Modern academic research has a large area of behaviorist and environmental studies focusing on the spatial factor employed to explain the reality. The concept of understanding ruins as monuments of the past dates back to the days of the Renaissance. Exposed to destruction in the past ages, they have acquired numerous meanings, thus, becoming a source of ideas about the past. It is appropriate to speak about “historic” and “modern” ruins. In the first case, the time distance between the moments of construction and perception of ruins is quite large. In the second case, ruins comprise the outcome of inaccurate design, construction or maintenance of buildings, natural disasters or wars. They also have a symbolic and semantic content. The interest in the phenomenon of ruins has brought forth the notion of«false ruins» (in landscape parks) and «future ruins» (paintings and fiction). The spatial and time scale of the urban environment (including ruins) generates a powerful symbolic content. Ruins often symbolize a pathological state of the society that strives to minimize the presence of such objects in the everyday life. Developing culture prefers creative motives and tends to replace destructive ones. Since the 1980s, the phenomenon of architectural ruins has been rapidly expanding its presence in the virtual space due to:1) the complexity of visual assessments because of the lack of familiar structural elements to be employed to estimate the size of buildings; 2) the violation of the balance of space, mass, shape, typical of architectural creations; 3) the dominance of the deaf mass (remains of columns, walls, etc.); 4) the lack of spatial reference, volume, symmetry, reinforcing irrationality in perception of ruins (the loss of the original image destroys the unity of form and content); 5) the loss of opinions on the functional purpose of buildings; 6) exclusive picturesque ruins; 7) background lighting, colour and texture of surfaces.The complexity of experiences related to the perception of ruins is determined by many circumstances. Special attention should be paid to: a) the presentation of ruins as a particular case of the architectural sphere; 2) the development of typology of ruins, important for the understanding of the phenomenon as a whole; 3) the study of particular architectural ruins in the virtual reality; 4) the objective of identifying the potential impact that the phenomenon of architectural ruins may produce on the mankind.

The operational capacity of metal materials as part of structural elements of industrial and civil buildings depends on plastic deformability of metals. This property of construction steels is assessed through the employment of the overall elongation coefficient consisting of uniform and concentrated components.For metal structural elements, assessment of steel plasticity using the uniform elongation method (rather than overall elongation) is preferable. This component characterizes the tendency of steels to brittle destruction, fatigue resistance and cold brittleness.Therefore, the study of interrelation between plasticity and elasticity of steels is very important. Dependences of impact elasticity and failure elasticity on their uniform elongation are studied. The values of impact elasticity and failure elasticity are obtained experimentally in the process of testing of the 40ХЛ grade steel hardened at the temperature of 860 °C and tempered at the temperature of 200 °C.The elongation factor is calculated using the formula of uniform elongation. For steels under consideration, formulas of impact elasticity and failure elasticity are obtained, where uniform elongation is expressed as a fraction.

Nowadays, various systems of seismic protection are applied to assure seismic protection of buildings and structures, located in earthquake areas. The greatest prevalence and popularity has been attained by the systems of active seismic protection.In this article, the authors study the efficiency of application of an active seismic protection system by taking high-damping rubber elastomeric isolators as an example. Calculations and their comparative analysis were made for a high-rise reinforced concrete building, and their exposure to the seismic impact was examined. Those calculations were made both with and without the application of the active seismic isolation system. Calculations were carried out by means of the linearly-spectral method using Lira software. Maximum relative horizontal moments arising on the top of the building and forces applied to the elements of walls and columns were compared. On the basis of the results of the calculations and their comparative analysis, the conclusion is drawn that elastomeric isolators may be efficiently applied as an active seismic protection system.

