Presentation
João Bilé Serra
Head of Department
The development of Soil Mechanics and Engineering Geology in Portugal in the first decades resulted largely from the contribution and dynamism of the Geotechnics Department.
The expertise of DG researchers and technicians enables technical intervention in the issues of safety, performance and sustainability of ground; hydraulic, road and underground geotechnical structures; waste landfills, environmental barriers or environmental liabilities.
Participation in national and international geotechnical standardization committees and working groups is noteworthy.
The DG is organized into 3 Services and 3 Operative Units:
- Engineering and Environmental Geology Unit
- Geotechnics of Hydraulic Works Unit
- Urban and Transportation Geotechnics Unit
- Soils, Rockfill and Mixtures Laboratory
- Geosynthetics Laboratory
- Geotechnical Waste and Contaminated Soil Laboratory
The Geotechnics Department develops R&D&I and technical consultancy in Soil Mechanics, Engineering Geology, Hydrogeology, Geophysics and Environmental Geotechnics.
Interns and students are regularly welcomed to develop Master's dissertations or PhD theses, under the guidance of DG researchers.
The Department provides technical and scientific advice to public and private entities in the preparation of basic studies, carrying out tests, monitoring design development, construction and exploration of the geotechnical components of projects.
The Department performs laboratory testing for the mechanical and hydraulic characterization of soils, rockfill and their mixtures and geosynthetics, as well as for the geoenvironmental characterization of waste and contaminated soils. In the field, geotechnical and geophysical testing, coordination and monitoring of tests of geotechnical structures and the construction and operation safety control of embankments are worth mentioning.
The Department coordinates the TC 156 of the IPQ, for national standardization in Geotechnics in Civil Engineering, and monitoring of European and international standardization.
The sub-commission 7 of TC 115 Structural Eurocodes is promoted by the DG, through which Portuguese geotechnicians participate in the development of Eurocode 7 (2nd generation).
Technical expertise documents are regularly prepared in the context of legal proceedings.