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This study evaluated the durability of three innovative multilayer insulation systems incorporating thermal mortars with EPS aggregates and silica aerogel granules after hygrothermal accelerated aging and one year of natural aging at an urban site in Portugal. The loss of performance was assessed after the accelerated aging and every three months of natural aging using non-destructive testing. Chemical-morphological analyses were alsocarried out prior to and after accelerated and natural aging. Results obtained after accelerated and natural aging were compared, thus contributing towards a deeper understanding of possible synergistic effects of several degradation agents and mechanisms on the long-term durability of multilayer insulation systems. The Coffin-Manson equation showed that the accelerated aging procedure (~13 days of heat/rain cycles and 5 days of heat/cold cycles) adopted herein corresponds to approximately 11 years of natural aging in typical urban conditions. The results show a significant increase in capillary water absorption and drying capacity after aging.Extensive surface microcracking was observed after accelerated aging and after 3 months of natural aging, especially in the systems facing North. Traces of biological growth were detected on both the artificially and naturally aged systems, whereas aesthetic alterations were more pronounced in North-oriented specimens after 3 months of exposure, with significantly lower surface gloss and a darker tone. On the other hand, color change cannot be detected in the artificially aged systems (

The internal structures and the hygroscopicity of bio-based boards consisting of giantreed (Arundo donax L.) and hazelnut shells as bio-aggregates, and a sodium silicate solution asthe adhesive, were investigated. The aim was to evaluate the influence of each material (the bio-aggregates and adhesive) and their distributions in the boards on the final performance. By carrying out X-ray computed tomography, the internal structures and the porosities of the boards were determined, allowing important considerations of their hygroscopicity. The voids

ETICS are multilayer building solutions applied to the building external walls to provide animproved thermal performance to the building envelope. However, several questions have beenraised concerning the durability of ETICS, namely related to biological colonisation phenomena.Considering the high susceptibility of ETICS to bio-colonisation, the following research questions arise: (i) what is the impact of surface temperature (ST) and surface relative humidity (SRH)fuctuation on mould growth in ETICS facades? (ii) is it possible to predict mould growth onETICS under fuctuating conditions considering favourable and unfavourable growth conditions?This study aims to investigate the infuence of the hygrothermal behaviour of five different ETICS(with thermal mortars and insulation boards) on mould growth. ETICS were exposed for one yearat an urban site in Lisbon, Portugal, facing North, during which the ST and the SRH weremonitored. Concurrently, numerical simulations were performed to evaluate the hygrothermalbehaviour of the ETICS. Three theoretical indices were applied, using numerically and experimmentally obtained values of ST and SRH as input to provide an indication of the risk of mould growth. The results were complemented and validated by assessing the bio-colonisation, water performance and aesthetic properties of the ETICS. Index 1 (percentage of time with SRH

The introduction of stored product insect pests to new areas is facilitated by food trade among countries, and effective detection and monitoring programs are crucial for food security. The khapra beetle, Trogoderma granarium Everts is one of the most destructive insect species. In Portugal, T. granarium has been detected in 1988. However, no new data has been added to this information since that date. Floor traps with pheromones specific to T. granarium were used and placed inside ports, mills, and storage facilities, including warehouses and silos, between June and September in 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2022.Previous results from other sampling programs conducted between 2002 and 2008 are also referred here to add more evidence for the presence or absence of T. granarium in Portugal. Here, various types of traps, including some generalists and others with pheromones (such as T. granarium), were used. The collected insects were identified to species, or genus.Surveys conducted identified approximately 40 insect species that are associated with stored products, in a total of 23.725 insects, and among them, the weevils belonging to the genus Sitophilus C.J.Schoenherr have been recognized as the main pests that affects stored cereals. Regarding the surveys made between 2017 and 2022 and previous surveys done in Portugal (between 2002 and 2008; n = 26.719 insects identified), no T. granarium individuals were detected in any of the entomological samples, and only a few Dermestidae specimens were found across all surveys, one of them belonging to the same genus, identified as Trogoderma inclusum LeConte. With the predicted changes in climate, there is a risk of introducing T. granarium and other destructive insect pests that could displace itophilus weevils as the key stored products pest in Portugal. Therefore, it is crucial to monitor and implement measures to prevent the spread of invasive pests for effective pest management and food security purposes, using proper trapping methods and accurate and rapid identification tools.

