The authors consider the problem of design of external stationary sun protection devices, namely, modified multi-component units that are especially effective in the hot and sunny climate of Lebanon.
Apart from their sun protection properties, the proposed units demonstrate effective light-reflecting characteristics in the clear sky environment. These properties substantially increase the value of the daylight factor. The value is mainly increased inside buildings, or in the areas that are located far from sources of natural illumination. The authors propose EF, a new efficiency factor to be taken into account in any calculations of the daylight factor. This factor depends on the shape of the sun protection device installed above the window of the storey below the one under consideration and at a distance from the device under consideration and the window in question. As a result, the new proposals increase the quality of the internal environment and may result in energy saving due to the reduction of the artificial lighting period.

The problem of high-quality illumination of the premises of multistory industrial buildings in the climatic conditions of southeast China is considered in the article, and a new effective system of natural illumination is implemented. The proposed illumination system is based on the existing sources of lateral illumination with addition of supplementary natural illumination incoming through the so-called «illumination wells».
Whenever industrial facilities are designed in the hot and sunny climate of southern provinces of China, particular attention should be driven to the high-quality internal microclimate, which is, to a substantial extent, based on the temperature, light and solar exposure rates inside buildings.
In the case under consideration, the solar exposure and protection of the premises from excessive sunlight are addressed as a top priority in terms of excessive heat input, thereafter, the above phenomena are considered in terms of their impact on the internal light environment generated by uncomfortable contrasts, brightness and glare.
Basically, the quality of the illumination environment depends on the natural illumination inside the buildings in question, which, in its turn, depends on the system of transmission of natural lighting and luminosity of its individual elements.

In the article, the authors present their new formulation of the problem of the boundary value of natural vibrations of a homogeneous pre-stressed orthotropic plate-strip in different boundary conditions. A new approximate hyperbolic (in contrast to most authors) equation of oscillations of a homogeneous orthotropic plate-strip is used in the paper in the capacity of an equation of motion. Besides, the authors propose their newly derived boundary conditions for a free edge of the plate. The authors employ the Laplace transformation and a non-standard representation of the general solution of homogeneous differential equations with constant coefficients. The authors also provide a detailed description of the problem of free vibrations of a homogeneous orthotropic plate-strip, if rigidly attached in the opposite sides. The results presented in this article may be applied in the areas of construction and machine building, wherever flat structural elements are used. In addition, professionals in mechanics of solid deformable body and elasticity theory may benefit from the findings presented in the article.

Operating conditions of uneven non-stationary heating can cause changes in physical and mechanical properties of materials. The awareness of the value and nature of thermal stresses is needed to perform a comprehensive analysis of structural strength.
The authors provide their solution to the problem of identification of natural frequencies of vibrations of rectangular plates, whenever a thermal factor is taken into account.
In the introductory section of the paper, the authors provide the equation describing the thermoelastic vibration of a plate and set the initial and boundary conditions. Furthermore, the authors provide a frequency equation derivation for the problem that has an analytical solution available (if all edges are simply supported at zero temperature). The equation derived by the authors has no analytical solution and can be solved only numerically.
In the middle of the paper, the authors describe a method of frequency equation derivation for plates exposed to special boundary conditions, if the two opposite edges are simply supported at zero temperature, while the two other edges have arbitrary types of fixation and arbitrary thermal modes.
For this boundary condition derived as a general solution, varying fixation of the two edges makes it possible to obtain transcendental trigonometric equations reducible to algebraic frequency equations by using expending in series. Thus, the obtaining frequency equations different from the general solution becomes possible for different types of boundary conditions.
The final section of the paper covers the practical testing of the described method for the problem that has an analytical solution (all edges are simply supported at zero temperature) as solved above. An approximate equation provided in the research leads to the analytical solution that is already available.

