Jozef Švajlenka

Assessment and biomonitoring indoor environment of buildings

Abstract Ensuring hygiene and health protection is one of the basic construction requirements. Such requirements are examined when commissioning new constructions and examining defects in constructions already in use. One substantial defect is biocorrosion which represents a synergistic process with a complex variety of factors. It is caused by biochemical manifestations of various micro-organisms (micromycetes). Micromycetes producing mycotoxins therefore play an important role regarding the so-called ‘Sick Building Syndrome’ that has become a global problem nowadays. The case study presented here aims to demonstrate the effectiveness of the diagnostic methods used in assessing the presence of micromycetes in a building’s internal atmosphere and on the internal surfaces of a construction built using traditional construction methods. The methodology of comparing methods is based on their effectiveness, taking into account the identification of type and intensity of micromycetes presence in the air and on the material surfaces in the monitored areas.

The benefits of modern method of construction based on wood in the context of sustainability

The construction industry is a major consumer of material and energy resources. Global developments in construction give sustainability a crucial role in overall healthy functioning of society as well as the whole environment. Modern methods of construction represent a response to the sustainability trend, since they bring faster construction and better environmental, energy and economic parameters. The aim of this article is to analyse and evaluate the benefits of modern methods of construction in the form of prefabricated panel wood construction (PWC). With the aid of a case study, certain environmental and economic parameters of PWC on the one hand and traditional masonry construction from ceramic bricks on the other hand will be studied and compared. The environmental evaluation of building material composition was conducted by means of the ‘Cradle to Gate’ model within the LCA method. The parameters in question will be studied in terms of embodied energy, global warming potential and acidification potential. The economic parameters to be analysed include construction time, construction costs and particularly the environmental burden caused by transport of materials to the building site. The submitted experimental study and its results should help break barriers sustained by traditional technologies and point towards healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives in construction processes.

Monitoring the Error Rate of Modern Methods of Construction Based on Wood

Abstract A range of new and innovative construction systems, currently developed, represent modern methods of construction (MMC), which has the ambition to improve the performance parameters of buildings throughout their life cycle. Regarding the implementation modern methods of construction in Slovakia, assembled buildings based on wood seem to be the most preferred construction system. In the study, presented in the paper, were searched already built and lived-in wood based family houses. The residents’ attitudes to such type of buildings in the context with declared designing and qualitative parameters of efficiency and sustainability are overlooked. The methodology of the research study is based on the socio-economic survey carried out during the years 2015 - 2017 within the Slovak Republic. Due to the large extent of data collected through questionnaire, only selected parts of the survey results are evaluated and discussed in the paper. This paper is aimed at evaluating the quality of buildings expressed in a view of users of existing wooden buildings. Research indicates some defects, which can be eliminated in the next production process. Research indicates, that some defects occur, so the production process quality should be improved in the future development.

Modern method of construction based on wood in the context of sustainability

ABSTRACT Global developments in construction give sustainability a crucial role in overall healthy functioning of society as well as the whole environment. Modern Methods of Construction (MMC) represent a response to the sustainability trend, since they bring faster construction and better environmental, energy and economic parameters. The aim of this article is to analyse and evaluate the benefits of MMC in the form of Prefabricated Panel Wood Construction (PWC). With the aid of a case study, certain environmental and economic parameters of PWC on the one hand and traditional Masonry Construction (MC) from ceramic bricks on the other hand will be studied and compared. The environmental evaluation of building material composition was conducted by means of the ‘Cradle to Gate’ model within the LCA method. The parameters in question will be studied in terms of embodied energy, global warming potential and acidification potential. The economic parameters to be analysed include construction time, construction costs and particularly the environmental burden caused by transport of materials to the building site. The submitted experimental study and its results should help break barriers sustained by traditional technologies and point towards healthier and more environmentally friendly alternatives in construction processes.

Transport costs of prefab wood and brick construction – comparative study.

Construction industry has a large share in environmental pollution. In the context of building industry, it is also the transport of building materials and products, which largely contributes to environmental degradation. Construction increasingly promotes wood-based construction systems, thanks to faster construction, better environmental, energy and economic parameters. Prefabricated wood-based panel construction system fully utilizes construction, manufacturing and assembly advantages of the production to the efficiency of the entire construction process. The key moment to increase the efficiency and degree of prefabrication is panel’s finishing. Creation of structural elements in the factories allows a reduction in rides to the site. The paper analyzes the transport costs of the model house constructed by the system of traditional brick and panel system based on wood in the context of transport and manipulation of materials in both bearing systems.

Environmental Assessment of Buildings Constructed by Modern Methods of Construction

Currently, we are witnessing the significant impact of industrial activity on the environment. A recent study shows that construction is the third largest industry sector in terms of environmental pollution. One option to reduce these negative effects is environmental assessment of buildings, as well as the used building materials. One of the most comprehensive environmental assessment methods is LCA (Life Cycle Assessment), which includes the assessment of impacts within mode ”Cradle-to-gate” which is focused on assessment of a partial product life cycle from resource extraction (cradle) to the factory gate (i.e., before it is transported to the consumer). The aim of this paper is a comparison of the environmental impact of selected material variants applied within modern methods of construction. The comparison will be processed through the results of the case study containing three material variants of family houses construction in term of three selected parameters - embodied energy, global warming potential and acidification potential.