In this paper, a retrospective of the construction solutions of the old Žeželj Bridge on the Danube in Novi Sad will be presented. It was built between 1957 and 1961 and was designed by academician Branko Žeželj, a civil engineer after whom the bridge was colloquially named. The bridge consists of two arches with spans of 211 and 165.5 meters, with the roadway suspended from them. An innovative radial cable prestressing of the arch cross-section was applied, a method patented by engineer Branko Žeželj. Upon completion, and for many years afterward, it was the bridge with the largest arch span—both the largest arch in Europe and the longest-spanning arch in the world for railway traffic. The construction system of this bridge was unique in the world and was first applied in Yugoslavia, serving as a model for many bridges worldwide. For this reason, Branko Žeželj was awarded at the World Congress for Prestressing (FIP) held in Rome in 1960 for his significant innovations in prestressed concrete construction technology. As proof of the bridge’s high-quality construction, it was only destroyed after six strikes during the NATO aggression in 1999. Nineteen years later, a new steel bridge, visually reminiscent of the original, was opened.

The research is based on result analysis of simulations of reference and prediction models of residential blocks in ENVI-met software. The reference model was designed according to the constructed residential block located in Nis. Predictive block models were considered, such as models with: green roofs, green facades, with increased ground greenery and a combined model with application of all above types of greenery. Another point that was considered was the median air temperatures and PET at 1.5 m height during the day across the entire residential block and selected measuring points within the block. The median air temperature of prediction models varies from the median temperature of the reference model by +0.11ºC to -0.23ºC at block level, while the PET of prediction models varies at block level from +0.91ºC to -4.2ºC, which leads to a change in category of thermal sensation and physiological stress. Due to different features of measuring points, the air temperature values and PET also differ. The largest difference in air temperature in relation to the reference model occurs at measuring point P2 in model with increased floor greenery and measures -0.91°C, while the largest difference in PET in relation to reference model occurs at measuring point P4 in model implementing all types of greenery and measures -18.45°C.

Landfill leachate represents a long-term source of contamination that may significantly affect groundwater and receiving water bodies through the migration of organic, inorganic, and toxic pollutants. This study evaluated the long-term migration of landfill leachate and its potential environmental impacts using the LandSim Release 2 probabilistic software model applied to two municipal waste landfills in the Republic of Serbia: the regional sanitary landfill “Gigoš” in Jagodina and the sanitary landfill “Meteris” in Vranje. The modelling framework integrated laboratory leachate analyses, hydrogeological conditions, engineered barrier system characteristics, and receptor-oriented contaminant transport assessment. Model validation was performed through comparison of simulated and laboratory-measured concentrations. Two scenarios were analyzed for each site: an engineered sanitary landfill scenario with a functional containment system and a conservative barrier-failure scenario representing complete loss of engineered barrier functionality. Ten representative leachate parameters were included, covering nitrogen compounds, inorganic ions, toxic substances, and heavy metals/metalloids. The results showed that engineered protection systems significantly delay contaminant migration and reduce receptor concentrations, while barrier-failure conditions lead to earlier pollutant breakthrough and higher environmental risk. The simulations demonstrated that under the engineered sanitary landfill scenario, receptor concentrations of all analyzed contaminants remained below the corresponding maximum allowable concentrations, with contaminant migration occurring only after several centuries. In contrast, the conservative barrier-failure scenario resulted in substantially earlier contaminant breakthrough, with nitrogen compounds and phenols representing the greatest environmental concern due to their rapid migration and exceedance of regulatory thresholds, while the “Meteris” landfill generally exhibited higher receptor concentrations than the “Gigoš” landfill. These findings highlight the importance of predictive modelling and long-term monitoring for sustainable landfill management and groundwater protection.

Urban densification in post-socialist cities has led to the loss of open and green spaces in high-rise housing areas (HRHA), exacerbating urban heat and reducing outdoor thermal comfort (OTC). This study examines the effectiveness of blue–green infra-structure (BGI) interventions in improving OTC within an infill HRHA courtyard in Niš, Serbia, during the extreme summer heatwave of 2024. A 24-hour field campaign conducted on 14 August 2024 provided data on air temperature, humidity, wind speed, and mean radiant temperature, which were used to validate an ENVI-met mi-croclimate model. Four scenarios were simulated: S0 (existing conditions), S1 (grass), S2 (grass + deciduous trees), and S3 (S2 + shallow reflecting pool). The results show that OTC across all open space areas was extremely poor during most of the day, with acceptable conditions only in the early morning hours. Greening and tree-planting measures produced negligible improvements in thermal comfort, while modifications of surface materials demonstrated slightly higher efficiency in reducing heat stress. These findings highlight the limited microclimatic effectiveness of small-scale sur-face-level interventions and emphasize the importance of integrated urban greening strategies within HRHA regeneration processes.

Demolition is one of the most dangerous construction operations, which often results in fatal and/or severe injuries to construction workers. Risks of injury and death can be minimized if a demolition project is well-planned. This paper discusses the main hazards associated with demolition work, types of site investigations for buildings slated for demolition, hazardous substances that may be present during demolition, demolition methods, and potential on-site hazards that can occur during demolition, among other considerations.