The author discusses structural principles of the column order attributed to Elizabethan Baroque Style and uses St. Petersburg monuments as examples. The article has drawings of columns and architectural details of the Baroque style buildings in St. Petersburg. The author identifies their specific stylistic features and compares them with classical architectural forms.The column order of the Elizabethan Baroque style is built according to classical rules, although it has substantial deviations. Back then, only three types of orders were used: a Doric order, an Ionic order and a composite order. Order profiles and capitals were changed in the era of Elizabethan baroque style; therefore, Ionian and composite capitals of the Elizabethan Baroque style differ from those of Vignola and Palladio. Necks of capitals were smooth or had flutes. The Elizabethan Ionic order is based on a subset of Ionic capitals, typical for the era of late Renaissance. Creative ideas and skills of architects developed an own language of architectural forms, typical for this style.

The contribution of architectural sketching skills into the classical architectural education is unusually valuable, as this is the way future architects articulate and communicate their ideas to others.The author discusses the features of architectural sketching. He also analyzes methods of finding architectural forms, their crystallization and formation. Basic methods of contemporary architectural sketching include graphics, model-based and virtual techniques.Graphics is simple and widely used; it has numerous strengths and weaknesses. This method employs the whole range of graphic and pictorial techniques. This article contains a classification of graphic methods of sketching. The classification is built around the sketching instrument (a slate pencil, a brush, etc.).Model sketching provides a sense of touch and generates certain textures. Therefore, model sketching is a highly intuitive and convenient tool employed at initial stages of design.A virtual method integrates the notions of “lines” and “volumes” into shapes having real physical properties.Each sketching method is self-contained. Skillful application of all the above methods of architectural sketching is the keystone to further successful design.

The history and present-day problems accompanying the relationship between Man and the human habitat are considered in the article. Understanding of the role of Nature in the human life is demonstrated by the architectural morphogenesis.K. Marx identified the two ways of consumption of natural resources. According to the first one, people enjoyed natural benefits as they were. The second one contemplated transformation, physical and chemical treatment of natural resources.Predominance of the consumer-style attitude to Nature means transition to the phase of transformation of natural resources into the forms suitable for consumption.The history of the relationship between Nature and Man is composed of the following phases:Man as the slave of Nature; Man as the student of Nature; Man as the lord of Nature;Man as the destroyer of Nature and a parasite consuming its resources; Man as the repentant sinner failing to take any effort to repay the debt.The educational phase of the architecture means identification of structural features of natural materials integrated into tectonic systems of structures. The second wave of imitation of Nature, or mimesis, had an esthetic orientation and was typical for early cultures. Separation of structural and ornamental features of a wall marked the third wave of assimilation of Nature in the architecture of Europe starting from the Renaissance and through the era of the bourgeois pragmatism. However, it was the design of wide-span structures that served as the prerequisite of technological borrowings from the phenomena of the wildlife (skeletons, webs, folds), or the third wave of assimilations. The idea of architecture as the subject having the properties of a living organism marked the fifth wave of appeal to the wildlife, its transient forms and changing organisms.The understanding of the ecological responsibility of Man embedded in the architecture contemplated the sixth wave of the human activities. What will be the seventh wave of relationship between Nature and Man?

The article focuses on some civilization-related factors determining the life of a contemporary megalopolis and influencing the structure of the human soul. The system of global capitalism appears to be the most important factor producing a strong impact onto the urban population. The present-day megalopolis operates as an economic centre having pragmatic rhythms and spaces. «Homo economicus» is a relevant definition of the present-day man.This state of affairs reflects the structure of the human soul and its needs. It is overcrowded with sensual stimuli and temptations producing misbalance and stress. Two phenomenological distinctions are employed to analyze the experience of urban residents: noise vs. silence and motion vs. quietness. Noise and motion constitute the background of the human experience here; silence and quietness are local and volatile. On the contrary, outside of the city, silence is the background of the experience, and any motion vanishes in the realm of quietness. Nature is calm, and we need its calmness to give some rest to our senses. The effect of permanent haste typical for the lifestyle in big cities makes people unconscious of themselves. They lose their lifetime to implement their basic functions like eating/working/sleeping. Any higher incomes and comfort don’t make people happier; therefore, they have to look for alternative lifestyles (e.g. “downshifting”). Some people are not eager to be part of the global economy, but they have no opportunity to get out of the urban space. They need some remedy to resist the urban attack. That remedy could be a kind of a psychological technique reducing the effect of aggression. In this respect, the practice of hesychia deriving from the Christian ascetical tradition seems to be useful for an urban resident allowing him/her to attain the state of inner silence. This technique may be employed as a way to survive in the urban haste.

