[en] The rapid development of industrial production and the availability of underground resources in our republic constantly increases the risk of radon in the building and facilities under construction. The article examines the possibilities of radon penetration into buildings and facilities, the amount of radon in the used building materials, the damage radon causes to human health and the ways of protection from it. Buildings and facilities are exposed to harmful radioactive influences from the environment, the atmosphere and various sources available under the Earth. Among them, the most observed is radon. Since our republic is rich in underground resources, the activity of Radon is higher and poses a serious threat to buildings and installations.

[en] A vital building block for construction project globally is construction materials which are huge, costly and are often delivered in great quantities to the construction sites. One of the key roles in the successful completion and delivery of a project is effective construction materials management. However, it has been established that material wastage is a prevalent problem in developing countries which can be tackled with modern technologies for effective material management. It is based on this assertion that this paper focuses on the challenges to use of modern technologies for effective material management in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative approach where questionnaires were administered to professionals in the South African construction industry. Descriptive statistics tools were used to analyse the gathered data. Findings showed that the common challenges to using of modern technologies for effective material management in the construction in South African are; Scale of construction projects, Cultural barriers, environment challenges, financial challenges, and Behaviours of people in key positions. The way forward are; change in business approaches and procedure, and implementation of skill set is necessary (paper)

[en] The role of technology in every facet of the economy cannot be handled with levity. The construction industry like other germane sectors of the economy thrives best with the adoption of technology in various parts of its subsets. It has been established that Material management can be handled effectively with the use of modern technologies. It is based on this that this research focuses on identifying the roles and effects of adopting modern technological tools for effective material management in the South African construction industry. The study adopted a quantitative approach where questionnaires were administered to professionals in the South African construction industry. Descriptive statistics tools were used to analyse the gathered data. Findings showed that the prevalent roles of adopting technological tools for effective material management in South African construction industry are majorly continuously Progress monitoring; Monitoring mechanisms with regard to stated outcomes are clearly explained from the beginning, and scope and use of materials are explained to all role players. On the other hand, the effects of technological tools are seen mainly as profit maximization; constant monitoring of materials on site and, Aids in planning and clarification of materials before projects begin. The implication of the roles and effects is that there is an opportunity of great productivity in construction industry with the use of technology as it makes things easier while improving principles of management. (paper)

[en] Effective communication in construction industry is a core competency element to the success of the project. But it has been always a challenging mission to perform the communication effectively because the industry itself is characterized as fragmented, dynamic, and comprises of many parties (client, consultant, contractor, authorities) which leads to the presence of poor communication. There has been no publication to address the poor communication in a broad context especially identifying and assessing the causative factors and effects to this issue in the construction industry. However, this article aimed to identify and assess the significance of these factors through ranked them individually based on its level of significance/severity. Quantitative approach was adopted to conduct this study using structured questionnaire survey. A 5-point Likert’s type scale was used to assess the factors gradually based on their significance. Descriptive analysis was used to analyse the data collected from the survey. Average index (AI) and standard deviation were used to rank the importance of the factors in descending order. The study found that, the most dominant cause factors of poor communication is fear to communicate in the project space however the most dominant effect factor is high stress in workplace. The findings of this study serve best to draw a platform for construction practitioners to introduce strategies and plans to avoid the cause and diminish the effect of poor communication in construction industry. (paper)

[en] The article presents a general idea of Industry 4.0 concept with the introduction presenting descriptions of the most important aspects in terms of production and construction industry development. The importance of the SME sector is stressed showing that this group of companies plays significant role in the European economy. The main objective of the article is to define and show possible research areas connected with the introduction of Industry 4.0 concept into SMEs with the main focus on the construction sector. For this purpose, an analysis was made, based on the most recent literature, to point out actual needs in the SMEs sector in terms of its evolution into 4.0 level. What is more, the analysis was performed based on the most popular articles published in journals available in Thomson Reuters Web of Science Core Collection database regarding Industry 4.0 concept in the last decade showing the actual change of interest in this filed, taking into account possibility of usage of this concept in the construction and production sector. Authors tried to describe current knowledge regarding Industry 4.0 introduction for SMEs. Performed analysis showed that there is a wide spectrum of disciplines that are affected by the Industry 4.0 that needs to be examined considering introduction into SMEs. Study also showed that multidiscipline approach was not investigated so far to create special rules, procedures and methods and know-how designed for introduction of main principles of Industry 4.0 in the SME sector. Authors came to the conclusions that there should be more stress put into research in this field especially taking into account the huge potential which lies in SME sector in terms of global economic strength. (paper)

