It is of great importance in the modem urban planning to meet the requirements of the urban space «consumers». Methods of social inquiry acquire a special significance because they make it possible to obtain the required information from the primary source. In order to investigate an intensity of urban objects’ impact upon their environment it is expedient to apply the following methods: free pedestrian poll, questionnaire of the residents living in the zone of pedestrians' accessibility, interviews of potential investors in accordance with special programme and free interviews of experts. Complex analysis of the obtained data permits to develop some proposals for improvement of urban space.

The paper contains description of percussive-rotary drilling machine which is designed for hole sinking in the process of engineering and geological research. This machine has significantly small dimensions and rather high efficiency in comparison with other world analogues. The machine represents in itself a multi-stage turbine with a rotor and a working tool.

Subject of the investigations, development and tests is efficient heat insulation material: foam polystyrene gas gypsum of high moisture resistance on the basis of gypsum binding and light-weight aggregate - foam polystyrene. Physical and mechanical and operational properties of heat insulation foam polystyrene gas gypsum have been investigated.

The paper studies the following techniques of street image formation: laying-out of street plan (straight, broken, curved); development of streets (perimeter, line, open-plan); building silhouette («in a straight line», with micro-dominants, with prominent dominants); completion of vistas (open, closed and sliding, closed and frontal). The prepared figures demonstrate influence of the techniques on diversity in street appearance. Potential of diversity pertaining to perimeter, line, open-plan and mixed types of development has been analyzed and calculated. It is measured as a sum of completely different visual pictures which are possible for every type of the development.

The paper examines the method for calculation of technical salt consumption which is used for preventive treatment of highways and roads. This measure is intended for prevention of glazed frost on the highway and road surface for forecast rate of glazed frost build-up in the case of frozen fall-outs in the form of rain, drizzle or mist.

The paper shows that temperature, burning rate and content of main substance bear a relationship to nitrogen pressure in a reactor, charge density, blank diameter, specific surface of initial silicon powder at synthesis of Si₃N₄-SiC powder composition. It has been shown that control of synthesis conditions makes it possible to obtain Si₃N₄-SiC powder of the given composition and particle structure. During the synthesis process high-tensile disperse oc-SiC particles, a and p Si₃N₄ particles of hexahedral and octahedral shape with a size of 0.02...0.2 microns, P-Si₃N₄ particles of irregular shape and a-Si₃N₄ particles as fibres have been formed.

The paper shows that gas-thermal coatings on the product surface may be considered on a first approximation as bimetallic material. Such approach permits to make calculations and determine residual stresses on the basis of multi-layer plate theory, mechanics of continuous medium and thermoelasticity.

Theoretical evaluation of a scale factor influence on thermal (depending on deformation rate) and athermanous (quasi-static) hardness components in dynamic indentation has been made. It has been shown that the scale factor is revealed more significantly in dynamic loading than in quasi-static loading due to changes of dislocation density.

The paper shows theoretical substantiated possibility to obtain high-quality carbide strengthening diffusion layers on the surface of high-chromium steel and the fields of their practical application.

Description of genetic algorithm and results of its application for the purpose to solve the problem concerning diagnostics of radial-plunger transmission is given in the paper.

The paper considers the existing variants of drive gear belt manufacturing techniques. The advantages and disadvantages of these variants are shown in the paper. Authors propose their own original import substituting techniques on manufacturing drive gear belts out of local material. The proposed technology includes positive elements of casting and pressing methods in the diaphragm autoclave. These techniques permit to manufacture gear belts of high load-carrying ability and long service due to reinforcing of working gear surface with the help of wear resistant fabric. This «know-how» is characterized by low power- and labour consumption, application of unified equipment, high efficiency of main materials, high ecological cleanliness due to exclusion of finishing operations and formation of waste material and rubber dust. Results of experimental strength and resource tests of local-made and imported drive gear belts are given in the paper.

The content of «hardness» concept is considered in the paper. It has been shown that existing pendulum method used to measure elastic hardness is reduced to measuring of rolling friction. A new method is proposed to measure elastic hardness of bodies on the basis of previously ascertained effect of abnormal behavior of pendulum oscillation period with rolling-contact support in the region of small amplitudes. The mathematical model which explains this effect by elastic deformation of flat stationary pendulum support is offered in the paper. The value of curvature radius of support deformation is proposed to be considered as a quantitative characteristic of elastic hardness. The elastic hardness of sapphire, hard alloys, hardened steel, glass and brass are calculated.

Extremal automation control system of step-by-step and compensating interferometer has been considered on the basis of automation control theory. An error arising due to non-suppressed variable of the signal component at the output of low frequency filter has been calculated. The transient process of the investigated system has been analyzed with the help of MATLAB/Simulink program-simulated complex.

Marketing approach to industrial product pricing which takes into account presence of real consumer profits in goods has been considered in the paper. Methods of parametrical pricing that permit to calculate the price with due account of technical-and-operational indices have been analyzed. Advantages and disadvantages of these methods have been revealed. Issues concerning the application of correlation and regression pricing patterns on tractor machinery are presented in the paper. Significance of tractor parameters and procedure of their offer to the world market are studied.

Model for realization of innovation project which is based on the theory of real options is proposed in the paper. The option character of relations between a customer and a contractor is given with justification and is considered as a real option of project denial. The paper considers realization of the innovation project in accordance with the scheme which presupposes payment for each stage of the project and is regarded as a put option. The paper also considers realization of the innovation project in accordance with the scheme which presupposes payment of a lump sum after the project completion (without any refund of contractor’s expenses in respect of incomplete project) and is regarded as a call option. The paper contains quantitative estimation of the premium for the actual options which were used in the model. On the basis of the proposed model criteria of investment efficiency of innovation project are formulated in the paper. Application of option strategies for control of innovation project realization has been justified.

The problem concerning efficiency of various variants to renew automotive fleet of transport enterprises under conditions of circulating capital deficit is possible to solve only through comparison of their economic efficiency. This approach reveals the necessity to develop an appropriate universal methodology for various management subjects.

However conclusions about application of the methodology are to be made only on the basis of its practical approbation under conditions of a concrete and typical enterprise, for example, an enterprise engaged in automobile freight transportation. The paper contains an example of such comparative analysis.

The paper considers methodological fundamentals on the development of interdisciplinary technologies of formation of highly-efficient socio-natural interactive mechanisms. These mechanisms make it possible to obtain sustainable development of man-nature-society system. The author investigates the prospects of the development of qualitatively new direction that is practical activity of designing sociologist«- social engineering. Its purpose is «social designing» of specific social processes. The author is of the opinion that such approaches may reveal mechanisms of ecological behaviour of social community during the global ecological changes.

The paper presents the experience of the Bialystock Technical University in the field of realization of two-level education pattern. Changes in the traditional educational system at the Polish institutions are caused by new conditions of their activity. The essence of these changes is new relations between a student and a higher educational institution that fully correspond to the market conditions. If an educational institution is striving for ensurance of sustainable development then the most important element of its strategy should be elasticity. This term presupposes the following significant elements for an educational institution and a student, namely: freedom in choosing educational form, type of Diploma, speciality and specialization, and also large-scale possibilities for elaboration of individual training program

The paper presents a testing machine for investigation of thermal state of a small-sized air cooling MD- 10-type engine. In order to assess the level of heat-release rate of the engine a cylinder is selected and the method of its temperature measurement is described. The paper reveals the method for manufacturing of thermocouples without soldering.