<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

The article presents the results of the assessment of the possibility of using chalcedonite powder as a partial replacement for cement in mortars. Portland cement CEM I 42.5 R was used as a binder, which was replaced in the amount of 5%, 20%, 35% and 50% with chalcedonite powder. The experimental tests concerned the determination of the technological and mechanical properties of mortars: consistency, air content, compressive and bending strength, supplemented by X-ray diffraction analysis and calorimetric measurements of the pastes. The research results indicate that chalcedonite powder can be used in the production of mortars. The best mechanical properties of tested mortars were obtained in the case of replacing cement with the addition of powder in the amount of 5% and 20%.
</abstract>

Assessment of the Possibility of Using Chalcedonite Powder as a Component of Mortars

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Windows are an essential part of building envelopes since they enhance the appearance of the building, allow daylight and solar heat to come in, and allow people to observe outside. However, conventional windows tend to have poor U-values, which cause significant heat losses during the winter season and undesired heat gain in summer. Modern glazing technologies are therefore required to improve thermal resistance and comfort of the occupants, whilst mitigating the energy consumption of buildings. In the present work, a comprehensive review of the numerical investigations of the thermal properties of window systems and glazed buildings partitions is presented. However, the proposed models to predict the thermal performance most often concern only specific cases of window systems related to geometry and used material solutions, focused on specific physical processes, thus they contain a lot of simplifications, such as omitting the influence of radiation, temperature changes or velocity profiles.
</abstract>

Numerical Investigations of the Thermal Properties of Window Systems: A Review

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The quality of air that people breathe has become a very important parameter of quality of life. Pollution contributes to numerous diseases, problems with the absorption of knowledge, and also reduces work efficiency. The article attempts to find the relationship between road traffic and indoor air quality. The parameter used to assess air pollution was particulate matter (smog). The research was carried out in three localisations with different traffic volumes, in three places for each localisation, in the summer, autumn, and winter periods. It was found that in areas with heavy road traffic, this traffic causes an inflow of pollutants into the rooms. In low – traffic localisations, sources other than road traffic have a greater impact on the indoor air quality, especially in the cool periods (autumn, and winter).
</abstract>

Influence of Road Traffic on Indoor Air Quality

<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml">

Soil is an anisotropic, heterogeneous, and inelastic complex material. It is difficult to represent the exact behavior of soil by numerical modelling in practice. Conventionally, soil is simplified to an idealized model where it is considered isotropic, homogeneous, and behaves elastically under loads. The idealization, in this case, is done using the proper elastic modulus, Poisson’s ratio, and unit weight of soil depending upon the soil type. Although the exact soil behavior is simplified, using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) a more effective result can be obtained. A superstructure was modelled using ETABS using a fixed-base system and the base reaction forces were obtained. A mat and a soil element on which the mat was laid were modelled as a flexible-base system in Midas GTS NX. The base reactions obtained from ETABS were applied to the mat in the soil model to determine the settlements and, consequently, the spring stiffness. The superstructure was then modelled again, incorporating springs under the respective columns. Convergence in settlement, and base reactions were reached by iteration, and the final results from the flexible-base system were then compared with the fixed-base system. The center column settled the most, about 60 mm, and there was a decrease in settlement by 15% between the first model and the final iterated model. The base reaction for center columns decreased by 24% in the flexible base system compared to the fixed base system. However, an increase in base reaction was observed for both side and edge columns. There was an extremely erratic change in grade beams under a flexible base system, which shows that the superstructure elements are also affected by the change in the base system. It is recommended to use this approach, for the analysis of structures considering flexible base systems instead of fixed bases because it enhances the accuracy of analysis with feasible time consumption and less complex effort.
</abstract>

Behavior of Mat Foundation for a Ten-Story Building: Fixed Base vs Three-Dimensional Soil Model

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The authors present a general idea of using inorganic salt hydrates in solar installations. A key role in this selection is played by thermophysical parameters, so the authors review their test methods and in turn characterize them for the most promising salt hydrates. Next, the authors describe the advantages and disadvantages of inorganic salt hydrates and indicate possibilities for their improvement. The use of salt hydrate converters in PV installations significantly improves the efficiency of photovoltaic modules. We show that at least 18 salt hydrates are promising for solar applications with the best ones being Sodium Hydrogen Phosphate Dodecahydrate, Sodium Carbonate Decahydrate and Calcium Chloride Hexahydrate. The selection of a test method for determining the thermophysical parameters of salt hydrates should be individual depending on the research objective. Comparing the methods presented, we believe that it is the DSC and DTA methods that provide the most accurate and repeatable results.
</abstract>

Inorganic Salt Hydrates as Phase Change Materials (PCM) for Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Installations

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Structure and Environment

ABOUT THE JOURNAL   Structure and Environment, a quarterly journal, has been published by the Kielce University of Technology since 2009.  It uses Editorial Manager for online submission and manuscript tracking https://www.editorialmanager.com/sae/default1.aspx. It is recommended to provide ORCID codes for each co-author. Papers are published in English and are assigned digital object identifier DOI:10.30540/sae.  Structure and Environment is an Open Access journal that allows unrestricted and free-of-charge access to its content at www.sae.tu.kielce.pl and www.sciendo.com./journal/SAE.  Peer-review process:   The editor appoints two reviewers whose names are hidden from the authors.  Manuscript evaluations are assigned one of four outcomes:　Accept, Minor Revisions, Major Revisions, and Reject. Manuscripts with Minor Revision" do not require a second review. Manuscripts receiving a Major Revision evaluation must be subjected to a second review. If the author(s) failed to make satisfactory changes, the manuscript is rejected Rejected manuscripts are given no further consideration.  The editor decides whether the paper fulfill all requirements i.e. formal and scientific.  As soon as the publication appears in electronic forms on the Internet there is no possibility to change the content of the article.   The authors do not bear any publication costs.　   In 2023, Structure and Environment was entered into the Polish Ministry of Education and Science Journals list with a score of 70 points. Committed to ensuring the high quality of our publications.  The content of the quarterly is indexed by more 10 ten bibliographic databases and made available in the collection of peer-reviewed interdisciplinary scientific articles, e-Publikacje Nauki Polskiej.　  Format of the journal – electronic forme- ISSN: 2657 – 6902  ISSN: 2081 - 1500DOI: 10.30540/sae/  Journal Metrics:  Index Copernicus Value (IVC) 2022 = 100  The Polish Ministry of Education and Science 2021 = 70 pts   Archiving  Sciendo archives the contents of this journal in Portico - digital long-term preservation service of scholarly books, journals and collections.  Plagiarism Policy  The editorial board is participating in a growing community of Similarity Check System's users in order to ensure that the content published is original and trustworthy. Similarity Check is a medium that allows for comprehensive manuscripts screening, aimed to eliminate plagiarism and provide a high standard and quality peer-review process. 

Structure and Environment

Volume 14 (2022): Issue 4 (December 2022)

STRUCTURE

Assessment of the Possibility of Using Chalcedonite Powder as a Component of Mortars

ENVIRONMENT

Numerical Investigations of the Thermal Properties of Window Systems: A Review

Influence of Road Traffic on Indoor Air Quality

Behavior of Mat Foundation for a Ten-Story Building: Fixed Base vs Three-Dimensional Soil Model

Inorganic Salt Hydrates as Phase Change Materials (PCM) for Thermal Energy Storage in Solar Installations

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