First, some basic concepts are considered in the paper, including the Mobius transformation, the unit ball in the space of related analytical functions in the unit circle, and the Gleason distance. The author proves a theorem (demonstrated without any proof) that makes it possible to calculate the Gleason distance between the two opposite points in the pre-set unit circle. The extremum feature appears in the calculation of the Gleason distance, which coincides with the identity map of the unit circle. The Gleason distance between the two points coincides with the regular Euclidean distance between these points. Further, the author considers the Gleason distance in the simply connected domain. The simply connected domain is conformally represented in the unit circle. The two points in the simply connected domain are represented as the corresponding points in the unit circle. The author has proven that the Gleason distance between the two points in the simply connected domain coincide with the Gleason distance between two corresponding points in the unit circle. Then, the author presents a lemma (a statement without proof). It is applied to the problem of the Gleason distance between the two points in the simply connected domain. Next, the author presents several special cases: the Gleason distance as calculated between the two points in the unit circle and between the two points in the upper half-space. The two points are located (with both points being positive numbers) in the unit circle.

The article has findings on convergence and additivity (uniform and almost universal) of Fourier series in respect of loaded orthonormalized polynomials. The findings are applied to the Fourier series in respect of loaded Jacobi polynomials. The objective of research into loaded systems of mathematical physics was formulated in the classical book by R. Courant and D. Hilbert “Methods of Mathematical Physics”. Many researchers drive attention to polynomial systems, as they are used in the study of the Sturm–Liouville problem with a parameter in the boundary conditions, loaded integral equations and Schrodinger point potentials.As for applied problems, they are immediately related to important and frequent types of problems concerning concentrated loads, including oscillations of a heterogeneous loaded rod, torsional oscillations of a rod having pulleys at the ends, propagation of heat inside the rod having concentrated heat sources at the ends, etc.

The authors present numerical results of the asymptotic homogenization method for elastoplastic bending of the plate. The plate is supposed to be laminated and exposed to the transversal load. Stresses and displacements in the cylindrical bending problem are compared with those calculated using the 2D finite element method. The new trend in the mathematical simulation of structures, made of composite materials, contemplates accurate consideration of their nonlinear properties (for instance, plasticity or damage) on the micro-structural level of materials. The homogenization method provides for the coupling between the microstructural level and the level of the entire structure. The authors have developed a numerical implementation of this coupling. It represents a combination of the homogenization method and linearization with account for the loading parameter. The approach was implemented as a parallel algorithm and applied to the plastic bending simulation of the FGM plate. The parallel algorithm is based on the overlapping subdomain decomposition method and the Euler explicit and implicit integration methods. MPI was used for software development purposes.In this paper, the authors provide a concise description of the proposed method applied to the 3D boundary-value problem. The authors compare numerical solutions obtained through the application of the homogenization approach and the finite element method. Two types of laminated plates are taken as an example. Three-layered plate was exposed to uniformly distributed transversal loading. The second five-layered plate, that was a lot thinner than the first one, was exposed to piecewise constant transversal loading. All layers of both plates are homogenous; they are supposed to be elastic or bilinearly plastic. It was discovered that the asymptotic homogenization technique provides a more accurate solution for the five-layered plate than for the three-layered one. Edge effects near the edges of the plates are smaller for the thin five-layered plate if compared with the thick three-layered plate. The edge effect appears due to the large value of the plate height-to-length ratio. Nevertheless, the first order asymptotic homogenized method provides sufficient accuracy in both cases.

The authors present their solution to the homogeneous boundary value problem of the theory of elasticity in the area of the cut boundary in the plane domain. The authors have derived the type of the stress-strain state in the small area of the peak of the cut area. The authors offer an asymptotic solution to the elastic homogeneous problem depending on intensity ratios as unknown constant values. The problem of research into the ratios of intensity is also relevant for the research into the stress-strain state of structures characterized by geometrical non-linearity of boundaries. In the article, the authors consider a plain problem of the theory of elasticity for a domain having an angular point (the case of concentrated forces in the vertex of an angle are not considered by the authors in this article). The authors consider a special case where the vertex angle is equal to 2π. The type of the stress-strain state derived for this case study coincides with the type of the stress-strain state considered in fracture mechanics. Identification of intensity ratios represents an independent problem of the stress-strain state in the area of the domain of the cut peak.

