This study analyzes a new method for determining the minimum subsistence level based on the median wage in regions with the purpose of exploring the impact of this method on payroll funding in construction industry. The research methodology involved economic and statistical analysis, system analysis, as well as integration of theoretical and practical knowledge. The authors analyzed payroll fund as part of the cost estimate documentation and the wages stipulated in the “Federal Industrial Agreement on the Construction and Building Materials Industry of the Russian Federation, 2020-2023”. The authors analyzed the new method proposed by the Russian Government for determining the minimum subsistence level on the basis of the median wage, explored its advantages and disadvantages, and introduced ideas for its optimization. According to the results obtained, the changes introduced in the method for calculating the minimum subsistence level in 2021 failed to produce the expected results. The method needs to be improved in the following part. The official indicators of regional median wages should be calculated at least quarterly and posted on the official website of Rosstat. The method should justify the percentage (44.2%) adopted for the calculation of the minimum subsistence level based on the median wage. In addition, a low threshold should be established for the minimum subsistence level in a region equal to the cost of the market basket. In order to be calculated accurately, the cost of the market basket should be adjustable in terms of the content of all its sections.

The paper is aimed at measuring the thermal conductivity coefficients of autoclaved aerated concrete of average density (D450, D500 and D600) in a dry, water-saturated and frozen state. Thermal conductivity coefficients were determined using 100-mm cubes using standard methodology and measuring instrument ITP-MG “Zond” (Russia). It was found that the thermal conductivity of samples of the studied aerated concrete grades in the dry state is approximately 3.3–4 times lower than the thermal conductivity of samples in the water-saturated state and 3.5–4.2 times lower as compared to frozen water-saturated samples. The decrease in the average density of autoclaved aerated concrete from 618 kg/m³ to 434 kg/m³ led to a decrease in the thermal conductivity coefficient by 24.4%. The difference in the values of thermal conductivity coefficients of water-saturated samples and frozen watersaturated samples comprises 3.5–21.1% for the studied grades of autoclaved aerated concrete. Discrepancies between the values of thermal conductivity coefficients obtained by calculation and by experiment equal 7.6–36.5% for dry samples, 32.6–61.7% for water-saturated samples, and 38.6–88.6% for frozen water-saturated samples. Following the results of research into autoclaved aerated concrete grades of average density D450, D500 and D600, mathematical relations of thermal conductivity coefficients on their average density and temperature and humidity state were obtained.

In Russia, residential buildings with warm attics and natural exhaust ventilation are common. Thus, the use of the exhaust air heat has a great potential in terms of energy efficiency. The aim of the study is to analyze existing experiences and exhaust air heat recovery for residential buildings, to develop an optimal circuitry taking into account the characteristics of multi-story buildings with warm attics, as well as to calculate the potential of exhaust air heat on the example of a real facility. The authors analyzed the existing exhaust air heat recovery circuitry for residential buildings, introduced the results of theoretical and practical calculations about heating load for hot water supply by means of exhaust air heat recovery in apartment buildings. The theoretical value for hot water heating load by means of exhaust air heat recovery comprises 45.6%. The measurements of the exhaust air in a residential building proved its sufficiency to provide up to 75% of the average hourly heat load for hot water supply. The suggested heat recovery circuitry for buildings with warm attics can contribute to comprehensive measures for reducing energy consumption and improving ventilation.

The aim of this paper is to analyze the issues associated with the determination of parameters for stress and strain state of compression load-bearing elements in frame buildings. The paper highlights the main sources and causes of eccentricities, as well as the differences in the behavior of centrally and eccentrically loaded reinforced concrete elements. Particular attention was also paid to stress distributions both in cross-sectional and height direction of eccentrically loaded reinforced concrete elements depending on the eccentricity value. According to the conducted analysis, the functional efficiency of compression columns of the framework depends directly on initially set (designed) parameters of bearing capacity, technology and quality of implementation of corresponding construction processes. The formation of eccentricities and deviations of cross-section axes for framing columns is a consequence of insufficient design solutions (taking into account possible manifestations of the phenomena under consideration) and/or construction works. In order to consider eccentricities and axis deviations, the special algorithm should be developed to examine the actual parameters of the stress and strain state. Moreover, a set of measures should be introduced to increase the indicators of bearing capacity of columns for frameworks of multi-story buildings. The paper provides the analytical data which can be used in the development of guidelines for improving the bearing capacity for eccentrically loaded reinforced concrete columns of multi-story frame buildings.

