The sound absorption coefficient is a commonly used parameter to characterize the acoustic properties of materials. The fire performance of construction products has to be evaluated on the basis of their reaction to fire performance. The evaluation of the reaction to fire performance for the flammable construction materials which are in Class E reaction to fire is based on the ignitability test and the thermal test using the radiant heat source. For this study, nine types of STERED® products, which were made from the recycled automotive technical textiles, were chosen in order to evaluate their ability for sound absorption and the reaction to fire. The fire performance was evaluated on the basis of the relative mass loss in the radiant heat source test; the ignitability in accordance with ISO 11925-2, the possible appearance of flame, duration of flame, and the glowing during the single flame source test. The sound absorption of nine products was rated on the basis of the sound absorption coefficient and the noise reduction coefficient. The measurement was performed using the transfer function method in accordance with ISO 10534-2. From the nine tested types of STERED® products, the product Senizol AT XX2 TL 60 had the lowest mass loss at thermal loads up to 700 °C and it fulfilled the conditions for Class E reaction to fire. This product had the highest noise reduction coefficient of 0.81 and a high absorption coefficient for frequencies ranging between 500 Hz and 2000 Hz. The STERED® product Senizol AT XX2 TL 60, as well as Senizol AT 22 TL 50, Senizol AT 40 TL 25, Senizol AT XX4 TL 50 and Senizol AT XX4 TL 10 with a sound absorption coefficient α of between 0.80 to 0.95 and corresponding NRCs from 0.66 to 0.81, these STERED® products can be classified according to ISO 11654 into the sound absorption classes A and B.

The issue of the change in tool temperature as a result of the machining process is presented in this paper. The aim of the paper is to put forward a proposal and subsequently to verify the methodology of temperature monitoring in the process of computer numerical control (CNC) machining in real time. Subsequently, the data can be used in the process of adaptive machine-tool control. Experiments were used to determine whether the research method is appropriate. Oak, beech and spruce wood turning blanks with the thickness of 20 mm were machined using a 5-axis CNC machining centre. A temperature change observation resulting from the changes in parameters of the removed layer was used to test whether the research method is relevant. Parameters of the removed layer were affected by the changes in feed rate in the range from 1 ÷ 5 m·min−1 in the removed layer (1–5 mm) or in wood species used in the experiment. As emerges from the proposed methodology, it is possible to monitor the changes in tool temperature responding to minimal changes in technological parameters on a relatively small size of a milled surface quite accurately. Sensitivity to given changes in technological parameters as well as the importance of the methodology was proven.

The paper deals with comparing the measurement of noise from the railroads in the residential zone of the town of Zvolen with the results calculated using the prediction methods “Schall 03“ (Deutsche Bundesbahn, 1990) and “Methodical instructions for the calculation of sound pressure level from transport” (MPVHD). The first is used in the Slovakia and second in the Czech Republic. The measurement results and the results obtained from the prediction methods for both measurement locations were evaluated graphically and statistically. The evaluation of the conformity of the measurement with the prediction showed that the results obtained using the method “Schall 03” are in better agreement with the measurement.

Effects of biological modification of Norway spruce wood with the wood-staining fungus Sydowia polyspora were evaluated relative to select physical and acoustical characteristics (PACHs), including the density (ρ), dynamic modulus of elasticity along the wood grain (EL), specific modulus (Esp), speed of sound along the wood grain (cL), resonant frequency (fr), acoustic constant (A), logarithmic decrement (ϑ), loss coefficient (η), acoustic conversion efficiency (ACE), sound quality factor (Q), and sound timbre. Incubation of the Norway spruce samples in S. polyspora lasted 12 w, 20 w, and 24 w. The results showed that the incubation time of spruce wood in S. polyspora did not have a statistically significant impact on most of the PACHs (ρ, EL, cL, fr, and A). However, biological modification of the spruce wood with S. polyspora had significant effects on the ϑ, η, and ACE. Treatment of the spruce wood with S. polyspora also changed the sound timbre, but the effects varied for each frequency.

Heterogeneity in the tree trunks’ shapes and quality is not often reached fully using raw material potential in grading processes of tree and stand and the following sawmill processing. Therefore, optimization of given processes is a current topic of research and is part of the operational practice. In the contribution we submit a survey of solving the given problems in the European and Slovak conditions. A significant impulse for solving problem at a new level is a significant progress in the field of industrial computed tomography. New and fast CT scanners have been developed and they enable to increase valuation by 15% in coniferous trees and by 24% in broadleaf trees. In the contribution we analyze period of returns of CT scanner’s implementation into the sawmill process within Slovak context for small, medium-sized and big sawmills. Results show that period of returns for big sawmills is approximately for years, for medium-sized sawmills is eight years when processing coniferous softwood or three to eight years in case of broadleaved processing. In the final synthesis we present a concept of interlinking the 3D scanner and technologies of laser woodcutting with the outcomes allowing to optimize stand grading and maximize profit of the given raw wood in the sawmill processing.