Publications

Within the scope of the repair of concrete structures, localized repair with repair mortars is one of the most used methods, mainly because both the manufacture and the placement of repair mortars are similar to those of conventional mortars. The first part of this paper discusses the importance of repair mortars, as well as the relevant aspects of the concrete degradation, and sets out the principles and methods for repair, which are recommended by EN 1504-9. The second part of this work addresses the need to prove some analytical theories, particularly regarding the need to mix water with the repair mortars and the best way to get the desired workability for each W/C ratio established. The main object of the third part of this work was the development of a software to support the formulation of repair mortars, which resulted from the conjugation of several factors such as: the collection of all the knowledge acquired during the work and the inclusion of normative specifications in use, which are required for a structural repair mortar in articulation with the durability demands for a lifetime of 50 years To conclude, the developed work contributed to increase the knowledge about the repair mortars and the durability of local repairs using mortars. The work is characterized by having as final result a practical application capable of materializing relevant information and confirming the promising results obtained with cementitious mortars modified with polymers.

Shrinkage-compensating concrete is usually used to minimize cracking caused by shrinkage. This type of concrete is recommended in structural and non-structural repairs, when there are internal or external restraints for the concrete elements. Commercial products which include concrete based on expansive cements or made with shrinkage reducing admixtures are available. This study evaluates the behavior of two commercial products, both at early age and also after some 2 years. The results indicate an appropriate behavior between demolding and the first weeks, both in sealed and submerged environments, but, after that, a consistent and relevant increase of shrinkage was observed.

Existe atualmente um elevado desconhecimento ao nível da reabilitação e conservação de edificações construídas em terra. Nas reparações, devem usar-se argamassas com base em terra, compatíveis com estes suportes, cujo comportamento é no entanto fundamental conhecer. A quantidade de água utilizada na amassadura de uma argamassa tem, em princípio, grande influência nas características físicas, na trabalhabilidade e, consequentemente, no resultado final da aplicação. Contudo, não há informação disponível para argamassas de terra. Foram realizados ensaios de caracterização no estado fresco e endurecido, de argamassas de terra realizadas com quatro terras distintas, cada uma com seis diferentes teores de água. Avaliou-se também diretamente a trabalhabilidade, mediante aplicações efetuadas por operadores em provetes de taipa. Foi possível observar que a retração e a trabalhabilidade das argamassas eram fortemente influenciadas pela relação água/material seco. Esta relação condiciona assim a viabilidade das argamassas, tendo-se, no entanto, verificado que o operador é também um fator de elevada importância neste contexto.

A multi-analytical approach was used to study the pictorial layers of a set of 17th century historic glazed tiles (azulejos) of Portuguese manufacture. The pictorial layer was studied by ?-EDXRF, ?-Raman, SEM-EDS and OM. Although the established palette comprises few pigments, it was found that the tiles were enhanced by the use of pigment mixtures, which were identified by ?-Raman and ?-EDXRF. As expected, the blue colour derives from cobalt oxide, purple from manganese oxide and emerald-green from copper oxide. Regarding the yellow pigment, ?-Raman results show it is consistent with the composition of a ternary oxide, whereas ?-EDXRF shows a high intensity of Zn in this colour, indicating a composition close to a Pb–Sb–Zn ternary oxide. Some compounds from the original ores were also indentified: in two very dark blue samples, cobalt and nickel olivines (?-Co2SiO4, ?-Ni2SiO4), and in a dark brown sample, braunite (a manganese silicate).

Due to the improvement of several properties, such as lower water absorption and increasing resistance to microcracking, polymer modification of mortar and concrete potentially leads to an inhibiting effect on alkali– silica reaction (ASR). In this study, polymer–cement mortars (PCMs) were subjected to accelerated alkali reactivity tests and their performance compared to that of an unmodified cement mortar (CM). Expansion of PCMs was overall higher, but SEM observations revealed apparent lower microcracking intensity of the cement paste, compared to the unmodified CM. Subsequent stiffness damage tests (SDTs) quantified the existing damage after alkali reactivity tests and confirmed the lower microcracking intensity in PCMs.

At the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), Portugal, and with financial support from Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) given to the research project PTDC/ECM/101810/2008 – Polymer-modified Cement Mortars for the Repair of Concrete Structures, an ongoing study aims to assess the possible prevention of steel corrosion induced by carbonation in PCMs and to set new research topics based on the results, due to the potential effect of polymers on the properties of cement mortar that have been shown to influence the corrosion of embedded steel, such as the reduction of water absorption and ionic mobility and the increase in electrical resistivity and resistance to CO2 uptake. The action of styrene-butadiene and acrylic-styrene polymers on steel corrosion in cement mortars was assessed after steel depassivation was induced by carbonation in an environment meeting the required conditions for progression of steel corrosion.

Rehabilitation/restoration systems involving bonded-in rods represent an efficient alternative method for the repair and/or reinforcement of structural timber members. However, in spite of their advantages, their use is still restrained by the lack of knowledge about their long-term performance. In order to correct this situation it is necessary to gain a greater understanding of their durability, creep and fatigue behaviour. However, reliable and realistic accelerated ageing tests do not yet exist, and the application of the existing European or American standards to epoxy bonded products are much too penalising, since they merely impose severe conditions that are not verified in service although these may be suitable for other adhesives. To address these concerns a test procedure to assess long-term behaviour of bonded-in rod connections was developed with the aim of providing a simple method for the selection of candidate repair system materials for specific applications. The data collected so far using the RPAT (realistic performance assessment test) appears to predict correctly the end-use performance for different adhesives as well as for different timbers.

This paper compares the factors known to influence the deleterious alkali-silica reaction in concrete with the properties that polymers tend to modify in cementitious materials. A discussion on the potential ASR-influencing mechanisms of polymer additions is provided, along with a critical review of the existing literature on the subject. The influence of the potentially significant differences in mechanical properties and sorptivity between polymer-modified and unmodified cementitious materials on the expansion results of alkali reactivity tests is also discussed. According to the available results, the influence of polymers on ASR-related expansion seems to depend on both polymer type and dosage, suggesting the existence of concurrent, not yet well understood mechanisms by which polymers may influence ASR-related expansion. As polymer modification of cementitious materials can lead to significantly lower modulus of elasticity, higher tensile strength and resistance to microcracking, it is suggested that further research on the subject includes not only expansion tests but also an assessment of the resistance of polymer-modified cementitious materials to ASR-related damage, the main concern due to this deleterious phenomena.