The paper covers the analytical construction of fundamental functions of ordinary differential equations with constant coefficients and their wavelet approximations specific to problems of the structural mechanics. The definition of the fundamental function of an ordinary linear differential equation (operator) with constant coefficients is presented. A correct universal method of analytical construction of the fundamental function in the context of problems of structural analysis is described as well. Several basic elements of the multi-resolution wavelet analysis (basic definitions, wavelet transformations, the Haar wavelet etc.) are considered. Fast algorithms of analysis and synthesis (direct and inverse wavelet transformations) for the Haar basis and a corresponding algorithm of averaging are proposed. It is noteworthy that the algorithms of analysis and synthesis are the relevant constituents of all wavelet-based methods of structural analysis. Moreover, the effectiveness of these algorithms determines the global efficiency of respective methods. A few examples of fundamental functions of ordinary linear differential equations (the problem of analysis of beam, the problem of analysis of the beam resting on the elastic foundation) are presented.

Part 1 of this paper represents an introduction into the multi-resolution wavelet analysis. The wavelet-based analysis is an exciting new problem-solving tool used by mathematicians, scientists and engineers. In the paper, the authors try to present the fundamental elements of the multi-resolution wavelet analysis in a way that is accessible to an engineer, a scientist and an applied mathematician both as a theoretical approach and as a potential practical method of solving problems (particularly, boundary problems of structural mechanics and mathematical physics).
The main goal of the contemporary wavelet research is to generate a set of basic functions (or general expansion functions) and transformations that will provide an informative, efficient and useful description of a function or a signal. Another central idea is that of multi-resolution whereby decomposition of a signal represents the resolution of the detail. The multi-resolution decomposition seems to separate components of a signal in a way that is superior to most other methods of analysis, processing or compression. Due to the ability of the discrete wavelet transformation technique to decompose a signal at different independent scaling levels and to do it in a very flexible way, wavelets can be named "the microscopes of mathematics". Indeed, the use of the wavelet analysis and wavelet transformations requires a new point of view and a new method of interpreting representations.

In this paper, a high velocity impact produced by a spherical striker and a target are considered; different stages of loading and unloading, target deformations and propagation of non-stationary wave surfaces within the target are analyzed. The problem of the strike modeling and subsequent deformations is solved by using not only the equations of mechanics of deformable rigid bodies, but also fluid mechanics equations. The target material is simulated by means of an ideal "plastic gas". Modeling results and theoretical calculations are compared to the experimental results. The crater depth, its correlation with the striker diameter, values of the pressure and deformations of the target underneath the contact area are determined as the main characteristics of dynamic interaction.

The authors describe an original solution to the new problem of a soil compacting disk moving along a rheological beam (Kelvin model) in the proposed paper. The motion of the mechanical system that is composed of a disk and a rheological beam is described by a hybrid system of differential equations consisting of an integral-differential equation that stands for the interaction of the beam with a moving disk and Lagrange equations describing the pattern of the disk motion.
These equations are considered as equations of nonholonomic links. The problem is solved through the employment of simplifying prerequisites and by determining the operating condition of the disk.
Condition of uniform and uniformly variable motions is considered as an opportunity to integrate the equation of beam vibrations regardless of the system of equations describing the disk motion pattern. The solution to the equation in partial derivatives is found through the employment of the Fourier method of separation of variables coupled with the Laplace integral transformation method. The solution to the problem of constrained vibrations was implemented as a series of homogenous problems with zero initial and boundary conditions.
The equation describing changes in the time function is reduced to its standard form, and thereafter the solution is found through the employment of asymptotic methods. Disk motion stability is assessed through the employment of the first approximation method. The motion of the disk is stable. As a result of the analysis of patterns of dependencies between beam deformations and the time period, the conclusion of feasibility of a stable pattern of forced vibrations of a rheological beam, supported by a driving force and a variable friction force, caused by the slightly elastic field of the beam material, is made by the authors.

In the paper, the author considers a relevant problem of structural mechanics. The antisymmetric bending of constant thickness orthotropic and isotropic circular plates, resting on the elastic Winkler foundation, is the subject of the research. Supplemental analytical solutions are obtained. Solutions are represented as Bessel functions.
Problems of symmetric and asymmetric flexure of isotropic circular plates, resting on the Winkler foundation, enjoy extensive coverage in the literature
The paper represents an essential generalization of the research of professor Conway obtained for the case of the axially symmetric flexure of an isotropic circular plate, resting on the Winkler foundation.
Currently, numerous software programmes designated for the analysis of buildings and structures are available. In these programs, numerical methods, namely, the finite element method, are used. The exact results presented in this paper can be used to assess the accuracy of numerical results.