Arundo donax (giant reed or giant cane) is a widely available, perennial, invasive, non-food crop, present worldwide and employed for several uses, including building practices. Considering the increasing demand for sustainable building materials, A. donax can be an eficient solution. This study investigated its properties as a bio-aggregate mixed with a sodium silicate solution as an adhesive. A horizontal analysis that provided a general characterization of the composite was carried out. The results showed that the A. donax-based composite had anapparent density of 517 kg/m3 , thermal conductivity of 0.128 W/(m.K), and high hygroscopicity, with a moisture buffering value of 4.33 g/(m2 %RH), property that could be both an advantage for indoor comfort and a drawback. The uncommon sound absorption behaviour can be comparable to granular materials, with the highest sound absorption coeficient values,

Arundo donax (giant reed or giant cane) is a widely available, perennial, invasive, non-food crop, present worldwide and employed for several uses, including building practices. Considering the increasing demand for sustainable building materials, A. donax can be an efficient solution. This study investigated its properties as a bio-aggregate mixed with a sodium silicate solution as an adhesive. A horizontal analysis that provided a general characterization of the composite was carried out. The results showed that the A. donax-based composite had an apparent density of 517 kg/m3, thermal conductivity of 0.128 W/(m.K), and high hygroscopicity, with a moisture buffering value of 4.33 g/(m2 %RH), property that could be both an advantage for indoor comfort and a drawback. The uncommon sound absorption behaviour can be comparable to granular materials, with the highest sound absorption coefficient values,

The search for innovative and sustainable solutions to improve the energy efficiencyof the construction industry has been a hot topic for researchers due to the tremendous impactof insulator materials in the thermal comfort of buildings. In the present work, an innovativelightweight composite material with thermal insulation properties was developed, for the firsttime, by using cardoon particles and polyurethane. The formulation of the composite materialwas optimized in terms of cardoon fraction and the polyol/isocyanate ratio, to achieve the bestcompromise between internal bond (IB) strength and thickness swelling (TS). The best performing composite was PU75-CP45, with 45 wt% of cardoon particles and 75% of isocyanate, achieving an IB of 0.41 MPa and a TS of 5.3%. Regarding insulation properties, the PU75-CP45 composite material exhibits a promising performance when compared to conventional construction industry materials by tuning its thickness. Additionally, the composite material presented very low emissions of volatile organic compounds and formaldehyde (bellow to legislation levels) and high resistance to biological degradation

External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS) are frequently used to enhance the energy efficiency of the built environment. However, stains of presumable biological nature are often detected shortly after application, causing cladding defacement and altering the building aesthetics. To address which microbiota could contribute to these biodeterioration related color/aesthetic anomalies, samples collected from stains detected on the surface of building facades with ETICS in three residential sites in Lisbon, Portugal, were analyzed throughmicrobiological culture-dependent technique and culture-independent amplicon DNA high throughput sequencing taxonomic profiling. The obtained data provided a comprehensive description of microbial communities assigned to diverse taxa of the major microbial groups of heterotrophic bacteria, fungi, cyanobacteria, and microalgae (through DNA plastid detection) in the sampled stains. Based on that, we propose that new microorganisms could be added to the list of bio-susceptibility testing organisms in ETICS. Furthermore, microbiota diversity depended more on facade location and cardinal orientation than on ETICS material composition. Overall, this study reveals the unique microbial communities of color/aesthetic biodeterioration stains in ETICS facades, unlike those of other surfaces, and the associated environmental dynamics.

Laboratory tests were carried out to evaluate the feasibility of producing boards or coating panels with good hygrothermal performance by using different agro-industrial wastes (grape and olive press wastes, hazelnut shells, spent coffee and pine) and adhesives (gypsum-based binder, sodium silicate solution and starch-based glue). Hygrothermal properties and resistance to mould growth, including the effect of citric acid, were evaluated. The results highlighted the benefits and drawbacks of each adhesive: the binder seems more adequate to produce bio-based plastering mortars than boards; the other adhesives seem efficient solutions to produce boards with good hygrothermal properties; for the natural glue the bio-susceptibility needs improvement.

