Issues of environmental impacts of karst in standards on construction in Russia

There are three important ecological aspects to be considered regarding economic development in covered karst terrain: (1) natural karst processes, and karst-suffosion processes in particular, are very responsive to technogenic effects, (2) possibility of intensive and deep pollution of the geological environment and (3) risk of ecological disasters caused by karst collapses on the sites of ecologically dangerous industrial and transport objects. In view of these aspects, a number of Russian standards and normative documents on construction are analysed. Some methodological approaches to practical application of the guidelines stated in the documents are offered.