The authors discuss wind loads applied to a set of two buildings. The wind load is simulated with the help of the wind tunnel.
In the Russian Federation, special attention is driven to the aerodynamics of high-rise buildings and structures. According to the Russian norms, identification of aerodynamic coefficients for high-rise buildings, as well as the influence of adjacent buildings and structures, is performed on the basis of models of structures exposed to wind impacts simulated in the wind tunnel. This article deals with the results of the wind tunnel test of buildings. The simulation was carried out with the involvement of a model of two twenty-three storied buildings. The experiment was held in a wind tunnel of the closed type at in the Institute of Mechanics of Moscow State University.
Data were compared at the zero speed before and after the experiment. LabView software was used to process the output data. Graphs and tables were developed in the Microsoft Excel package. GoogleSketchUp software was used as a visualization tool.
The three-dimensional flow formed in the wind tunnel can't be adequately described by solving the two-dimensional problem. The aerodynamic experiment technique is used to analyze the results for eighteen angles of the wind attack.

The authors present both top and bottom limit values of loads within the two problems of stability of a rectilinear elastic cantilever bar that has a variable cross-section. In the first problem, a longitudinal compressive force applied to the bar end is transmitted through a connecting rod that has hinges on both ends, while the second problem is to be resolved in absence of any connecting rod.
The authors apply well-known expressions to identify the stability loss by a rectilinear elastic cantilever bar that has a constant cross-section compressed by a longitudinal force at its free end, with account for the inequalities generated by the best approximation problem in the Hilbert space. They constructed two series of functionals, the bottom bounds of which are the bilateral bounds of the unknown critical value of the load parameter. The calculation of the bottom bounds is reduced to determination of the biggest eigenvalues for the matrices presented in the form of second-order matrices with elements, expressed through the integrals of well-known forms of stability loss by a bar that has a constant cross-section. The calculation of the top bound is reduced to the determination of the biggest eigenvalue for the matrix which almost coincides with the one of the block matrices constructed for the determination of the bottom bound.
Bilateral bounds identified in accordance with the above method make it possible to assess the reduction of the critical load value in the first problem and to compare it to the one of the second problem.

The author presents the results of measurements of total deformations of the space-grid floor in relation to the torsional strain of beams and the rigidity of beams in bending and torsion while monitoring the erection of the floor of a building.
Any space grid system is utterly sensitive to changes in relations between the rigidity of elements. No experimental data covering space grid floors or any method of analysis of their stress-strain state are available.
The author performed the assessment of interrelations between the rigidity of some beams in the two directions by means of a full-scale loading test (monitoring) of the monolithic space grid floor, beam size 8.0 × 9.2 m. The purpose of the assessment was to confirm the bearing capacity and the design patterns based on deflections and stresses of elements to select the operational reinforcement value. Monolithic concrete was used to perform the load test.
As a result, the width of concrete ribs was found uneven. In the design of reinforced concrete space rib floors it is advisable to develop detailed models of structures through the employment of the finite element method due to the significant sensitivity of the system to distribution and redistribution of stresses.
Large spans of monolithic space rib floors require the monitoring of the stress-strain state and computer simulations to adjust the design pattern on the basis of the monitoring results.

The authors propose a general method of identification of exponent within the distribution of velocities of round and flat flows. Resulting formulas do not contain any empirical corrections, and they are confirmed by the experimental data.
Resulting degree-based velocity profiles comply with the results of measurements of flat flows, whereas any disagreement between experiment-based points and their analysis-based counterparts do not exceed any acceptable experimental errors.
The practical equivalence of degree-based and logarithmic velocity profiles may serve as a supplementary condition that makes it possible to identify the degree value without the involvement of any empirical corrections.
The degree-based velocity profile of round flows may be calculated according to the expression .\[n=0,9\sqrt{\lambda }\]. or \[n=1,25\sqrt{{{\lambda }_{\text{}}}},\].. the degree-based velocity profile of flat flows is equal to \[n=1,76\sqrt{{{\lambda }_{\text{}}}},\] as both formulas enjoy experimental and theoretical substantiations.

