Artigos de Revista

O projeto de investigação e desenvolvimento To-SEAlert financiado pela Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia e envolvendo o LNEC, a FCiências.ID, a NOVA.ID.FCT e o ISEL tem como objetivo o desenvolvimento de um sistema de previsão, alerta, planeamento de emergência e gestão de risco de galgamentos e inundações em zonas costeiras e portuárias, com base no sistema HIDRALERTA. Partindo das características da agitação marítima ao largo e utilizando modelos numéricos para a propagação e deformação da agitação marítima, o sistema HIDRALERTA estima os parâmetros relevantes da agitação marítima para a avaliação do galgamento e da inundação bem como o risco associado a esses eventos. As funcionalidades que se pretendem melhorar no âmbito do projeto To-SEAlert dizem respeito às metodologias de previsão do galgamento e da delimitação da zona inundada, bem como no apoio à resposta a situações de emergência envolvendo fenómenos de galgamento. A implementação e a validação do protótipo do To-SEAlert estão a ser efetuadas para a zona costeira da Costa da Caparica e para o porto da Ericeira. Este artigo apresenta o trabalho desenvolvido até à data na construção e desenvolvimento do protótipo do To-SEAlert para o porto da Ericeira.

Neste artigo, dedicado à temática específica das escadas domésticas, faz-se, de início, um enquadramento e uma breve introdução geral aos espaços domésticos, seguindo-se uma reflexão sequencial sobre as seguintes matérias específicas: notas introdutórias sobre a natureza específica das escadas domésticas; escada doméstica como elemento formal e funcional; escada doméstica como elemento de relação entre espaços e dimensões domésticas; escada doméstica como elemento de intimidade e mesmo de secretismo; escada doméstica como elemento complementar, mas marcante, na estruturação e na imagem da habitação; considerações sobre a importância real das circulações domésticas e sobre o papel que nelas podem desempenhar as escadas privativas.

This paper demonstrates the application of multicriteria decision analysis (MCDA) methodology in a real case study aiming to choose the best rehabilitation intervention of an industrial water main. This methodology is composed of three main stages: problem identification, structuring, and evaluation. Problem structuring, a crucial stage for the outcomes, includes identifying objectives, selecting scenarios within the analysis period, defining problem alternatives, and defining the problematic type. Problem evaluation includes the selection of assessment metrics, selection of the aggregation method, application of the method, and a sensitivity and robustness analysis. Two scenarios, nine assessment metrics, and seven alternatives are established, and two ranking methods (the additive model and ELECTRE III method) are used to compare the alternatives. The results show that the best solution corresponds to building a new pipe and deactivating the existing one, as it significantly reduces the pipe failure risk and O&M costs, whereas the worst solution is always the status quo case, since it is the only alternative that does not improve the system performance, independently of the ranking method and the analyzed scenario.

RESCCUE es un proyecto de investigación financiado por el programa Horizonte 2020 de la Comisión Europea y liderado por Suez que tiene como objetivo ayudar a ciudades de todo el mundo a ser más resistentes a retos físicos, sociales y económicos, utilizando el sector del agua como elemento central.

Abstract The main motivation for this research is the growing awareness of the impact of climate change and the increasing relevance of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, aiming to contribute to the measurement of quantities like precipitation and rate of rainfall. This knowledge is widely used in hydrology, climatology and meteorology, providing data and information applied in modelling, pattern definition and recognition, and forecasting. This work is concerned with estimating the average areal rainfall in a stipulated region from rainfall intensity observations made at measurement stations within that region. It focuses on three straightforward estimation approaches: the arithmetic mean method, the Thiessen polygon method and the isohyetal method. The evaluation of the associated measurement uncertainty, for which the law of propagation of uncertainty and a Monte Carlo method as described in guidance documents from the Joint Committee for Guides in Metrology are applied, is the main consideration. The approaches described may be readily applied by practitioners. A comparison of results from applying these methods to a simple example is made. Such results are required for conformity assessment and support in urban management and water resources management worldwide.

Neste artigo, dedicado à temática global da sala-comum doméstica e a uma reflexão específica sobre o seu papel como um privilegiado espaço multiusos da habitação faz-se, de início, um enquadramento à noção do que se entende por um espaço doméstico multiusos, suas potencialidades, limitações e oportunidade de se desenvolver no âmbito da sala-comum doméstica, seguindo-se uma reflexão sequencial sobre as seguintes matérias específicas: o convívio familiar, como a atividade que, provavelmente, mais marca a sala-comum; um estar doméstico que pode e deve caraterizar-se por um amplo leque de facetas de atividade; um estar doméstico (convivial ou privatizado) que deve também ser possível em diversos espaços da habitação; e, finalmente, o equilíbrio que poderá existir na sala-comum entre condições de “mais espaço” e/ou de “melhores (sub)espaços”.