The PRODOMEA 8-phase model is a DSS that aims at tackling with the diversity of conditions, materials, methods and disciplines involved in monument conservation interventions by accompanying planners through conceiving, designing and execution phases, suggesting recommended actions and key actors for each phase. For most recommended actions, different options available should be considered in light of their physical-chemical, operational, socio-cultural and environmental compatibility towards the monument, which may be assessed via quantitative and semi-quantitative indicators, resulting in an overall (in)compatibility index, thus guiding decision making. The Monastery of Santa Clara-a-Velha (Coimbra, Portugal) today essentially corresponds to the early XIV century church and cloister, and to a rich collection of archaeological finds, that detail the nunnery life until it was abandoned to recurrent river flooding, in the late XVII century; ultimately, all but the church top was submersed for most of the XX century. The Monastery recently suffered an extensive conservation intervention, integrated in a larger requalification project that included the construction of a containment barrier against flooding, the exhaustive archaeological survey of the site and the construction of an interpretative centre. The PRODOMEA approach was applied as a post-intervention exercise with a double objective: to validate the use of this methodology as an assessment tool, and as an instrument to extract knowledge on best practices and on actions to be avoided or modified in future interventions. This paper reports the main outcome of this exercise. The exercise indicated that this DSS is suited to serve as a planning tool for complex interventions and, for Santa Clara-a-Velha, its using would have made a qualitative difference, namely by anticipating some of the problems that arose during execution. Attention is drawn to three illustrative examples: the apse rooftop and the cloister paving bricks and lithic remains to be remounted.

Unstabilised rammed earth is a recyclable, economical and eco-friendly building material, used in the past and still applied today. Traditionally, its use was based on a long empirical knowledge of the local materials. Because this knowledge was mostly lost or is no longer sufficient, in many countries normative documents have been produced to allow the assessment of rammed earth soils. With the aim of contributing for a refining of these normative requirements, this article presents a research work that included: (i) collection of unstabilised rammed earth samples from six constructions in Portugal; (ii) a literature survey of normative and complementary documents to identify the most mentioned key-properties, the test procedures and the corresponding threshold limits; (iii) a discussion of the test procedures and of the thresholds limits in the light of the experimental results. The analyzed properties are the particle size distribution, maximum particle size, plasticity, compaction, linear shrinkage, organic content and salt content. The work highlights the advantages of taking into account the characteristics of existing constructions as a basis for the establishment and further refining of consistent threshold values. In particular, it shows that it is essential to adjust the requirements to the specificities of local materials.

In the Vila Viçosa Palace, in the southern Portuguese province of Alentejo, lie the still impressive remains of what was the most extensive commission of azulejos produced in Antwerp for Portugal. Through an inventory made in 1563, after the death of the 5th Duke of Braganza D. Teodósio, it was found that no less than 3,658 azulejos commissioned to Antwerp had been delivered until that year. Until recently there was no known parallel between the pieces commissioned to Antwerp for the Palace of Vila Viçosa and other commissions for Portugal. With an excavation in Lisbon, in the area of the Escolas Gerais, five azulejos and two fragments, also of Flemish production, were found in what was probably a dump, because they were part of the frame of a panel of which nothing more was found. Other excavations in Lisbon, namely near Casa dos Bicos, Largo do Corpo Santo, Largo do Carmo, Palácio dos Condes de Penafiel and the grounds of the former Igreja de Santo André in Graça produced more more fragments of 16th century azulejos of varying provenance giving us a glimpse of an unexpected wealth of types and decorations used in the Lisbon of the 2nd half of the 16th century at a time when a local production of faience azulejos was just starting. Other pieces are now appearing in different archaeological contexts giving testimony of a maybe discrete but nevertheless assured trend that needs to be acknowledge. Their presence points to the spread of the appreciation for faience tiles and in these remains may well lie the foundations for the Portuguese taste for azulejos that lasts to this day. This communication reviews some of the findings supported by scanning electron microscopy observations and analyses trying an integration of some cases into known provenances or types.

Visa-se discutir a relação entre jovens, espaço público urbano e tecnologias de informação e comunicação (TIC), tendo por referência um estudo de caso em curso. O trabalho enquadra-se no Projeto Europeu C3Places, cujo objetivo é explorar os recursos digitais como apoio ao desenho de espaços públicos urbanos mais adequados às necessidades das pessoas. O estudo de caso em Lisboa assenta numa perspetiva de Living Lab onde se visa trabalhar ideias co-criadas com alunos da escola secundária com 3º ciclo Padre António Vieira, sita no bairro de Alvalade, em Lisboa. Tendo por referência a ligação dos adolescentes às TIC, é abordado um conjunto de iniciativas desenvolvidas a partir de oficinas temáticas de urbanismo, destacando-se uma aplicação móvel (app) desenvolvida como elo de comunicação entre adolescentes e os espaços.

A series of disperse renaissance azulejos with images in white with blue contours over a yellow background was recently uncovered, secluded by the basal wall of the altar of the Cathedral of Setúbal, near Lisbon. The azulejos were probably once part of a chapel lining that was removed and some were re-applied here at an unknown time. They were spread without any concern whatsoever about continuity, also because they were not intended for visibility. We attempted a partial digital reconstruction that allowed the perception of two feminine winged figures, together with flowers and fruits. One of the figures is an elderly woman with bird wings and the other a young lady with butterfly wings. Both have crowns, although of different sorts. The painting of motives in white with blue contours against a yellow background relates them graphically with the panels of the São Roque Chapel in Lisbon, but there are tantalizing differences. The Setúbal panels seem to bear testimony of a more archaic technology; the vertical placement of at least some azulejos in the kiln left remains of the supporting pieces and resulted in extensive drips that tarnished the composition. Another aspect is that the hand of the painter of Setúbal is amateurish compared to the proficiency of Francisco de Matos, the painter of São Roque. Yet, these azulejos can be highly important in establishing the evolution of the majolica technology in Portugal of which they may well be one of the earliest examples. This communication depicts a partial restitution of the painting, reports the first study made of the azulejos with instrumental support and discusses their technological placement towards other examples of known origin.

After the panels of Capela de São Roque in Lisbon, signed and dated, the incomplete and dispersed panels in Igreja da Graça are the second set of signed Renaissance azulejos produced in Lisbon that were found. A selection of azulejo units from the panels has now been studied by scanning-electron microscopy coupled with energy-dispersive spectrometry (SEM-EDS). The tiles making up the book bearing the signing monogram have been used to establish a morphological and analytical template aimed at identifying in the future a common officinal provenance in azulejos of the same general chronology known or presumed to have been produced in Lisbon. This communication reports the results of the analytical study identifying the main micro-morphological features and the composition variations.

The development of European standards intended to provide a framework for assessing the sustainability of construction works was by far the most important step towards the evaluation and comparison of their environmental, economic and social performance. From an environmental perspective, the use of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) allows an informed choice of the more sustainable construction materials. The development of an EPD calls for specific guidelines that enable different manufacturers to evaluate equally the environmental impacts of their products during the different stages of their life cycle, i.e., the Product Category Rules (PCR). In the last years, the CEN/TC104/SC1/TG20, together with CEN/TC229/WG5, has made relevant progress on establishing PCR for concrete and precast concrete products leading to the publication of the European standard EN 16757 in June 2017, while a CEN Technical Report on CO2 uptake in concrete is about to be concluded. This paper, after presenting the general view of the normative approach for all the construction materials, makes a comprehensive analysis of the above documents, with particular focus on the relevance of carbonation on the environmental impact of concrete and concrete products

In this article some aspects of the production technology connected with the preparation of the glaze and of the biscuit and with the firing cycle have been researched in order to better understand their effects on the morphological and chemical characteristics of the glaze and glaze-biscuit interface. Azulejo reproductions have been prepared by using raw and fired ceramic bodies glazed with either a lead-tin raw preparation or with a frit of different quartz grain sizes. The firing temperatures and the duration of the firing cycles have also been varied. The resulting cross-sections of the ceramic reproductions were analyzed with SEM-EDS. An increase in the Pb enriched K-feldspars formed at the glaze-biscuit interface is observed as the maximum temperature increases and the cooling rate slows. The use of raw glazes and single firings also promotes the growth. The results led to a better interpretation of the technological fingerprint observed on historic glazed tiles and offer more insight into the early azulejo production technologies and on the nature of the glaze-ceramic interface.