The subject matter of the article represents a solution to the problem of the stress-strain state of a heterogeneous structure resting on the elastic half-plane. The condition of continuity of deformations and stresses alongside the line of contact between the sections of the structure and between the structure and the half-plane is observed; the system of boundary equations is derived on the basis of the above. Coefficients associated with unknown values of the structure are identified with the help of Kelvin's fundamental solutions, while the coefficients associated with the half-plane are identified on the basis of the Mindlin's solutions. The mathematical model and the analytical algorithm developed by the author are implemented within the framework of the examination of the stress-strained state of an earth dam.
Analysis of application of the algorithm has proven that concentrated shearing stresses emerge in the area of the upper wall alongside the line of contact between the structure and the half-plane, while mechanical properties of sections of the structure and the half-plane influence the distribution of vertical relocations of the half-plane contour line.

Construction of breakwater structures of modern seaports requires computational models describing interaction of waves with structural elements of ports. The model should be based on numerical hydrodynamic models that contemplate all constituents of interaction between waves and structures, including those at various stages of construction. The above model makes it possible to have construction works performed in accordance with the pre-developed plan. Experimentalresearch of the behaviour of breakwater structures is to be conducted in laboratories. A scaled natural model is to be used for the above purpose to verify the model behaviour. The authors consider the methodology and results of experiments involving models of wave loads produced on vertical breakwater structures at various stages of their construction.
On the basis of the experiments conducted by the authors, it is discovered that the value of the total wave force, that the vertical wall is exposed to, increases along with the wall length in the event of a constant wave mode, which is natural. However, the per-meter value of the wave force increases along with the increase in the length of the wall until it reaches the value of the length of a transverse obstacle divided by the length of waves equal to 0.28; thereafter, the wave force goes down. The authors assume that this phenomenon is caused by the change in the nature of interaction between waves and an obstacle and a transition from a diffraction-free flow to a diffraction flow. The authors believe that further researches are necessary to explore the phenomenon.

In view of persistent threats of terrorist attacks, protection of high-rise and unique buildings and structures from the above impacts remains one of the top-priority objectives of safety and security assurance projects. The author provides an overview of blast effects on a reinforced concrete column simulated through the employment of ANSYS software package. Possible patterns of the effects are considered. The semulation is performed in three sequent stages. At Stage 1, the initial stress-strain state of the column is simulated. At Stage 2, non-stationary gas dynamics of the explosion of 50 kg of TNT and the stress-strain state of the column are simulated. At Stage 3, destruction of the column, damaged by the explosion, is analyzed. The time period of complete destruction of the column after the explosion is ~ 100 ms. Numerical simulation of the environment by LS-DYNA software system assures accurate calculations; therefore, this software programme may be used to develop reliable actions aimed at reduction of effects of the explosion in order to prevent the progressive collapse.

The following conclusions were made upon completion of the testing of crane beams:
The lowest rigidity is demonstrated by welded beams exposed to temporary mobile loads; the maximal buckling caused by temporary mobile loads is equal to 12 mm, or 1/1,1790 of the span; the rigidity of crane beams of an overflow dam meets the requirements set by Section E2.1 of Construction Rules 20.13330.2011 "Loads and Actions".
In general, the authors state that the crane beams of the span structure of the overflow dam are in a serviceable operating condition, according to their opinion issued upon completion of examination and testing procedures. The recommendation is to regularly tighten screw nuts and to install high-strength bolts in the points of missing rivets. The authors also recommend applying a rust-proofing coating to all metal structures of the dam spans.

The problem of potential damage and destruction of constituent parts of hydraulic engineering structures, as well as deterioration of materials in the course of their continuous operation under the impact of natural and climatic factors is considered in the article. Practicability of development and implementation of the control system designated for the monitoring of the condition of hydraulic engineering structures and aimed at prevention of their destruction is under discussion. The authors insist that the safe operation of a hydraulic engineering structure, minimization of its maintenance costs and its negative impact on the environment depend on the step-by-step implementation of the aforementioned system.
Control over a hydraulic engineering facility should be based on advanced information systems capable of monitoring the structure condition in the non-stop mode. The systems should be efficient, reliable, cost-effective, computer-controlled, mobile and intelligent. Concepts of the two types of monitoring systems, an indicative and a representative one, are described in the article.