Traditional carpentry joints can be found worldwide in many timber truss structures connectingrafter and tie beam. One failure mode of this connection result from shear in the tie beam beyond the notch either due to bad design or deterioration. In this article, the reduction in shear strength of Single Step Joints (SSJ) resulting from biological attack by anobiids was analysed. For this purpose, tests were carried out in non-degraded scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) specimens (reference) and compared to artificially degraded specimens with three different levels of degradation. The reduction of shear resistance was analysed in relation to the density of holes drilled during the degradation simulation, the loss of mass, and the reduction of the hearresistant area. At lower degradation levels, no significant reduction in shear strength was observed. On the other hand, the linear regression shows a trend of resistance reduction with increasing degradation. Despite the relatively low coefficient of determination (r2 = 0.25), the parameterthat best correlated with the residual strength was the reduction in the shear-resistant area.

Delamination at the glue lines is one key factor to take into account when assessing glued laminated timber members in service. In order to gain a more objective and wide knowledge about the importance of delamination relative to its type and extension, a numerical study was developed.Finite element modeling (FEM) was used to evaluate the delamination influence (near the surface, on the vertical faces and ends) on the mechanic performance of straight glued laminated timber beams. The FEM was validated by comparing stresses and deformations obtained with the modeland with the application of the beam theory, showing satisfactory results.Results show that when delamination is non-symmetric regarding the member

A durabilidade da madeira ao ataque de térmitas é um critério muito importante na escolha da madeira aplicada em áreas onde a presença de térmitas subterrâneas foi diagnosticada.Testes com e sem escolha foram efectuados para investigar as preferências alimentares de Reticulitermes grassei relativamente a duas espécies autóctones (Pinus pinaster

Timber constructions are often built in combination with other materials such as concrete.These materials can influence the timber construction. Moist concrete can e.g. lead todevelopment of molds which creates an unhealthy living area for people. Furthermore, moisture in wood buildings can negatively affect the wood material, which can lead to negative biological activity in timber and possible reduction of strength properties of timber constructions.The present paper introduces a new innovative method of timber protection and describes the influence of moisture on wood and concrete.The new environmental friendly system for protection of timber has been tested on wooddestroying fungi and termites. It can be shown that wood protection by means of electro osmotic pulsing technology can preserve wood in laboratory trials. The wood moisture content is reduced when the protection system is installed. Trials on protected wood against subterranean termites showed lower wood moisture content after test of protected samples compared to untreated samples. However, termite activity could not be reduced to a larger extend as the termite living surroundings were not included.It could be shown that humidity in pores of concrete in cellar walls is reduced usingelectro osmotic pulsing. The drying of concrete when combined with timber constructions can additionally help to reduce timber degradation as all protection measures that lead to a drier building are positive for fungi and subterranean termite control.

No presente trabalho serão descritas algumas soluções para a consolidação ou reforço deelementos estruturais de madeira utilizando diferentes técnicas. Serão descritos os procedimentos e cuidados a ter na sua execução, ao mesmo tempo que serão referenciadas as principais vantagens e desvantagens. Assim, dependendo do grau de eficácia pretendido, capacidade económica ou intrusividade da solução é possível distinguir e tipificar algumas soluções.A utilização de madeira nova na reabilitação de soluções existentes consiste numa intervenção mínima que pretende manter, por vezes com carácter temporal, a estabilidade do elemento sem modificar o seu estado actual. São soluções económicas cujo resultado estético e muitas vezes funcional pode não ser o melhor. Um dos principais problemas é a degradação biótica dos apoiosjunto das paredes de suporte. Outros problemas como a deformação excessiva ou empenos grosseiros resultantes dos ciclos de presença-ausência de humidade nos elementos são outros fenómenos que potenciam esta situação. The present paper will describe some solutions for the consolidation or reinforcement of wooden structural elements using different techniques. It will be described the procedures and care in itsexecution, while the main advantages and problems are referenced. Thus, depending on the effectiveness, economic capacity or intrusiveness of the solution will be possible to distinguish and typify some solutions.The use of wood in the rehabilitation of existing solutions consists of a minimum intervention that intends to maintain the structural stability of the element without changing its current loading state.These solutions are mostly thought using an economic point of view which results in anesthetic and dysfunctional solutions. One of the main problems is precisely the biotic degradation of the supports. Other problems such as excessive deformation or warping resulting from cycles of presence-absence of moisture in the elements are other phenomena that enhance this situation.

