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The purpose of the study is to show the possibility of using high-tonnage waste from the chemical industry in the production of building materials. Methods and materials. Methods of data comparison and analysis were used. Solid residues of distiller sludge with a moisture content of 25-30%, an active calcium oxide content of 12-13% and quartz sand with a grain size of 2.2, humidity of 5-6% were used as materials. Results. Compositions and methods for obtaining a cement-free binder based on the solid residue of soda and quartz sand production are proposed. The possibility of obtaining a binder based on the solid residue of distiller slurries according to two technological schemes: drying of the solid residue and grinding together with quartz sand; firing of the solid residue and grinding together with quartz sand, has been confirmed by our tests. The introduced concept of “Eco-friendly hybrid cements” (Eco-friendly hybrid binders (EHB)) emphasizes that they are binders made up of multicomponent mineral raw materials of secondary resources. Practical significance. Solid by-products of the chemical industry can be used as an auxiliary inorganic component. This will make it possible to create eco-friendly hybrid cements ready for use, which are sealed only with water, which contributes to the development of such binders by industry and the rational use of secondary mineral resources.

The article examines the content and process of forming the principles of a customer-oriented approach to the management of transport enterprises in the context of sustainable development. The author’s definition of the concept of “principles of a customer-oriented approach to the management of transport enterprises” is given on the basis of its understanding as strategic and tactical areas of activity aimed at maximizing the satisfaction of customers’ needs and expectations through the use of digital technologies and innovative approaches. The key principles of a customer-oriented approach to managing transport enterprises in the context of sustainable development are developed, among which the following are highlighted: understanding customer needs; personalization of service; interaction at all stages; digital transformation of processes; data analysis and forecasting; creation of a digital environment; training and development of personnel; culture of service and open communication; continuous analysis and improvement; focus on the sustainability of relations, etc. The author’s own model of digital transformation of transport enterprises using the principles of a customer-oriented approach is proposed. A generalized characterization and impact on the processes of customer focus of individual digital technologies for managing customer relations of transport enterprises is presented.

The article is devoted to analysis of automatic control systems used to optimize current collection on high-speed railway electric rolling stock. A classification of automatic control systems has been developed. The use of automatic control systems that change the pantograph static force can significantly improve the quality of the current collection. However, their use changes the compression of the elastic elements of the panhead suspension, which can ultimately lead to its complete compression and breakaways. To solve this problem, authors propose using intra-spring pneumatic elements in panhead suspension. The automatic control system must simultaneously control the pantograph static force and the panhead suspension static characteristics. The authors proposed and described an automatic control system of the pantograph contact force and the panhead suspension static characteristics. To test the prospects of the proposed automatic control system, a three-mass mathematical model of a pantograph equipped with intra-spring pneumatic elements in panhead suspension has been developed and implemented in the MATLAB Simulink software package. The obtained results indicate the possibility of using intra-spring pneumatic elements in panhead suspension when using an automatic control system. It allows you to avoid vertical impacts causing a sharp increase in contact force and breakaways of the panhead.

The article describes factors which affect the panhead elastic elements performance during their operation. An analysis of these factors shows the need to use elastic elements with a controlled static characteristic at constant stiffness to ensure reliable current collection. The existing controlled pneumatic elements used in the panhead suspension of electric rolling stock are considered. Authors offer to use intra-spring pneumatic elements in panhead suspension. A study of the interaction of a pantograph and an overhead contact line is described. A methodology for experimental studies of pantographs equipped with controlled elastic elements in a head suspension has been developed. The experimental oscillation test system is described. An experiment was carried out according to the developed experiment design. The obtained data allow to build a regression model that characterises the standard deviation of the contact force on the frequency of vertical oscillations generated by the contact wire, the static force of the pantograph and the pressure in the intra-spring pneumatic element. The results of experimental studies indicate the preservation of the stiffness of the intra-spring pneumatic element within its static characteristics.