More than 20 years ago, Rostov-based Promstroyniiproekt Institute (Research and Development Institute for Industrial Engineering), backed by Geotechnika group of companies and other organizations, commenced using cement grouting to stabilize soil as part of foundation soils of buildings. It has turned out that consolidation of water saturated by clay accelerates grouting and assures higher strength than the silicification method. The article describes a new method of grouting and a case study of grouting stabilization of the foundation soil of a five-storey residential house, made by subsiding soils and subjacent fluid-plastic clay loams.The work was complicated by the fact that clay was displaced by the cement-sand mortar injected at the pressure insufficient for formation of discontinuous cavities. In these circumstances, the team of researchers developed and implemented an integrated solution to avoid clay clustering under the influence of the injected grout.The authors consider problems arising in the course of operation of buildings in the above geotechnical environment and describe the sequence of grouting operations. The article includes the work performance pattern and patterns of building control.

This paper covers the technology of stabilization of loose soils through the employment of silt-cement piles, or the so-called deep soil stabilization technology. It is applicable to various types of loose soils, including clay, sapropel, silt and peat. However, geotechnical and chemical properties of soils surely affect the stabilization efficiency and the choice for the stabilization material.The authors provide a brief overview of the soil stabilization technology employing silt-cement piles and based on the principle of dry mixing of water-saturated natural soil with cement. Thus, dry powder enters into the chemical reaction with the stream of water to reduce the content of water in the soil. The research into the bearing capacity of siltcement piles and the stabilized territory of moorings was performed in the Temryuk port.The co-objective of the research was to identify the operating conditions of cargo moorings in the Temryuk port constructed on loose soils. All conclusions were based on the field data, seismometric and laboratory tests. The analysis of and research into the operating conditions of moorings demonstrate the efficiency of the long-term operation of berthing facilities constructed on the soils stabilized by silt-cement piles. This methodology can be used to stabilize port territories, road beds of railways and highways constructed on loose soils.The authors also elaborate on the potential upgrade of categories of cargo moorings constructed on loose soils and stabilized by silt-cement piles. Calculation results and researches demonstrate that it is quite difficult to significantly upgrade loading categories in respect of open warehouse spaces, as silt-cement piles of the pre-set diameter cannot provide for the bearing capacity corresponding to the first category loading. The solution may consist in the change of the stabilization design with account for the thixotropic properties of clay soils. Structural solutions may consist in the selection of the pile foot designs that may stabilize loose clay soils, on the one hand, and meet the loading requirements, on the other hand.

The article deals with the results of the numerical analysis of the stress-strain state of a 50 m high earthfill cofferdam. A geocomposite membrane (geo-membrane and geotextile layers) in its upper part (20 m) serves as a seepage control element. The grout curtain is installed in the lower part of the cofferdam and in the foundation. The cofferdam design implements the idea of using riprap to reduce the weight of the geocomposite membrane.The analysis proves that the high weight of the membrane considerably worsens the stress state of both the membrane and the whole dam. First of all, the load causes additional deflection of the membrane and consequently increases tensile stresses inside it. Second, due to the low value of the friction coefficient (approximately 0.3 0.4) in the point of contact between the geocomposite membrane and soil the dam upstream shell may slide down along the geocomposite membrane. Additional dam displacements may cause considerable tensile forces in the geomembrane. Their maximum values are comparable to the strength of the polymer material used for the manufacturing of the membrane. Any rupture of the membrane and geotextile layers may be expected. The analysis proves that it is necessary to get compensators in the polymer membrane allowing for the extension of the membrane absent of any tensile forces.The analysis proves that the geocomposite membrane does not affect the stressstrain state of the earth fill due to its small thickness. Non-linear effects of “earth – geomembrane” contacts are to be taken into account, because tensile forces appear inside geo-membranes due to the presence of friction forces.