Solid eight-node finite elements are widely used in practical design in spite of the fact that numerous curvilinear finite elements having multiple nodes are developed. This element is suitable for nonlinear calculations if characteristics of a structure are subject to numerous alterations. Therefore, it is preferable that all calculations were simple. An eight-node element meets this requirement. A standard linear shape function is used by many software programmes to construct this element. Strains and stresses remain constant within the limits of the above element.The authors have developed and implemented a solid eight-node isoparametric finite element using PRINS software. The element developed by the authors has improved bending properties. A quadratic out-of-node shape function was used to improve the bending properties of the element. Principal formulas and testing results are provided. Numerical results confirm the accuracy and effectiveness of the element developed by the authors.

The objective of the study is research into interrelation between values of plasticity(d, y) and hardness (HB).Numerical values of hardness are insufficient to make accurate assessments of plasticity values. Meanwhile, hardness is the property identified using small-sized samples extracted from the metalwork of restored and reconstructed buildings. The most suitable method is the Rockwell one used to obtain HRB or HRC hardness values. However, these values maintain an analytical relationship neither with durability, nor with plasticity values. The difference between metal testing methods consists in their relation to dimensions: HRB and HRC values are dimensionless, while HB values are size dependent (kgf/mm2, or MPa). Therefore, the approach employed in this article can be used to generate supplementary information about the properties of metals using HRB or HRC hardness measurements.It is noteworthy that the proposed technique of coordination of HRB hardness val-ues with HB hardness values may be employed to, first, analyze σ and σ sizes using HBт вvalues, and second, to identify the nature of relationship between HRB, on the one hand,and d and y values, on the other hand, to compose the equation of relative strength and plasticity values and to assess the most important factor of reliability of metals.

The authors consider decaying flexural vibrations of a cantilever bar having a permanent cross section. The mass is concentrated at the free end, and the impact absorber is attached to the mass. Initial conditions are pre-set by the authors. Properties of the bar and the damper are considered in pursuance of the Е.S. Sorokin theory of frequency independent friction whereby it is accepted that the initial system demonstrates disproportionate friction.The effect of impacts is assessed using the restitution coefficient. It is assumed that vibrations of the system are described by linear differential equalizations. The Fourier method of division of variables in combination with the method of initial parameters is employed, and motion of the mass of the bar and absorber is presented in an explicit form.The solution is used to study the system behaviour exposed to the instantaneous single impulse applied to the concentrated mass at the end of the bar. The influence of parameters of dynamic and impact absorbers onto transient vibrations of the system is studied. In addition, the impact of higher modes of vibrations on overall results is estimated.

The article is an overview of various designs developed for joints of rod elements of space structures. Designs under consideration include those developed by domestic and foreign researchers and structural engineers. Space joints are clustered on the basis of their characteristic features, and their principal strengths and weaknesses are specified by the authors.The authors’ overview serves as the basis for an advanced structural solution developed for modular joints of space elements. A space joint consists of four space details having holes that are fastened to the central element by two bolts (screws). A flat plate with holes is attached to the edge of the central element. Space details and the core element are to have a gap between them. Rod ends are inserted into gaps and fastened to joints with bolts. The proposed solution may be used to reduce the material consumption rate (steel and plastic) and to simplify the assembly of structures. The solution proposed by the authors also improves the reliability of joints due to the integrity of elements, their rigid fastening to the central element, and the use of two cross-section bolts.