No presente trabalho irão ser descritas algumas soluções para a consolidação e/ou reforço de elementos estruturais de madeira utilizando diferentes técnicas, em função dos materiais utilizados: betão armado e elementos metálicos. Irão ser analisadas a possibilidade de introduzir elementos em betão armado e elementos/perfis metálicos, no reforço de elementos solicitadosprincipalmente em flexão. Serão também analisadas as possibilidades de reforço e/ouconsolidação de pilares e coberturas.Deste modo, serão descritas algumas soluções que permitirão aumentar a capacidade portantedos elementos ou do conjunto, sugerindo formas práticas de executar convenientemente algumas destas propostas.Com o desenvolvimento tecnológico ao nível dos materiais e das técnicas de produção eexecução, o processo de reabilitação e recuperação dos pavimentos de madeira ganhou novo fôlego com a introdução de perfis metálicos e elementos de betão armado. The present work will describe some solutions for the consolidation and/or reinforcement of structural timber elements using different techniques taking into account the reinforcement materials used: concrete and steel. Will be also analyzed the possibility of introducing reinforcedconcrete and steel elements in the retrofitting of in bending wooden structures or elements. Finally, the possibilities of strengthening and/or consolidation of wooden columns and wooden roofs will be studied.Some solutions that increase the load bearing capacity of elements or structures will be described, and some practical issues will be presented. With the most recent technological development in materials and production techniques, the global process of rehabilitation and restoration of wooden floors gave new opportunities to the introduction of steel and reinforcedconcrete elements as a true solution.

Mesmo em aplicações não estruturais, a montagem e a fixação de componentes de madeira devem ser suficientemente fortes para garantir o seu adequado desempenho. Relativamente à madeira modificada, um aspecto pouco estudado é precisamente o desempenho das ligações realizadas com este material, designadamente a sua capacidade de retenção de ligadores metálicos e o desempenho de ligações ao corte.Foram realizados ensaios para avaliar a resistência ao arrancamento de parafusos e aresistência ao esmagamento de madeira comercial termicamente modificada. Os resultados destes ensaios foram comparados com os obtidos, no mesmo estudo, sobre madeira não modificada e confrontados com as expressões relevantes dadas no Eurocódigo 5.Verificou-se que a resistência ao esmagamento localizado da madeira modificada aumenta com a sua massa volúmica, numa tendência semelhante à observada em madeira não modificada. No entanto, é subestimada pelas expressões dadas no Eurocódigo 5, o que pode ser parcialmente explicado pelo menor teor de água de equilíbrio atingido pelo Thermowood®. Em contrapartida, aresistência ao arrancamento obtida em ensaios sobre este material foi semelhante à prevista pelo Eurocódigo 5 (EN 1995-1-1:2004/A1:2008) para madeira não modificada. Even in non-structural applications, timber components must be adequately fixed to ensure suitable performance. However, the performance of joints made with modified wood has not been adequately studied, namely regarding their axial and lateral load-carrying capacity.Tests were carried out to assess the embedding strength and the withdrawal strength of Thermowood®. These test results were compared to the ones obtained on untreated wood and checked against the equations given in Eurocode 5.It was concluded that the embedding strength of Thermowood® increases with its density, similarly to the trend found in untreated wood, but this is underestimated by the equations given inEurocode 5, partially as a consequence of the Thermowood® lower equilibrium moisture content. The withdrawal resistance measured in Thermowood® specimens was similar to the one predicted by Eurocode 5 (EN 1995-1-1:2004/A1:2008) for untreated wood.

. O presente trabalho apresenta um critério de interacção entre esforços para o cálculo do estado limite plástico de secções rectangulares de aço (barras e placas), submetidas a um esforço normal e a flexão desviada. Este critério foi obtido através da integração exacta da distribuição de tensões na secção. As suas principais vantagens residem na sua simplicidade, na sua precisão e no facto de estabelecer uma relação directa entre os esforços internos, a geometria da secção (relação altura-largura) e a direcção e posição do respectivo eixo neutro. Estas vantagens permitem a sua aplicação ao cálculo plástico de outras secções correntes na construção metálica, tais como os perfis em I ou de secção rectangular oca, por exemplo.

