In the past two years the process of standardisation in the European Union has accelerated and the tasks aimed at achieving this are intended to result in the issuing of the so-called first generation of European standards (EN) in the field of construction. This system of new European standards will make up roughly 2 400 standards, which can be categorised into two main groups of standards:

• Tharmonised European standards

• auxiliary standards

Harmonised EN are the standards that contain the requirements a specific product must meet. They are product standards. Auxiliary EN primarily contain standards for testing (methods) and thus they are testing standards. Auxiliary standards also include standards for classification. The first generation of EN also contain Eurocodes (standards for the structural design of construction works). If for example the harmonised EN for a given product require that the mechanical resistance be assessed in accordance with the Eurocodes, then the particular Eurocode acquires the same status as a testing method and becomes an auxiliary standard.

On the edge of the Castle park located on the banks of the river Ohře there stands an unusual and until not long ago abandoned building, slowly succumbing not only to the effects of weather but also recently to the unwelcome for of interest expressed by some of its visitors. The building was constructed as one of the first hydroelectric plants to emerge in the Czech agricultural countryside by the owner of the estate, Count Herberstein, to provide the surrounding courts of the estate.

As of May 22, 1995, the small hydroelectric power plant in Libochovice was declared by a decision of the Ministry of Culture of the Czech Republic - file no. 5550/95 - a cultural monument, as a valuable example of the development of electricity works during the first third of the 20th century, along with the conserved remnants of the machine equipment. An integral part of the monument, in addition to the two surrounding operating buildings, is also the weir on the river Ohře, along with the drive and gate.

Incrementally launched constructions This contribution to the series is devoted to the technology of incremental launching, which combines the advantages of pre-fabricated units and of monolithic structure. The principle behind this method is that the load-bearing structure of the bridge is manufactured in its individual units (segments) behind the bridge abutments on workshop conditions and is connected to the preceding structure along reinforcements and slides out over the valley. The next segment is then fixed in concrete onto the opened up work platform and the cycle of work is repeated.

In the last contribution to this series on traffic-related construction in Prague readers had reached the point in the city circuit road at the north entrance to the Strahov tunnel. From there the circuit will move Eastwards to the Powder Bridge and on through Špejchar and Letná to Troja. This had not always been the plan however. This editionŐs continuation along the circuit road is therefore devoted to a brief description of how the route for the Northern segment of the circuit road came to be settled on and how this evolved over the past roughly three decades.

It was a long process, but today the city of Prague has a clear vision of how to complete the Northern segment of the city circuit. Moreover, it is no longer just a vision. In addition to the fact that the route of the circuit road has been fully integrated into the territorial plan, the required valid legal decisions over the construction of the entire Northern segment of the route have also been completed.