Szymon Dawczyński

The paper explores the role of green roof systems in advancing sustainable urban development and enhancing civil engineering practices in the face of growing climate-related and environmental challenges. The primary objective is to provide a comprehensive overview of green roofs as multifunctional, nature-based solutions that address key urban issues such as storm water management, urban heat island mitigation, air quality improvement, and biodiversity support. Drawing on recent research, and technical guidelines, the paper examines the structural engineering requirements, environmental performance metrics, regulatory frameworks, and urban planning strategies related to green roofs. It highlights both the benefits and limitations of current systems, including structural load constraints, maintenance challenges, and different local policies. The findings emphasize that successful implementation of green roofs depends on interdisciplinary collaboration, standardization of performance criteria, and supportive economic and regulatory instruments. Ultimately, the paper concludes that green roof systems represent a critical component of climate-resilient urban infrastructure and should be mainstreamed into civil engineering design, public policy, and sustainability agendas to meet the complex demands of future cities.

Artykuł prezentuje kluczowe czynniki wpływającena trwałość zielonych dachów, w tym dobór materiałówi konstrukcji, wybór roślinności oraz odpowiednich prac konserwacyjnych.Wysokiej jakości materiały do hydroizolacji, barierykorzeniowej oraz systemy odwadniające, wraz z roślinnością dostosowanądo klimatu, mają kluczowe znaczenie dla odpornościna agresywne czynniki środowiskowe. Odpowiednia analizana etapie projektu oraz zastosowanie prawidłowo dobranych materiałówprzyczynią się do zwiększenia trwałości tych konstrukcji.Biorąc pod uwagę wszystkie te czynniki, zielone dachy mogąprzez wiele lat bezpiecznie służyć użytkownikom i stanowić elementzrównoważonego rozwoju obszarów miejskich

Modern civil engineering education places a strong emphasis on practical skills as well as theoretical knowledge. Practical experiments, laboratory work and actual projects are integrated into the curriculum. This approach ensures that graduates not only understand theoretical principles, but are also able to apply them to practical situations. Industry collaborations and internships further enhance this practical exposure, bridging the gap between academia and the professional sphere. The Professional Profile Map (PPM) assumes a pivotal role in shaping the education of civil engineers, offering a comprehensive framework that steers their academic and professional growth. A primary function of PPM is to assist civil engineering students in identifying the fundamental competencies and knowledge domains crucial for excelling in their profession. It provides a lucid overview of technical skills, which form the bedrock of a civil engineer's expertise. Moreover, the PPM underscores the significance of non-technical skills within a civil engineering education. Competencies like communication, teamwork, problem-solving, and project management are deemed indispensable for civil engineers, given their frequent involvement in interdisciplinary teams and interactions with clients and stakeholders. The map serves as a guiding compass, enlightening students about the pivotal role of these skills and motivating them to cultivate both technical knowledge and these vital interpersonal competencies. The paper examines the role of PPM in Erasmus+ education projects, highlighting the ease of adaptation of this tool according to educational needs. Such an approach is in line with the objectives of the Erasmus+ program encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, practical experience and employability. A case study from the GREEN ROOFS project illustrates how PPM was used to identify knowledge, skills and competencies related to the implementation of green roofs engineering in construction. The role of PPM in harmonizing educational programs in different countries and promoting international cooperation was emphasized.

The paper discusses the importance of the Professional Profile Map (PPM) in the context of architecture and civil engineering education. It acknowledges the dynamic nature of these fields due to technological advancements and evolving industry practices, emphasizing the need for professionals who possess practical skills in addition to academic knowledge. The PPM is introduced as a valuable tool that acts as a bridge between academia and industry by defining the essential knowledge, skills, and competencies (KSC) required for success in these professions. Furthermore, the paper discusses the role of the PPM in Erasmus+ projects, highlighting its ability to facilitate customization and adaptability in education. It encourages interdisciplinary collaboration, practical experience, and employability enhancement, aligning with the goals of Erasmus+ projects. A case study from the TAB4BUILDING project illustrates how the PPM was used to identify KSC related to the use of Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) in construction. The PPM's role in harmonizing educational programs across different countries and promoting international collaboration is emphasized.

The reason of the research was insufficient knowledge among professionals (architects and construction workers) about the composite materials in general, and about Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) in particular. In the authors’ opinion, such a situation results from a poor education in FRP (which was also reported by the Architects Council of Europe), as well as lack of FRP-oriented vocational trainings: IVET (Initial Vocational Education and Training) and CVET (Continuing Vocational Education and Training). The paper presents the specific of the Polish construction market in terms of FRP applications, level of knowledge and practical skills among professional users (architects, civil engineers and construction workers at each stage of the whole construction process of composite designing and applications). The analysis presented in the paper are based on the authors’ own investigations, as well as the development of the statistical data.

