News

LNEC has carried out another test that will contribute to earthquake engineering innovation in Portugal. The study, funded by FCT and led by the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto (FEUP), in partnership with LNEC and the University of Aveiro, aims to develop solutions and technologies to strengthen existing concrete structures, increasing their resistance and stability in case of an earthquake.

Researcher José Melo, one of the responsibles for the AR-SeismicRC project (2022.05721.PTDC), explained that this work focuses on the assessment and retrofitting of representative structures of existing buildings, simulated using full-scale prototypes. The objective is to contribute to the revision of Part 3 of Eurocode 8 standard.

“We have already carried out several numerical analyses that allowed us to develop retrofitting solutions, currently in the application phase in other prototypes of joints and structural members similar to those tested here”, according to the researcher. One of the main solutions being tested involves the use of carbon sheets, advanced materials that allow to control the location and type of damage during an earthquake, directing it to safer areas of the structure, such as beams, and protecting critical elements such as columns and structural connections.

According to José Melo, the goal is to increase the ductility of structures – that is, their ability to deform without loss of stability – ensuring the overall safety of buildings.

Although this is a project with a strong scientific component, there is a clear focus on practical applicability. “The idea is that the techniques analysed here can be implemented in real buildings, especially in old constructions that reveal vulnerabilities in case of seismic events”, he explained.

The project includes five large tests, three of them already performed over several days of activity on the shaking table facility of LNEC.