The authors study the distribution pattern of wave surfaces inside the orthotropic plate having curvilinear anisotropy. Dynamic behavior of the target is described by wave equations taking account of the transverse shear and rotational inertia of transverse cross-sections and of the ability to simulate the process of propagation of elastic waves. These equations are solved using the asymptotic method employed for decomposition of unknown values into time and spatial value series.The problem is resolved to identify the stress values in the points of interaction between direct waves and those reflected by the bottom face of the plate. Description of patterns of propagation of wave fronts inside the target requires a clear understanding of the nature of each wave, its velocity, etc.The research completed by the co-authors has proven that any increase in the thickness of a plate increases maximal stresses in the area of wave formation, while stresses in points of interaction between elastic waves go down, and peak stresses involving transverse waves go down more intensively. Nonetheless, any encounter between direct and reflected waves may either increase, or reduce the final values of principal stresses.The methodology developed by the authors may be employed to identify the coordinates of the points of maximal stresses occurring in medium thickness reinforced orthotropic plates. Awareness of these coordinates makes it possible to identify the appropriate diameter and patterns of arrangement of reinforcing elements.

The authors discuss the arrangement of supplementary floors in the rooms of a boiler house in the course of its renovation back in 1988. A structural solution contemplating supplementary floors made of small reinforced concrete slabs resting on steel beams was implemented in the course of renovation. Pursuant to the proposed design solution, reinforced concrete slabs were arranged with their ribs down and leaned upon ribs of metal beams. The findings demonstrate that small reinforced concrete slabs rest both on top and bottom ribs of metal beams. Moreover, patterns of arrangement of slabs different from the design solution were implemented. Some slab ribs looked down while others looked up. Therefore, the implemented pattern of arrangement of the above elements was different from the one specified in the design, and the difference caused different values of load that the slabs were exposed to, and the same about the pre-designed cross sections of slabs. Alteration of design solutions concerning the load produced by reinforced concrete slabs onto metal beams also caused changes in the levels of supplementary floors of the building versus the design solution. This inconsistency can cause difficulties in terms of design associated with any future reconstruction of a boiler house.The analysis of reinforced concrete slabs performed in the course of the research confirms the possibility of their arrangement according to the pattern different from the one specified in the design.

The authors consider particular aspects of influence of the thermal behaviour of soils of the active zone of bases of structures on the moisture and heat transfer inside the soil, their condition and deformation behaviour in the urban environment. It is noteworthy that any changes of the temperature gradient of soils caused by the moisture and heat transfer alter both the value of filtration ratios of soils having various compositions and their stress-strained state.The authors analyze the process of construction of a specific high-rise building in Moscow to prove that availability of systems of utilities emitting heat in Moscow soils at the depth of 3 — 10 meters below the ground level may increase the soil temperature up to 30 degrees C and even higher, whereas demounting of utility networks will cause an abrupt change in the thermal behaviour of the soil. Moisture redistribution causes heated and dehydrated soils to absorb moisture and to change their condition and principal physical mechanical properties.Having completed a series of field tests, the authors have identified that 1C reduction in the clay soil temperature reduces its modulus of deformation by 0.7…..1.0MPa. It is noteworthy that no projections of alterations in the principal physical and mechanical properties of base soils in the urban environment are possible absent of thermometrical tests accompanying geological engineering surveys. Findings of experimental and field research projects and their theoretical justification have proven that research into filtration properties of soils in the top zone of bases of buildings and structures and engineering networks in the environment of urban ecosystems require wide scale groundwater research to be performed within tight urban territories.