The technology of cast-in-place and precast construction has been developed and used extensively in civil engineering since the 1950s. Several dozen precast frame systems have been developed independently in the USA, Europe and Asia. The main design and technological parameters of foreign systems have been elaborated. A particular attention is paid to evaluation of the strong and weak points of these systems in order to identify the parameters that ensure their technological vitality, efficiency and usability of the structural system. One way of implementing the evaluation procedure is to have the precast frame systems assessed by a panel of experts, which poses a methodological problem in terms of selecting candidates. The present paper suggests a methodology for assessing the competence level of a potential expert in cast-in-place and precast construction. The methodology provides an integral evaluation of the professional competence level of experts, as well as their personal qualities. A comprehensive assessment of candidates in terms of their inclusion in an expert panel is expected to reveal not only their professional level, but also their capacity for flexible thinking in response to new facts and reasoning, thus minimizing the likelihood of inconsistent and unreliable expert conclusions. The developed methodology for assessing the competence level of experts can be used to analyze foreign experience in cast-in-place and precast construction and to identify opportunities for the development of domestic construction technologies.

The paper compares Portland cement and cement with low water demand. The aim of the study was to estimate the possibility of reducing the cost of a binder and the cost of the resulting readymixed concrete, along with achieving its improved physical and mechanical properties over a short time frame. This is undoubtedly a relevant indicator, especially in winter construction, since the kinetics of concrete strength gain is one of the key factors limiting the pace of construction. The study assesses the feasibility of introducing technogenic waste and local minerals into concrete composition, as well as effectively selected structural chemistry based on polycarboxylates. Cements with low water demand of various grades were produced by grinding Portland cement and silica or carbonate filler, in the presence of the required dosage of superplasticizer and depending on the type of cement with low water demand under investigation. Based on the results of the study, the efficiency of obtaining cements with low water demand of carbonate and silica type was estimated. Kinetics of strength gain and normal density of cement-water paste of various compositions were considered. Optimal value of the specific surface area of the cement with low water demand was established. The strength dependencies of the concrete produced on the basis of low water demand cement of different grades were analyzed. The conclusions enable the effectiveness of using the binders under development to be assessed.

The paper presents the results of experimental and analytical generalization of energy costs for deformation and destruction of concretes and polypropylene-fibro-reinforced concretes, previously subjected to cyclic loads of various amplitudes and durations. A multicomponent model of costs (work) with regard to the physical regularities of monotonic compression process was proposed, and the ambiguity of their changes in cyclic tests was established. Standard prismatic samples (100 × 100 × 400 mm) of two series in the initial and post-cyclic states were tested: group “A” – N = 200 cycles with amplitude η = 0.6 and group “B” – 50 cycles with η = 0.8. The study involved an original methodology of multifactor automated control of resistance parameters in cyclic mode of different intensity and in post-cyclic resistance under axial compression, which enables the processes of interaction with the external environment to be more adequately modeled and their consequences to be analyzed. The tests were carried out using an ʺInstron-5989ʺ complex with automatic process control within a specially developed program and with records of all monitored parameters conforming to the diagram method for calculating the strength of reinforced concrete elements. Energy indicators proved their high sensitivity and informativity, as well as the possibility to be used for developing functional criteria-based models of low cycle fatigue.