The construction industry is considered as one of the worlds’ biggest carbon dioxide emitter and industrial waste producer. This is mainly because of the cement production process which is characterized by high energy consumption. And in Poland, over 70% of the energy is obtained from traditional power plants which use hard coal or brown coal as a main substance in the combustion process (while the average in Europe is 14%). The by-product and mainly waste material which remain after the coal combustion is the fly ash. The solution which on one hand limits the quantity of wastes from the power plants, and on the other hand reduces the cement use in concrete industry, might be the idea of more common application of alkali activated materials (AAM). As it was indicated in the paper, this broad group of modern materials might successfully replace the ordinary Portland cement (OPC) concrete in structural and non-structural applications. However, as the bonding process of AAM is different than the OPC based materials, it is required to know their strength development in time, as well as the factors which influence the strength parameters. The paper presents the results of laboratory investigation on flexural strength of the alkali activated mortar. The main precursor used for preparing the mortar was power plant fly ash containing in its composition silicon and aluminium atoms (which are desirable in terms of alkaline activation), and also carbon and sulphur atoms. The chemical activation of the precursor was done with the use of the mixture of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate (in ratio 1:1.5). There were prepared two series of the samples – in one of them the mixing time was 2 minutes, and in the other one the mixing time was 5 minutes. After the preparation of cuboidal samples, the mould with the samples was placed for 24 hours in a climate chamber with a constant temperature of 40°C, and then the samples were unmoulded and stored in constant conditions (room temperature 20°C) until the day of testing (which was 1 day, 3, 7, 14, and 28 days after the samples preparation). The flexural strength was tested in a professional testing machine in the standard three-point bending test. The value of the failure force was read from the device, and then the bending strength was calculated. The results of the investigation indicate, that the increase of the flexural strength might be observed approximately till the 14th day, and then the strength stabilizes. This phenomenon might be useful in structural application, especially when high early strength is required. Also, on the basis of the research it was found that too long mixing time of the precursor and activator can lead to a reduction of the final flexural strength.

The foaming of geopolymers lowers their density, thus opening up new environmental benefits, including acoustic and thermal insulation. At the same time, foaming disturbs the homogeneity of the material, which worsens the strength parameters, and particularly those related to tension, which can be improved by introducing reinforcement. This paper presents the results of research on foamed geopolymers reinforced with glass fiber meshes, a type of reinforcement that provides an adequate bond. The samples tested here were based on three types of coal fly ash, and were foamed with varying doses of hydrogen peroxide. Samples were cured at 40 °C and were tested after 28 days of maturing at ambient temperature. The strength parameters of the synthesized geopolymers were determined via laboratory testing, and were used to evaluate load-bearing capacity models of the tested samples reinforced with glass fiber mesh. The results showed the importance of the type of ash on the strength properties and efficiency of reinforcement. At the same time, a slight deterioration in the glass fibers was noticed; this was caused by the presence of sodium hydroxide solution, which was used as an activator.

Early age cracks of concrete structures are usually associated with the phenomenon of shrinkage. Most often they appear after a few days of hardening of the concrete. The appearance of shrinkage cracks results from the constraint of the structure, including inhomogeneous volume changes of the concrete. Due to the variety of reasons that can cause early age cracks, it is often difficult to diagnose them properly, and especially to recognise them from the more serious damages caused by load capacity deficits. The paper presents a few cases of shrinkage cracks of ceilings, met by the authors in their professional work. The examples were selected to show different types of design and construction errors that contributed to the occurrence of excessive shrinkage cracking. These include maladjustment of concrete care for the weather conditions, local structural restraints that limit the freedom of deformation of the ceiling, the lack of expansion joints or too large breaks in concrete placing.

Introduction: Geopolymers are the modern inorganic materials obtained as a result of chemical reaction under strongly alkaline conditions. The main advantages of these materials are: high strength parameters, fire resistance, frost resistance and resistance to aggressive environment. Because of lower CO2 emission during production process, they are also considered as environmentally friendly materials in comparison to ordinary Portland cement (OPC) systems. Objectives: The aim of the investigation was to define the impact of recycled ground glass addition on mechanical properties of geopolymeric binder made from tungsten mine waste. Methods: The strength parameters of geopolymeric samples were determined on the basis of three-point flexural test and uniaxial compression test. Results: The geopolymer samples that contain 20%, 40% and 80% of recycled ground glass present similar flexural strength. The compressive strength of glass-based geopolymers increases with growing content of recycled ground glass. Conclusions: In terms of flexural strength, the most favourable composition was the mixture composed of 60% recycled ground glass and 40% tungsten mine waste. In terms of compressive strength, the most favourable composition was the mixture composed of 80% recycled ground glass and 20% tungsten mine waste.

Geopolymeric binders, or in general geopolymers, are nowadays applied in many different branches of the industry –also in building construction. This relatively new group of inorganic materials has similar strength properties as ordinary Portland cement (OPC) and in some features, it is even better (for example in terms of fire resistance or chemical resistance). It is also environmentally friendly material because industrial or mining tailings are used as its main components and the production process is not so energy consuming as in case of OPC. Paper presents laboratory research focusing on the curing temperature impact on strength properties of geopolymeric binder made of fly ash suspension. Besides the suspension which is a waste product from coal power plant, also recycled ground glass and metakaolin were used as the additions. The chemical activator of geopolimerisation reaction was prepared with the use of sodium hydroxide and sodium silicate. Prism samples 40x40x160 mm were done and then the flexural and compressive strength tests were performed. The paper also presents the impact of covering the moulds during heat curing on condition of geopolymeric binder samples.