Clay bricks are one of the most common material used mainly in the contruction of residential buildings. We can say that masonry is a kind of standard of building design, as all other materials are being compared with brick masonry. Few years ago, there were only full bricks. In connection with the development requierements of heat transfer coefficient of the wall, the structure of the bricks is changing. Currently avaliable bricks are suitable for one-layer masonry of passive houses. The article presents an overview of the development of bricks and outlook for the future.

The design concept of passive houses is not a contradiction. On the contrary, higher quality of architecture is likely to increase the sustainability of a passive house. Architect Werner Friedl presents the passive house in words and pictures some of his built passive houses in a practical design, including construction details.

Wood that is used in building construction, requires evaluation of the properties - classification in grade with regard to its mechanical properties. Methods for assessing the quality of structural timber is divided into two groups: a visual method and automated methods based on different principles. Quality of timber is determined by the Slovak technical standards and EN. STN EN 49 1531 provides classes of timber - S0, SI and SII, as well as sorting criteria. The evaluation of quality timber ultrasonic method is classified into the timber strength class C with the corresponding values of density, elastic modulus and characteristic strength according to STN EN 338. Highest reliability and efficiency of sorting structural timber is achieved by a combination of both methods of assessing its quality.

It is necessary to perform fire tests of wood-concrete structures of them trying to get as much knowledge that would allow the develop computational models. This paper focuses on describing the problem of composite wood-concrete structures and an overview of new knowledge about their behaviour under fire.

The formula specified in CSN 730581 for calculating the solar declination will over the years increasingly diverge with reality. At present, its relative inaccuracy of the four-year average of the declination for noon first March is just under 8 minutes of arc. Important information for assess the insolation of buildings raised at the conference Current Issues of lighting and solar access of buildings.

This paper describes the construction of window for passive houses, from the perspective of current status and vision for the future. Describes the design of windows for passive houses, certified by PHI in germany. Also shows the future design of windows for passive houses, where the window frame overlaps the edge of window glazing.

In recent years we can observe in the Czech Republic increased interest in the buildings of wood and wood-based materials. One of the technologies by which the Czech Republic is growing interest is the designing of composite wood concrete structures. So far, they are mainly used for reinforcement and strengthening of the old roof structure. But their use may also find the construction of residential and commercial multi-storey buildings or for the design of bridges and footbridges.

During the reconstruction of objects there may be situations where the noise in outer area cannot not reduced (traffic noise etc.) and it is necessary to ensure comfort at least in the internal protected area of the building. This can be achieved by using adequate building façade – especially adequate windows. Soundproof windows should be designed on the basis of traffic noise in the locality.

The article deals with the basic trends in electric light sources and phasing out inefficient energy sources from the market. The article provides a very good overview of the sudden development of specific performance of each new promising types of light sources, whether they are electrodeless source or light emitting diodes LEDs.

Adhesives used for timber are more rigid and more durable than wood, but also have much greater resistance to water. Despite this fact the way of using of different synthetic resins influences design of these members in different service classes. Phenol-formaldehyde (PF), resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF), phenol-resorcinol-formaldehyde (PRF) resins are generally used as a binder for exterior grade members production. Melamine-formaldehyde (MF) and Melamine-urea-formaldehyde resin is slightly less durable than these above. Products bonded with polyvinyl acetate (PVAc) and protein-based adhesives will not withstand prolonged exposure to water or repeated high–low moisture content cycling in bonds of high density woods. Some isocyanate, epoxy, polyurethane, and cross-linked polyvinyl acetate adhesives are durable enough to use on lower density species even under exterior conditions. This paper deals with different types of adhesive from the durability point of view by comparing strength properties, and considering the possibility of IR analyzing.

As the cheapest and least problematic solution of thermal insulation for most buildings is the external thermal insulation composite system (ETICS). It is composed of the adhesive, as well as thermal insulation, mostly in the CR mineral wool or expanded or extruded polystyrene. These types of thermal insulation are usually anchored by plugs and all these parts are covered by the adhesive layer with reinforced fabric and the final render. For this system has recently been shown that the points of the plugs are problematic.

This is a highly relevant article dealing with the comparison of two types ventilation - Natural ventilation through windows and controlled mechanical ventilation. The issue of ventilation in renovated homes in our country is still relevant. This paper describes a broad-based experiment measuring the intensity and quality of ventilation in two almost identical apartment houses. The conclusion confirms the well-known experience that controlled ventilation provides both - improved indoor air quality and the energy savings.

The first public school in the U.S. in the passive standard (K-12) was completed in November 2010. Passive house certification from the American Passivhaus Institute (PHIUS) was received in February 2011. The whole development project was quite long, so it is presented only briefly with the focus of our server. Article is provided in translation with the kind permission of the author.

Technical cannabis is a very promising material, which, thanks to its good mechanical and thermal-technical properties coming to the fore of interest in the production of building elements. The big advantage is especially fast recoverability and yield of hemp shives. This paper deals with the use of industrial hemp shives as a replacement of component of the cement plates filler.

The paper discusses the possibility of utilization of recycled laminated glass from vehicle wind screens for the production of tiles made from sintered glass. It can be used as the final floor surfaces for routine use in the interior, as well as exposed applications (outdoors, chemical plants, swimming pools, etc.). Specifically, it is analyzed in detail in the article the file of some basic parameters of the boards (flexural strength, water absorption, porosity, linear thermal expansion, surface wear, etc.).

The city of Olomouc is the owner of an interesting low-energy building for education center Sluňákov with a focus on developing the relationship between man and nature. Construction was awarded the Grand Prix of architects in 2007.

This is continuation of the most common questions on the issue of ceramic tiles. Ing. Hana Kotorová of the Technical and Test Institute for Construction in Pilsen highlights the most frequent problems of ceramic tiles, which may surprise if the basic rules from specification to completion of work are underestimated, and if the theory is not consistent with practice.

The aim of the authors is to evaluate the economic effectiveness of choosing of the heating system for family passive houses and to compare it with the same systems used in common buildings. Methodology of the comparison consist in real market offers and price lists in price level of first half-year 2011. The work is based on the case study of simulated passive house. The result encompasses confrontation of the overall costs of energy supply for family house for 15 years. At the end of the article the overall benefits of passive houses building and management are discussed.

In last time popularity of wood-based structures is increasing. Most parameters in the design phase can be calculated using known procedures, but the acoustics is a problem with the theoretical determination of sound reduction index of wooden structures just, because there are the only reliable methods to determine transmission loss of silicate-based structure. In this paper is presenting the calculation method used to determine the sound reduction index of timber floor structures with visible beams.