This paper presents the results of an experimental investigation into fully transparent bonded joints for load-bearing glass structures. The research specifically focused on the surface properties of glass that affect the load-bearing capacity of the joints, such as surface energy, wettability, and roughness. It also discusses the differences between the tin and air sides of the glass sheets.
The findings are supported by tests conducted at the Faculty of Civil Engineering at CTU between 2021 and 2023. Tensile and dynamic tests of the selected adhesive LOCTITE^® EA 9455 as well as shear tests of single-shear glass-to-glass joints, were evaluated, with a focus on the load-bearing capacity of the joints at elevated temperatures.
The paper concludes with a summary of the results and suggests their implications for engineering practice.

The transparent roof and its position predestined it to the position of the primary element from the point of view of the potential of using solar radiation. Climate change brings an increase in outside temperature and the number of sunny days, which can lead to unwanted overheating of buildings. Preservation of optical properties and elimination of thermal gains can be solved by a dynamic glass system. Thermochromic glass systems have a high potential for transparent roof coverings and through gradual development can be an optimal solution for autonomous regulation and limitation of overheating in the summer.

Plastic waste in the construction industry can consist of various plastics such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, ABS, polystyrene, polycarbonate. Plastic waste in construction can come from packaging, insulation and other materials. Plastic waste not generated in the construction industry is also recoverable. The best way is to recycle plastic waste into materials that can be used for building materials, fillings, structures, etc. They can also be used in the production of lightweight concrete.

The contribution summarizes the fundamental chapters of the transported standard to re-demolition audit and building dismantling as a standard procedure for structure removal. The purpose of the standard will be to prescribe how the pre-demolition audit should proceed, what information it should contain, and how the deconstruction of the building should take place, in order to achieve the maximum possible utilization of the obtained materials. The motivation is primarily the return of quality raw materials to production and the reduction of primary resource extraction, which is one of the goals of sustainable development.

The article presents the design of prestressed cable-net glass façades based on the ANSYS software. The suggested model is validated and verified using published tests and published models in another software and used for a parametrical study of façades with point-fixed (“spider”) fittings. The study embodies two dimensions of the net, a spectrum of stainless steel Macalloy single spiral strands and laminated glass panes of various thickness. The cable prestress was taken as 30 % of their design load in accordance with published recommendations. The design respects the valid European standards for glass and loadings in serviceability and ultimate limit states. The results present tables of deflections, glass stresses and cable forces.

The article deals with preliminary information on design of prestressed cable-nets supporting large glass façades. Described are façade components and examples of prominent realized façades. In the survey of primary publications the trend of experimental and theoretical approaches concerning design problems of these structures is presented (securing of necessary stiffness and load capacity, danger of a glass-cable-net connection failure, failure of anchors or loss of prestressing, dynamic behaviour during failures, blasts and earthquakes, temperature effects). In more details are described publications used in the follow-up Part [31] for validation and verification of the own numerical analysis and parametric studies of these façades.

Textile and leather wallpapers are an integral part of the interior of historic buildings. These types of wallpaper are specific in their construction, where they are stretched on wooden frames and form a membrane in front of the wall. Verification of diffusion properties is one of the steps to elucidate the thermal-humidity behaviour of these historical structures. Knowledge of diffuse properties is important for architectural and historical surveys and for the reconstruction of historical buildings. Based on this knowledge, we can assess other properties of wallpaper construction, such as moisture and microbial climate.

The standard “ČSN 73 0527 Acoustics – Acoustical design of rooms – Rooms for cultural uses – Rooms in schools – Rooms for public purposes” was revised after 18 years. In the framework of this revision, the regulations for determining the optimum reverberation time were updated, especially in relation to commonly used technologies and trends in the use of the spaces in question. A new methodology for determining the standard of acoustic treatment for spaces with lower acoustic requirements was developed and, last but not least, a code for occupancy calculations for measuring reverberation time in unoccupied spaces was defined.

Within the project, a new concept of a combination of a constructed wetland and an extensive green roof with the use of grey water for irrigation was designed, built, and tested in experimental operation. In accordance with the principles of circular economy, a substrate for extensive green roofs with an admixture of recycled materials based on recycled demolition waste and pyrolyzed sewage sludge in the form of biochar was designed and initially experimentally tested. The hydrophysical characteristics of the proposed substrate mixtures were determined and two were selected for use on wetland-extensive green roof experimental beds. Water balance, water chemistry at the green roof runoff and vegetation condition were monitored as a function of biochar addition.

The paper deals with the effect of all-metal anchors of suspended facades on the heat transfer coefficient of double skin walls. The thermal properties of the anchors are described by means of the point heat transfer coefficient, which can be obtained using a derived formula or calculation aid.
The data for the derivation of the formula and the calculation aid were obtained by three-dimensional modelling and analysis of the calculated data in the framework of the thesis [2]. The input data and the necessary documents used for the calculation were provided by H&B delta. The thesis thus provides a simple calculation and possible comparison of several material and design variants of the used all-metal anchors.

Contemporary architecture often works with glass facades, roofs or even glass columns and beams. The problematic part of a glass structure design is usually a connection between the glass elements and the rest of structure. In order to achieve as much transparency as possible, various mechanical point fixing systems, adhesive connections and their combinations were developed. Although being widely used, the design procedure is mostly based on experiments. There is ongoing research at the Czech Technical University in Prague focusing on characteristics of an embedded laminated connection under various types of loads. Within the initial phase of experiments, small scale specimens consisting of different glass and foil types were tested. The experiments revealed the tensile, eccentric shear and compressive short-term load-bearing capacity of the connection and a dominant mode of failure. Data obtained from the tests are going to be used for further numerical simulations and a parametrical study.