During the past three years a research group including the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Portuguese National Azulejo Museum), the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil and the HERCULES Laboratory of the University of Evora, acquired X-ray fluorescence spectra of the glazes of azulejo panels on site and single tiles from the collections of the Museum. That data was recently complemented by spectra obtained with the micro-analysis unit of a scanning electron microscope and with the AGLAE proton accelerator installed at the Carrousel du Louvre in Paris. By comparing spectra obtained on significative areas it is possible to obtain a glimpse of alikeness or of dissimilarity pointing to a similar or to a different officinal origin. This communication presents the method through a number of exemplificative cases.

During the year starting on July 2017, the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (Portuguese National Azulejo Museum), the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil and the HERCULES Laboratory of the University of Evora made a joint effort in the instrumental study of 16th century Portuguese azulejos, aimed at establishing their origin, technology used and eventual systematization of workshop productions. The microscopic observation of the biscuits did not reveal any signs of mixtures of clays, as are routinely perceived through the banded colours seen in the biscuits of 17th century Portuguese productions. Therefore, it seems likely that the workshops used plain marls with a suitable composition to grant compatibility of the biscuit with the glaze and thus their composition is a prime choice to confirm a local provenance. Azulejo samples are collected from panels on the walls and are necessarily superficial and very small. In such samples the biscuit composition as pertains to minor and trace elements is tainted by the penetration of the raw glaze and digestion phenomena over firing. However inclusions of minerals that are infusible at the kiln temperatures remain largely unaltered. A means to discriminate provenance based on a morphologic and compositional study of the small inclusions found in biscuit sections, often less than 5µm across, is proposed in this communication. These include mineral inclusions, both with and without repetitive morphologies, and micro-fossils. This communication reviews the inclusions repetitively found in Portuguese 16th century azulejos as a first step for the construction of a database aimed at exploring their potential as provenance markers.

Azulejos (Portuguese glazed tiles) suffer from pathologies such as glaze fissures and glaze loss particularly as a result of exposure to wall moisture and weathering. Many tile panels need conservation measures, including the treatment of lacunae but there is currently a lack of efficient and long-lasting solutions. Lasers offer a number of unique advantages including for the study and conservation of cultural heritage. In the conservation/restoration field, up to now the attention of the scientific community has been focused mainly on the use of lasers for cleaning processes. In this communication the initial studies on a novel application of laser radiation for the controlled thermal fusion of a glaze are presented and its potential for the restoration of azulejos discussed. The influence of a CO2 laser processing parameters (focus distance, duration of the beam incidence, number of laser passes) have been tested in order to assess their effect on the test items. Tile replicas and authentic historic azulejo samples, of different glaze compositions and colours, have been irradiated. Optical and SEM microscopy have been used to study the morphological alterations and the impact on the laser irradiated glazes. Initial results are encouraging and further work towards the implementation of this methodology is in progress.

During the last year, the Museu Nacional do Azulejo (MNAz- Portuguese National Azulejo Museum), the Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) and the HERCULES Laboratory of the University of Evora made a joint effort in the instrumental study of 16th century faience azulejos, aimed at identifying those of Portuguese origin based on their composition and the technology used and thus establish on firmer ground the origins of the production of faience azulejos in Lisbon towards a candidacy of Portuguese azulejos to the World Heritage List. This communication presents some of the first results.

This e-book and correspondent platform MyC3Place present the collection of the outcomes carried out by the partners of the C3Places Project. It explores the new dynamics of open spaces as a trusted service for community and expands our understanding on how mediated public open spaces function, paying attention to stakeholders, local context and different social groups. The e-book shows how it's possible to increase the quality of public open spaces (squares, parks, green spaces) as a community’s service, reflecting through ICT the needs of different social groups. Public spaces are critical for cultural identity, as they offer the place for interactions among generations and ethnicities. Even in the digital era, people still need contact with nature and other people to develop different life skills, values and attitudes, to be healthy, satisfied and environmentally responsible. Using ICT and co-creating with users, this e-book expands our knowledge on meeting emerging citizens’ needs about the future public space. All the contents are classified by means of keywords that are described on the following pages. Then the work of each partner is presented in detail.

C3Places - using ICT for Co-Creation of inclusive public Places is a project funded under the scheme of the ERA-NET Cofund Smart Urban Futures / Call joint research programme (ENSUF), JPI Urban Europe, https://jpi-urbaneurope.eu/project/c3places. C3Places aims at increasing the quality of public open spaces (e.g. squares, parks, green spaces) as community service, reflecting the needs of different social groups through ICTs. The notion of C3Places is based on the understanding that public open spaces have many different forms and features, and collectively add crucial value to the experience and liveability of urban areas. Understanding public open spaces can be done from a variety of perspectives. For simplicity’s sake, and because it best captures what people care most about, C3Places considers the “public” dimension to be a crucial feature of an urban space. Public spaces are critical for cultural identity, as they offer places for interactions among generations and ethnicities. Even in the digital era, people still need contact with nature and other people to develop different life skills, values and attitudes, to be healthy, satisfied and environmentally responsible. The book aims to spark discussion on the co-creation of public open spaces through the active involvement of different stakeholders in the production of a more inclusive, attractive and responsive urban environment. It intends to help researchers, governments and drivers in understanding and implementing more collaborative actions. The authors share experiences, visions and reflections on how co-creation and participatory processes can open up possibilities for a sustainable and equitable future. This book emphasises three dimensions: practice, reflection, and learning. Practice concerns driving actions, identified and analysed experiences that serve as key models. Reflection refers to exploring and examining the results and performances of a co-creation process. Co-creation is not the search for a final product, but rather a process and a new path to more responsive and inclusive communities. Learning refers to the knowledge transfer and replication induced by the synergy of the different actors involved in this book. The chapters which constitute this work were completed prior to Spring 2020, so the research and insights do not reference the global public health crisis caused by Covid-19. However, in such challenging times the argument for co-creation approaches to increase the potential of public spaces to support a range of inclusiveness outcomes is even stronger. This publication is based upon work of C3Places Project. The C3Places Project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 693443 and from FCT (Portuguese Funding Agency for Science, Research and Technology).

