Introduction.

Water resources management extracts the focus of researchers and authorities all over the world. This is due to water scarcity and increasing water needs. Egypt is one of these countries. Egypt has been suffering from water shortage for 20 years. This paper aims to clarify the main challenges facing water resources management in Egypt and possible opportunities to meet them. Find effective techniques for the conservation of water resources in Egypt.

Materials and methods.

Comprehensive analysis and deep understanding of previous studies and materials was applied.

Results.

It was found that the construction of the Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam, irrigation of cultivated land and high losses, high evaporation rates and low rainfall, increasing population and the lake of information are the main challenges.

Conclusions.

Challenges can be eliminated through the execution of specific procedures. Water resources alternatives contribute significantly to mitigating water scarcity. Land use allocation based on optimization modeling and GIS is an effective technique for integrated water resources management. This method has not been addressed in Egypt much and can be applied to various zones.

Introduction.

Using underfloor heating to maintain warm temperature inside manned rooms is a widely spread international practice. Domestic design organizations also take advantage of this solution, as it makes a positive impact on the indoor microclimate and thermal comfort. Underfloor heating outperforms traditional heating systems in terms of particular operational characteristics. The application of underfloor heating is a relevant issue, addressed by numerous publications, however, researchers tend to focus on the heat emission capacity of floors that have different constructions. The goal of this research is to analyze the economics of electric and water underfloor heating systems.

Materials and methods.

The aggregate cost method is employed to perform the economic analysis of underfloor heating systems. The co-authors have calculated capital and operating expenses, broken down by the years. The co-authors compare electric and water underfloor heating systems installed in the rooms having the floor area of 5, 10, and 20 sq. meters. The rooms are located in Moscow. Indoor heat losses are considered to be linearly dependent on the heated floor area.

Results.

The co-authors have calculated capital and operating expenses incurred in the above rooms. They have also drawn an aggregate heating cost graph for three rooms having two types of heating systems installed. The costs are broken down by the years.

Conclusions.

Although the research findings describe individual cases, they can serve as the basis for a general conclusion that the payback period of an underfloor heating system depends on the heated floor area and that electric underfloor heating systems are better for small rooms. Further studies can focus on alternative pipeline design systems, different power consumption modes of the pump depending on the circuit length, and non-continuous heating systems.

Introduction.

The era of high technologies and economy disrupts interaction between man and nature, worsening the state of the environment and living conditions on Earth. In Russia, the construction industry follows a classical development model and applies stereotypical patterns of urban design. Finding problem solving methods means identification of problem triggers that help to clearly understand and develop rational problem tackling mechanisms. Green roofs suggest an advanced approach to architecture and urbanization whereby green spaces take the place of new buildings. Supplementary dynamic space is not reduced to its decorative and environmental functions.

Materials and methods.

We applied such research methods as analysis, the system approach, synthesis, deduction, and comparative analysis. The initial review of the state of affairs in the Ryazan region was performed with regard for the theoretical nature of this study; correlation and regression analysis were employed to assess territories and spaces.

Results.

The history of green roof systems is analyzed in the article. Systematization of the effective regulatory and technical framework enabled the co-authors to assess the widespread applicability of the green roof technology in Russia. Special attention is paid to the issues that are not covered by effective domestic regulations. The research work has shown that the first edition of GOST (All-Russian State Standard) 58875 is an attempt to consolidate previously issued manuals and recommendations. There is no information available about the seasonal efficiency of green roof solutions in different Russian regions. A number of issues remain unresolved. The “green roof” policy has not been developed.

Conclusions.

Russia is not ready for large-scale construction of green roofs. Further research into green construction should be carried out with regard for unstable climatic conditions in different regions of the country to confirm the feasibility of green roofing at the legislative level.

Introduction.

The technical condition of residential houses remains a severe challenge in the present-day phase of the socio-economic development of the Russian Federation. Apartment houses become obsolete in the process of operation; they suffer from physical wear and tear; therefore, the monitoring of their technical condition and timely performance of the work, needed to eliminate any defects in the structural elements of buildings, is needed to ensure the proper maintenance of apartment houses. The scope of work, performed within the framework of overhauls, has been gradually shrinking. The sources of funding the renovation, caused by the wear and tear, are scarce, since real estate owners were permitted not to pay the overhaul charges.

Materials and methods.

The co-authors analyze versatile elements of the system of interaction between the customer and the contractor in the course of overhauling the common property of apartment houses. The co-authors have identified the main connections that govern interaction between the customer and the contractor at the stages of building examination, identification of the types of work to be performed, drafting the project budget, coordinating overhaul assignments, developing the project documentation, entering into contracts, etc.

Results.

Systematized processes of interaction between the customer and the contractor that performs the overhaul of common property in apartment buildings can serve as the basis for the methodology that regulates the processes of organizing and performing the overhaul of common property in apartment buildings.

Conclusions.