Soil vibration represents a problem endangering buildings and structures. Waves propagate through the soil and interact with buildings. Their interaction may cause damage to nearby structures. Horizontal Rayleigh waves or any other waves generated by dynamic loads are considered in this paper. The soil medium is assumed to be linear, elastic, homogeneous and isotropic. The energy associated with any surface waves can be absorbed and damped by the barriers due to geometric and material damping. Application of wave barriers as a method of isolation of structures and foundations from vibrations transmitted in the soil enjoys moderate success. In this research, various open and in-filled trenches used as wave barriers are studied. For this purpose, an extensive parametric analysis has been completed using FLAC-2D software. The findings have proven the efficiency of wave barriers if used in the presence of the structure and applied to suppress the effect of impulse loading on the soil surface. The findings demonstrate that the proposed system composed of the in-filled trench and the structure performs well, as it efficiently reduces the energy of surface waves, although the findings have some exceptions. The discrepancy between the findings of the authors and other researchers may be explained by a different type of load and the presence of a structure.

Wave barriers are intended to mitigate vibration transmission in the soil. They include open and infilled trenches, sheet piles, etc. In this study, a two-dimensional finite difference element analysis was performed using FLAC-2D software as a research into the efficiency of open and infilled barriers exposed to dynamic loading with or without the presence of structures. In this contribution, two constitutive models are considered to study the soil response in the elastic and elastoplastic range with account for yield, failure and potential functions of soil plasticity. The results were assessed with account for reduced soil particle displacements on the ground surface exposed to impulse loading.The numerical analysis has proven that the results obtained by assigning elastic properties to the soil material fail to comply with the results obtained by analyzing the model having non-linear properties of soils. The presence of a structure produces a significantly larger effect onto the efficiency of barriers by reducing the surface wave energy.

Major penetrating waterproofing mixtures represent dry mixtures of cement and sand having admixtures, or systems of mineral salts, used to block the structure of capillaries and pores of cement mortars and concretes. Thin layers of waterproofing mortars are applied to sufficiently porous surfaces. As a result, the water content is reduced in the course of hardening. This process causes contraction and cracks in the coating.The findings of the research performed by the authors have proven that waterproofing materials containing wollastonite-based Antigidron system comply with each basic requirement applicable to penetrating waterproofing materials, as their admixtures penetrate into the concrete to seal concrete pores and to generate insoluble crystals.The new Antigidron system has the following strengths. Each component of the proposed system is made in Russia. It has efficient operating properties, and its cost is1.5 — 2 times lower than the one of similar products.

The authors have completed a research into the influence of wollastonite onto the strength of the cement stone, if the latter is freshly made or stored in the humid environment for four months. The authors believe that the optimal share of the wollastonite admixture is equal to 5…9 %.The strength of wollastonite-free clinker samples is not reduced, if the clinker is stored in the humid environment and exposed to heat and moisture treatment. Upon the expiry of the 28-days’ curing period, the strength of samples is down by 4 % in the regular environment. In this case, the wollastonite admixture (7 %) improves the strength of samples upon the expiry of the 28 days’ curing period and their strength goes up by28 %, while the strength of samples goes up by 17 % upon their exposure to heat and moisture treatment.The authors believe that the influence produced by wollastonite may be explained by the following reasons. In the event that freshly milled powder (clinker) is added, wollastonite produces its influence on the hydration process, as formation of new compounds (hydrates) is influenced by a strong adsorption field of wollastonite particles.If clinker is stored in the humid environment, its substantial share is subject to hydration and carbonization.

The authors have compiled an overview of the reasons underlying the failures of pipelines, including inadequate selection of pipe materials and their thermal insulation made with no account for the operating conditions, high rate of wear and tear of steel pipelines due to steel corrosion, high cost of protection of steel pipes from the aggressive influence of the external and internal environment, failure to implement any pipe protection actions, use of insufficient thermal protection insulation, insufficient funding causing failure to restore, restructure or upgrade heating networks.The authors have substantiated the use of chrysolite-cement pipelines within the heating networks of rural areas. Chrysolite-cement pipes may expediently substitute metal pipes in the course of construction and restructuring of pipelines. New metal-free pipelines, namely, those made of cross-linked polyethylene, glass-basalt-plastic and other composite materials, are too expensive; besides, their durability and environmental safety need to be checked.Chrysolite-cement pipes have the following advantages over steel pipes: high corrosion resistance, high resistance to hot water, low values of temperature-driven deformations preventing installation of compensators, low heat conductivity reducing the need for thermal insulation, low laboriousness of installation, low installation and maintenance costs.