This volume aims to promote discussion and critical thinking on the urban environment at the intersection of the neighbourhood and the city, along their socio-spatial relations, from an interdisciplinary, multidimensional and international perspective. The chapters cover various aspects related to the meaning of living, intervening, planning, managing, thinking about and producing the city in the digital era, with a view to increasing the understanding of neighbourhoods as part of a wider consideration of social and sustainable development and the need for greater care of urban communities. This has a direct impact on public open spaces, which lie at the core of CyberParks. The international scope of the edition is enhanced by its bilingual nature, as this volume targets, in addition to a European readership, also the readership of Portuguese-speaking countries. This publication is based upon work from COST Action TU1306, supported by COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology).

Vários

Publicação que regista os resumos expandidos realizados no âmbito do Congresso Ibero-americano "Património, suas matérias e imatérias", realizado nos dias 2-3 de novembro de 2016 no LNEC, contendo ainda em CDrom, os artigos completos.

Em 2011 cumpriram-se 100 anos sobre a publicação da Lei de Reorganização dos Serviços Artísticos e Arqueológicos da 1ª República (Maio de 1911). Este diploma constituiu uma referência incontornável no enquadramento do conceito de património que iria influenciar toda a prática da sua salvaguarda em Portugal. Por coincidência, cumpriram-se também neste ano os 80 anos da Carta de Atenas (Outubro de 1931), um marco histórico na produção de documentos orientadores de cariz internacional, que veio incentivar a produção de novas cartas e outros documentos internacionais que, em larga medida, ainda definem e sustentam as actuais práticas de preservação do património. O Instituto de História da Arte da Universidade de Lisboa e o Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil quiseram com este simpósio assinalar aquelas efemérides oferecendo às comunidades científicas e profissionais uma oportunidade de reflectirem sobre estes acontecimentos pioneiros e debaterem as consequências que eles tiveram no período transcorrido desde então, como forma de compreender melhor a salvaguarda do património nos dias de hoje, perante os desafios e exigências da sociedade moderna. Os artigos recebidos, e que constam nas presentes actas, demonstram o interesse que o tema suscita e confirmam que o País está bem apetrechado para cuidar do seu património em todas as vertentes que tal objectivo exige. Ao juntarmos as valências de duas instituições tão diferenciadas, procurámos mostrar que a preservação é um conceito multifacetado, que necessita de contributos diversos, mas precisos, e que não pode ser abordado de forma unilateral ou voluntarista por um qualquer grupo profissional ou ditado por meios burocráticos como medida normalizada ou normalizável. Os trabalhos agora publicados dão conta dos primórdios das preocupações sobre preservação, discutem problemáticas que percorreram o Séc. XX e reflectem sobre as situações actuais, cumprindo cabalmente as nossas expectativas e enriquecendo o acervo de exemplos e de doutrinas que nos permitem afirmar que não é por falta de conhecimento, de experiências ou de competências realizadoras que ainda hoje vemos acontecerem intervenções desqualificadas, mal preparadas e desajustadas. As presentes actas aí estão para demonstrar que fazer mal ou abandonar património não têm que ser fatalidades de um país.

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In the construction sector, overall policies on resource efficiency and the circular economy have as one of their objectives the shift from the use of natural mate-rials to industrial by-products and materials recovered from waste. In this context, the assessment of the presence of hazardous substances in construction products and the corresponding implications for the environment

The Lisbon Living Lab will be centred on teenagers (young people 13 to 17 years of age) as they are a particular age group with specific needs and interests on public spaces, the relationship between teens and public spaces is very intrinsic, as public spaces may serve as a fundamental (play)ground for teenagers’ development. The Lisbon’s Alvalade neighbourhood will be living lab to explore how teenagers use and behaviour in urban fabric and what are they needs and preferences on public open spaces. The main objective is to engage teenagers in a process of the co-creation of urban spaces, by exploring the leading research question: “How can we capitalise on teenagers’ new-found love of the wired life (Thomas, 2013) to encourage them to be more outdoors?”

This chapter explores the potential of co-creation for the planning of public open spaces that could be more attentive to different, unequal and diverse social ideas, needs and desires. Co-creation is discussed as an innovative opportunity for learning and (re)thinking urban planning. Exploring ideas, literature and experiences (from the European Project C3Places), the chapter discusses the role of co-creation for involving citizens in placemaking. This reflection addresses co-creation as a collective, contextual and engaged process of learning. From this perspective, co-creation is discussed as an open process of learning about predictable ideas in the relationship between socio-spatial imaginary, requirements, needs and urban design procedures from a transformative perspective.

Public open space is a subject that belongs to us all. Every time we leave our homes, our private territory, we enter a space we have to share with others. Public space is the place for social interactions, strengthening sociability and ultimately exercising democracy. As a subject of study, public space has also long been analysed, explored and researched in various ways and under different guises, by planners, landscape architects and designers, anthropologists, social and cultural geographers, and urban historians. They all bring evidence on the role of public space in urban life, in the quality of urban environment and in the construction of cultural identity. Consequently, public space should deserve serious consideration by all - starting with those in charge and who hold regulatory responsibilities for those who use the places and ultimately give them life. As the UN-Habitat (2015) rightly recognises, a public space represents a key resource for social cohesion, economic development, and in particular liveability in urban settings. Public space is a resource that critically affects community values and positively impacts the quality of urban life. Backed by these premises, this book is about the co-creation of public open spaces, an issue at the core of the C3Places Project. To better understand the process, particularly the values of engaging people in the production of public space, is one of the C3Places’ objectives. The project is developing strategies and tools to help increase the quality and responsiveness of public spaces. In this process, the Project also aims to better understand how Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) can influence co-creation and social cohesion. The chapters of this book bring science a little closer to the knowledge about the design, production and management of public spaces. 37 authors responded to the Project’s call to share experiences, visions and reflections on how co-creation and participatory processes can create possibilities for a sustainable and equitable future.

Face à metamorfose que se presencia na região da Avenida Almirante Reis, este capítulo discute a sua correlação com a criação de um novo discurso sobre a diversidade sociocultural. A partir do apelo a determinadas expressões — por exemplo, mundo e mundos — para enunciar a diversidade local, sugere-se a crescente transfiguração do discurso e a conexão com a economia cultural amplamente estimulada pela intervenção ali protagonizada. No desenvolvimento desta reflexão, privilegia-se o discurso produzido pela comunicação social.

The chapter considers the link between urban transformations in the Mouraria neighbourhood in Lisbon and the digital environment.The guiding thread of reflection is based on the tension between the production of sociocultural symbolic local references, and their (dis)appropriation by a creative economy that, relying on digital as a resource, helps to reshape the sociocultural local world into marketing. It concludes that digital has, not only a tangible social dimension, but also a tangible dimension in the processes of urban transformation. As such, it is pertinent to create alternative ways in defence of the right to the city that economize the social and its imageries taking more advantage of the articulated combination between real-digital.

