The highest representatives of more than 120 countries accepted the invitation to the UN Climate Summit 2014. In addition to these UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon invited representatives of financial and commercial institutions and civil society. The aim was to encourage and accelerate climate action. Ban Ki-moon requested them to announce bold measures and actions to reduce emissions, strengthen climate resilience and mobilize political will towards meaningful legal agreement in 2015.
Representatives of Countries presented their statements, but only rarely there was mentioned a specific reduction in CO₂ emissions. Generally it can be said that most states are willing to contribute to reducing CO₂ emissions “appropriately”. The question is what this word means in their imagination.

Prague building regulations currently represent debated and controversial topic among both professionals and the public. This is a new concept of law to which they are greatly implemented basic knowledge of urban theory and practice. The article summarizes the basic principles of the new regulation in the field of territorial requirements.

The paper describes research of utilization of solid wastes, which are produced during the manufacture of mineral wool. The aim of the four-year research is to verify the best way of processing of these waste materials and determine the maximum value of their addition into the construction materials, which will not have undesirable effect on requested properties of the final product. The verified applications are vibro-pressed thin-walled concrete blocks, thin-walled glass fiber elements, self leveling mixtures and thermal insulation panels.

In the last few years the engineered building product cross laminated timber (CLT) has become very common in timber engineering applications. CLT is a cost-competitive wood-based solution that complements the existing light and heavy-frame options, and is a suitable substitute for some applications which currently use concrete, masonry and steel. This contribution deals with the analysis and design of CLT, used as floor elements. Different calculation procedures for plates loaded out-of-plane are discussed.

Introduction – General − Timber joist ceiling – Timber ribbed floor (stressed skin panel) – Massive timber ceiling (glued laminated timber flat, Brettstapel ceiling, cross laminated timber, structural laminated veneer lumber) – Coupled timber-concrete ceiling.

The article deals with the working safety regarding lifting mechanism in construction. The author mentions basic legislation that deals with this matter in the introductory part of the article. Then the author attempts to identify basic risks that are often present when lifting mechanisms are used in construction. The author also tries to emphasize the necessity to prevent the risks already in the preparatory phase of the project. The concluding part of the article contains the author´ s encouragement to increase the working safety in construction.

In building practice, we often encounter problems of increased moisture in building materials or systems, because the most buildings are exposed to numerous sources of water in different forms. Long-term exposure to moisture in any part of the building structure (roof, walls, foundations...) has the effect of reducing the utility of the building and deterioration of its quality. Microwave heating treatment becomes one of the most effective methods of drying and sterilization of timber products.

Hidden defects of buildings, which may become evident only in winter, are one of the biggest problems of any real property purchase. The article gives some advice how to detect them in advance so that the buyer may be prevented from submitting time consuming, expensive and often ineffective claims in face of the previous owner.

Assessed white tanking is a part of flat block in residence zone in Prague. The flat block consists of three tower parts with reinforced concrete monolithically system. It has two underground storeys and it is built on the sloping plot of rectangular shape with the high difference of opposite corners more than 4 m. Arisen cracks in white tanking were sealed by grouting but infiltrated placed were appeared again. The recrystallization painting Xypex also did not help. Additionally realized drainage prevented water leakage.

The contribution deals with the problems of the constructional protection of wood from holding water, from capillary rising and from condensation of vapour inside constructions that contain wood components. In the contribution there are formulated the fundamentals constructinal principles for the protection of wooden components against the stated types of hydrophysical strains.

This section is a continuation of the four-part article. "Defects and breakdowns construction wall opening" which states the defects in the timber windows which has been a problems for ten years. After further analysis by a team of experts, it was determined that the windows do not have an airtight seal. The problem area is the mounting of the windows which includes the glazing and silicone process.

Which buildings can receive grants from the Green Savings Programme, amount of the grants and what technical details cover the energy audit? Part A in this article covers the specific questions (building’s envelope rennovation). A sample of 16 family houses that comply with all the required conditions of the New Green Saving Programme from 2013 is further described in this article.

The article describes the most frequent defects and breakdowns of using timber windows the author experienced for 10 years during his praxis. These problems are divided into the defects of construction arising from production. The defects and breakdowns during the assembly and the defects and breakdowns timber windows have during operation and construction.

This paper discusses a long time measurements inner surface temperatures of different construction methods during summer season. The investigation was carried out on test building location at branch Holzforschung Austria in Stetten – Lower Austria in years 2011 to 2013. Inner surface temperatures were measured for different used construction methods of timber and masonry houses in quantity 44 samples. In this paper are presented the most significance results of measurement. The samples of construction methods were divided by specific characteristics: construction, core insulation, internal cladding and colour of facade. The measurement values inner surface temperatures were processed by statistical methods.

In the paper the results of exceptional experimentation are presented, which focuses on the long-term loading of metal plate connected wood trusses. The uniqueness of research project is given by real dimensions of long-span samples and by the term of loading over one year. The aims of long-term experimentation were detection of two main parameters. The magnitude of additional deflections and time of load action needed for their development. In the paper the recommendations for producers of metal plate connected wood trusses and for structural engineers are mentioned. The purpose of that research project is to increase the safety and reliability of timber load-bearing structures.

The airtightness measurements of building are important for construction of low energy and passive houses nowadays. It is very effective method to control quality of building envelope and look up for air leakages. These defects of building envelope is a source of wasted energy, because conditioned air heated or cooled is what is leaking out. It is better to find and seal the air leaks, and keep that conditioned air inside.
This study deals with investigation of research sample – 69 family single wooden houses. This amount includes multiple measurements. The construction method of building envelope is based on timber frame. Family single houses are located in Slovakia and border Lower Austria. The year of construction varies from 2011 till 2013. Airtightness measurements were conducted according standard STN EN 13829 (2011). For this investigation, there was Q 46 Blower Door Test equipment used, manufactured by Retrotec Inc., USA. The investigation of airtightness measurements of building was processed by statistical methods. Outcomes are the expressed value air change rate at 50 Pa. The results are divided to a few parts by significance. The first part describes air change rate at 50 Pa dependdant on number of storey and shape of the tested buildings. In the next part of investigation there is significance of difference between method B and A compared. The most interesting part is presented by percentage frequency of air leakages through building envelope. Analysis confirmed improving requirements airtightness of building.

Failures of basement waterproofing is constatntly frequent subject of discussion among laymen and professionals. This issue is very topical especially with introduction of new materials. Paper deals with two groups of basement waterproofing failures, i.e. failures associated with building movement and failures caused by technological lack of discipline during concreting the basement. Both groups of failures are demonstrated by extensive photodocumentation.

The major contemporary trends in building industry can include the use of wood as a building material of construction. In the construction of wooden buildings were made significant progress recently. Development of diagnostic methods for existing wooden structure is important for the reliability of wooden buildings. The paper presents a methodology for assessing the quality of existing wood structures using the device RESISTOGRAPH.