The regulatory requirements of SP 32.13330.2018 (Sewerage. Pipelines and wastewater treatment plants) set the minimum sewage velocity in water distribution systems, depending on the highest filling level of pipes. It is known that during the operation of gravity flow water distribution systems under certain conditions, a layer of internal sediments might be formed, which increases the filling level of pipes and changes the values of the hydraulic characteristics of the flow. The study suggests the dependence between the values of hydraulic characteristics of the flow and the amount of internal sediments on the surface where the sewage flows. The authors introduced the calculated dependencies for hydraulic calculation of gravity flow water distribution systems with sediments on the surface where the sewage is moving. The study confirmed the dependence of the actual filling level of gravity flow water distribution systems on the amount of sediments on the surface. A specific example confirming the existence of such a dependence was given. The paper presented a graph of dependence between actual filling level and sediment thickness in benching part of pipes. It was shown that during the operation of gravity flow water distribution systems with internal sediments it is necessary to control the value of the actual filling of pipes 𝐻ф 𝑑пр and the amount of sediment in their benching part ℎ, which have a significant impact on the values of the hydraulic characteristics of the sewage flow.

The paper introduces a methodology for estimating groundwater balance on the example of the Blue Nile basin by means of NASA GRACE space technologies. The international Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) was launched in 2002 to measure time-space variations in the Earth's gravity field. It is a system for remote determination of changes in gravitational force associated with variations of mass within the Earth. The study involves a gravity recovery and climate experiment together with The Global Land Data Assimilation System to calculate groundwater storage as applied to the Blue Nile River basin, based on processing satellite data and spatial localization of the Blue Nile River using an optimal window function with specific scan line. Groundwater storage and its dynamics were investigated from 2003 to 2010. Considering surface water storage, surface runoff and soil moisture, the authors estimated groundwater budget in the Blue Nile River basin. According to the obtained results, the average groundwater storage in the area under study comprised 1100.0 mm/year. Due to a lack of land hydrological studies, verification of the data obtained was not carried out, but was recommended as a matter for future research in this area.

The paper considers the main approaches to organization and development of inconvenient lands in a city structure. The aim was to develop an interdisciplinary research model and to design an urban development plan for the territories of floodplains with a high level of flooding. The main objectives of the study consisted in identification of factors for assessing the urban development capacity of territories with various degrees of flooding; determination of principles for increasing the urban development capacity of wetland areas; formation of methods for urban development of inconvenient lands, taking into account landscape planning factors of the floodplain complex organization. The paper considered the main approaches to organizing inconvenient urban areas as a whole. However, most attention was paid to the wetland areas of vast floodplains from the standpoint of geotechnical, biotechnical and urban morphological methods of organizing the territory. The methodology of territory assessment and transformation via methods of geoplastics was developed in the process, and the basic principles of sustainable landscape-planning pattern of the urban fabric under conditions of flooding were formulated. As a result, a model of territory organization was developed based on the methods of urban landscaping and building morphotypes on the example of Irkutsk.

In this work, we investigate the layout and architecture of campuses in terms of the role of natural landscapes in their space. Campus structures are considered as spatial grids in the context of their interaction with natural landscapes and their components. We studied the experience of designing a botanical garden in Columbia in a hot humid climate, the Polytechnic University in Ben Guerir in the climate of the Western Sahara and the Russian Far Eastern Federal University on Russky Island near Vladivostok. An analysis of the existing layout and development of the campus of the Irkutsk National Research Technical University was carried out. Scientific foundations for arranging interaction between campuses and environmental conditions were determined, referred to as natural conformity principles. Architectural and planning grids are the spatial basis for campus organization. The cells of planning grids are the courtyards of buildings of various purposes, squares and other public spaces. Pedestrian boulevards (malls) connect the cells and the campus as a whole. The natural conformity of the campus depends on the consistency of cells, connections and boundaries of its architectural and spatial structure with the relief, groups and arrays of plantations, as well as with the climate, light and water bodies – landscape spaces. Another important factor is orientation of the building layout to natural attractors, i.e., the most attractive natural landscapes.