The digital economy is on the agenda all over the world today, it represents a new paradigm for the development of cooperation between countries and can become a driver of their economic growth. The implementation of the key digitalization agenda is one of the main priorities for the development of the economies of South Asia. The purpose of the study was to determine the impact of the digital economy, and the introduction of R&D on the development of the economies of South Asian countries. Exploring the development of the transformation of the digital economy in the countries of South Asia, we came to the conclusion that this process can be significantly facilitated by the introduction of blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies. The use of a mathematical correlation and regression model led to the conclusion that the growth of R&D funding in South Asian countries has a positive effect on the development of their economies.

Due to the imperfection of industrial technology, stress is the most important factor reducing productive potential of young animals. One of the ways to cope with stress is to increase adaptive abilities and resistance of the body to adverse factors. It can be achieved by optimizing metabolism, in particular, with the introduction of biologically active substances of plant origin. One of these substances is ursolic acid, which is contained in large quantities in cranberry meal extract. In this regard, the aim of the research was to study the effect of different doses of dry cranberry meal extract (containing 40% ursolic acid) on the metabolic status and growth indicators of calves of Holstein black-and-white breed.

The article tells about the problem of the railway infrastructure objects reliable, safe, and effective operation on an example of the overhead contact line operation mode rational selection. The overhead contact line operation mode modelling results are described. The model is considering exploitation and climatic conditions and is based on the clusterization, classification, and neuronal network modelling methods for predictive analysis of a large amount of data.

An autonomous diagnostic measuring device, that allows to reduce expenses for the maintenance and the need for highly qualified personnel, is proposed in the article. The described algorithm of the work of the measuring system allows setting pre-failure conditions of an overhead contact line during exploitations of the software complex. The Installation scheme of the measuring complex on an overhead contact line equipment and the functional scheme of the software and hardware complex are described. The experimental dependence of the vibration frequency on the contact wire tension is defined for various overhead contact line spans. The limits of the variation of the vibration frequency for various combinations of overhead contact line parameters are defined.

The evaporation rate from the swimming pool is a main parameter influencing the energy use in swimming facilities. Quantifying this phenomenon is crucial when modelling the facility in Building Performance Simulation. This study investigates the accuracy of ASHRAE equation using field measurements. This equation is widely used and implemented in BPS tools, such as the pool model in IDA ICE. The investigated dataset was based on two different indoor swimming pool facilities in Norway. It includes in total 75 swimming lessons (i.e., occupied pool) and 477 hours of unoccupied operation. While ASHRAE recommend 1.0/0.5 for occupied and unoccupied pools, respectively, the average activity factor was found to be 0.7 and 0.8 for the investigated occupied pools, with a maximum at 1.1. Moreover, the activity factor was between 0.50 and 0.57 for unoccupied pools.

This article examines the state policy in the field of electric power industry aimed at increasing energy saving. Taking into account all the pros and cons of classical types of electricity production, more and more attention is paid to new, emerging sources, in particular, biofuels and processing of production and consumption waste. Wind power is an innovation that has received investment for development before, but the previous advanced production has not had much success. Russia and the international community have recognized the advantages of renewable energy sources based on wind over traditional energy sources, and the Russian wind energy industry has become the object of close attention not only of domestic entrepreneurs, but also of foreign companies that consider it as a profitable industry for long-term investment.

The objective of this study is to evaluate and predict the energy use in different buildings during COVID-19 pandemic period at St. Olavs Hospital in Trondheim. Based on machine learning, operational data from St. Olavs hospital combined with weather data will be used to predict energy use for the hospital. Analysis of the energy data showed that the case buildings at the hospital did not have any different energy use during the pandemic this year compared to the same period last year, except for the lab center. The energy consumption of electricity, heating and cooling is very similar both in 2019 and 2020 for all buildings, but in 2020 during the pandemic, the lab center had a reduction of 35% in electricity, compared to last year. An analysis of the energy needed for heating and cooling in the end of June to the end of November was also calculated for operating room 1 and was estimated to 256 kWh/m2 for operation room 1. The machine learning algorithms perform very well to predict the energy consumption of case buildings, Random Forest and AdaBoost proves as the best models, with less than 10% margin of error, some of the models have only 4% error. An analysis of the effect of humidification of ventilation air on energy consumption in operating room 1 was also carried out. The impact on energy consumption were high in winter and will at the coldest periods be able to double the energy consumption needed in the ventilation.

