Papers

Nesta comunicação são aplicados dois modelos numéricos baseados em equações do tipo Boussinesq, BOUSSiiw (Pinheiro [1]) e COULWAVE (Lynett e Liu [2]), na simulação da propagação de ondas regulares sobre um baixio esférico localizado no fundo de profundidade constante (Chawla [3]). A propagação de ondas ao longo desta topografia envolve diversos fenómenos físicos como, por exemplo, a refracção, a difracção, o empolamento, a dispersão não-linear. Por isso, constitui um óptimo teste para a validação e comparação dos modelos aqui apresentados. Recorrendo a parâmetros estatísticos, é efectuada primeiramente uma análise de sensibilidade dos resultados numéricos em relação à discretização espacial do domínio de cálculo e determinam-se os tempos de processamento correspondentes. Para o modelo COULWAVE, avalia-se também a influência do número de camadas verticais e do número de Courant. Finalmente, a análise das alturas significativas e dos espectros dos resultados numéricos e experimentais permite inferir sobre as potencialidades e limitações de cada modelo.

Morphodynamic modeling systems are being subjected to a growing development over the last decade and increasingly appear as valuable tools for understanding and predicting coastal dynamics and morphological changes. The recent improvements of a 2DH unstructured grid morphodynamic modeling system are presented in this paper and include the implementation of an adaptive morphodynamic time step, the integration and full coupling of a wave model and the forcing by large scale wave and tide models. This modeling system was first applied to a dissipative wave-dominated beach located on the French coast, where the availability of field data allowed for a fine calibration and validation of wave-induced flows and longshore transport, and an assessment of the various sediment transport formulae. The modeling system was then applied to a very dynamic Portuguese tidal inlet where numerical tests show the computational efficiency of using an adaptive time step. Morphodynamic simulations of this inlet with real wave and tidal forcings resulted in realistic morphological predictions. The two applications show that the improved modeling system is able to predict hydrodynamics, transport and morphological evolutions in complex coastal environments.

The Hong Kong climate is sub-tropical with a hot and humid weather from May to September and temperate climate for the rfemaining 7 month period. A mechanical ventilation and air-conditioning (MVAC) system is ususally operated to avoid the high temperatures resulting in high peak cooling loads. The facade design has a significant influence on the energy performance of office buildings. This work evaluates different ventilated facade designs in respect to energy savings.Thermal building simulations(TRNSYS)were linked to nodal airflow network simulations (COMIS)for detailed ventilated double-skin facade performance. In prder to validate the model, simulations were carried out for an office building in Lisboa; the results were compared with measured data from the same building. The simulation results of surface and air temperatures show good agreement with the measurements. The results of the study can be used to reduce surface emperatures by using different materials for the roller blind that is positioned in the cavity od the double-skin facade. The results can further be used to reduce the high peak cooling loads during the summer period. This may result in significat energy savings and a reduction in the system's cooling capacity. It prooved that a careful facade design can play an important role in highly glazed buildings and provides potential for energy efficiency.

sta descoberta revolucionária justificou a atribuição do prémio austríaco Schweighofer 2005 para inovação em ciência da madeira à equipa franco-suíça liderada por Tony Pizzi (F) e Balz Gfeller (CH) pelos seus trabalhos sobre a soldadura da madeira.Oprocesso consiste em criar fricção entre duas superfícies a unir e aplicar pressão, o que permite ligá-las sem adição de cola.Às temperaturas elevadas que são geradas pela fricção mecânica (acima de 180ºC) a lenhinae a hemicelulose existente entre as paredes celulares da madeira fundem e fluem. As fibras da madeira deste modo libertas sofrem um rearranjo, criando um emaranhado de fibras imerso numa matriz fundida, maioritariamente de lenhina, que ao solidificar por arrefecimento origina um composto de elevada densidade. Este composto constitui a linha de colagem, ou melhor, a superfície de soldadura.Afusão/soldadura demora cerca de 3 a 5 segundos, embora seja conveniente manter a pressão durante outro tanto tempo, para permitirque as reacções químicas entre os novos compostos de carbono formados durante o processo prossigam após a fusão, melhorando a qualidade da ligação.Densitometria de Raios X da madeira soldada confirmou um considerável aumento de densidadena interface de soldadura, resultante da perda de estrutura celular da madeira nesta zona. equipamento necessário para este procedimento é usado para colar com colas termoplásticas, por exemplo na indústria automóvel.

