of two experiments of timber-fibre concrete floors in fire, which consist of steel fibre reinforced concrete boards and glue-laminated timber beams. Main aim of this project is to assess the using of steel fibre reinforced concrete board, which work together with glue-laminated timber beams to increase fire resistance and investigate its behaviour in loaded construction.

The article explains why at non-residential buildings of size 500 m² or greater energy inspection of air-conditioning and heating systems must be made together (not independent). Further it recommends to extend the periodic inspections of air conditioning and heating systems, where appropriate.

If we want to meet the required standard working environment, we must carefully prepare the assignment, to develop a project and carefully implement. Often is requiring more than the standard.

For more than a year, a nearly zero-energy standard has applied to certain buildings. In the Czech environment, specific technical parameters for such buildings have been known for three years. And for over six years, the Directive on energy performance of buildings has been in force, imposing the obligation upon EU member states to introduce this standard.

Nevertheless, it seems that for many experts, including those in the field of energy, this term is still quite unclear. Many imagine buildings coated with photovoltaic modules from the ground to the roof, buildings which are better than passive ones or buildings which are self-sufficient, i.e. completely independent of public energy networks. Given the fact that the concept of a nearly zero energy building is very distant from such notions, and because this standard will soon become obligatory for all buildings, including small family houses, let's have a look at what a nearly zero-energy building really is.

The paper presents practical examples of integration of services that were implemented in the years 2011–2016 at Masaryk University. It is only a few selected agendas of the total portfolio managed by the Operating Department of the Rector's Office Masaryk University.

The article describes the impact of the contemporary and future legislative requirements for new buildings in terms of their conception and utilization of renewable resources. Soon, the requirement of quality standard is going to be effective in the Czech Republic that is called building with nearly zero energy consumption. That quality standard is defined at national level by legal regulations based on the requirement of European standard. On examples of family house, residential house and administration building, the impact of the to-be-established requirements for building conception is being demonstrated from the construction as well as the technical systems' point of view. With the existing development trend maintained it can be expected that a building with nearly zero energy consumption will have, comparing to an existing building, a better quality building shell, technical systems working with high efficiency and potentially may but needn't be, partially supplied by renewable energy resources.

For rational design of concrete structures, it is necessary to take into account all types of loads to which the structure is exposed during the execution, operation and reconstruction. Biogas tanks belong to the group of constructions where the indirect and environmental loads represent a high risk to the reliability, particularly in terms of their serviceability and durability. The article analyses the effects of these loads as well as the causes of separation cracks formation.

Outsourcing of cleaning services is often demanded service both in the public administration sector and the private sector. Universities are very interesting client, but have their own characteristics. For suppliers (providers) that means defining a specific mode services.

Outsourcing is becoming a phenomenon of our time. Many managers assume that its implementation will remove numerous problems, save exorbitant costs, reduce the number of employees and in the future will move “our problems” to someone else. Is it so simple? And is it even true?