Publications

O estudo apresentado neste trabalho teve como objetivo caracterizar experimentalmente o comportamento dinâmico de paredes de frontal Pombalino, simples e reforçadas, por meio de ensaios na mesa sísmica triaxial do Laboratório Nacional de Engenharia Civil. Os ensaios incidiram sobre dois modelos em escala real nos quais se reproduziu o comportamento de paredes de frontal pombalino, simulando dois andares. Os principais objetivos do trabalho foram: avaliar o desempenho sísmico de paredes de frontal pombalino sem reforço; avaliar o desempenho da técnica de reforço com chapas metálicas nos nós da estrutura de madeira; identificar algumas deficiências no comportamento sísmico dos edifícios pombalinos.

To comply with the need to spread the culture of earthquake disaster reduction, we rely on strategies that involve education. Risk education is a long-term process that passes from knowledge, through understanding, to choices and actions thrusting preparedness and prevention, over recovery. We set up strategies for prevention that encompass child and adult education, as a bottom-up approach, from raising awareness to reducing potential effects of disruption of society. Analysis of compulsory school education in three European countries at high seismic risk, namely Portugal, Iceland and Italy, reveals that generally there are a few State-backed plans. The crucial aspects of risk education concerning natural hazards are starting age, incompleteness of textbooks, and lack of in-depth studies of the pupils upon completion of their compulsory education cycle. Hands-on tools, immersive environments, and learn-by-playing approaches are the most effective ways to raise interest in children, to provide memory imprint as a message towards a culture of safety. A video game, Treme

The evolution of the expected earthquake losses in different Portuguese regions was studied in order to determine whether the natural regeneration of buildings could contribute to the mitigation of seismic risk, although the building exposure has increased over time in most analysed regions. To achieve this goal, five inter-related risk indicators were estimated, based on the Portuguese censuses

This article presents the results of the LNEC-3D shaking table tests on two mock-ups, Brick House and Stone House, carried out in the scope of the workshop

O comportamento sísmico de estruturas existentes em alvenaria é muito condicionado pelo seu comportamento fora-do-plano, originando os chamados mecanismos locais, existindo diversas metodologias que tentam prever o comportamento deste tipo de estruturas e/ou modos de colapso.Este trabalho pretende resumir os principais resultados obtidos num evento subordinado ao tema

Several factors influence the behaviour of infilled frames, which have been a subject of research in the past with moderate success. The new generation of European design standards imposes the need to prevent brittle collapse of the infills and makes the structural engineer accountable for this requirement, yet it fails to provide sufficient information for masonry infills design. Therefore, the present work aims at understanding the seismic behaviour of masonry infill walls within reinforced concrete frames, using both unreinforced and reinforced solutions (bed joint reinforcement and reinforced plaster). For this purpose, three reinforced concrete buildings with different infill solutions were constructed at a scale of 1:1.5, all with the same geometry, and were tested on the shaking table of the National Laboratory for Civil Engineering, Portugal. All solutions performed adequately for the design earthquake, with no visible damage. Still, the experimental tests show that the double-leaf-unreinforced infill walls underperformed during a large earthquake, collapsing out of plane by rotating as rigid bodies with multiple configurations. Also the reinforced concrete buildings collapsed, because of the adverse interaction with the infill walls. The infill walls with bed joint reinforcement and reinforced plaster did not collapse out of plane, because of their connection to the concrete frame, which is an essential requirement.

A ventilação natural é uma eficiente estratégia projetual para ocondicionamento térmico passivo de edificações, ocorrendo por açãodos ventos, efeito chaminé ou pela combinação de ambos. Dentre asestratégias de ventilação, destacam-se os sheds, aberturas no telhado,que funcionam como captadores ou extratores de ar, dependendo de sualocalização em relação aos ventos dominantes. O objetivo desse artigo é avaliar ainfluência da variação na geometria dos sheds e na dimensão das aberturas deentrada e saída de ar no desempenho da ventilação natural. O sistema foi avaliadopara os ângulos de incidência dos ventos externos de 0° e 45° (extração) e 135° e180° (captação). A metodologia adotada foi a simulação por Dinâmica dos FluídosComputacional (CFD), utilizando como ferramenta o software CFX. Foramrealizadas análises quantitativas (taxas de renovação de ar/hora e coeficiente depressão nas aberturas) e qualitativas (planos de contorno e vetores de direção eintensidade do fluxo de ar). Os resultados indicam que sheds com geometriasaerodinâmicas e o aumento das aberturas de saída de ar incrementam o fluxo de arinterno. Para os sheds captadores o aumento isolado das aberturas de entrada de arnão proporciona uma melhora significativa na captação dos ventos pela cobertura.