Methods and algorithms of control of the tension of lifting and towing ropes of bucket-chain excavators are proposed in the article. They are based on the non-linear dependence of the current path length and intensity of excavation efforts. Three automatic control modes, including scooping, correction signals and automatic overload protection, are implemented. Two independent control loops in charge of tension of lifting and towing ropes are developed.
The proposed automated control system may be integrated both into new bucket-chain excavators and into those excavators that are already in operation. The new system does not require any substantial alterations in electric drive control systems in charge of lifting and towing, if integrated into excavators in operation.
The author has performed the non-linearity analysis; he has also designed, developed and implemented the models that are capable of taking an adequate account of the system peculiarities identified in the course of the project implementation. The system parameters are adjustable to specific conditions of the excavator operation, including the hardness of the rock extracted by the excavator, etc.
The automatic overload control system attached to the electric drives in control of lifting and towing ensures maximal responsiveness of the system based on the commutation-related limitations imposed by power-driven elements, maximal over-control values and variability of the transition process.
Prevention of any rope slacks in the course of scooping of any hard rock is assured by the loop of regulation of minimal tension of lifting cables.
The service life of lifting and towing ropes goes up by eight to ten weeks, if the system proposed by the author is implemented.

Currently, functional additives represented by many classes of substances and compounds, including polymers of different origin, are widely used in the production of dry mixtures based on gypsum binders. However, the impact of these additives produced on the formation of calcium sulfate dihydrate (CaSO42H2O) crystals in the course of the hardening of gypsum binders, is not quite clear. Therefore, the research is aimed at the clarification of the processes of growth and formation of calcium sulfate dihydrate crystals in the presence of functional additives based on polymers of different origin. The research is composed of the following stages.
At the first stage, calcium sulfate dihydrate crystals were synthesized both in the pure form and with additives. The additives included super plasticizers based on sulfonated melamine-formaldehyde resin (SMF), methylcellulose (MC) and polymer powder based on copolymer of vinyl acetate, ethylene and vinyl chloride (VAEVC). At the second stage, X-ray analysis of the synthesized crystals was performed to identify potential patterns of influence produced by polymer additives onto the shape and size of calcium sulfate dihydrate crystals. At the third stage, thermal analysis and electron microscopy methods were applied to synthesized crystals.
The research suggests the following conclusions:
A. It is identified that additives based on polymers of different origin affect processes of crystallization, the size and shape of crystals.
B. The X-ray diffraction analysis has proven that molecules of polymer additives do not penetrate into the gypsum structure and the chemical composition of the product does not change.
C. Methods of thermal analysis have proven that the introduction of polymer additives does not produce any adverse impact on the stability of gypsum crystals, if exposed to temperature fluctuations.
D. The major impact produced onto crystallization is the one of the super plasticizer based on the sulfonated melamine-formaldehyde resin.

Glass has a high compressive strength and low impact strength. The strength of glass in compression is a lot higher than the strength of glass in tension, and it varies within the range of 500-1,250 MPa. Whenever the glass is in compression, it can compete with the properties of metal in terms of its strength. The tensile strength of glass under tension is 30-50 MPa. The reason for that is the fact that the strength of glass is strongly dependent on the state of its surface.
Methods of increasing the strength of glass have been the subject of research projects implemented at Far Eastern Federal University. The objective is to apply compressive stresses that would prevent any defects in the surface layer and harden the surface to improve the glass resistance to mechanical stresses and isolate it from the environment.
Creation of a composite rod made of glass grade C49-1 (3С5Na) and steel E235C (ISO standard) manufactured through the employment of diffusion bonding represents a practical result of the research. Its analysis has proven the presence of full contact, absence of cracks and poor penetration alongside the welding zone. Microscopy methods of analysis have demonstrated the presence of the transition zone in the points of interface of materials. The results of the spectral analysis prove the penetration of Fe-cations into the glass down to the depth of 30 microns. The chemical analysis of the zone of diffusion proves that the crystalline structure, or fayalite (Fe2SiO4), is formed in the glass. The rod strength analysis has demonstrated its high compressive