The customer is responsible for the timely high-quality overhaul of common property in apartment buildings, namely, the establishment of an overhaul fund, keeping track of the target contributions made by the co-owners, entering into a contractual relationship with a contractor and executing construction supervision. Processes of interaction between the customer and the contractor are regulated by organizational factors and parameters, although they are not limited to scheduled stages, therefore, it is impossible to assess their duration and impact on each stage of work.

Introduction.

Development and widespread dissemination of information technologies, including the Internet, mobile communications, cloud computing, Big Data, the Internet of Things, digital twin, etc. are being proactively introduced into versatile production and business processes of the construction industry. Therefore, a graduate of a civil engineering university must master the fundamentals of the above-listed technologies and know how to use them in his/her practical activities. It’s particularly important for those specialities that deal with information technologies in civil engineering. However, a number of important areas of knowledge that serve as the basis for mobile communications, the Internet, and wireless technologies, are only taught at specialized universities and schools. Nevertheless, students of civil engineering universities need to understand the theoretical provisions and processes of information technologies.

Materials and methods.

Systematization, the benchmark method, theoretical generalization of data extracted from literary sources were applied.

Results.

The founding notions, needed to discuss digital technologies, encompass temporary signal notation, spectral characteristics, spectral bandwidth, time and frequency division, multiplexing, discrete sampling and quantization of a signal. It is impossible to successfully study and effectively use these advanced technologies without having understood these fundamental technologies. The author offers a simplified explanation of these notions and principal processes in terms of their application in the construction industry.

Conclusions.

The author addresses complicated issues of the theory of signals and their transmission over communication lines. He presents the three key ideas that serve as the basis for multiple advanced information technologies, including time and spectrum signal notation, time and frequency division, multiplexing, discrete sampling and quantization of a signal. The author’s ideas can be used to teach mobile technologies, the Internet, the Internet of Things, cloud and edge computing, digital twin, etc.

Introduction.

Corruption risks are essential restrictive factors that hamper the normal operation of the construction industry; they are the obstacles that hamper investment and construction activities; they prevent the successful implementation of government-funded projects and development programmes. Elimination of corruption threats through the expert examination of draft legal acts in terms of corruptogenicity, law enforcement monitoring, research into practical corruption, control over business processes in the construction industry and other actions represent the top priority actions performed within the framework of Russia’s effective anti-corruption policy.

Materials and methods.

Corruption risks can be easily differentiated depending on specific stages of investment and construction projects. It is logical to distinguish corruption risks at due diligence and project implementation stages, at the stages of construction and commissioning, and at the stage of facility operation.

Results.

The co-authors have analyzed the anti-corruption efforts exerted in the construction industry both by the federal government and parties to investment construction projects. The co-authors describe several elements of anti-corruption actions aimed at the improvement of the system of state governance, in particular, the co-authors address several actions, taken by the Ministry of construction, housing and utilities of the Russian Federation. The business community considers corruption control as an effectively operating multi-faceted system, that encompasses supervision, reporting, and law enforcement. Today any control over corruption threats, that accompany the implementation of investment and construction projects, is undergoing substantial transformations triggered by the introduction of information technologies (BIM, improvement of electronic purchasing and tendering systems, etc.) Traditional instruments of control (for example, auditing) should focus on the involvement of competent professionals, having in-depth knowledge of construction processes and capable of performing an expert examination of project’s economic and construction constituents and accompanying business processes.

Conclusions.

The co-authors have substantiated the need to apply a flexible multi-faceted approach to corruption control, which should not be limited to controlling instruments to ensure the comprehensive tackling of the corruption problem.

Introduction.

Currently, there is no uniform methodology for assessing student competencies and learning outcomes in Russia. Educational organizations develop these methodologies independently. There are no uniform grade allocation criteria, and there is confusion about the concepts of “indicators” and “evaluation criteria” that challenges the assessment of the quality of educational activities and triggers complaints about biased assessments. In this regard, there is a need to set reasonable rules for evaluating learning outcomes.

Materials and methods.

The author made a contribution in the development of a methodology for evaluating learning outcomes at NRU MGSU. A comparative analysis of the assessment methods described in the publications made by different authors was carried out to identify the strengths and weaknesses of this methodology. The proposed methodology is compared with Bloom’s taxonomy.

Results.

The analysis has shown that currently used assessment methods are far from being perfect, and a number of problems of their development have been identified. Principles of selecting indicators and evaluation criteria are proposed on the basis of the analysis performed by the author. It is advisable to use such learning outcomes, as knowledge and skills, as assessment indicators. A system of knowledge and skills assessment criteria characterizing their amount and quality is proposed.

Conclusions.

The proposed assessment method has advantages and disadvantages. Its advantages include clarity and flexibility of the criteria that ensure a comprehensive assessment of knowledge and skills. The disadvantages of the methodology are the complexity of the criterial system and disregard for any personal features of a student in the process of evaluation.