Inżynieria Bezpieczeństwa Obiektów Antropogenicznych

Protective structures as a device of ensuring the safety of victims in a war situation

2024-04-02T10:05:08+02:00

Interest in protective structures is steadily increasing as the armed conflict in Ukraine unfolds. Experience shows that shelters and hiding places are the most effective form of protection for civilians from conventional and unconventional war threats. Meanwhile, there are no guidelines and rules for the construction of public and private shelters in Poland. The problem is a big one, especially in view of the war that is taking place in the close vicinity of Poland. The purpose of the article is to review Polish and foreign legal and organizational solutions in the field of protective constructions and to indicate the technical requirements necessary to meet in a situation of war danger, with particular emphasis on the use of nuclear weapons. The authors put forward the thesis that in the face of military and non-military threats, the effective way to protect and defend the life and health of the population are properly maintained and managed protective structures, including shelters and hiding places and places of temporary shelter. However, the basic problem remains the question of legal regulation in this regard and the responsibility for their financing and maintenance, which involves the issue of ownership (private and public shelters). In Poland, the experience of other countries that have adopted a variety of solutions should be a guideline for forward-looking activities in the area of protective structures.

Impact of climate change on the safety of the foundation zone of steel tanks

2024-04-02T10:05:05+02:00

Climate change introduces the need to look at new issues in the safe operation of engineering structures, [1, 2]. Analysis for the past decade has shown the significance of the weather changes taking place and the effects in the form of periodic long heat waves causing heating of external surfaces combined with solar radiation can cause significant structural impacts. Intense rainfall causing increased penetration of water into the ground also proves to be an important issue in terms of the proper condition of foundation zones. Performed studies have shown that in unfavorable conditions can lead to defects in the foundation zones of steel tanks.

Replacement fire protection solutions for a pick tower building - case study

2024-04-02T10:04:59+02:00

Polish construction law and technical and building regulations allow for deviations from the requirements with appropriate alternative solutions. Modern buildings often require an individual approach due to the fact that the current regulations do not keep up with the constantly emerging modern technical solutions. This requires the development of engineering design documentation in the form of a technical opinion on the state of fire protection, prepared by building and fire protection experts. This documentation, previously agreed with the locally competent Regional Fire Chief of the State Fire Service, is submitted through the local building authority to the Minister responsible for construction issues. The subject of the article is the development of a justified set of alternative solutions for a warehouse building equipped with pick tower racks. Modern computer methods, simulations of evacuation, smoke extraction and construction were used to justify the solutions used. Determination of the mutual influence of the applied solutions on the expected level of fire safety allowed to confirm the validity of the adopted design concept. As a result, a complete fire protection concept was obtained, which, after its application to the documentation of the construction project, will allow safe use of the building. The analyzed building was implemented in Poland and, using the described fire safety concept, passed all stages of the investment process.

Study of Adverse Factors During Training with Virtual Reality Simulator

2024-04-02T10:04:56+02:00

Currently, the dynamic development of information technology contributes to the increasingly widespread application of Virtual Reality (VR) as modern and effective methods and training tools used in the process of self-education and/or training related to understanding the essence of the principles of operation and mastering the tasks of operating even complex systems or technical processes through simulating their actions. A significant argument for the use of virtual reality simulators in training uniformed services is the favorable cost-effect ratio and considerations of trainee safety. However, the use of VR simulators may be accompanied by the possibility of side effects or intensified symptoms of the so-called cybersickness. Bearing this in mind, the purpose of this article is to present the results of preliminary studies of adverse factors occurring during training using a VR simulator. The theoretical foundation for empirical research was provided by the results of a conducted review and analysis of literary content. Among the empirical methods, studies were conducted using a simulator sickness questionnaire and a research trial according to the parallel triangulation strategy scheme, involving the simultaneous use of quantitative and qualitative methods. The results obtained in this way can provide a valuable source of information about factors increasing the risk of adverse symptoms of cybersickness and ways of their mitigation, and can serve for further work on their development and application of VR simulators.

New evacuation sign "NO ENTRY"

2024-04-02T10:04:54+02:00

This study addresses concerns about the effectiveness of conventional evacuation signs in directing occupants during emergencies, particularly in situations involving obstacles like smoke, flames, or high temperatures. The research explores innovative solutions to enhance safety during evacuations, focusing on two main approaches: the Active Dynamic Signage System (ADSS) and the dynamic evacuation control system. The study introduces the concept of 23 different pictograms utilizing LED technology, with the "no-entry" sign receiving the highest rating during evaluations.

The research emphasizes the importance of dynamic evacuation control systems, suggesting the integration of signs forbidding entry into hazardous spaces. The study concludes that efficient evacuation is crucial for safety culture, necessitating a discussion on the introduction of a new pictogram – the NO ENTRY sign – into the evacuation sign catalog. The authors advocate for the adoption of a dynamic evacuation lighting system and offer an open license for the proposed pictograms to encourage broad discourse.

Proposed concept for the development of residential floating facilities

2024-04-02T10:04:52+02:00

Currently, a dynamic growth of interest in residential buildings located on the water can be observed in Poland. However, the lack of legal regulations, the increase in society's affluence and overpopulation in city centers lead to reflection on the development strategy that should be implemented for maritime construction. The publication presents a proposal of four development strategy concepts: aggressive, conservative, competitive and defensive, developed for floating homes (FHs) based on the authors' own research. The strategy concept that, in the authors' opinion, should be implemented was indicated using the TOWS-SWOT analysis. A detailed analysis revealed that the strategy that obtained the highest result in the study was the aggressive strategy.