The authors believe that development of wear resistant coating compositions basedon W Bis an important task aimed at improvement of durability of working parts of2 2machines. X-ray analysis of coating composition W B – FeCr – FeV is presented in the2 2article. The results of chemical and X-ray analyses of the coating composition comprisingW B – FeCr – 10 % FeV demonstrate that, when the weld metal formed, W Bpartially2 5 2 5dissociates to form borides, vanadium, iron, and chromium. High iron content in thesolid solution causes reduction of its hardness and wear resistance. A 20 % increase in the tungsten boride content leads to formation of elongated grains in the matrix of ironborides, vanadium and chromium borides. A composition containing 4 % of W Bhas a2 5fine-grained structure, and it is characterized by the absence of FeB in the weld metal,and its absence means lower brittleness. In the metal, carbon borides are formed to assure its high hardness. In the matrix, a significant amount of vanadium and chromium is dissolved to help improve its hardness. The study shows that the composition containing40 % of W Bhas a fine-grained structure, and it is characterized by the absence of FeB2 5in the weld metal. Therefore, the coating layer demonstrates the highest resistance toabrasion.

The objective of the project described in this article was to design the fiber concrete having an optimized structure and high strength characteristics. In the course of the project development, the fibre concrete was modified by the nanodisperse silica additive. As a result, the authors designed several modified fibre concrete compositions having optimal physical and mechanical properties. Electronic microscope Quanta 200 3D was used to study the microstructure of samples. Diffractometer ARL X’TRA was used to perform the X-ray analysis of samples. Selection of the optimal composition of the concrete was performed using the orthogonal experimental design technique. The nanodisperse silica additive was synthesized using method of chemical polycondensation followed by subsequent stabilization of acetate. This super-plasticizer improves the density and strength properties of the composite. Experimental and statistical models were generated as regression equations to determine the optimal composition of the fibre concrete.

Experimental and theoretical research into polymeric solutions and melts obtained in the condition of equilibrium condensation requires a theoretical size-distribution function to be identified. The author presents his solution to this problem using generating functions, although no Gaussian statistics of polymer chains is employed.Method of branching processes proposed by Gordon is a common way to consider configurational statistics of branched polymers that allows researchers to obtain generating functions in a simple way. Unfortunately, this method cannot be directly applied to non-ideal chains, while effects of hindrances of rotating round bonds between two monomers may be of significant importance in terms of experimental data interpretation. The author presents a new method based on the mathematical theory of formal context-free grammar applicable to non-commutative objects, like matrices. The proposed method combined with the Flory’s approach was applied to tree-like polymers with hindered rotation and analytical expressions to derive generating functions.

The purpose of the research consists in development of a nano-sized additive containing mineral serpentinite designated for fine-grained concretes. In this article, the results of research into the influence of nanodisperse mineral serpentinite additives on physical-mechanical properties of fine-grained concrete are provided.Nano-sized particles are obtained by the milling of serpentinite together with C-3 plasticizer, the content of which is equal to 1 % of the mass of serpentine, and the milling time is 30 min. Milled nano-sized particles are dispersed in the water environment using the ultrasonic technology. The ultrasonic treatment frequency is 35 KHz, and the exposure time varies from 15 to 60 min.The study of the effect of the nanodisperse additive is performed using samples of fine-grained concretes made of white-color cement and quartz sand and hardened according to the regular procedure.If the concentration of serpentinite is equal to 0.01 % and the additive is obtained by the 15-minute exposure to ultrasonic dispersion, the 0.15 % content of the nanodisperse additive added to the fine concrete improves the compressive strength 1.5-fold, the bending strength — 1.3-fold, and improves the average density by 8%, while the water absorption rate goes down 1.7-fold. Resulting strength properties comply with the structure of cement identified with the help of an electronic microscope.