The paper aims to examine sacred Austrian architecture of the historicism period as a precursor to modernism; to explore the demise of historicism, which left room for the contributions of progressive architects and the emergence of new styles (such as the Vienna Secession) and, subsequently, modernism; to explain the impact of social changes on the spatial organization, structure, materials, decoration, and interior of religious architecture and how traditionalism resisted modernism. The study examines over 250 Austrian churches, 80 of which were built in historical styles in 1830–1910. With the use of literary evidence, the evolution of church construction is empirically traced to the present day, thus explaining the emergence of current architectural trends. The work of architects shapes new styles and identities – a process that is also characteristic of Russian architecture. The mixture of historical styles presented in new combinations and materials within a single building indicates a search leading to the discovery of entirely new forms. In addition, the buildings are naturally affected by social upheavals, as well as advances in science and technology. In collaboration with the client, the architect translates contemporary social attitudes into architecture, thus generating new images and symbols that are inextricably linked to the worldview of their era.

The Baikalsk city planning and development strategies are based on multilevel-structured concepts. Combined city-forming and city-serving factors underpin the priorities of functional transformation of the city. Unique natural, climatic, geographical and social conditions of the city, as well as the attractive character of Lake Baikal determine the conceptual trends in living environment architecture. Exploring the territory development of Baikalsk, the existing residential cluster and the impact of human activity on the ecosystem reveals some negative consequences, which must be avoided at the stage of post-industrial development of the city. In doing so, the specialists should refer to the experience of construction and operation of buildings in order to improve architecture quality under severe seismic conditions. This experience will identify the main directions of planning and shaping of buildings, the ways to establish balance between biosphere and technosphere in the context of optimal building development, and to determine architectural techniques that are perfectly blended with the unique natural landscape. The optimal formation of the architectural and planning structure of the living environment requires a progressive view on the quality of residential building architecture and on ensuring the seismic stability of residential buildings. Such an approach assumes not only architectural, planning and structural means, but also compliance with the terms that do not provoke disturbance of geosystem and worsening of seismic conditions.

The aim was to investigate the integrity of the urban fabric of Irkutsk historical centre regarding interaction between urban morphotypes and their functional use in conjunction with orientation around the city. The study considered theoretical background to the analysis of integration of the historic city development, including the local approaches to working with places of interest. Two fundamentally different approaches were identified. The first approach addresses the issues of organizing the spatial structure and generating the geometry. The second approach examines the socio-functional issues of the environment, its cognitive psychological aspects. Local approaches to working with places of interest focus on dividing the city into environment protection zones and subzones, each of which corresponds to its own type of reconstruction, regeneration and transformation. Here, the conventional approaches to city protection zoning and zone regulation are supplemented by a new approach to the topological regulation of site development. The evolution stages in the development of the place of interest in the centre of Irkutsk were revealed. The research involved a chronological analysis of publications of Irkutsk authors on the development of “place” as a historical area of the city, starting from the period of its initial development (the second half of the 17th century) to the beginning of the 21st century. The content of the stages is a new feature in the context of site development. The research revealed evolution of site development of Irkutsk from the middle of the 17th century to the 2000s, as well as approaches to arranging the territories adjacent to buildings among themselves.

In this work, we investigate best foreign practices in establishing contemporary university campuses in terms of their architectural and environmental formation. For this purpose, we adopted a systematic approach to the study of information resources, including regulatory documentation. S.G. Shabiev conducted a field survey of existing university campuses in Australia, Canada, China and other countries, as well as a comparative analysis of the effectiveness of the implemented architectural and environmental techniques. The study analyzed the campuses in terms of planning restrictions, urban planning conditions and climatic characteristics. In addition, the architectural and environmental features of each site under study were identified: inverted roofs in operation, low emissivity facade glazing, photocells, as well as landscape systems with microclimate-friendly vertical or inner gardens. The most effective techniques for architectural and ecological formation of university campuses were compiled into a coherent methodological framework that can be used when developing concepts for such facilities. Best foreign practices in the design and implementation of contemporary university campuses were studied. The methodological framework for architectural and environmental formation was obtained. We also explored the potential for using the obtained results in developing an architectural concept design for the international campus of South Ural State University, Chelyabinsk, Russia.