This chapter is concerned with how digital technologies are changing habits, expectations and motivations in the use of public open spaces. These digital developments are a societal challenge with reflections on social practices and, on planning and design approaches to public spaces. This might also challenge the future development of information and communication technologies (ICTs). The discussion in this Chapter is based on knowledge and experience exchanges carried out within the COST Action CyberParks. The leading issue of CyberParks is how to use ICTs to transform our cities into more human environments, rather than just more high-tech places, and to understand that “smartness” should be people friendly. Through the structure of the project, the importance of comprehensive and trans-disciplinary development is introduced and justified. A theoretical approach and frameworks from ethnographic and technological perspectives that help us to better understand (potential) interactions are being developed, and both are at the centre of this discussion.

The aim of this chapter is to discuss the production of mediated public open spaces by investigating the impact of ICTs in a participation process, and from this discussion to develop arguments to base a theory on co-creating a cyberpark. It focuses on how digital interconnectivity, through its potential for engaging potential users, gives rise to new forms of agency in the design of public spaces.The conceptual framework is backed by the COST-Action Cyberparks, and the Project Flussbad, both tackle the reflection of the proliferation of ICT-related media in public open spaces.

This chapter discusses the act of walking as a method of capturing the socio-spatial needs of users in a contemporary urban space. Walking as method is considered a way to assimilate a socio-spatial proximity experience, and to (re)invent the response to urban space needs in a fast-changing city. This reflection discusses the purposes of urban planning, provides a framework, which goes from socio-spatial urban needs to (possible) responses, and discusses the complexity of evaluating the information gathered. It highlights the role of walking in planning, but also the relationship between plan and walk, discussing some of the key aspects to bear in mind when taking the act of walking as a way to learn how to plan. From the sensitive act of walking to the rational processes of collecting information, e.g., techniques for basic information collection for urban planning, this chapter also presents the role that ICT can play as an instrument of socio-spatial design in capturing relevant information for urban planning professionals.

The chapter discusses how ICT can be used to enhance the understanding of the relationship between space, users and social practices. As an example of possible use of ICT for capturing and better understanding user’s needs, the new digital tool WAY Cyberparks is presented and discussed. A “cyberpark” is defined as a new type of urban landscape where nature and ICTs blend together to generate hybrid experiences and enhance quality of life. The WAY Cyberparks digital tool consists of a smart phone application, server/cloud and web services. Through the experiences from testing it in selected urban open spaces in Barcelona, Lisbon and Ljubljana opportunities are presented and lessons are drawn about relevant aspects of the ICT towards building a more participatory and collaborative process in planning of public spaces. A relevant aspect of the ICT lays in their ability to enhance communication with (potential) users, transforming the production of public open spaces into an interactive process, and enabling creative community participation and empowerment. Furthermore, some challenges of the increasing penetration of digital technologies devices (smart phones, smart watches, tablets, etc.) within the broader context of their use in public urban open spaces such as parks, gardens, squares, plazas are discussed, together with the consequences of this interweaving, which is growing at a rapid pace, unfolds research needs in the future.

Atualmente existe grande interesse pelas técnicas construtivas com terra crua, que tinham caído em desuso mas que ressurgiram com a conscencialização face à ecoeficiencia e no sentido de explorar recursos locais reutilizáveis. A taipa é, a nível mundial, uma das mais antigas e difundidas técnicas de construção. Em Portugal a taipa reune grande atenção porque é uma das principais técnicas utilizadas na nova construção com terra. Mas esta atenção decorre também da necessidade de reabilitação de edifícios antigos e da existência de um vasto e valioso património arquitetónico, que precisa ser preservado. Muitos dos edifícios antigos de terra deterioraram-se por falta (ou ineficiência) de manutenção e reparação. De fato, existe um elevado desconhecimento ao nível das técnicas de reabilitação e conservação. O presente trabalho de investigação explora a questão da adequabilidade de argamassas para a reparação de paredes de taipa. A escassa informação nesta área justificou o estudo das caraterísticas mais adequadas para estas argamassas de reparação e definição de recomendações para sua aplicação. Partiu-se do pressuposto que, para perspetivar intervenções de reparação com maior ciclo de vida, é importante asseverar não só a durabilidade das argamassas de reparação, mas também a sua compatibilidade com a parede. A principal conclusão é que, sempre que possível, as argamassas devem ser efetuadas com a mesma terra utilizada na parede ou com materiais tão semelhantes a esses quanto possível, para que as propriedades físicas, mecânicas e químicas sejam compatíveis com as da parede a reparar. Se a taipa não tiver sido estabilizada com ligantes minerais, estes não devem também ser utilizados nas argamassas de reparação. Observou-se ainda que as argamassas estabilizadas com ligantes minerais apresentam uma absorção capilar muito mais rápida do que o mesmo tipo de argamassas sem estabilização e que a utilização de fibras vegetais potencia o aparecimento de bolores, quando as argamassas se encontram em ambientes com elevadas humidade relativa.

This thesis was aimed at understanding the behaviour of plasters and renders on salt-loaded walls. The current state-of-the-art and state-of-the-practice were accessed focusing particularly on old plastered/rendered buildings and their conservation practice in Portugal. Afterwards, experimental work was carried out aiming at answering the identified questions. Two laboratory techniques, for relative humidity control with salt solutions and for salt content determination by hygroscopic moisture content measurements, were investigated. Drying of salt-loaded materials was studied by means of drying experiments monitored using a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. The behaviour of plasters and renders in relation to salt crystallization was then accessed by means of crystallization tests and MRI-monitored drying tests. Most drying and crystallization tests were carried out on specimens composed by a plaster or render applied on a given substrate. Finally, the study of five old buildings in Portugal provided an insight into practice-related salt decay features. On the basis of this research, guidelines are proposed to select plasters and renders for salt loaded walls. Conclusions were also achieved on: (i) possibilities and limitations of the test methods, particularly salt crystallization tests, and diagnostic methodology used; (ii) salt decay processes, namely, influence of soluble salts on drying, mechanisms of salt-induced dampness and salt distribution in masonry; (iii) reasons for sodium chloride being typically much less damaging than sodium sulfate in laboratory tests; (iv) influence of factors such as the type of salt, kind of substrate material or presence of a paint layer on the behaviour of plasters and renders; (v) factors that can account for a worsening of salt damage after restoration interventions; (vi) field or application conditions that favour salt damage.

A ação dos sais solúveis e humidade nos edifícios antigos é uma causa frequente da sua degradação. Pretende-se com este trabalho estudar experimentalmente, através de ensaios laboratoriais, de que forma diferentes tipos de sais dissolvidos em água influenciam a absorção por capilaridade em materiais porosos. O levantamento do estado da arte incidiu sobre a ação de degradação dos sais solúveis sobre os materiais porosos, sobre as características dos materiais porosos e foca também os mecanismos de transporte da água, no estado liquido e de vapor, envolvidos nos processos de absorção capilar e secagem. A campanha experimental realizada incluiu o ensaio de absorção por capilaridade e o ensaio de secagem. Os materiais porosos utilizados foram o tijolo e a argamassa e utilizaram-se seis soluções salinas, de concentração saturada: cloreto de sódio, sulfato de sódio, cloreto de potássio, nitrato de sódio, nitrato de potássio e carbonato de sódio. Realizaram-se os mesmos ensaios com água, que serviram como referência. Esta dissertação permitiu tirar conclusões sobre: i) a influência dos sais na absorção por capilaridade; ii) processos de degradação, influência dos sais solúveis na secagem de materiais porosos; iii) a correlação existente entre a degradação dos materiais porosos com o tipo de sal.