The author considers the key parameters used to monitor the condition of structures in the course of their long-term use. In the process of analyzing the expediency of employment of the parametric method of prognostication, the author identified the main parameters of structures made of different materials to be monitored for the above purpose. The research team led by the author systematized the key parameters of masonry, reinforced masonry, concrete, reinforced concrete and structural steel. Thus, the key parameters of reinforced concrete structures include displacement of supports, size reduction of the cross-section of a structural element, loading value, concrete strength in compression, tensile strength, cross sectional area of reinforcement, bearing capacity (for all sections), crack opening width (normal and oblique), deflections, and adhesion between concrete and reinforcement.Prognostication requires identification of the limit values of the above-mentioned parameters. Most of them are specified in the effective regulatory documents; some may be found in the reference and research literature. For example, any increase of corrosion in excess of 15% of the cross sectional area will not cause the failure of the structure. It is recommended to use the method of intervals as a most efficient one in the context of limited information. It contemplates development of interval boundaries of the most probable values of changing parameters. A general pattern for the prognostication of the remaining service life of building structures using the key parameters (the parametric method) may be used to identify initial values of these parameters and limits of changes in their values.

This article covers the design of an advanced multi-component additive and the study of its influence produced on the properties of fine-grained concrete. The authors also provide data on the earlier studies of the effect produced by domestic superplasticizers on the plasticity of fine-grained concrete mixtures and the curing behaviour of plasticized fine concretes. Russian-made superplasticizer Khimkom F1 was used to retain the plasticity of the fine concrete under consideration. Khimkom F1 produces a better effect on concrete curing than Polyplast SP-1, Cemactive SU-1, and Linomix SP 180-2. Superplasticizer Khimkom F1, as opposed to plasticizers based on lingo-sulfonate or naphthalene, for example S-3, has no bad odour; it is non-corrosive if applied to steel reinforcement inside concrete. The research has proved that the optimal amount of Khimkom F1 is 1.2% of the total amount of the binder.Metakaolin fume was used to improve the microstructure of the concrete, including its strength, waterand frost-resistance. Improvement of the above properties was proved in the course of the experiment. Its optimal content equals to 15% of the total amount of the binder. The study of the two domestically made water repellents (Sofexil40 and Sofexil 60-80) was conducted to identify and to compare their water and frost resistance. Experimental findings have proven that Sofexil 40 produces higher influence on the properties of the fine concrete, used for hydraulic engineering purposes, than Sofexil 60-80. The optimal content of the water repellent is 0.2% of the binder content. Sofexil 40 must be dissolved in the water in advance. Finally, the authors provide their experimental findings in terms of the optimal composition of the fine hydraulic concrete having pre-set properties.

The authors consider several problems of radiation control in the process of construction operations. The authors describe sampling of radon, a radioactive gas which can be often found in the environment, and therefore, it may be the reason for cancer diseases. Residential houses represent the main source of ionizing radiation, given the fact that the time spent at home accounts for about 60% of the overall radiation exposure. Safe radon content values for residential and office buildings are provided in the article. Maximal acceptable doses of radiation, emitted by natural sources, in respect of office personnel (below 5 mSv per year) and residents (below 1 mSv per year) are identified. Maximal acceptable doses are regulated by the Russian Standard of Radiation Safety.Difficulties accompanying radiation control in the course of construction operations are described in the article. Field measurements of radon emissions from the soil surface have been taken in Russia for over 10 years; no other country has taken any measurements of this kind.The highest efficiency of radon protection is achieved at the stage of design of buildings. If regulatory requirements are honoured at the design stage, radiation protection turns a lot cheaper than elimination of high concentrations of radon inside existing buildings.

It is appropriate and in some cases necessary, to arrange a special fire fighting reservoir, the size of which would vary depending on the number of buildings in a townhouse village. In case of fire, water can be taken out of it with the help of a fire pump, which is sometimes the only possible solution due to the pressure reduction in the networks of domestic water supply of villages.A water tank may also be useful for a household, as it offers a water reserve for a water supply network to assure continuous water supply to consumers in case of an accident (pump malfunction, power outage), or in case of discrepancy between regimes of water supply outside the network and water consumption inside a building. The tank is to be placed in a heated room, located as high as possible inside a building, for example, in the attic, in order to prevent water freezing. The tank volume may be about 200 300 liters; the tank is often made of steel. For the purpose of fire safety, there should always be an emergency ten-minute water supply in the tank for fire extinguishing purposes. It is worth mentioning that a free-flow water tank is preferable to a power-driven hydropneumatic one to assure an emergency supply of water for a particular period of time even in case of power failure.An electronic no-touch faucet can be even more efficient; it is activated by placing hands under a special sensor. It also has a function of maintaining a pre-set temperature, thus preventing hot water burns. It is desirable to install this a faucet in the bathroom close to the bath tub.