The uncertainty associated with simulations of process-based coastal area morphodynamic models is assessed through numerical experimentation. Appropriate metrics of uncertainty are defined based on thestandard deviation of the model results at each location and each time step. Uncertainty is examined using a set of realistic one year morphodynamic simulations of the evolution of a highly dynamic tidal inlet. Results indicate that uncertainty increases linearly with time, and suggest that its rate grows with increasingsediment fluxes. Hence, the limits of predictability of morphodynamic model applications are higher for slowly varying systems. Attempts to reduce uncertainty by aggregating model results at larger spatial scales met with limited success. Ensemble simulations are suggested as a possible avenue to investigate the longterm evolution of tidal inlets using process-based models.

A brief presentation is made on the background and state of progress of the Project of the

The degradation of concrete structures caused by delayed ettringite formation (DEF) is a problem that nowadays affects many concrete structures worldwide. This pathology is due to the formation of an expansive compound – ettringite - inside the material. This is a hydrated calcium sulphoaluminate produced by the chemical reaction between sulphate ions, calcium hydroxide and alumina present in the Portland cement paste. This product, normally formed during the hydration of cement, presents an acicular morphology (needles) that can be observed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). However, DEF can also be formed after the setting of the cement causing, in this case, a deleterious expansion of the concrete. This secondary ettringite can also be produced after an excessive heating of the concrete, caused by a high amount of cement or by the use of heat cure. SEM has been used to distinguish between expansive and non expansive ettringite based normally in morphology analysis, since the former is characterized by a compressed or compact nature where the needle shapes disappear or are welded together. Furthermore, the use of other techniques, like X-ray diffraction or micro-XRF, has been limited because the compressed or compact ettringite is badly crystallized or even amorphous and the elemental composition is similar and therefore it is difficult to detect. This article presents a methodology for the diagnosis of DEF using polished concrete thin sections and combining polarised and fluorescence light optical microscopy with SEM-EDS.

This paper describes the set of model scale experiments carried out at the National Civil Engineering Laboratory (LNEC) that aims at simulating, using different model scales, the wave propagation along a constant slope bottom that ends on a sea wall coastal defence structure, a common structure employed in the Portuguese coast. This study focuses especially on the complex physical processes involved in the breaking zone and related to wave-structure interaction (such as wave induced pressures at the structure, run-up levels and wave overtopping). The experiments were performed for different incident wave conditions (regular and irregular) and at several different model scales: 1:10, 1:20, 1:30, 1:40 and 1:60. Measurements of the free surface elevation were made on 26 different locations using wave gauges. Moreover, 30 repetitive tests for a selected wave condition were performed to evaluate the error associated to the signal conversion and its propagation on the calculation of derivative variables. A statistical analysis of the free surface elevation data for the different incident wave conditions for the different model scales with regular and irregular waves is presented. That will permit to evaluate the influence of the geometric scale model and the type of waves (regular or irregular) on the physical model results. Moreover, it was performed a statistical analysis to evaluated the variability of the measurements.

Purpose

The ventilation of underground car parks is important to avoid health problems with the inhalation of combustion products released by car engines, in special CO (that is commonly used as the indicator of indoor air quality). In last years, a new mechanical ventilation system appeared, based on the use of axial ventilators (jet fans) suspended under the car park ceiling. In this paper the flow generated by jet fans and their effects on the pollutants are studied. It is concluded that jet fans may have a pumping effect entraining the surrounding contaminated air into the jet. In this way jet fans are able to restrict the dispersion of the contaminants, provided that the exhaust flow rate from the car park is not lower than the jet flow rate. Impulse ventilation may also provide fast dilution of the local pollution peaks, but in this case the removal efficiency will be low. This paper also suggests criteria to define the distance between jet fans.