Although Portuguese azulejos are such an important heritage asset, having been extensively studied from the Art Historian viewpoint, the knowledge concerning the raw materials used and the details of the technological manufacturing process is very limited. The research project behind this dissertation was aimed at improving the present knowledge as concerns the composition of the blue pigment used in the 17th and 18th centuries. A representative set of azulejos spanning at least 200 years from ca. 1600 to 1800 was selected and the composition of the blue colour in their glazes analysed. The results were assessed aiming to answer the following main questions: i- What are the characteristic compositions of the colour (pigment and impurities) and how do they relate with the chronology of the azulejos? ii- What are the compositional traits that bear on the shades of the blue colour? iii- Can Portuguese azulejos be separated from Dutch and Spanish productions, at times when they co-existed in Portugal, solely by the composition of the blue colour? iv- Is the composition of the blue colour related with provenance of azulejos within Portugal? v- Are there grounds to suspect that at some time the Portuguese used, besides the well-known German zaffre, alternative sources of blue colour imported through their wide sea trade routes?

The presence of moisture inside a material whose surface was treated with a water repellent agent may give rise to unwanted side-effects. Indeed, the temporal and spatial significance of moistening events may be intensified if a water-repellent, as any other kind of treatment, hinders drying. This effect can be particularly relevant for historical buildings, where moisture from varied origins is recurrently present in the masonry, but is also pertinent for more recent constructions since water often finds ways to penetrate the building elements, through cracks or joints. This article discusses the application of water repellent treatments on ceramic brick, with regard to drying of the masonry. The influence of cracks parallel or perpendicular to the surface is taken into account. Five silicone-based treatments were studied. The treated or untreated material was subjected to capillary absorption tests by which the effectiveness of the water repellent effect was estimated, as well as water vapour permeability tests and drying tests. The effectiveness of four out of the five treatments is high. Vapour permeability is not much affected in one case, when the cracks are parallel to the surface, and in none of the cases, when they are perpendicular. Nonetheless, drying is significantly delayed by any of the five products, both in the case where the cracks are parallel to the surface as when they are perpendicular.

A presente dissertação visa avaliar a eficácia de dois modificadores de cristalização com baixa toxicidade quando em aplicados em dois materiais porosos, contaminados com dois tipos de sal. Foram testados o ácido cítrico e o ácido fosfocítrico, aplicados por absorção capilar ou por pulverização, em provetes de argamassa de cal aérea ou pedra de Malta saturados com soluções salinas de cloreto de sódio ou sulfato de sódio a 10% (percentagem ponderal). Foi efectuada uma análise macroscópica do efeito dos dois modificadores, baseada em ensaios de secagem. A pesquisa do estado-da-arte incidiu sobre as características dos materiais porosos, transporte de água, sais solúveis e modificadores de cristalização. Na campanha experimental foram ainda realizados ensaios de caracterização da argamassa fresca, da argamassa endurecida e da pedra de Malta utilizadas. Determinaram-se também as características de porosidade, permeabilidade ao vapor de água, tensão superficial e evaporação das soluções, capilaridade e secagem. O trabalho realizado permitiu conhecer os principais desenvolvimentos recentes sobre modificadores de cristalização e concluir sobre a influência na secagem e a relevância dos dois modos de aplicação testados do ácido cítrico e do ácido fosfocítrico.

A acção dos sais solúveis é uma causa frequente de degradação dos edifícios antigos, reflectindo-se a vários níveis (e.g., estético, habitabilidade, segurança estrutural). Esta dissertação tem como objectivo efectuar a análise e sistematização de um leque abrangente de práticas actualmente utilizadas para controlo da degradação por sais solúveis. Neste âmbito, foi utilizada a análise documental de bibliografia posterior a 2000 e procedeu-se à análise crítica de métodos de controlo da degradação seleccionados: remoção mecânica de eflorescências; remoção de materiais contaminantes; compressas; remoção electroquímica de sais; microrganismos; modificadores de cristalização; rebocos; controlo ambiental; controlo da humidade ascensional; método do hidróxido de bário. Analisaram-se também algumas medidas práticas para prevenção do risco de ocorrência ou agravamento desta degradação. Adicionalmente, avaliou-se a complementaridade entre métodos, identificando eventuais benefícios de uma acção conjugada. A sistematização das práticas analisadas envolveu o seu enquadramento segundo três abordagens distintas: prevenção, correcção, e mitigação. A dissertação permitiu tirar conclusões sobre: (i) a actuação face à degradação provocada por sais solúveis, a qual deve pautar-se por uma compreensão global do problema; (ii) a importância das medidas preventivas, como meio para evitar os danos e custos associados; (iii) a relevância dos métodos de controlo da degradação, nas vertentes correctiva e de mitigação; (iv) a experiência actual sobre a utilização prática dos métodos em edifícios, designadamente com relação ao número de casos de estudo existentes; (v) a necessidade de uma boa compreensão das práticas referidas, nomeadamente em relação às vantagens e inconvenientes, a qual pode ser facilitada pela sua sistematização.

Estudou-se um conjunto de fragmentos de azulejos datados do século XVII, de produção portuguesa, cedido pelo Museu Nacional do Azulejo. O objectivo foi caracterizar morfológica e quimicamente a camada pictórica da azulejaria portuguesa do século XVII. O estudo utilizou uma abordagem multi-analítica, incluindo a espectrometria de fluorescência de raios X dispersiva de energias (µ-EDXRF), espectroscopia de Raman, o microscópio electrónico de varrimento com microanálise de raios X (SEM-EDS), e técnicas de observação incluindo o SEM e microscopia óptica. A azulejaria portuguesa do século XVII caracteriza-se por uma paleta cromática relativamente rica, que engloba o azul, amarelo, laranja, verde, púrpura, um tom púrpura acastanhado e ainda outro castanho muito escuro utilizado em contornos. As cores integram um fundo branco – o vidrado estanífero característico da majólica. Confirmou-se que o azul se deve ao óxido de cobalto, o púrpura ao óxido de manganês e um dos verdes, de aparência transparente, ao óxido de cobre. Os resultados indicam que o amarelo será uma variante do pigmento amarelo de Nápoles (antimoniato de chumbo), constituído por um óxido triplo de Pb-Sb-Zn. As outras cores são obtidas através de misturas: o laranja resulta da adição de hematite ao pigmento amarelo, o verde-seco resulta da adição de óxido de cobalto também ao pigmento amarelo, e os vários tons entre púrpura e castanho resultam da mistura de hematite com óxido de manganês em teores variáveis. Observaram-se morfologias distintas das cores: o amarelo, laranja e castanho-escuro permanecem à superfície do vidrado e conferem-lhe cores opacas. O azul, o verde-cobre e o púrpura difundem no vidrado em profundidade e, por vezes, horizontalmente. Os seus óxidos dissolvem-se na matriz vítrea, obtendo-se uma cor transparente. Com o verde-seco ocorre uma separação dos componentes da cor, na medida em que as partículas de pigmento amarelo permanecem à superfície, enquanto o azul difunde no vidrado.