At the conservation and/or rehabilitation stage of a building the condition state of the timber structural elements strongly limits the actions to be adopted. A non-destructive survey of their state is therefore a frequent need. Due to their handling facility and the direct results obtained two inspection and diagnosisless-destructive or non-destructive tests (NDT) [Machado & Cruz, 1997] gain relevance in the in situ characterization of timber properties: the Pilodyn® and the Resistograph® methods.This paper presents the experimental procedures and the results obtained to find a possible correlation between the results obtained with these test readings and some properties of timber. The results werecorrelated with the density and the compression strength of two different species of pine timber with different ages, frequently used in buildings in the Lisbon area in the two last centuries. Thus, the following test campaigns were performed in Pinus sylvestris samples with approximately 80 and 150 years and recent Pinus pinaster samples: i- density; ii - compressive strength; iii - Pilodyn® and Resistograph® readings.Though further work is envisaged, a correlation was found between the timber properties and the valuesobtained with the non-destructive equipments used.

A madeira modificada é, hoje em dia, uma alternativa à madeira maciça para diversasaplicações na construção. A modificação da madeira baseia-se em processos de tratamentoaplicados de modo a melhorar o comportamento da madeira maciça, de forma a obviar alguns dos aspectos responsáveis por um desempenho desadequado da madeira na construção. Ostratamentos actualmente existentes, focam a sua atenção na melhoria da resistência àbiodegradação, da estabilidade dimensional e da resistência à radiação ultravioleta.O presente artigo tem por objectivo analisar as potencialidades da utilização da madeiramodificada na construção, salientando as suas vantagens e igualmente aspectos que têm limitado a sua utilização. A principal característica da madeira modificada é a drástica redução do teor de água de equilíbrio da madeira, propriedade importante sobretudo quando utilizada em situações de interior húmido ou exterior abrigado. Esta propriedade poderá favorecer a durabilidade da madeira modificada relativamente à madeira maciça. A melhor estabilidade dimensional reduz a formação de fissuras, conduzindo a um melhor desempenho dos sistemas de revestimento. No entanto, alguns tratamentos podem diminuir algumas propriedades da madeira com impactodirecto no nível de desempenho dos elementos na construção (resistência à flexão, o módulo de elasticidade e a densidade). Modified wood is, nowadays, an alternative to solid wood for various applications in construction.Wood modification treatments are processes used to improve the behaviour of solid wood in order to remedy some of the things responsible for an inadequate performance of wood in construction.Existing treatments focus their attention on the improvement of resistance to biodegradation,dimensional stability and resistance to ultraviolet radiation. This article aims to study the potential use of modified wood in construction, highlighting their benefits and also aspects that have limitedtheir use. The main feature of modified wood is the drastic reduction of water content of wood, an important property especially when wood is used in indoor humid or exterior protected conditions.This property can favour the durability of modified wood against solid wood. The better dimensional stability reduces the formation of cracks, leading to better performance of the coating systems.However, some treatments may decrease wood properties with direct impact on the level of performance of the elements in construction (namely bending strength, modulus of elasticity and density).

A utilização de madeira tratada de Pinho bravo nacional (Pinus pinaster Ait.) no fabrico de estruturas lameladas coladas parece ser uma alternativa interessante para situações de aplicação que requeiram madeira com grande durabilidade natural ou conferida. No entanto, de acordo com estudos anteriores realizados no LNEC, os elementos lamelados colados realizados com madeira de Pinho bravo tratada em profundidade apresentaram boa resistência mecânica, mas manifestaram tendência para delaminar, o que implica cuidados especiais no seu fabrico.Neste trabalho pretendeu-se avaliar a viabilidade da colagem de madeira de Pinho bravo não tratada e tratada em profundidade com dois produtos preservadores à base de azóis de cobre adequados à Classe de Risco 3. Procurou-se igualmente verificar a viabilidade da utilização de promotores de adesão para melhorar a resistência e a durabilidade (resistência à delaminação) de vigas de madeira lamelada colada de Pinho bravo.O trabalho experimental realizado envolveu a execução de vigas de pequena dimensão usando madeira de Pinho bravo não tratada e tratada em profundidade com dois tipos de produto preservador, usando uma cola adequada a ambiente exterior (tipo PRF) e aplicando previamente à colagem um promotor de adesão (n-HMR).O efeito dos diversos parâmetros considerados no estudo foi avaliado mediante ensaios de corte e de delaminação pela junta de colagem e os resultados obtidos foram bastante satisfatórios. Verificou-se que a cola utilizada e o processo de fabrico seguido permitiram obter juntas coladas com bom desempenho, mesmo sem recurso ao promotor de adesão.Adicionalmente, concluiu-se que a utilização de ambos os produtos preservadores à base de azóis de cobre, com e sem boro, parecem ser alternativas viáveis em termos de compatibilidade com a colagem, dada a sucessiva proibição dos tradicionais produtos preservadores da madeira no espaço Europeu. The use of preservative treated Maritime pine (Pinus pinaster Ait.) timber in the manufacture of glued laminated timber structures seems as interesting alternative for applications that require high natural or acquired durability.However, according with previous studies carried out at LNEC, glulam members produced from deep treated Maritime pine timber presented high strength but a tendency to delaminate, thus requiring special care in their manufacture.This study aimed to evaluate the viability of using adhesion promoters to improve strength and durability (delamination strength) of glulam beams made from Maritime pine timber, either untreated or treated for use in service class 3 (uncovered exterior) applications.The experimental work developed involved the fabrication of small length beams using Maritime pine timber, both untreated and impregnated with two types of preservatives, using an adhesive suitable for external environments (PRF type) and applying an adhesion promoter (n-HMR) to timber prior to gluing.The effects of several parameters considered in this study were evaluated by shear and delamination tests of the glue lines. Even in the case of glulam made without the adhesion promoter the test results were very good, showing the suitability of this specific PRF adhesive for the job.Additionally, it was concluded that the use of new preservative products based on copper azole formulations is a viable alternative, given the progressive restrictions to traditional wood preservatives in the European market.