The parameters of the level of calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D3 in the blood of injured dogs aged 6 to 8 months were studied. In all animals with limb fractures, the levels of Ca, P, and vitamin D3 are reduced, which led to bone fragility. We used a conservative method of treatment with the application of a plaster cast and medical treatment aimed at relieving inflammation, pain and formation of a callus. After removing the plaster cast, all the animals had joint stiffness, soreness, and partial muscle hypotrophy. A rehabilitation program was developed, which included: physical exercises, massage. This led to a rapid recovery of limb muscles and an increase in the volume of movements.

In many countries of the world with high climate humidity, grass seeds after their harvesting cannot be preserved without artificial drying. The artificial drying process is associated with high energy costs, and its regimes should not reduce the sowing quality of seeds. Therefore, it is of particular importance to determine the most suitable drying regimes for seeds. For this purpose, for the conditions of seed farms in the North-West of the Russian Federation, experimental studies were performed to obtain information on the parameters and modes of drying seeds of perennial grasses for their various initial states and conditions. Experimental studies were performed on a rotary dryer during the drying of meadow fescue seeds. The experimental data were analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2010 using the methods of mathematical statistics. The obtained mathematical dependencies made it possible to establish that the effective modes of drying the seeds of the studied culture are provided during their layer-by-layer unloading from the drying chamber. Moreover, the lower layer of seeds should be unloaded every 2.5 hours of drying, while adding to the upper layer of the drying chamber a new volume of seeds equal to the unloaded one.

Polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) is one of the most promising electroactive polymers; it exhibits excellent electroactive behaviours, good biocompatibility, excellent chemical resistance, and thermal stability, rendering it an attractive material for biomedical, electronic, environmental and energy harvesting applications. This work aims to further improve its properties by the inclusion of powders of piezoactive materials. Polyvinylidene fluoride was formed by electrospinning into fibres with a thickness of 1.5-0.3 µm and then examined in a scanning electron microscope. The work offers a description of the current procedure in the preparation of samples and their modification for examination in a scanning electron microscope, characterizes the individual components of doped fibres and deals with specific instruments used for various analytical methods. The work contains a theoretical introduction to the analytical methods to which the samples will be further subjected, such as energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The obtained excellent properties of doped PVDF could be used in the design of sensors.

The use of contact elements with an extended service life is one of the most economical and least costly ways to ensure reliable, economical and environmentally friendly transmission of electricity to rolling stock. To evaluate the service life in OSTU, a methodology for conducting experimental studies of contact pairs of pantograph has been developed and successfully tested, involving bench tests for each pair of contact materials “contact insert - contact wire” in order to determine their optimal combination to reduce wear and increase service life. Assessment of the amount of wear and prediction of the life of the contact elements are made, including using mathematical modeling. The purpose of this article is to improve the mechanical component of the wear model of the contact elements of pantograph in high-speed conditions. The results of experimental studies and theoretical calculations of the mechanical wear of contact elements are presented. The analysis of the graphs allows us to conclude that it is possible to use an improved mathematical model for modeling the mechanical component of the wear process of the elements of contact pairs with a maximum error value of not more than 5%.

This paper discusses the importance and methods of Human Resource management in the high-technology companies of the Travel, Transport and Logistic industry. The qualification and motivation of the employees is a key factor of increasing the effectiveness and competitiveness of the big marker players. In this study the particular attention is paid to the digital tools and software to optimize and improve the quality of the HR business processes. As a result of this study, it was found that information technologies can reduce the time of the recruiting and hiring processing and present the detailed analytics on the workforce to the executive management. It would be interesting to consider the impact of investments in HR business process optimization on the general effectiveness of the transportation industry.