[en] The mass consolidation treatment of azulejos is necessary when ceramic biscuits show signs of disaggregation. Such treatment is often used as a complementary conservation technique to the reestablishment of weakened glaze-ceramic bonds. In this research, two commonly used consolidants (ethyl silicate and acrylic resin) were tested on artisanal ceramic tiles via mass consolidation and the resulting impregnation profiles were evaluated. The results indicated that after consolidation, hard zones frequently formed due to localized consolidant concentration after the polymerization and curing processes. These inhomogeneous hard zones subsequently influenced the results obtained through conventional mechanical strength testing (i.e. flexural and compression), creating a false impression of success. This research demonstrated that by using the Drilling Resistance Measuring System, impregnation characteristics such as penetration depth and distribution of consolidant could be observed that otherwise could not be discerned through the more common testing methods. As such, a more extensive evaluation of consolidation effects was achieved.

[en] Innovation diffusion process is an important component for construction companies to remain competitive in today’s changing business environment. The aim of this study is to examine how innovations in the Australian construction industry can be understood through innovation diffusion theories and empirical works. To achieve this goal, the author reviewed theoretical frameworks, and then analysed empirical works to shed light on the innovation diffusion in practice. The review found that effective innovation diffusion has played an important role in providing organizations with competitive advantages. From a socio-psychological perspective, leadership and team climate have had a direct effect on organizational culture, which indirectly impacts on innovation diffusion outcomes and business performance. Emphasizing the drivers and obstacles of innovation diffusion is also necessary to effectively develop a conceptual framework of innovation diffusion at project level which begins with knowledge and idea generation, and progresses to implementation and confirmation. (paper)

[en] Energy needs and concerns in the construction industry are mainly focused on energy savings, characterized by research for new insulation products. Automotive industry, for example, has already overgrown this level of energy performance of their products and fuel economizing is not carried out only through new engine design but also through new aerodynamic lines of vehicles aimed at reducing air resistance. The construction product industry, which, in financial terms, is quite capable to address the issue of energy savings and which benefits from these inventions, has no possibility to interfere in the form of buildings and relations between them. This is something architects and urban planners deal with. This is the subject of this paper, with emphasis on what has been accomplished so far in this regard in the so called developed countries, in comparison with others, where the issues of energy saving are even more difficult to tackle. (author)

[en] The article is a review describing and justifying the necessity creation and using wear-resistant anti-vibration coatings in tool-making and machine-building industry. The basic methods of applying wear-resistant and anti-vibration coatings were presented and analysed, a search and study of the closest analogues of the studied coatings were carried out, and appropriate conclusions were drawn on the acceptability of using certain methods of applying such coatings. (paper)

[en] The principal production activity of construction companies is centralised on the investment and construction projects executed on various construction sites. In the pursuit of using the potential accumulated in the means of production, construction companies start to manage a number of projects implemented concurrently. Therefore, a project portfolio is a key challenge for the strategic management of modern construction companies. There is a way to deal with the multi-project phenomenon called the project portfolio management. At this level, specific features of construction production have to be taken into account. An efficient selection of the project portfolio, treated as the project portfolio management maturity, allows reducing the risk associated with investing in projects, by creating a combination of expenses on a number of projects. The strategies accepted by an organisation determine the project portfolio to the implementation according to some specific requirements (scope, deadlines, cost, quality). Disruptions of meeting these requirements generate the risk associated with concrete projects, and the configuration of the project portfolio, i.e. a number of projects implemented parallelly, their distribution in time and space, produces the risk connected with resources vital to the project execution. Results of a survey conducted among 100 Polish construction entrepreneurs, regarding the problems of establishing the project portfolio management, were presented. Majority of respondents indicated a profit margin as the most important factor in the selection of the project. A number of projects executed in one year, in individual groups of the surveyed enterprises, varies. Large companies usually execute up to 5 projects at the same time. In turn, small and micro-sized enterprises are mostly involved in 6-20 projects in one year. The research revealed that the most frequently indicated criterion for selecting the project portfolio in the construction industry is the availability of workforce. Subsequently, the availability of materials and equipment were indicated in the second and third place. All factors of production, i.e. human resources, materials, equipment as well as financial resources, become sources of the risk in projects, as it comes to a chance to obtain or substitute them. The summary includes a conclusion of the considerations, containing a specification of criteria for selecting the project portfolio in a construction company. (paper)