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O Museu da Academia das Ciências de Lisboa possui uma preciosa xiloteca assinada pelo Mestre dos marceneiros portugueses, José Aniceto Rapozo contendo 1213 amostras de madeiras do Brasil e 12 de outras origens. A sua importância no progresso do conhecimento dos recursos florestais do Brasil naviragem dos séculos dezoito e dezanove conduziu ao estudo em curso. Dada a devastação verificada em vastas áreas florestais brasileiras, surgem dificuldades por certas espécies poderem ter distribuiçãogeográfica diferente (com eventual extinção, geral ou localizada), por insuficiência do material de comparação, e por ambiguidade das designações comerciais.Foi possível identificar esta xiloteca como uma de quatro encomendadas a Aniceto Rapozo pelo Príncipe Regente. A análise das amostras de madeira e a informação documental mostram que a colecçãotem por base uma remessa de 5008 amostras de madeiras do Brasil enviada em 1784 para o Arsenal Real do Exército, em Lisboa, pelo Vice-Rei do Brasil, Luís de Vasconcellos e Souza.O valor científico do conjunto é evidenciado pela identificação botânica das espéciesrepresentadas. Na situação actual, a identificação das espécies florestais representadas na amostragem foiinteiramente conseguida em 14% dos casos, conseguida mas ainda por confirmar em 27%. Dado o carácter preliminar deste estudo, os seus resultados serão ulteriormente publicados com mais pormenor. Among the Lisbon Academy of Sciences Museum collection there is a valuable xylarium by theleading Portuguese master cabinet-maker José Aniceto Rapozo (1756-1824), comprising 1213 wood samples from Brazil plus 12 from elsewhere. This collection is most important since it allows us to improve the knowledge on Brazilian forest resources by the end of the eighteenth century and thebeginning of the next. This study aims to establish its historical framework and scientific value. Owing tooverexploitation and even devastation of very large forest areas in Brazil, difficulties for our study aroseeither as some species may have now a different geographical distribution (and eventually may have underwent local or general extinction), by lack of adequate comparison material, or because of ambiguityof the commercial names.Results so far obtained allowed us to recognize the xylarium as one of the four commanded Rapozo by the Regent Prince, later King João VI (1767-1826). Taking into account the wood samples analyses as well as bibliographic data it is possible to conclude that the collection was prepared from a set 3 of 5008 Brazilian wood samples sent to the Royal Arsenal in Lisbon in 1784 by the Brazil

This work collects information about laboratory tests to evaluate the properties of agro-industrial wastes used for thermal insulation building materials considering them individually and in composits. It focuses on bio-susceptibility, as one of the main aspects to consider for bio-based building products.

