The reuse of recycled materials in geotechnical works has awakened a growing interest in the last few years in Portugal. A committee (GT-VROG) within the Portuguese Geotechnical Society (SPG) was created recently for analysing the current state of this kind of use and for promoting it nationwide. As part of the activities of the group, a national survey within producers of waste materials and potential users in geotechnical works was carried out, and a national seminar was organised within the framework of the activities of the TC-3 of the ISSMGE, in order to discuss the present situation in the country and the best ways to develop the reuse of this kind of materials in geotechnical applications. The seminar had the participation of representatives of the different entities interested on the subject (producers, users, administration and research centres), as well as of invited foreign specialists from other European countries. Taking advantage of the results of these activities, the current state of the use of recycled materials in geotechnical works in Portugal is briefly presented and analysed next.

The Gabbros of Beja Aquifer System extends for approximately 350 km2 and is one of the most important reservoirs of groundwater in the context of hard rocks aquifers of South Portugal (Alentejo Region). The average annual rainfall in the area is about 500 to 600 mm.Groundwater resources are used for public supply over 3 councils and irrigation. During drought cycles consumption increases and pumping rates decrease with correspondent management difficulties and conflicts between private and public interests.The correct assessment of annual recharge is of utmost importance for regional planning and management of groundwater resources under semiarid climate conditions. Moreover the aquifer was recently declared vulnerable to nitrate diffuse pollution of agriculture origin and recharge mechanisms are the major natural factor controlling contamination of shallow waters in the Gabbros of Beja aquifer.Recharge assessment and modelling was performed on the base of several complementary methodologies: 1) water balance based on historical data of annual pumping rates; 2) chloride mass balance between groundwater and rainfall compositions; 3) daily sequential water balance modelling of hydrological parameters using Balseq model, and 4) soil and vadose zone daily water balance modelling using lumped model Earth and piezometric water level curves for calibration.Results of direct and indirect methods show that annual average recharge should be between 10% and 20% or even more of annual rainfall.

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A surface flow hydrograph separation technique was used to compute base flow in 13 watersheds developed partially or totally in fractured massifs of Portugal. This technique consists firstly in isolating distinct precipitation/surface flow episodes, and, secondly, for each episode, in separating surface flow into base flow and direct runoff. Annual values of average and median base flow are presented for each watershed, as well as the linear equations that relate the obtained annual base flow with annual precipitation. The watersheds were grouped into four lithological groups and linear regressions were derived for these groups. In some conditions, that are assumed to be almost fulfilled in the 13 studied watersheds, groundwater recharge of the watershed equals base flow.By using the average values of annual base flow, it was possible to obtain a regression line model that relates average annual base flow (Fb) with annual average precipitation (P): Fb = 0.5210 * P 284 (mm/a). While no other new studies are developed, this model is proposed as a first approach to characterise average annual recharge of the Portuguese fractured massifs.

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