Solid household waste management plans are developed to provide for the vital needs of local residents, to take care of the environment, and to save natural resources. A waste management plan designated for an extensive territory is a project comprising the following elements: the sequence of actions, the scope of waste collection and treatment actions; systems and methods of household waste collection, decontamination and processing; the number of collectors, collection procedure, and items of treatment machinery; the expediency of design, construction, reconstruction or expansion of waste management facilities, their basic specifications and location, as well as the capital investments to be made into construction, purchase and installation of waste management facilities.A waste management plan may be designated for a separate inhabited locality and the whole region. Despite the above, regional plans are preferable. The regional waste management plan analyzed in this article is designated for the territory of the Republic of Dagestan. It was developed by the specialists of MosvodokanalNIIproject in furtherance of the decree issued by the Ministry of Natural Resources of the Republic of Dagestan.The top-priority objectives underlying the plan development included reduction of the overall amount of waste, its toxicity (and other harmful properties), increase in the share of waste recyclable into secondary raw materials, and phasedown of land-filling.Identification of tentative locations of waste processing facilities requires preliminary land use planning, so that several municipal units or a group of settlements were serviced by a certain waste processing facility with account for the local terrain and climate, as well as reasonable waste transfer routes.Waste handling scenarios embrace various advanced technologies and their combinations, as they consider the projected increase in the municipal waste production rate for the term of up to ten years. Selection of the optimum option is to be based on the principle that any waste handling system is to comply with local standards of living and potential fundraising efforts.Any waste management plan designated for a region shall not exceed a term of five years, while projections may embrace up to 10 – 20 years. Any waste management plan developed for a territory may only be implemented in case of a well-coordinated cooperation between waste handling enterprises, local authorities and the local population.

The article represents a description of a regenerative ventilation system operating in an office building having a winter garden. The winter garden has an air recycling system; moreover, plants can absorb carbon dioxide and generate oxygen. The air saturated with carbon dioxide is removed from the premises of the office building into the winter garden; there, it contacts plant leaves; thus, the air is purified and saturated with oxygen. Thereafter, the air is taken from the premises of the winter garden and delivered to the premises of the office building. This way the air is recycled several times a day. The temperature and relative humidity of the air leaving the winter garden are usually above the desired values for a person on the premises of the office building; therefore, they need to be cooled and drained. The temperature and relative humidity of the air delivered from the office building to the winter garden are usually below the values needed for winter garden plants, and they need heating and humidification. The operation of the regenerative system of ventilation does not require any inflow of the outside air to generate the required gas composition of the air environment on the premises.

The authors argue that efficient energy saving methods installable into civil buildings include energy saving technologies, cost-efficient and fast-payback technologies, improvement of process flowsheets and patterns of microclimate systems, and automation of engineering systems and installations.Processes of unsteady heat exchange inside premises having automated climatic systems are considered in this article. Advanced methods of analysis of thermal modes of premises are provided. Interrelation between separate parameters of thermal stability in a room and automated microclimate control is another subject of research. The formula designated for the calculation of the coefficient of transfer of regulators is derived by the authors.The ultimate result is identified using the methodology of assessment of influenceof dynamic properties of a room produced on the value of K. The proposed methodol-ogy may be used to develop engineering recommendations concerning selection of the optimal operating mode of regulators designated for engineering installations.The conclusion is substantiated by numerical calculations made using specialized software and graphic examples.

The Far North of Russia has a strong power generation potential. Future hydraulic power engineering projects may include construction of major power generating plants in south Yakutia. The core elements of the proposed projects will comprise dams about200 meters high.The authors substantiate construction of a masonry dam in severe climatic conditions of the Far Northern region of Russia. The structural solution represents a masonry dam having an impervious element, or a wide internal membrane, made of soil and cement concrete. This element is to protect the soil-free membrane from any thermal effects. The authors provide their analysis of the deflected mode of the dam, if its height is equal to 226 m. The findings have proven that the membrane made of soil and concrete cement will be in the state of compression. Therefore, the authors believe that the proposed design of the dam structure is reliable enough.