In the Netherlands and other countries around the world there are extensive canals and rivers with banks supported by walls. Especially in the historic inner cities of the Netherlands, quay walls currently need to be replaced. During construction, temporary valuable underground space is created that can be used to accommodate energy installations for the benefit of the surrounding buildings. The quay wall itself can also be a thermal active structure relying on a combination of aquatic and geothermal energy. Two different designs for quay walls incorporating thermal energy infrastructure have been designed: (i) based around a sheet pile; and (ii) based around a concrete pile with a ‘L’ wall on top. An evaluation of the energy, mechanics, finances and CO2 saving is presented for a case study in this paper. It is seen that for the case studies elaborated, both walls can supply sufficient thermal energy for the houses along the canals improved by good use of surface water, reduce CO2 emissions by more than 1 tonne per meter length and can be financially positive. The influence on the mechanical performance of the energy quay wall (settlements, bearing capacity and bending) has been evaluated and found to be reassuringly small.

The paper describes the features of using the method of damped mechanical vibrations for express diagnostics of current collectors without removing from electric rolling stock roof. The proposed method is based on preliminary determination of the mechanical characteristics of the system of movable frames of a serviceable current collector in the factory. The paper describes a technique that can significantly reduce the complexity of conducting this type of research, increase the speed of measurement, and reduce the influence of the human factor.

Improving the technical, economic, and environmental performance of the power plant is the most important direction for improving the characteristics of the ship’s propulsive complex. This issue can be solved most effectively by improving the design, repair, and maintenance of the fuel supply system, which significantly affects the quality of the fuel equipment and determines the working process of the steam boiler. Performance indicators of fuel equipment are determined not only by the stability of its design and adjustment parameters and parameters of the fuel supply process, but also by the physical and chemical composition of the fuel.

The paper discusses the technology of designing a monitoring system for power transformers and power supply devices, based on the use of sensor networks, describes the creation of a Bayesian network to predict the probability of failure. Conditions for achieving the maximum diagnostic efficiency with the required accuracy are formulated. A diagnostic system is proposed that allows assessing the influence of each parameter on the accuracy of predicting failures. Using the method of expert assessments, the possibility to calculate the probabilities of failures with a lack of information is shown.

The paper describes the structure of a hardware and software complex for monitoring and diagnostics of the contact network, provides information about the hardware blocks of the complex, considers its implementation in Matlab/Simulink, describes the regularities of change of vibration frequency under different values of tension and the linear mass of wires.

The purpose of researches formation of perspective technology of maintenance of KRS in the conditions of a pasture in the absence of stationary power supply. The method - the main orientation is transfer of all technology for power security to nonconventional and renewable sources. It is planned to use at the same time energy of the sun, wind, a bioenergy and energy of the small rivers, that is sources which pastures are generally characteristic. Results the complex of nonconventional means of power supply of technological processes in pasturable livestock production which unconditional positive property is its renewability and environmental friendliness is defined in particular our country has the most high wind power potential in the world. The conclusion the scheme of the master plan of a pasturable complex, is developed for farms of the Pskov region with objects of the power sources planned to use in its perspective option.

Modern technologies for applying artificial shells are based on the principles of rolling or granulating with subsequent drying. This technology does not allow to get a gas - permeable porous shell, which often leads to the death of seeds during the formation of the shell, storage and transportation, and slow growth at the early stages of plant development. The aim of the research is to develop a new method and device for pre-sowing treatment of agricultural seeds, which can increase their germination, germination energy and ensure crop growth. A distinctive feature of the new method is that the shell is formed not by rolling, but by molding around the seed, followed by drying in a soft mode. This will form a porous, gas-permeable structure around the seed. Based on the mathematical description of the processes occurring during the introduction of seeds into the nutrient medium, the design calculations and calculations made a laboratory stand for the study of the seeds coating with a protective and nutritious shell, which consists of a mixing, sealing and seeding nodes. A series of experiments was conducted to study the operation of the stand in various modes. Optimal operating modes are identified.