Innovation in structures and construction materials demands a more accurate performance analysis during the life cycle. In addition, climatic changes pose new challenges to civil infrastructures that were not so relevant in the past. In most cases, the traditional test methods cannot accurately assess the complex phenomena involved in durability. The modern and complex factors require a different approach to durability analysis. The purpose of this chapter is to present innovative durability tests on construction materials: wood; rammed earth, cob and unfired blocks; natural stone; bituminous binders and mixtures; and Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) to concrete bonded connections. Most of these tests concern the accelerated simulation of the main phenomena involved in durability performance

Laboratory tests were carried out to define production parameters of innovative eco-efficient composites made up of hazelnut shells as aggregate and a sodium silicate solution as adhesive. The aim was to maximize the content of bio-aggregates and minimize the amount of adhesive, guaranteeing the feasibility of producing samples. Therefore, after preliminary testing, the percentages of hazelnut shells and the sodium silicate solution were kept constant: 70% and 30% of the total volume, respectively. However, the characteristics of the considered composites did not allow the production of uniform samples. The sodium silicate solution was not rapidly absorbed by the bio-aggregates; during the drying process, it was deposited on the bottom side of the samples. The uniformity of the samples is required to guarantee a correct evaluation of their performance and future homogeneous panels. Hence, different production parameters were investigated, such as drying at T

The durability of construction materials is a key concern and can be related to different actions such as weathering conditions outdoors enhanced by climatic change, chemical and biological attack, abrasion, and other conditions of service over time. Frequently, several actions develop simultaneously, making it difficult to reproduce in situ conditions in laboratory. Furthermore, testing to assess durability depends largely on the nature of the material itself or on the way it has been assembled with other materials. The ageing techniques to assess long-term durability performance of construction materials are based on accelerated durability tests, which include, for example, thermal stress, freeze

This paper presents an overview of research carried out to assess the bonding suitability of Portuguese timbers.Most work developed in the last decades has focused Maritime pine timber, due to its traditional use in building construction, good mechanical properties and availability. Untreated, as well as preservative treated Maritime pine have been studied, as its impregnability allows deep treatment suitable for applications in Use Classes 3 and 4.Recent results on bonding preservative treated Maritime pine wood are discussed.Preliminary results regarding other species that are becoming available in the Portuguese market are also presented, as an attempt to reduce pressure on Maritime pine timber as well as to seek more valuable alternatives for their traditional uses.

No presente trabalho apresentam-se os resultados mais relevantes obtidos num programa experimental desenvolvido no LNEC com o objetivo de caracterizar a aderência dos varões nervurados do tipo A500NR SD existentes no mercado, fundamentalmente para melhorar a modelação do comportamento dos elementos de betão armado de zonas críticas de estruturas inseridas em zonas sísmicas.O programa experimental desenvolvido pretende simular as condições de aderência existentes num varão horizontal de uma ligação viga-pilar e tem como principais variáveis varões de dois diâmetros frequentemente utilizados (16 e 25 mm), dois níveis diferentes de área relativa das nervuras (A e B) e duas classes de betão (C1 e C2), ambos representativos do betão utilizado nas construções mais relevantes.Os resultados obtidos quer nos ensaios monotónicos quer nos ensaios cíclicos apontam para um decréscimo da tensão de aderência com o aumento do diâmetro da ordem dos 10%. O aumento da área relativa das nervuras transversais traduz-se num incremento da tensão máxima de aderência da ordem dos 15%, com uma redução do deslizamento que ronda os 15%. Nesse sentido, este estudo propôs que, no caso dos varões com maior área relativa das nervuras, a tensão de aderência máxima possa variar entre 2,35 e 2,65 vezes a raiz quadrada da resistência do betão à compressão e que o patamar onde a tensão de aderência é máxima se situe entre 0,5 e 1,5 mm de deslizamento.Explorou-se também o fenómeno da entrada em cedência da armadura tendo-se concluído que, em provetes que pretendem simular as condições de aderência existentes num varão horizontal de uma ligação viga-pilar, a entrada em cedência da armadura conduz a uma redução da tensão de aderência máxima inferior a 10%, quer regime monotónico quer em regime cíclico.