The authors studied the effect of the process parameters (pH, concentration of Ca2+) on precipitation of humic acids contained in the filtrate of solid waste in the process of its decontamination using lime. The content of contaminants in the filtrate was monitored through the employment of well-known methodologies using methods of optical molecular and atomic spectroscopy; pH values were monitored through the employment of the potentiometric method. In some cases, chemical oxygen demand was measured to identify changes of the content of organic substances in the solution. Concentration of humic substances was identified by measuring the absorption spectra in the UV and in the visible range and by applying the calibration curve. Samples of humic and fulvic acids produced by Ecoanalitika Open Joint Stock Company were used for benchmarking purposes.The optimal amount of lime milk for the purpose of precipitation of humic substances in the filtrate is equal to 24 g/l. It is proven that any further increase of the lime milk flow is limited by the increase of the residual calcium concentration in the purified solution. Consumption of lime milk in the course of clarification of filtrates may be reduced by sharing it with calcium salts. By adding 10% of calcium chloride to the lime milk content, lime milk consumption may be reduced by 50%.

This article contains a quantitative analysis of the content of heavy metals in soils, waters and sediments of the Verkhniy Kuz'minskiy pond in Moscow. This pond, coupled with other water bodies of the recreation area, represent a historical monument included into the UNESCO registrar. It is common practice to consider heavy metals and toxic elements as target research components. In most cases, these substances serve as the markers of the human activity. Besides, iron was also included into the list of target research components due to the possibility of the ferrocene admixture in the fuel. This decision was also substantiated by the data obtained on the basis of the analysis of samples of soil, water and benthal deposits of the Bol'shoy Troparevskiy Pond in Moscow. The quantitative analysis performed according to GOST 17.4.02—83 (State Standard 17.4.02—83) included elements of the ICP-MS technique. The variations factor was calculated for the heavy metals content in the soil, water and benthal deposits. Highly concentrated elements were found there. A comparison with the prior data on the content of the above components in the Bol'shoy Troparevskiy Pond was performed to identify patterns of distribution and accumulation of the components under research.

The authors argue that drainage norms depending on the functional use of territories must be considered as the first step in the design of flood protection systems. Further, calculation of the drainage norm should be performed based on the extent of the flooding vulnerability of areas. Any designer should identify the parameters of hazards that may cause harmful effects, including the groundwater level, the moisture content of soil, contamination of the groundwater and soil, and the change of soil properties by soaking and draining in order to characterize the hazard of flooding processes in urban and industrial areas. The classification of factors affecting the vulnerability of urban and industrial areas is based on the four features, or indicators of vulnerability, including urban, geotechnical, environmental, and operational indicators. An assessment of harmful effects of flooding should be made following the identification of the flooding hazard degree and the vulnerability of the area to flooding. The research findings contain the threshold of the geological safety and the acceptable depth of the groundwater. Any design of engineering protection actions should take account of the drainage norm within the boundaries based on the acceptable groundwater level in terms of the geological safety threshold.

Moscow Channel represents a most important hydraulic engineering structure in Russia. Since its locks have been in operation for over 75 years, there are numerous cases of concrete disintegration of various nature and extent in the walls of locks chambers. The situation is quite risky due to the growing threat of accidents.The article deals with detection and analysis of destructive processes in the concrete walls of lock chambers, as well as evaluation of their stress-strain state. Gate no. 2 serves as an example, because several signs of its dangerous condition were first detected there (including cracks in the concrete and destruction of concrete). Various methods were employed to reinforce the structure, including consolidation of chamber walls using anchor rods, and reinforcement of camera walls by metal rods. Calculations were made to assess the stress-strain state of the concrete walls of Gate no. 2 of the Moscow Channel. The article includes an overview and analysis of earlier methods of repair and reinforcement of the chamber walls. The authors provide their recommendations on further safety of operation of the structures on the basis of the research findings and their analysis.