The authors demonstrate that the efficiency of protection of wooden structures, covered with paints and lacquer materials, from the influence of the environment, depends on the adhesion size.
It is common knowledge that improvement of adhesion of capillary-porous materials to the wood, and, hence, the increase of the service life of the sheeting requires the reduction in the dimensions of the wood surface, as the reduction of diameters of capillaries leads to the growth of forces of capillary condensation and to the increase in the depth of penetration of paints into the material.
Adhesion of a water-soluble acrylic paint and organic-soluble enamels to the surface of the wood modified by boron-nitrogen compounds and to unmodified wood is the subject of the research. It is identified that the increase in the adhesive durability of paint and varnish coverings if glued to the surface of the wood modified by boron-nitrogen compounds, is driven by the growth of the polarity of a substrate and the reduction of dimensions of the wood surface.

The authors demonstrate that the use of the dry mix that constitutes caustic magnesite and a micro-silica additive makes it possible to obtain a binding material that contributes to formation of a durable and water-resistant artificial stone. The results of the research performed through the employment of methods of Fourier IR spectroscopy and electronic microscopy are provided. Interaction between magnesium oxide (MgO) as the basic oxide and micro-silica as the acidic oxide is proposed.
The compressive strength of the dry mix containing 16.7 % of micro-silica has been measured. In the event of hydraulic hardening, the compressive strength is equal to 11.5 MPa and 12.0 MPa in dry and water-saturated states, respectively. In the aftermath of air setting, the compressive strength is 10.0 MPa and 21.0 MPa in dry and water-saturated states, respectively.
Thereafter, the dry mix is gaged by the sulfuric acid solution (10 %) to identify the pH influence. In the event of hydraulic hardening, the compressive strength is 19.8 MPa and 14.1 MPa in dry and water-saturated states, respectively. In the aftermath of air setting, the compressive strength is 18.0 MPa and 19.9 MPa in dry and water-saturated states, respectively.

The authors describe methods of composing a concrete dynamic deformation diagramme, if the pre-stress produced by the static load is taken into account. It is noteworthy that the available data concerning the influence of the load preceding any dynamic load and produced on the mechanical properties of the concrete are limited and discrepant. The authors propose their methodology of an experiment and describe items of specialized equipment employed to hold the experiment in question. The authors have held an experimental study to reproduce the conditions of a real structure exposed to an emergency dynamic load. Samples to be tested are exposed to the static load of varied intensity without any relief. Duration of the load application will be six months. The diagram should be recommended for reference in the course of design of concrete and reinforced concrete structures exposed to dynamic loads applied in emergency situations.

The primary objective of the research is the synergetic reliability of perlite-reduced structural steel 09G2FB exposed to various thermal and mechanical treatments. In the aftermath of the above exposure, the steel in question has proved to assume a set of strength-related and plastic mechanical properties (σσδ and ψ).
On the basis of the above, an equation is formed\[{{{\sigma }_{\Tau }}}/{{{\sigma }_{\Beta }}+{\delta }/{\Psi }\;=}\;={{\left[ {\left( 1+{{\delta }_{}} \right)}/{\left( 1+{{\delta }_{\Rho }} \right)}\; \right]}^{{1}/{\Psi }\;}},\] and its solution in respect of the uniform component ${{\delta }_{\text{P}}}$ is used to generate the expression \[{{\delta }_{\Rho }}={{\left[ {\left( 1+\delta \right)}/{{{}^{\Psi }}}\; \right]}^{0,5}}-1\]and, hence \[{{\Psi }_{\Rho }}={{{\delta }_{\Rho }}}/{\left( 1+{{\delta }_{\Rho }} \right)}\;.\] To use the synergy criteria, the following expression is applied: \[{{S}_{\Beta }}={{{\sigma }_{\Beta }}}/{\left( 1-{{\Psi }_{\Rho }} \right)}\;,{{S}_{\operatorname{K}}}={{\sigma }_{\Beta }}\left[ {1+\Psi }/{\left( 1-{{\Psi }_{\Rho }} \right)}\; \right],\] as well as the following expression of specific uniform and a specific limit energy :
\[{{W}_{\Rho }}=0,5\left( {{\sigma }_{\Tau }}+{{S}_{B}} \right)\ln \left[ {1}/{\left( 1-{{\Psi }_{\Rho }} \right)}\; \right],{{W}_{C}}=0,5\left( {{\sigma }_{\Tau }}+{{S}_{K}} \right)\ln \left[ {1}/{\left( 1-\Psi \right)}\; \right].\]
\[{{K}_{}}={{{W}_{C}}}/{{{S}_{T}}}\;,G={{{W}_{}}}/{{{W}_{C}},}\;{{K}_{a}}={{{W}_{C}}}/{{{A}_{C}}}\;,\]where static viscosity is calculated according to:\[{{}_{}}=0,5\left( {{S}_{\operatorname{K}}}-{{\sigma }_{\Tau }} \right)\ln \left[ {1}/{\left( 1-\Psi \right)}\; \right].\]
The secondary objective of the project is the identification of the steel brittleness threshold to assure controlled rolling and application of the above steel in construction.