Impact investing is a new developmental paradigm in Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa (BRICS), and its effective implementation is a fundamental factor in securing stable and innovative economic development at the national level. With impact investing, investors look to generate positive social and environmental impacts alongside financial returns. The current study reveals the innovative mechanisms of impact investing, namely, financial and economic tools and new business technologies. It also explores the diverse ways in which impact investment capital can be leveraged in BRICS countries. The results indicate the advantages and problems inherent in impact investing, as well as the main directions in which this type of investing can develop. The current study examines the development of impact investing in BRICS countries. It also touches upon the role of impact investing in the development of their economies and identifies the main problems inherent in implementing impact investing there.

The use of powdered concentrates increases the digestibility of feed components by the animal body. The biological activity of organic products increases due to the intensification of the process of useful substances extraction from them. The scientific basis for the formation of nanotechnologies is system effects, as well as features of physical, mechanical and biochemical phenomena that occur in powdered materials at the atomic and molecular levels and provide a synergistic effect. Using modern analytical tools in the field of nanoparticle research, a method for conducting search experiments has been developed, which provides for the possibility of studying the transformations occurring in the deep layers of substances and trace elements. Fine fractions participate in the formation of the structure of the final product, act as its leavening agents and sweeteners, as well as absorbers of excess moisture contained in raw materials. Hypersonic grinding using quantum aerogravity technology has shown the applicability, scientific and technical significance and prospects of this direction in the development of the powder industry.

Current collection quality is one of the limiting factors when increasing trains movement speed in the rail sector. With the movement speed growth, the impact forces on the current collector from the rolling stock and the aerodynamic influence increase, which leads to the spread in the contact pressure values, separation of the current collector head from the contact wire, contact arcing and excessive wear of the contact elements. The upcoming trend in resolving this issue is the use of the automatic control systems providing stabilization of the contact pressure value. The present paper considers the features of the contemporary automatic control systems of the current collector’s pressure; their major disadvantages have been stated. A scheme of current collector pressure automatic control has been proposed, distinguished by a proactive influence on undesirable effects. A mathematical model of contact strips wearing has been presented, obtained in accordance with the provisions of the central composition rotatable design program. The analysis of the obtained dependencies has been carried out. The procedures for determining the optimal current collector pressure on the contact wire and the pressure control principle in the pneumatic drive have been described.

Soil containing plant roots may be expected to exhibit a greater shearing resistance compared with the same ‘unreinforced’ soil, providing enhanced stability and effective erosion control, particularly for earth slopes. To be able to rely on the improved shearing resistance and stiffness of root-reinforced soils, it is important to understand and quantify the effectiveness of root reinforcement. This requires sophisticated multiscale models, building understanding at different length scales, from individual soil-root interaction through to full soil-profile or slope scale. One of the challenges with multiscale models is ensuring that they are representative of real behaviour, and this requires calibration to detailed high-quality experiments. The focus of the work presented was to capture and quantify root-reinforcement behaviour and associated soil and root deformation mechanisms during direct shear at the macroscopic to millimetre length scales. A novel shear box was developed to operate within a large-scale X-ray computed tomography (CT) scanner. Tests were interrupted to be scanned at a series of shear displacements from 0-20 mm to capture the chronology of behaviour in three-dimensions. Digital volume correlation (DVC) was applied to the CT dataset to obtain full-field 3D displacement and strain component information. The study demonstrates feasibility of the technique and presents preliminary DVC results.