The morphological evolution of the Tagus estuary inlet in the last century is analyzed in order to characterize its dynamics, explain its behavior and anticipate its future evolution. First, the evolution is characterized through a literature review, complemented by new data analyses. This review synthesizes the present understanding of the inlet’s dynamics and highlights some key questions that remain unanswered. To address these questions, a 2DH process-based morphodynamic model is implemented and validated, and then used to refine the previous understanding of the inlet’s dynamics. A new conceptual model, which highlights a seasonal behaviour of the inlet’s morphodynamics, is proposed. During winter time, the residual sediment transport is directed seaward along the navigation channel, towards the inlet mouth along the beaches adjacent to the inlet, and towards the estuary over the southern part of the ebb delta (Cachopo Sul). During the maritime summer, residual sediment fluxes are approximately half those occurring during winter. The relative importance of tidal flows increases, leading to sediment fluxes directed towards the southwest over the Cachopo Sul. The sediment deposits formed during the summer can be mobilized under specific wave conditions and transported to the northern stretch of the beaches to the south of the inlet. A positive feedback between the erosion of the Cachopo Sul – or, similarly, sea level rise – and the sediment fluxes over this bank suggests that the evolution of the bank observed during the last decades will continue in the foreseeable future.

Conservation of the European-built heritage is nowadays closely related to interventions in masonry construction. Since a significant part of these structures are located in earthquake prone zones, designing protective measures that ensure their preservation requires the assessment of the associated seismic vulnerability and the understanding of their degradation mechanisms. However, due to the presence of discontinuities between its constituent elements, the numerical simulation of the non-linear response of masonry structures subjected to strong earthquakes is a cumbersome task, especially when performed using the traditional finite element method. As an alternative, the discrete element method is particularly suitable for the numerical analysis of such structures under large, damaging loads. By allowing discrete displacements/rotations of individual bodies, and by automatically recognising new contacts between bodies, while eliminating obsolete ones, this numerical approach can simulate the complete detachment of discrete bodies initially in contact.The present paper illustrates the use of the discrete element method to assess the seismic vulnerability of stone arches. A probabilistic approach allows to consider the variability of theseismic action and the uncertainties in the definition of the material properties. First, an unreinforced masonry arch is considered. Based on non-linear multi-directional incremental dynamic analyses, five damage states are proposed and the respective fragility curves are elaborated. Toimprove the arch’s seismic performance, two reinforcing solutions using steel elements are considered and analysed comparatively.

A seismic assessment study of two historical masonry arch bridges, with different geometries and spans, is presented. The seismicity of the two locations was analyzed in order to define the seismic action to be applied. Artificial ground motion records were generated accordingly, and real ground motions were also used. The two numerical models were created with a 3D discrete element code. The accuracy of the deformability of the block models was verified by comparison with a finite element model. In situ measurements of the natural frequencies were available for one of the bridges, providing further means for model calibration. Time domain dynamic analyses were performed with each set of ground motions, allowing an evaluation of damage and failure modes under seismic action. The shorter span bridge was found to withstand the regulatory records with minimum damage. In contrast, the longer span bridge displayed a significant vulnerability to earthquake action. The study shows that rigid block models have the ability to represent effectively the dynamic elastic response of the bridges and can be calibrated by ambient vibration measurements. Furthermore, the discrete element models provide a powerful tool to investigate the nonlinear dynamic response and failure of these structures, which has to be based on a comprehensive set of dynamic records.

As Europe is faced with increasing droughts and extreme precipitation, countries are taking measures to adapt to these changes. It is challenging, however, to navigate through the wide range of possible measures, taking into account the efficacy, economic impact and social justice aspects of these measures, as well as the governance requirements for implementing them. This article presents the approach of selecting and analysing adaptation measures to increasing extreme weather events caused by ongoing climate change that was developed and applied in the H2020 project BINGO (Bringing Innovation to Ongoing Water Management). The purpose of this project is (a) to develop an integrated participatory approach for selecting and evaluating adaptation measures, (b) to apply and evaluate the approach across six case-study river basins across Europe, and (c) to support decision-making towards adaptation capturing the diversity, the different circumstances and challenges river basins face across Europe. It combines three analyses: governance, socio-economic and social justice The governance analysis focuses on the requirements associated with the measures and the extent to which these requirements are met at the research sites. The socio-economic impact focuses on the efficacy of the measures in reducing the risks and the broad range of tools available to compare the measures on their societal impact. Finally, a tentative social justice analysis focuses on the distributive impacts of the adaptation measures. In the summary of results, we give an overview of the outcome of the different analyses. In the conclusion, we briefly assess the main pros and cons of the different analyses that were conducted. The main conclusion is that although the research sites were very different in both the challenges and the institutional context, the approach presented here yielded decision-relevant outcomes.