A presente dissertação tem por finalidade compreender a influência dos tratamentos hidrófugos na secagem do tijolo cerâmico, tendo assentado na realização de ensaios de absorção capilar, permeabilidade ao vapor de água e secagem. Foi inicialmente avaliada a possibilidade de utilização de tijolo cerâmico maciço de três proveniências distintas. Uma destas origens foi a Praça de Touros do Campo Pequeno, em Lisboa, que permitiu estudar quatro tipos distintos de tijolo antigo. As outras duas origens foram as cerâmicas Torreense e de Vale de Gândara, tratando-se portanto neste caso de tijolos de fabrico recente. Os diferentes tipos de tijolo foram caracterizados quanto à sua aparência, morfologia, teor de sal, absorção capilar e comportamento em secagem. O tijolo de Vale de Gândara foi o tipo seleccionado para a aplicação dos tratamentos hidrófugos. Foi detectada a presença de fissuras neste tipo tijolo, tal como em todos os outros tipos caracterizados. Sendo este defeito relevante para o transporte de humidade, foi necessário ter em consideração a influência da orientação preferencial das fissuras. Assim, utilizaram-se em todos os ensaios provetes com fissuras paralelas e provetes com fissuras perpendiculares à superfície. Estudaram-se cinco tratamentos hidrófugos com base em silicone. Foram realizados ensaios de absorção capilar através da face tratada, ensaios de permeabilidade ao vapor de água e ensaios de secagem (método RILEM da curva de evaporação). Realizaram-se ensaios semelhantes sobre o material não-tratado, que serviram como referência. Os resultados do ensaio de absorção capilar indicam que a eficácia de quatro dos tratamentos é elevada, sendo a secagem do tijolo significativamente dificultada por esses quatro produtos. Verificou-se, no entanto, que o decréscimo da permeabilidade ao vapor apenas é significativo para três hidrófugos. A influência dos hidrófugos na permeabilidade ao vapor apenas é mensurável no caso dos provetes com fissuras paralelas à base. Quando as fissuras são perpendiculares à base, a permeabilidade ao vapor é bastante mais elevada, não sendo afectada pelo hidrófugo.

A presente dissertação visa compreender a influência dos revestimentos por pintura na secagem de materiais de construção porosos, tendo focado a nível experimental o caso dos substratos constituídos por uma argamassa de cal aérea. Aborda-se, em particular, o caso dos edifícios antigos e, mais especificamente, a situação das paredes com teor de humidade não desprezável que é muito corrente neste tipo de edifícios. O levantamento do estado-da-arte incide sobre as características dos materiais porosos, em particular as argamassas de cal aérea, e de diferentes tipos de revestimentos por pintura indicados para este tipo de utilização. Foca também os mecanismos de transporte de humidade envolvidos nos processos de secagem. Efectuou-se uma pesquisa de mercado e um inquérito ao meio técnico com o objectivo de perceber quais os revestimentos por pintura usados em intervenções de reabilitação / conservação e, assim, avaliar a situação da prática em Portugal. A campanha experimental a seguir realizada incluiu ensaios de permeabilidade ao vapor de água, de absorção capilar e de secagem e incidiu sobre dezasseis revestimentos por pintura disponíveis no mercado português. Treze destes revestimentos são tintas de silicatos, de silicone ou de pliolite que os respectivos fornecedores indicaram serem apropriadas para aplicação em paredes com problemas de humidade. Ensaiaram-se ainda duas tintas de cal de fabrico industrial e uma “tinta plástica” que serviu como referência. A dissertação permitiu obter dados sobre o estado-da-prática em Portugal, em particular no que se refere aos tipos de tintas usados em paredes de edifícios antigos com teor de humidade não desprezável. Permitiu também retirar conclusões sobre: (i) a influência dos revestimentos por pintura na secagem, na absorção de água por capilaridade e na permeabilidade ao vapor de água; (ii) a influência que o estado de humidificação do suporte pode ter no comportamento dos revestimentos; (iii) a correlação existente entre o comportamento à secagem (índice de secagem) e a permeabilidade ao vapor de água, que é a característica correntemente utilizada para prever o desempenho dos revestimentos.

A realização de auditorias pré-demolição a edifícios requer o envolvimento de várias partes interessadas, desde o proprietário, ao projetista e ao empreiteiro, com vista a maximizar a recuperação de materiais e elementos construtivos e minimizar a quantidade de resíduos de construção e demolição, de modo a impulsionar a economia circular no setor da construção. Estas auditorias devem ser realizadas antes do projeto de demolição ou reabilitação do edifício, de acordo com recomendações comuns. Para a realização dessas auditorias, foi desenvolvido este Guia Português para Auditorias Pré-Demolição e uma ferramenta em Excel com modelos padrão para a realização de um inventário aos recursos presentes no edifício. O inventário teve como base as orientações da União Europeia e do Quadro comum da União Europeia de Edifícios Sustentáveis

Os resíduos de construção e demolição (RCD) representam 46% do total de resíduos produzidos na Europa, cerca de 820 milhões de toneladas por ano, ou 5190 kg per capita. Vários constituintes dos RCD são potencialmente reutilizáveis e recicláveis, o que foca a atenção no seu papel relevante na promoção dos princípios da economia circular no setor da construção, na fase de fim de vida. Este enquadramento conceptual visa reunir as melhores práticas dos diferentes países relativamente à aplicação de auditorias de pré-demolição em edifícios como uma ferramenta útil para o desenvolvimento do guia português. É também abordada a necessidade de minimizar a geração de resíduos contaminados, durante a demolição ou reabilitação de edifícios, como um caminho relevante para maximizar a reutilização e reciclabilidade dos RCD e a qualidade dos materiais recuperados. Para este efeito, é apresentada uma lista de substâncias perigosas críticas e feita a identificação dos materiais de construção que potencialmente contêm constituintes perigosos. Neste relatório é descrita a atividade desenvolvida na tarefa T2

Foi fabricado um betão com agregados de minério de ferro proveniente de jazida de Moncorvo, para avaliação do potencial destes agregados para o fabrico de betão de elevada densidade. Com base nos resultados obtidos são feitas considerações sobre a densidade do betão que será possível obter em função da massa volúmica do agregado.