One of the main problems in Russia is an acute shortage of free land for the disposal of solid domestic waste and sewage sludge. The treatment and removal of precipitation is a major problem in wastewater treatment. Urban sewage treatment plants were built on model projects in the 1970s, in which natural dehydration on silt areas was provided. Sludge dehydration on silt areas of sewage treatment plants of medium and high capacity is impossible due to the lack of free land areas. The major drawback of this method is the rejection of significant land areas, contamination of the geo-environment, the release of pollutants into the air, as well as the loss of land resources. In sludge processing and utilization, it is necessary to achieve minimum damage to the environment and to increase the possibility of using it on behalf of the national economy. The adoption of new technology and processing of sediments allowed to reduce the initial amount of precipitation by 4 times and to reduce the humidity from 97% to 83%, the amount of sludge formed at the treatment facilities will decrease by 6 times (from 300 m3/day to 50 m3/day) as a result of dehydration of the filter presses, the will be a reduction in the surface concentrations of pollutants in the atmosphere from 5,4 tons per year to 2,9 tons per year.

The article considers the problem of optimal design of car body elements (longitudinal members) according to the chosen criteria. Both the questions of formulation of the optimization task and individual problems of its solution are studied. The mathematical statement of the problem is considered. Thus, the most attention is given to consideration of realisation of used numerical procedure of optimization. The system of numerical calculations is based on the most widely spread software systems for engineering analysis and design. The developed scripts on Python programming language are briefly considered. Results of optimization of longitudinal members of the car are given.

Human progress implies in its conception a progressively more invasive intervention in the sphere of nature. Without an endeavour to conciliate progress with the idea of sustainable development, a substantial number of areas, above all the ones recognized as problematic, would be subjected to an important ecological damage. Legal regulations represent the most binding and cogent instrument to relate the idea of sustainable development to man’s will of progress, mirroring the involvement of local authorities in improving the quality of life. The aim of the article is to present positive practices of the application of the R.I.E. procedure (It. Riduzione dell’Impatto Edilizio, En. Reduction of Construction Impact).The implementation of the R.I.E. procedure allows for appropriate solutions to help maintain the highest level of ground permeability. This aspect of new investments’ planning is of fundamental importance, i.e., in areas struggling with the problem of floods or overflows. The present publication adopts the case study method in order to demonstrate the applicability and the positive consequences of the implementation of the R.I.E. procedure as an obligatory tool of the local law practiced since the year 2004 in the Italian municipality of Bolzano.

Low-frequency high-impact storms can cause flood and erosion over large coastal areas, which in turn can lead to a significant risk to coastal occupation, producing devastation and immobilising cities and even countries. It is therefore paramount to evaluate risk along the coast at a regional scale through the identification of storm impact hotspots. The Coastal Risk Assessment Framework Phase 1 (CRAF1) is a screening process based on a coastal-index approach that assesses the potential exposure of every kilometre along the coast to previously identified hazards. CRAF1 integrates both hazard (e.g. overwash, erosion) and exposure indicators to create a final Coastal Index (CI). The application of CRAF1 at two contrasting case studies (Ria Formosa, Portugal and the Belgian coast), validated against existing information, demonstrates the utility and reliability of this framework on the identification of hotspots. CRAF1 represents a powerful and useful instrument for coastal managers and/or end-users to identify and rank potential hotspot areas in order to define priorities and support disaster reduction plans.

Geotechnical asset owners need to know which parts of their asset network are vulnerable to climate change induced failure in order to optimise future investment. Protecting these vulnerable slopes requires monitoring systems capable of identifying and alerting to asset operators changes in the internal conditions that precede failure. Current monitoring systems are heavily reliant on point sensors which can be difficult to interpret across slope scale. This paper presents challenges to producing such a system and research being carried out to address some of these using electrical resistance tomography (ERT). Experimental results show that whilst it is possible to measure soil water content indirectly via resistivity the relationship between resistivity and water content will change over time for a given slope. If geotechnical parameters such as pore water pressure are to be estimated using this method then ERT systems will require integrating with more conventional geotechnical instrumentation to ensure correct representative information is provided. The paper also presents examples of how such data can be processed and communicated to asset owners for the purposes of asset management.