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Activity Funded

Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction

Instituto de I&D em Estruturas e Construções

Reference
UIDP/04708/2020
Project Start Date
2020-01-01
Project End Date
2024-12-31
Principal Investigator
Funding Program
Concurso de avaliação no âmbito do Programa Plurianual de Financiamento de Unidades de I&D (2017/2018) - Financiamento Programático

Abstract

10.2 Summary in English for general dissemination purposes CONSTRUCT is the Institute of R&D in Structures and Construction of the Department of Civil Engineering of FEUP, whose general objective is the development of research on Safety, Serviceability, Durability, Economy, Comfort and Sustainability of Civil Engineering constructions. Within the next 5 years, CONSTRUCT will continue to develop research on the three main FOCUS AREAS: SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURES and BUILDINGS. Taking into account the experience got since the creation of the Unit in 2015 and comments fromthe External Scientific Advisory Board, the thematic lines under development in the period 2018-2022 are the following: TL1 - New construction materials. Recycling and valorisation Research on waste as raw materials, advanced fibre reinforced cementitious materials, and geosynthetics. Development of new ground improvement techniques and of a numerical model for RC structures. TL2 - Built historical heritage. Preservation, natural actions and climate change Built heritage characterization and conservation: structural damages, rising damp, flood and hygrothermal effects of climate changes; structural/physical modelling, maintenance and retrofitting. TL3 - Safety assessment and seismic engineering. Modelling and testing Safety of building structures and bridges under seismic loading. Infrastructures protection against soil liquefaction. Hygro-mechanical model and non-destructive tests to assess structural condition. TL4 - Assessment and structural health monitoring of energy and transportation infrastructures Development and implementation of sensors, algorithms and monitoring systems to assess structural condition. Assessment of vibration and damage in dams, wind turbines, transmission lines and bridges. TL5 - Railway infrastructures Strengthening for improved fatigue capacity of bridges. New requirements for high speed bridges. Improvement of dynamic models of the train-track system. Precast solutions for bridges and acoustic barriers. TL6 - Efficient and smart Construction The focus of this TL is the improvement of energy efficiency, comfort, hygrothermal behaviour and health in buildings using the building physics approach and also the construction efficiency processes, including maintenance phase. This research will take in mind targets such as the increase of the number of PhD Theses and of Post-doc researchers, the publication of high quality papers in prestigious ISI journals, the coordination or participation in European and national R&D projects obtained in competitive calls, the increase of involvement in Doctoral Programmes, the organization at FEUP of international and national scientific events, the strengthening of collaboration with the industry, public sector, relevant platforms and international technical associations, and the increment of dissemination actions. 10.3 Summary in English for evaluation Within the next 5 years, CONSTRUCT will continue to develop research on the three main FOCUS AREAS: SUSTAINABLE CONSTRUCTION, INFRASTRUCTURES and BUILDINGS Taking into account the experience got since the creation of the Unit in 2015 and comments from the External Scientific Advisory Board, the number and content of thematic lines, subsequently described, will be adjusted with regard to the last three years, the number of TLs being reduced from 7 to 6 in the period 2018-22: TL1-New construction materials. Recycling and valorisation Research on new industrial, quarry and construction and demolition waste as raw materials for cement, concrete and as unbound aggregates. Design of ground improvement techniques based on the addition to the soil of waste materials. Advanced Fibre Reinforced Cementitious Materials will be further researched. Development of a model to account the combined effects of applied loads and thermal/shrinkage deformations in RC structures. Geosynthetics durability, as reinforcement and on coastal erosion control will be further researched. TL2-Built historical heritage. Preservation, natural actions and climate change Built heritage (BH) characterisation with local/lab observations and experiments. Seismic rehabilitation of BH constructions validated by testing. Moisture effects control on BH elements interfacing with soil prone to rising damp and floods; hygrothermal interaction of