The article deals with sealing of cement-based materials and tensile properties of the sealed joint. Aquapanel cement board was chosen as the base material, which was treated with a primer. Then two sealants were applied, one representative of acrylic and one of polyurethane sealants. After curing, the resulting test specimens were tested according to the valid European standard ČSN EN ISO 8340, which defines the parameters of the test specimen and subsequent test procedures. The evaluation of the test, which took place visually and with a caliper measurement, showed that only polyurethane sealant could be recommended for sealing Aquapanel. This putty, unlike acrylic putty, did not show any defects after the test, so it can be stated as suitable for sealing Aquapanel cement board.

Ukraine has a strong influence on prices and availability of some construction materials. Steel products are the most hit by the war. Rising prices of energies and fuels are influencing the prices of construction materials, too. These unfavourable conditions are seen not only by small investors, but also by municipalities when announcing public tenders. The original price that won the public tender usually rises during the project’s preparation phase and subsequent construction phase. The author of this article analyses the construction materials’ price developments during a period of several years. In the article you can find a pricing of a particular public tender by indicative prices of construction materials and work in different periods.

Producers and suppliers of construction materials are dealing with rising prices of raw materials, semi-finished products and lots of different types of products. Insecurity of input raw material supplies for production is on the rise as well. This is due to the concurrence of many unfavourable circumstances.

Plastics are now being directed primarily to healthcare, mainly for the production of protective aids against virus transmission. A large amount of plastics is used for disposable food containers or packaging of goods, which is now more than ever ordered online. The outage of production capacity of global plastics producers in the USA has the biggest impact on plastics prices. Lack of plastics in the US influences significantly the quantity of plastics available on European markets. The subsequent withdrawal of plastics from China and Europe significantly contributes to logistics complications. Insufficient capacity of transport ships, aircraft and rail transport makes delivery times longer.

Reduction or termination of production of some smelters in Europe, rising emission allowance prices, tariff restrictions and a shortage of metals from Asia are contributing to raise metal prices. It is seen on the London Metal Exchange.

Although the long-term bark beetle calamity is not at its end yet, foresters have succeeded in stopping it in many places in the Czech Republic. Logging of bark beetle timber is decreasing and its price increases. The increase is caused not only by the decrease in logging, but also by export of this timber abroad, particularly to China, which is a phenomenon of the last two years.

Pandemic restrictions have impact on availability of workers for materials production, products logistics, sale and on-site assembly. There was a slowdown in construction output in spring and summer 2020. However, a recovery phase has been seen recently and demand for many materials exceeds supply.

This article deals with the manufacturing process of inorganic foam glass with utilization of waste diatomite as a raw material. The waste diatomite was first subjected to an analysis of chemical and mineralogical composition. The foam glass was formed by a powder sintering method by pressing into pellets with the addition of a foaming agent. After firing, the properties of the foam glass were investigated using an X-ray diffraction analysis, scanning electron microscopy, bulk density, and compressive strength. The possibility of utilization of waste diatomite in raw material mixtures was investigated in accordance with the influence of firing temperature and the resulting properties of inorganic foam glass.

The new Eurocodes for basis of design and actions are almost completed and the final phases of their minor modifications are underway within the working groups of technical subcommittees SC1 and SC10. Their national availability for translations and preparation of national annexes is planned between 2023 and 2025, their implementation and withdrawal of the current Eurocodes in 2028. For the operational implementation of the new generation of Eurocodes, it will soon be necessary to prepare new national annexes and optimally set the values of nationally determined parameters, including calibrations of partial factors for loads and material properties, to ensure reliability, safety and economy of our buildings. It is expected to use the potential of our experts, as well as the considerable financial resources will be needed for the national implementation of the new Eurocodes and the publication of new manuals with practical applications.

The article presents a structural survey of the historic building of the Imperial Hospital at Prague Castle. The aim of the survey was to determine the functional capability and durability of the building, including an assessment of its usability and evaluation of the condition of historical materials. The research was focused mainly on the issue of inappropriate interventions performed in the past and the associated increased moisture of structures.

Greening of the cities (Green Architecture) is one of the current trends in the development of urban architecture. Apart from the system elements of facades overgrown or planted with vegetation, which are a question of the current century, the Green Architecture also includes the traditional use of plants - direct planting near building structures, with their gradual connection using climbing and attachment mechanisms of plants. The effects of such a surface on traditional and modern building surfaces have not yet been precisely defined. The paper presents the results of moisture measurement of the outer surface of traditional building structures in order to evaluate the effect of vegetation surface on the structure.

This paper deals with the diagnostics of a timber load-bearing structure before planned renovation of covering structures. The roof and facade cladding can also change the load conditions, therefore, the inspection static design in this case is necessary. The planned object renovation is an opportunity for elaboration of diagnostic inspection of the supporting structure.

The article describes the development of a prototype vegetation facade panel using parametric modelling. Parametric modelling was then most used for the design of individual parts of the panel, especially the visual part of the panel, which consists of a mathematically generated mesh, and also to create a supporting structure for vegetation. The production of individual prototypes of panels, their parts and components was performed with the help of FDM 3D printing. Individual prototypes were further subjected to testing in real conditions to verify the functionality of the proposed prototype and to identify the strengths and weaknesses of the panel, which will be used for further development.