Papers

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This paper describes the shaking table tests, and their main results, of an asymmetric limestone masonry building, under different reinforcement conditions. The work was performed in the aim of the project

No âmbito de um projecto denominado

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.