O presente trabalho de investigação refere-se à conservação de elementos estruturais de madeira medianamente degradados por fungos em edifícios antigos. Propõe-se estudar a compatibilidade entre produtos de tratamento e de consolidação por impregnação, aplicados sequencialmente. A avaliação do processo foi realizada maioritariamente em laboratório e na óptica do desempenho mecânico conjunto da madeira e produtos aplicados, por intermédio de ensaios físico-mecânicos destrutivos e não destrutivos e também por ensaios mecânicos não destrutivos realizados in situ. Foram utilizados produtos comerciais, aplicando-os às espécies de madeira correntemente encontradas nos edifícios antigos da zona de Lisboa: Pinho bravo e Casquinha. Procedeu-se à avaliação mecânica de madeira nova e antiga, em estado são e degradado; ao desenvolvimento de um método de medição da profundidade de penetração de produtos de tratamento; à avaliação da capacidade consolidante de madeira degradada por produtos poliméricos fluidos e à avaliação da sua actuação conjunta, estudada com e sem envelhecimento artificial. Os resultados obtidos indicaram significativos aumentos de capacidade mecânica da madeira degradada, quando submetida a tratamento e consolidação Este trabalho desenvolve, assim, uma proposta de solução para a madeira que não se encontra sã, mas que ainda possui capacidade resistente, não necessitando, por isso, de ser removida. O processo de tratamento e consolidação promove resistência aos agentes biológicos e, simultaneamente, recuperação de alguma resistência mecânica da madeira, conferindo-lhe capacidade para continuar em serviço.

Subterranean termites from the genus Reticulitermes are an important pest ofwood in service throughout southern Europe and elsewhere. For effective termitecontrol with long term protection but minimal environmental damage, newintegrated approaches to termite management are needed. Baiting-based systemsseem to be promising non-traditional methods for termite control, targeting thecolony as a whole. However, control through baiting is only feasible when it isknown that the toxicant can be transferred to all the colonies foraging on theinfested area and also throughout each individual colony. Accordingly, the workdescribed is specifically designed to achieve a better understanding of thedistribution and delimitation of colonies within a population of Reticulitermes,with parallel insights into foraging behaviour and colony organization.Initially, the species/subspecies spectrum present within the notionalReticulitermes group in Portugal was reassessed. It was shown that Reticulitermesgrassei is the only species encountered. Foraging activity was then assessed in anexperimental woodland site over two successive annual cycles, both by thesampling of natural lying dead wood and by a standard baiting grid. R. grasseiseem to select wood with larger diameter, with an apparent preference for materialalready decayed by fungi. Both termite and fungal attack on wood seems to bepromoted by higher moisture levels, such as prevail in larger litter items andduring seasonal rains. Termites were unable to detect and direct their foragingtowards sound wood in laboratory conditions, suggesting that the network ofinfochemical signals is more complex than just volatiles emanating from soundwood. Mark-release-recapture (MRR) was used to delineate foraging groups,which were then allocated to their parent colonies by the use of microsatellitemarkers. The results suggest that resource sharing is a facultative behaviour,specifically when food is not a limiting factor for colony development. Theimplications of all these findings for bait technology and protocols are discussed,with reference to the local population ecology of Reticulitermes.

The project CircularBuild -

Relatório final do projeto PTDC/ECM/099121/2008

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de versão portuguesa da Norma Europeia EN 10002-2, e insere-se numa série de estudos programados pelo autor, enquanto coordenador da normalização nacional no domínio dos ensaios mecânicos, físicos e não-destrutivos de materiais metálicos.O texto do projecto de norma apresentado consiste na versão final de uma proposta redigida pelo autor, na sequência dos estudos efectuados ao nível da Comissão Técnica de Normalização competente.

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de versão portuguesa da Norma Europeia EN 10002-5, e insere-se numa série de estudos programados pelo autor, enquanto coordenador da normalização nacional no domínio dos ensaios mecânicos, físicos e não-destrutivos de materiais metálicos.O texto do projecto de revisão apresentado consiste na versão final de uma proposta redigida pelo autor, na sequência dos estudos efectuados ao nível da Comissão Técnica de Normalização competente.

O presente relatório descreve a participação do LNEC no programa europeu de intercomparação de calibrações de forças

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de revisão da Norma Portuguesa NP 850 (1985)

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de revisão da Norma Portuguesa NP 386 (1965)

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de revisão das Normas Portuguesas NP 449 (1966)

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de revisão da Norma Portuguesa NP 450 (1966)

O presente trabalho apresenta um projecto de Norma Portuguesa relativo ao ensaio de dilatação de anéis de tubos metálicos, e insere-se numa série de estudos programados pelo autor, enquanto coordenador da normalização nacional no domínio dos ensaios mecânicos, físicos e não-destrutivos de materiais metálicos, com a finalidade de preencher lacunas da Normalização Portuguesa neste domínio que a indústria e as instituições ligadas ao controlo da qualidade considerem ser mais urgente colmatar.O texto apresentado consiste na versão final de uma proposta redigida pelo autor, na sequência dos estudos efectuados ao nível da Comissão Técnica de Normalização competente.

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