The article covers the operation of special economic zones ("SEZ") in the countries that feature different levels of economic development (including Ghana, China, Bulgaria, the USA and Russia), principal provisions and special entrepreneurial environment, as well as the variety of SEZ depending on the objectives of their setup.
Problems of management of items of real estate within territories of SEZ are identified. The authors also analyze peculiarities of establishment and operation of SEZ in the Russian Federation and propose an economic mechanism to boost their competitiveness.
The authors conclude that there is a pressing need for a qualitative reconsideration of approaches to the management of SEZ and their constituent elements that have to ensure a scalable and highly efficient application of SEZ as an instrument of innovative development in various fields and a solution to basic economic and social problems.

Several approaches that underlie urban politics are discussed in the paper. They include neo-liberalism, political economy discourse, elitist/pluralist debates, and postmodernism. The neoliberal approach focuses on the limited role of the state and individual responsibility. The legal framework protects both the rights and responsibilities of individuals and regulates the operation of the market. It is the market that fosters individual choices and provides goods and services by virtue of the processes which are flexible, efficient and transparent.
The political economy approaches (regulation theory, public choice theory, neo-Marxism) explain urban politics via the analysis of national and international economic processes and changes in contemporary capitalism. Changes in national and international economies determine what solutions are possible. The discourse has been influenced by the debate on globalization of capital and labour markets.
Modern elitism and neopluralism are represented by theories of "growth machines" and "urban regimes". The former focuses on bargaining alliances between political and business leaders in order to manage the urban system and to promote its growth. The latter develops neopluralist explanations of power within local communities with an emphasis on the fragmented nature of the government where local authorities lack comprehensive governing powers.
Postmodernism views the city as the site of the crisis of late capitalism which leads to segregation of neighbourhoods onto prosperous areas and ghettoes. In contrast to the modern city, the postmodern city is not defined by its industrial base; rather, it is determined by its consumerist environment of malls and museums, characterized by revivalist architecture. At the same time, the suburban shopping mall and a motorway network make nonsense of the idea of the city as a unique and well-defined space.
These and other approaches encompass a wide spectrum of possibilities in the study of urban and regional politics in relation to the Russian context. In the recent two decades, several studies of the power of urban and regional communities (A. Chirikova, N. Lapina, V. Gel'man, D. Seltser, D. Tev) show that it can contribute for a better understanding of the Russian local politics and government.

The methodology of research of organizational and economic drivers of development of the civil engineering industry represents a cluster of interrelated methods, techniques, procedures, algorithms and models that shape up the basis for the development and implementation of effective management actions impacted by intrinsic fluctuations of the civil engineering industry, the local legislation, national and global economies. The proposed method contributes to the improvement of sustainability of construction companies and the construction industry. It also facilitates an inflow of capital into the investment sector of the construction industry and accelerates the economic growth of Russia.
The proposed methodology is based on a synthesis of several scientific theories, such as the evolutionary theory, the theory of self-organization (the synergetic theory, the theory of changes and the catastrophe theory), the theory of cyclical development, the systems theory, the organizational theory, the institutional theory, and the pricing theory.
There are many potential patterns of the system development; however, the awareness of the resonant excitation, feedback and the cumulative effect make it possible to predict the most probable changes. Random fluctuations are also exposed to these effects.
Implementation of the proposed methodology makes it possible to generate science-based management solutions that ensure the development and implementation of effective management procedures.