The research project DRYMASS – Drying of porous building materials possibly contaminated with soluble salts (PTDC/ECM/100553/2008) took place from February 2010 to January 2014. The project allowed advancing the knowledge on drying of porous building materials, as well as about how soluble salts and some types of surface layers affect that behaviour. A new method to characterize salt decay processes by optical profilometry was proposed, and the usefulness of NMR to clarify the causes of such processes demonstrated. There was also a provisional patent application, which was based on research results about the influence that lime coatings have on drying. The main findings of the project were specifically the following. Lime coatings may accelerate the drying of porous substrates. Also due to their high drying rate, ordinary building materials have a high evaporative cooling potential. With salt solutions, the drying kinetics of porous building materials is slower than with pure water. One of the causes is the reduction in sorptivity. Occasionally, there is also obstruction to vapour transport by the efflorescence. However, in most cases, porous efflorescence occurs, which pose no obstruction to this transport. Further, fissures or disaggregation may accelerate drying. Soluble salts amplify the effects that the natural heterogeneity of porous materials has on the drying kinetics. Due to the chaotic nature of the process, lime coatings will not necessarily enhance drying in this case. Sodium sulfate can be very destructive in the absence of high temperature or successive wet/dry cycles. A delamination pattern similar to those found in real constructions was observed on the well-known Ançã limestone. NMR showed that mirabilite and heptahydrate can both be responsible for this delamination pattern, in different conditions. Thermal expansion may be one of the mechanisms involved in salt decay processes.

In this report we describe an experimental study carried out at LNEC within the research project DRYMASS (ref. PTDC/ECM/100553/2008). The study was aimed at evaluating the possibility of increasing the drying rate of porous building materials by means of nano-treatments. It was justified by previous results of other authors that observed an apparently unexplainable increase in the evaporation rate of natural stone after application of nano-calcium hydroxide solutions as consolidating agents. Two commercial treatments, consisting on alcoholic or aqueous suspensions of nano-lime or nanosilica, respectively, were tested on three porous building materials. The treatments are generally used for consolidation. The materials were a lime mortar and two natural stones (Ançã limestone and Bentheimer sandstone). It was concluded that neither of the nano-treatments hinders drying. However, they were also not able to increase the drying kinetics of any of the three substrates.

The decay of porous building materials due to salt crystallization is very frequent and often significant in the built heritage and, thus, a proper understanding of the underlying processes has major importance for conservation. In this light, a new method for characterization of salt decay processes was developed within the DRYMASS research project, which is based on continuously measuring by optical profilometry the micrometric changes that occur on the material surface during drying. This method produces three different types of output: the so-called "alteration curve", as well as the current gravimetric evaporation curve and time-lapse photographs of the decay. But the three features had, until now, to be recorded using different specimens. This is an important limitation because the high uncertainty of salt decay processes may give rise to different decay patterns in similar specimens. Here, we present a development of the original study, which was afterwards carried out within the same project to allow evaluating the three features in a single specimen, by using an integrated set-up. This new study was carried out with two salts often found in salt decayed constructions, Na2SO4 and NaCl, and a material frequently used in the architectural heritage, Ançã limestone. Some of the experiments were performed after application of a water repellent treatment on the stone.

This is the third progress report of the research project "DRYMASS - Drying of porous materials possibly contaminated with soluble salts". It includes the following main sections: (i) A summary of the work, which briefly describes the activities undertaken in the reporting period and the results achieved, referring specifically to the tasks under execution in that period. (ii) A justification of the deviations from the Approved Proposal, both from a scientific or financial viewpoint. It also identifies the major difficulties in implementing the approved work plan, and how they will be overcome. (iii) A list of publications. It includes also the following annexes: Annex I – 2nd reformulation proposal with updated timeline; Annex II – Cryspom III - Book of abstracts and conference program; Annex III – Summary report on Cryspom III; Annexe IV – Figures and abstracts; Annexe V – Article submitted to Transport in Porous Media.

Conserving the built heritage today entails decisions and planning at several different levels. Firstly, analysis is necessary regarding what to conserve: values, authenticity and integrity are the key concepts at this macro level. Then, decisions on how to conserve them should consider the chief principles of good conservation practice, among which compatibility, retreatability and minimum intervention are prominent today. This report analyses these concepts and the different ways in which they were translated into the decision support systems that are nowadays resorted to, from values-based decision making and risk management in conservation to intervention planning and performance assessments. The ultimate goal of this analysis is to compile tools that promote a more rational decision making in conservation.

Este relatório sintetiza a atividade desenvolvida no LNEC visando contribuir para a aplicação dos materiais obtidos no processamento de resíduos de construção e demolição (RCD) no sector da construção, nomeadamente em betões e argamassas, em pavimentos rodoviários e em aterros e camadas de leito de infraestruturas de transporte. Esta atividade abrange as áreas de investigação programada, de investigação por contrato e outras atividades científicas e técnicas das quais se destaca a preparação de especificações técnicas específicas para estes materiais, a difusão de conhecimentos através da realização de ações de formação, da elaboração de documentos e da participação em conferências e outras reuniões científicas e técnicas. Nesta atividade integra-se também a cooperação com entidades, nacionais e estrangeiras, designadamente com universidades e associações de carácter científico e técnico. Sendo esta uma atividade transversal no LNEC O presente relatório integra o trabalho desenvolvido no Departamento de Materiais, no Departamento de Edifícios, no Departamento de Geotecnia e no Departamento de Transportes.

A empresa Repsol Polímeros, Lda, através de correio electrónico no dia 6 de Abril de 2011, solicitou ao Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil (LNEC) a avaliação do estado de degradação de estruturas do Terminal Portuário do Porto de Sines, que incluíam dois viadutos localizados entre os postos de acostagem 4/5 e 9/10 da Área do Porto de Sines (APS)1 e o porto-cais do terminal de Graneis Líquidos2, e a apresentação de recomendações relativas à solução a adoptar para a recuperação das estruturas.

O Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil tem vindo a desenvolver um estudo no domínio da conservação dos azulejos históricos que permitiu, nalguns casos relevantes, estabelecer uma ligação entre determinados defeitos de fabrico e formas específicas de degradação. Esse estudo demonstrou a conveniência no estabelecimento de um glossário ilustrado, incluindo defeitos de fabrico e formas de degradação e contemplando alguma terminologia nova. É esse trabalho, saído de uma colaboração com o Museu Nacional do Azulejo, que agora se apresenta num vocabulário que inclui também algumas definições básicas, cobrindo termos necessários às definições subsequentes de defeitos de fabrico e de formas de degradação. Os termos em relação aos quais pareceu aos autores poderem subsistir dúvidas têm anexas ilustrações exemplificativas.

Non-destructive or micro-destructive in situ tests are very relevant to the physical characterization of materials used in historical buildings. “Controlled penetration,” “sphere shock” and “sonic methods” can be used to evaluate the mechanical resistance of mortars and renders or to monitor the hardening process after their application. Used to evaluate surface hardness, micro-drilling (DRMS) is a very sensitive technique, and its use in this field is expected to contribute to more precise results. However, the diversity of the composition of mortars and the systematic presence of abrasive components are limiting factors for the use of this method in this field. In this study, several mortars with different composition and hardness are compared using drilling resistance as the comparative parameter. The mortars were applied on-site aiming at their use in real situations. Extracted mortar samples were tested in the laboratory using resistance drilling which was complemented by additional methods currently used for in situ characterization of these materials. The results highlight the need for an integrated perspective of laboratory and on-site information.

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