Artigos de Revista

The potentialities of nanomaterials for application in the field of conservation have been widely investigated in the last two decades. Among nanomaterials, nanolimes, i.e., dispersions of lime nanoparticles in alcohols are promising consolidating products for calcareous materials. Nanolimes are effective in recovering the very superficial loss of cohesion of decayed materials, but they do not always provide sufficient mass consolidation. This limitation is mainly related to the deposition of the nanoparticles nearby the surface of the material. Experimental research has been set up with the aim of improving the in-depth deposition of lime nanoparticles. Previous research by the authors has shown that nanolime deposition within a substrate can be controlled by adapting the nanolimes properties (kinetic stability and evaporation rate) to the moisture transport behavior of the substrate. Nanolime properties can be modified by the use of different solvents. In this research, nanolime dispersions have been further optimized for application on Maastricht limestone, a coarse porous limestone. Firstly, nanolimes were synthesized and dispersed in ethanol and/or water, both pure and mixed in different percentages. Subsequently, based on the kinetic stability of the nanolime dispersions, the most promising solvent mixtures were selected and applied on the limestone. The deposition of lime nanoparticles within the limestone was studied by phenolphthalein test, optical microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The results confirm that nanolime dispersed in a mixture of ethanol (95 %) and water (5 %) can guarantee a better nanoparticles in-depth deposition within coarse porous substrates, when compared to dispersions in pure ethanol.

Subterranean termites are serious pests of wood in service in much of the world. One of the most popular techniques for monitoring and controlling termites is the use of in-ground monitoring stations. Different cellulosic matrices were evaluated in terms of mass loss, moisture content variation and termite presence, accounting for spatial coordinates and monitoring station conditional variables, including: type of cellulosic matrix, matrix treatment and meteorological conditions, during one year in field conditions, both in Portugal and in the USA. A multivariate redundancy analysis wasperformed resulting in 60.4% of data variability being explained by the variables considered in this analysis. Spatial variables were responsible for the highest amount of variance observed in the response variables monitored for the termite monitoring stations, followed by the type of cellulosic matrix, from which cellulose and Hevea brasiliensis were the most influential variables. The optimization of termite in-ground monitoring stations should be performed through correct evaluation of termite feeding preferences and decay resistance, in order to choose an adequate bait matrix and a proper bait design. The termite species biology and the geographical location where control programs will be applied should also be taken into account.

Os sedimentos ocorrem em todos os sistemas de distribuição de água. Umavez acumulados, podem ser ressuspensos e chegar à torneira do consumidor,dando lugar ao aparecimento de água com turvação amarelo-acastanhada. Ofenómeno, que pode ser provocado por variações repentinas de velocidade,pode causar alterações de qualidade da água, difíceis de prevenir, ecomprometer a qualidade do serviço prestado e originar reclamações. Paragerir os sedimentos nos sistemas de distribuição é necessário conhecer assuas principais origens e compreender os processos que determinam a suaacumulação e ressuspensão. Neste artigo, resume-se o estado doconhecimento do âmbito desta problemática, nomeadamente no queconcerne às características e comportamento dos sedimentos específicos doaparecimento da água com turvação amarelo-acastanhada, e às condiçõeshidráulicas para a sua acumulação e ressuspensão. Além de metodologiaspara amostragem representativa e estudo dos sedimentos, descrevem-semedidas para a sua monitorização. São relevados e discutidos os aspetospráticos para gestão dos sedimentos, nomeadamente ações possíveis(descargas na rede) para prevenção ou remediação do problema.

This work describes the treatment of Pinus pinaster wood with four different industrialwood preservatives (two anti-bluing or fungicide and two fungicide/pesticide)and the detection and quantification of the dioxin contamination profile in the woodshavings. The samples were collected from poultry liters during three contaminationincidents of poultry meat. Two methods used were, both nonpressure: one by immersingthe wood samples in the preservative solution and the other by impregnationof the preservative solution into the wood, with vacuum. It was concluded thatthere is no difference in terms of contamination profile, caused by the different industrial wood treatment preservative products in study. A clear correlation betweenthe commercial products used in wood treatment and the contamination profile ofwood shavings that have been used as bedding material in poultry production wasdetected.