Mathematical models of secondary settlers have been intensively developed in the past several years. The challenge is to develop CFD models capable of taking account of the geometrical shape of the settler, the most important physical processes, and to perform calculations in the timely manner. The task of the authors was to develop a 2D numerical model designated for the research into the transfer of waste waters inside vertical settlers, for the model to take account of the geometrical shape and structural features of the settler. The authors employed finite difference schemes as the basic methods of research. As a result, a new 2D CFD model was developed. The novel model may be used to perform CFD studies of vertical settlers. This model takes account of the geometrical shape of the settler, the central pipe inside it, and other peculiarities. The CFD model and code developed by the authors constitute a solution to multi-parametric problems of the vertical settler design. Computer time taken by this model is equal to the one of a 1D model.

Effective logistics management in vertically integrated oil companies (VIOC) is an important factor of business success. Losses caused by irrational logistics management may reach hundreds of millions of rubles a year. Therefore, mathematical simulation of VIOC logistics and methods of optimization of high dimensionality systems represent a relevant problem.The author presents a logistics model for VIOCs and their oil products. The model is based on methods applicable to linear programming problems, algorithms of reduction and restoration of high dimensionality matrixes, and the software developed by ILOG Ltd., a leading developer of applied software components.The software package, developed by the author, solve the problem through the optimization of purchases, production, storage, flow and sales of VIOC oil products, in respect of dozens and even hundreds of small companies of the group. The software package takes account of a big variety of types of contracts between companies, delivery service providers, and storage facilities.This solution may be used to generate a wide range of reports both for VIOC as a whole, and for each VIOC constituent company.The software package has been successfully used for 5 years in respect of logistics, operational and strategic planning of purchases, production, storage, flow and sales of oil products, as well as generation and development of an optimal distribution network.The software was integrated into the corporate resource consumption planning system (ERP System). The assessment of the mathematical simulation is also provided and analyzed in the article.

In the present-day civil engineering, non-ruled surfaces of higher orders, designed in various ways, are applied to design median surfaces of building envelopes. Let's consider the process of drawing a continuous framework of non-ruled surfaces consisting of the 4th order curves, using the method of transformation of ruled surfaces. The authors consider the construction of a framework, which constitutes non-ruled surfaces of the 4th order and conversion of the shape of the ruled surfaces. These surfaces are constructed through transformation of the two plane fields. By transforming the constituents of the cylindroid using this method, a non-ruled surface of the 8n order can be obtained and split into the two surfaces of the 4n order. The same method can be applied to transform a conoid. The above method of construction of the two plane fields may be used to transform the constituents of non-ruled surfaces, such as n-order curves, into 4n form median surfaces of high order enclosing structures.

The author provides an overview and analysis of methods employed by various types of educational activities, including lectures, practical classes, laboratory assignments and independent studies of students with account for the use of advanced information technologies and given the nature of engineering graphics as a university discipline. Multimedia lecturing is an effective method of generating willingness to master a university discipline. PowerPoint presentations are to be employed in two ways: first, as a modern didactic tool employed to illustrate the lecturing process and, second, as a textbook for self-studies. Practical classes in engineering graphics promote the study of all peculiarities of this discipline. Self-study is considered as an essential link in the process of compulsory education. Department of descriptive geometry and graphics of the Moscow State University of Civil Engineering developed customized electronic packages for all disciplines to provide timely assistance to lecturers and students with a view to successful organization of the learning process. The system of various control actions based on the system of tests has been implemented to improve the efficiency of all types of learning activities. The introduction of information technologies into the learning process improves the efficiency of engineering studies and ensures generation of vital skills.