With this introductory article Stavební listy offers readers a new section, which will be devoted to management and issues relating to business, economics, etc.

The sections aims to achieve the following: To provide readers with selected and modern managerial approaches and experiences that could be useful for senior employees in building and construction organisations, To draw attention to some important legislative changes that need to be taken into account by management at various levels of managerial work, to present interesting comparisons, analyses and other useful information in the area of management in the building industry.

This introductory contribution is devoted to the issue of the position and focus of management and presents information on the changes that have been introduced by the amendment to the act on public tender.

Protection of structures (passive and active) from excessive moisture (dampness) is the basis of the preventive measures targeting avoidance of the occurrence of faults in a structure, its loss of functional properties, its reduced durability, and its reduced longevity.

The all-round impact of dampness on structural materials and the actual structure is a phenomenon that contributes in a decisive way to the deterioration (degradation) and ageing of materials.

Dampness and temperature are so-called passive external (climate) factors and effects that have an impact on structures. Changes in temperature and dampness cause changes in volume, or even primarily changes in line and shape affecting the individual parts of the structures and the structures as a whole.

Dampness affects structural materials in a more complex way than temperature does – it causes changes in volume and shape, changes in physical and mechanical properties, and in the case of many materials leads also to chemical changes and reactions in the structure of matter.

The results of research on the influence of dampness on the mechanical properties of porous structural materials and the comparison presented in this contribution demonstrate the need to address the safety of supporting, walled structures – walls, pillars, arches – where as a result of maintenance measures or exceptional factors (floods, broken pipes or mains, inadequate hydro-insulation, etc.) a change in dampness occurs along sections. Particular attention must be devoted to supporting, walled structures with little surplus loadbearing capacity or with damaged pieced refractories and joiners, and the long-term effects of degradation processes as a result of excessive moisture and dampness. Special attention must be paid to the assessment of the statics of supporting masonry in walled structures affected by flooding, especially those that in a state of high dampness (w > 10%) have been exposed repeatedly to the effects of temperatures below 0 °C.