Sludge (or biosolids) management is highly complex and has a significant cost associated with the biosolids disposal, as well as with the energy and flocculant consumption in the sludge processing units. The sludge management performance indicators (PIs) and indices (PXs) are thus core measures of the performance assessment system developed for urban wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). The key PIs proposed cover the sludge unit production and dry solids concentration (DS), disposal/beneficial use, quality compliance for agricultural use and costs, whereas the complementary PIs assess the plant reliability and the chemical reagents' use. A key PI was also developed for assessing the phosphorus reclamation, namely through the beneficial use of the biosolids and the reclaimed water in agriculture. The results of a field study with 17 Portuguese urban WWTPs in a 5-year period were used to derive the PI reference values which are neither inherent to the PI formulation nor literature-based. Clusters by sludge type (primary, activated, trickling filter and mixed sludge) and by digestion and dewatering processes were analysed and the reference values for sludge production and dry solids were proposed for two clusters: activated sludge or biofilter WWTPs with primary sedimentation, sludge anaerobic digestion and centrifuge dewatering; activated sludge WWTPs without primary sedimentation and anaerobic digestion and with centrifuge dewatering. The key PXs are computed for the DS after each processing unit and the complementary PXs for the energy consumption and the operating conditions DS-determining. The PX reference values are treatment specific and literature based. The PI and PX system was applied to a WWTP and the results demonstrate that it diagnosis the situation and indicates opportunities and measures for improving the WWTP performance in sludge management.

Techniques based on artificial neural networks (ANNs) have been increasingly applied to predict emergency situations, such as extreme wave conditions, wave overtopping or flooding, and damage to maritime structures, in coastal and port areas. In this work, a fuzzy adaptive resonance theory with mapping (FAM) ANN was trained to predict the wave regime both inside and at the entrance to the Port of Sines, one of the major trade and economic gateways of the Iberian Peninsula, located on the Portuguese west coast. In situ measurements using pressure sensors, wave buoy data, and results from two numerical wave propagation models

The main goal of this paper is to develop a photogrammetric method in order to obtain arobust tool for damage assessment and quantification of rubble-mound armour layers during physicalscale model tests. With the present work, an innovative approach based on a reduced number ofdigital photos is proposed to support the identification of affected areas. This work considers twosimple digital photographs recording the instants before and after the completion of the physicaltest. Mathematical techniques were considered in the development of the procedures, enabling thetracking of image differences between photos. The procedures were developed using an open-sourceapplication, Scilab, nevertheless they are not platform dependent. The procedures developed enablethe location and identity of eroded areas in the breakwater armour layer, as well as the possibilityof quantifying them. This ability is confirmed through the calculation of correlation coefficients ineach step of the search for the more damaged area. It is also possible to make an assessment of themovement of armour layer units.

The three authors of this paper work at the Applied Geodetic Division of the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering (LNEC), in Lisbon, Portugal. LNEC is a state owned research and development institution founded in 1946. It works in the various domains of civil engineering (structures, hydraulic, geotechnics, environment, materials, among others), giving it a unique multidisciplinary perspective in this field. The main goals of the LNEC are to carry out innovative research and development and to contribute to the best practices in civil engineering.The Applied Geodetic Division nowadays develops works in two domains: the geodetic surveying of large dams and other engineering structures for monitoring purposes, and the processing of digital images with applications in several domains, which includes the study of the evolution of pathologies in engineering works. Originally the processing of digital images made use mostly of the chromatic information included in the images (from satellite images to close range photographs). But recently it has evolved to extract information of the geometry of the objects by the generation of point clouds. This use of close range photographs (from distances of decimetres to a few meters), which started in the summer of 2014, looks very promising and we, the authors, are identifying possible areas where the use of point clouds and orthomosaics that can be of interest to our colleagues of LNEC, civil engineers mostly. This paper presents the first examples where point clouds and orthomosaics, generated from close range photographs, can help civil engineers on their studies. The photogrammetic products were all generated using the free open-source software Micmac (Multi-Image Correspondances, Méthodes Automatiques de Corrélation) from IGN (Institut National de l

The main goal of this study is the 3D numerical simulation of river flows withsubmerged vegetated floodplains. Since, vegetation layers are usually dense and present alarge spatial heterogeneity they are here represented as a porous media. Standard semiempiricalrelations drawn for porous beds packed with non-spherical particles are used toestimate the porous media parameters based on the averaged geometry of the vegetationelements. Thus, eliminating the uncertainty arising from a bulk drag coefficient approachand allowing the use of a coarser mesh. The free flow is described by Reynolds-averagedNavier

Several cases of alkali-silica reaction involving granitic aggregates have been diagnosed in damaged concrete structures in Portugal. Nonetheless, this kind of rock is usually regarded as slow/late reactive or even non-reactive to alkalis. Granitic rocks are widely exploited in Northern and Central Portugal, representing almost half of the produced aggregates in this country. Project IMPROVE rose from the need to accurately diagnose the potential reactivity of granites to alkalis. The study involved about forty granites collected from different regions in Portugal, from which the results of eight samples are being presented in this paper. The tests carried out include the petrographic analyses of the aggregates and mortar and concrete expansion tests. It was concluded that the content of microcrystalline quartz correlates better with the results of AAR-4.1 than with the other expansion tests.