SUMMARY 2/2002
The Highway Planned in 1939 in the Immediate Vicinity of Liberec
On May 1, 1933, Adolf Hitler announced his program for the construction of motorways throughout the Reich. As a result of its ideological base and the coordination of construction from the top, a law was passed on the construction of motorways soon after, on June 27, 1933, and the function of general inspector of German motorway construction was established, a position that was shorly thereafter taken up by Dr. Ing. Fritz Todt on September 23, 1933 and on the occasion of a ground-breaking ceremony, carried out by Adolf Hitler himself in Frankfurt/am M., whereby the motorway construction plan was initiated.
Defects in Contact Thermal Systems
In the majority of the existing apartment buildings built in the Czech Republic through pre-fab technology, defects and damage can be found in the vertical siding. A lasting source of the defects in the pre-fab apartment buildings are joints, rabbets and splices.
In order to achieve the necessary energy savings in the building an entire series of measures must be implemented, and it is particularly important to apply the proper design to the project, make use of verified thermal systems, and commission the work to firms capable of providing a guarantee of professonal accountabiity.
The Service Life of Bridges – Part II
BRIDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM
The Bridge Management System (BMS) is a term that encompasses all the activities related to the security and operativeness of bridges as a fundamental component in the motorway network. BMS, founded on a database system, is a tool that covers all managerial functions and requirements of engineering that are essential to the effective performance and optimisation of all operations connected with bridges.
Options in the Demolition of Pre-Fab Buildings
In the contemporary period, buildings should be assessed on an individual basis, especially in terms of their statics. A primary question remains whether the weaker places in the construction are able to carry the weight of the given changes in bulk and structure. This applies not only to re-constructions, but in some cases also to the selection of a suitable demolition method.
One perspective demolition method (particularly in the case of high-storey buildings) is that of demolition through blasting. The advantages of this method include above all the rapid and safe approach to work it offers without the necessity of temporarily securing the stability of the demolition site, and with no danger presented by falling materials, or even workers; essentially the spontaneous fragmentation of the material according to the needs of ensuing recyclement and, of no less importance, with minimal imposition on the surrounding environment, except for a single, extremely brief shockwave.
The Prague Urban Conservation Area – A Selection of New Buildings Dated Since 1990
The text is aimed at the significant contruction initiatives carried out in the historical centre of Prague after 1990. The title itself indicates that although we are here referring to the urban conservation area, this does not mean that we are discussing an area that is ”conserved” or ”reserved” with respect to new modern buildings or modifications made to already existing ones. The truth is that the search for the position and context of contemporary architecture in the oldest and most important part of Prague is a demanding process both for architects and investors and for the institutions responsible for the protection and development of the historical centre of the city.