The process of construction is a complex probabilistic system characterized by complete (work stoppage) and partial failures reducing their intensity and causing failure to comply with the work performance schedule. Organizational and technological reliability (OTR) is an important criterion of successful operation of a construction company. In the construction industry, OTR represents the ability to maintain the operating parameters of a construction company within the pre-set values.Assimilation of advanced technologies, diversity of construction materials, multiplicity of contractors, a wide range of construction operations require improvements in their reliability, an adequate assessment of the cost of construction and a lower discrepancy between scheduled deadlines and practical delivery terms. OTR improvement in the construction industry is one of the main challenges for construction companies.

The authors discuss basic methods of statistical surveillance used to assess risks associated with construction investment projects. The methods considered in this article include a sensitivity analysis (based on the assessments of initial parameters of a project and its final characteristics (usually IRR or NPV)), a method of scenarios (based on assessment of the risk of the project failure considered as the total of all probabilities of a negative NPV), a method of discount rate adjustments (based on the adjustment of the discount rate by adding a risk premium calculated by an expert or an in-house specialist), a decision tree method (whereby a project is reduced to development of a hierarchical scheme of all possible actions; results of an investment project have a treeshaped structure), a Monte Carlo method (meaning a special case of simulation). The authors describe their main advantages, disadvantages and problems that accompany their practical application. The authors also describe methods based on the fuzzy logic theory and suggest formalization of inputs and outputs as a fuzzy interval. General milestones include fuzzification, development of fuzzy rules, de-fuzzification, and methods of de-fuzzification (including a method of maximum centre, a method of maximum value, and a centroid method). The authors make their conclusion in respect of the method that may be regarded as the most suitable for investment projects in the construction industry.

The article represents an overview of the principles of risk management applicable at different stages of the life cycle of a portfolio of construction projects in the context of procedures of its compilation, adjustment and monitoring. Design and development of its structure contemplates collection of project initiatives for each individual portfolio, as well as assessment of risks, development of business plans, compilation of a register of projects, priority ranking of projects, identification of the most efficient portfolio, its approval and monitoring of its implementation.The authors also provide their recommendations concerning the analysis of the integrated rating of a construction project. In the final section of the article, the authors make their conclusion about the effect of the process model and the knowledge base on the implementation of construction projects.

The authors performed a comparative analysis of the energy efficiency of existing and newly developed enclosure structures of buildings. Density and heat transfer rate integrals alongside certain lines are selected as energy efficiency parameters. Finite element modeling verified by ANSYS Mechanical code is chosen as the research tool.Quasi-two-dimensional and three-dimensional options of the problem were resolved by the authors. The three-dimensional problem was resolved for a typical corner room free from embrasures.The key findings of the study are as follows:1. The two-dimensional finite element model of the wall and the three-dimensional finite element model of the corner room are produced and verified. Existing and newly developed materials and wall designs are taken into consideration in respect of the stationary heat transfer problem.2. 10.5 % reduction of the heat transfer rate was identified using the two-dimensional model, if the hat is transferred through the wall having a new design.3. The pattern of heat transfer rates is preserved in respect of the threedimensional problem of new wall designs and materials; however, particular “spikes” appear in the joints.4. A rise in the overall energy efficiency of newly developed materials and wall designs is discovered in respect of the three-dimensional problem (7.7 % along the horizontal axis and 1.5 % along the vertical axis).

The authors present a decision making algorithm applicable in the event of an emergency involving structural elements of a building, as well as the algorithm of synthesis of repair plans (emergency and scheduled repairs) consisting in redistribution of emergency repairs over regular repairs.In the event of an accident, a structural element of a building is damaged. An expert compiles a plan of emergency repairs, according to the previously described algorithm, or using PRR CAD software. The proposed algorithm is employed to analyze the plan of emergency repairs and to reconcile it with a plan of scheduled repairs. If the decision is made to conduct emergency repairs within scheduled repairs by means of their synthesis, emergency repairs are redistributed over scheduled repairs. The algorithm of synthesis of plans of repair works is to help the expert distribute emergency repair works over scheduled repair works, or to save material, human and other resources. Implementation of algorithms in a cluster of buildings and structures requires substantial technological resources. Cloud computing technologies can serve as a platform for the implementation of the proposed solutions.