building envelopes/occupied spaces facing climate changes and massive tourism. BH safety/performance and vulnerability assessment by structural and physical modelling. BH specific data monitoring and analysis, preventive maintenance and service management TL3-Safety assessment and seismic engineering. Modelling and testing Safety of existing building structures under seismic loading considering: performance of infill masonry walls; retrofitting techniques for RC columns; risk mitigation using steel bracing solutions. Seismic isolation in RC bridges. Infrastructures protection against soil liquefaction induced by earthquakes. Study the climate impacts on existing levees. Assessment of concrete cracking based on predictions of RH fields with hygro-mechanical model. Assessment of structural condition using non-destructive testing techniques. TL4-Assessment and SHM of energy and transportation infrastructures Development, implementation and validation of: -Vibration based SHM systems for condition assessment of concrete dams, onshore and offshore wind farms, transmission lines and bridges; -Innovative sensors and monitoring systems, using recent technology, as fibre optics, low cost sensors, 3D printing and vision systems; -Damage identification algorithms based on continuous monitoring data, using different sensors and purpose dedicated strategies; -Automated procedure for self-inspection and maintenance of bridges. TL5-Railway infrastructures Improvement of existing tools for fatigue damage assessment of metallic and composite bridges. Development of strengthening techniques for improved fatigue capacity. Continue developing requirements for bridges for high speed lines. Improvement of existing models for dynamic analysis of the train-track-ground system for assessment of the long term behaviour, including impact in the built environment. Development of an innovative risk-based maintenance framework for railway tracks. Development of precast solutions for railway bridges and acoustic barriers. TL6-Efficient and smart Construction The improvement of energy efficiency, comfort, hygrothermal behaviour and health in buildings using the building physics approach and of efficient construction, management and maintenance are the research focus of TL6. In-situ monitoring and simulation of energy consumption, comfort, indoor air quality are used to characterise components and buildings as a whole, but also productivity and efficient construction processes improvement, mainly through building information systems (BIM and VR models) and maintenance and facility management, oriented to active ageing. This research will take in mind important targets, such as: -Increase the number of concluded PhD Theses (in about 50%) and of Post-doc researchers -Publish high quality papers in prestigious ISI journals (at least 2,2 ISI papers/integrated PhD/year) -Coordinate or participate in funded H2020/RFCS/Interreg European R&D Projects (eg. IN2RAIL, LIQUEFACT, SERA, SERA-TA framework (SERENA and FUTURE), DESDEMONA, In2Track2 and In2track3 of Shift2Rail, SUDOE STOP CO2) -Launch/develop new H2020 R&D and networking initiatives (eg. Twinning actions BUILT-UP and ConstructUP-CDW) -Coordinate or participate in nationally funded FCT and P2020 R&D Projects (eg. LIQ2PROEARTH, SafEarth, IntegraCrete, ASPASSI, SMARTER, DAM_AGE, DYNCATLINE, iPBRail, HOME_ZERO) and launch new initiatives -Proposal of new Erasmus Mundus Joint Doctorate in Railway Infrastructures Engineering -Organisation at FEUP of prestigious int. conferences (eg. ARCH 2019, 3rd ECEES, 1st ICSGE, PATORREB 2018, NUMGE2018, 2021, BIM 2019, Railways 2020) and national workshops -Consolidate Digital Data Repositories from SHM applications and development of international benchmark test based on monitored structure database -Strengthen collaboration with European and national platforms (ECTP, PTPC, Smartwaste PT, Portuguese Railway Cluster, Habitat) -Strengthen cooperation with Industry and Public Sector related with infrastructures surveillance and management, historical built heritage and efficient and smart Construction, at national and international level -Dissemination actions (eg. full-scale vibration playground based on real time data from a continuously monitored footbridge located at the FEUP campus, recreation of seismic events on a 3mx3m 2D vibrating platform for educational purpose) -Increase participation in international technical committees and ISI Editorial Board journals -Upgrade of major testing facilities and monitoring systems

Institutions

Main Institutions

  • Universidade do Porto Instituto de I&D em Estruturas e Construções (CONSTRUCT)
  • Universidade do Porto Faculdade de Engenharia (FEUP)

Funding 168.750,00 €

Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - Portugal

168.750,00 €