The authors provide a brief description of the software algorithm designed to automatize some of the final stages of design and research into buildings and structures, namely, computer-aided realistic visualization of a simulated object in the AutoCAD environment. Special attention is driven to realistic shadows that are important whenever a construction site is positioned within the environment. The software simulates sunlight by creating a remote source of light. Diffused light is generated by a set of three additional sources of light. The software algorithm is based on a pattern of light sources simulating sunlight and skylight. The point of location of each additional source of light is pre-set by the software operator. This point is identified by the software as the set of coordinates calculated using a special subroutine. The article has a table of sun angles for any time of the day and each month of the year at the latitude of Moscow.

Operation of present-day water supply networks and management of hydraulic models of pipeline networks are labour intensive and ambiguous tasks requiring a sophisticated approach. Operation of water supply networks servicing major Russian cities is accompanied by processing of extensive amounts of information; moreover, some elements of the water supply infrastructure are hidden under the ground. Nowadays operators of water supply networks take advantage of the advanced software used to solve a wide range of tasks associated with data filing, overall evaluation, analysis and optimization of the most important parameters of urban water supply networks. The above software is an essential tool in the management of water networks in major cities. Their ability to collect and process all data on water supply networks and to conduct some research aimed at the improvement of various parameters of the system, including optimization of hydraulic characteristics of the pipeline is employed by researchers and water pipeline operators.The authors analyze and compare CAD software systems designated for water supply networks servicing big cities, capable of resolving multi-component problems and ensuring the reliability of water supply systems.

A novel integrated mathematical model for devaluation of residential buildings is presented. The devaluation model proposed by the authors is a useful tool employed to predict the residual life span of a building. Availability of information concerning the building behaviour in the course of time makes it possible to influence its properties by means of renovation or restructuring-related actions to resist the aging process. Thisapproach can be regarded as a way to extend the service life span of residential buildings.

The authors argue that today the labor market in the construction industry requires a new breed of experts, new dynamic and flexible professionals capable of enhancing the efficiency of enterprises. Obviously, the education system is unable to cover the gap between supply and demand for the new-style professionals.A professional standard is a multifunctional regulatory document setting the scope of responsibilities of employees and requirements applicable to their competences, or professional standards.The competence-based approach is an adaptive model based on the content of education that is not solely related to training in a particular area of knowledge. This approach serves as the basis for the technical requirements applicable to professional standards.The system of competences developed for the educational standard in “InformationTechnology” includes the following positions:1. General professional competences,2. Skill profile competences,3. Competences in basic technologies,4. Outgoing (work-related) competences,5. Supplementary competences.The education system in the Russian Federation is the leading social institution responsible for the update and transfer of knowledge to new generations, personal training and development of the national economy. Interaction between education and business sectors is to be aimed at development of professional standards.

Didactic principles: scientific, systematic and consistency, clarity, communication theory and practice, consciousness and activity of students, the strength of learning, accessibility, individual approach to learning in a collective work, raising a training used in the teaching of different disciplines and are independent of the subject of study. But their application to any particular discipline is different, reflecting the specifics of a particular discipline Review and assess the characteristics of traditional didactic principles: the study of state standards ESKD and ASAP in the course of engineering graphics to enhance learning and cognitive activity of students to study the concept of the normative documents used in the development and design of working drawings of details and architectural drawings.The proposed approaches to the application of information technologies in the use of didactic principles can significantly improve the efficiency of the students to study the state standards, develop their ability to link theory with practice, form design skills of graphic culture, bring attention and care to increase the interest of the whole to learn and do it more accessible.