The analysis of the shaking table test of a 3-wall stone masonry structure performed with a discrete element model is presented. The numerical model, created with the code 3DEC, employed a rigid block representation and a Mohr-Coulomb joint model. Joint stiffness calibration to match the experimental natural frequencies is discussed, as well as the boundary conditions to simulate the shake table. Comparisons are made with the measured displacements at key locations, and the modes of deformation and fracture of the walls. The DEM model was able to reproduce important features of the shaking table tests. The experimental deformation and near collapse patterns were clearly identifiable in the numerical simulations, which produced displacements within the observed orders of magnitude, for the various levels of excitation.

Strong ground motion prediction based on finite-fault simulation requires the identification of the fault (strike, dip, length and width), source kinematics parameters (stress drop, rupture velocity and slip distribution), regional crustal properties (geometrical spreading, anelastic structure, and upper crustal amplification and attenuation parameters) and the determination of amplification effects due to the local site geology. The general purpose of this study is to understand source and attenuation properties in the Azores, by the determination of stress drop, quality factor and kappa, through records obtained by the Portuguese digital seismic and accelerometer network. Source Spectra were obtained, for each record, after correcting observed spectra from geometrical spreading and anelastic attenuation effect: quality factor was estimated based on coda decay in the time domain and the kappa parameter was estimated by fitting the high-frequency decay of the acceleration spectrum with a straight line in a log-linear scale. Mean stress drop value was obtained considering that

The assessment of wind energy resource for the development of deep offshore wind plants requires the use of every possible source of data and, in many cases, includes data gathered at meteorological stations installed at islands, islets or even oil platforms - all structures that interfere with, and change, the flow characteristics. This work aims to contribute to the evaluation of such changes in the flow by developing a correction methodology and applying it to the case of Berlenga island, Portugal. The study is performed using computational fluid dynamic simulations validated by wind tunnel tests. In order to simulate the incoming offshore flow with CFD models a wind profile, unknown a priori, was established using observations from two coastal wind stations and a power law wind profile was fitted to the existing data (alfa=0.165). The results show that the resulting horizontal wind speed at 80 m above sea level is 16% lower than the wind speed at 80 m above the island for the dominant wind direction sector.

Apresenta-se uma abordagem para a avaliação de vulnerabilidade de estruturas com base em resultados experimentais obtidos em ensaios sísmicos, num contexto de análise de fragilidade para avaliação do risco sísmico. É proposta uma metodologia para obtenção da vulnerabilidade experimental de modelos ensaiados para níveis crescentes de excitação, e estimar a fragilidade com base em ensaios sísmicos.

Nesta comunicação apresenta-se um estudo de caracterização dinâmica da Ponte Miguel Torga com base em ensaios dinâmicos in-situ. Estes ensaios foram efetuados antes da abertura da ponte ao tráfego tendo consistido na medição das vibrações induzidas pelo tráfego de camiões carregados. Descrevem-se as técnicas de análise dos registos de aceleração, apresentando-se as características dinâmicas da ponte identificadas a partir dessa análise.

Desde a publicação em 1993 do regulamento português (RSA), onde são definidas as zonas sísmicas para o território e a respetiva ação, têm sido efetuados diversos estudos sobre casualidade e movimentos sísmicos intensos. É objetivo desta comunicação apresentar estudos recentes nesta matéria e os problemas encontrados com a aplicação do Eurocódigo 8 (EC-8), parte 1-1, para se dar inicio a uma oportuna revisão da regulamentação em vigor.

Apresenta-se a proposta para o Documento nacional de Aplicação (DNA) elaborado de acordo com o disposto na Pré-Norma Europeia ENV 1998-1-1:1994, Eurocódigo 8

Às 05h19m TUC do dia 9 de Julho de 1998 as ilhas do Grupo Central do Arquipélago dos Açores foram sacudidas por um forte sismo de magnitude md

The knowledge of the actual dynamic properties (natural frequencies, mode shapes and damping ratios) of bridge structures is extremely important to study the behavior of those structures in relation to seismic, wind or even traffic loads. Furthermore, the experimentally determined dynamic properties of a structure are an effective way to characterize its actual global behavior since they depend on its stiffness and mass distribution. The experimental modal analysis of bridges can be performed from the results of ambient vibration tests carried out on those civil engineering structures, with some advantages in relation to other types of in-situ dynamic tests. Ambient vibration tests have been recently conducted on two main bridges of the Portuguese roads network, a concrete arch bridge and a cable-stayed bridge. The tests carried out on the two bridges, the analysis techniques and the main results that were obtained are presented in this paper.

This paper reports an experimental study aiming at the analysis of the behavior under horizontal actions of reinforced concrete frames infilled with different brick masonry walls, conducted at the Centre for studies and Equipment in Earthquake Engineering (C3ES) of the national Laboratory for Civil Engineering of Portugal (LNEC).Nine models, in a scale 2:3, were tested, named: two bare frames, four fully infilled frames and three infilled frames with a window opening. Two different horizontal histories of displacements under identical velocities were imposed at the level of the beam centerline: cyclic (six models) and monotonic (three models). Constant vertical forces were applied at the top of the columns in order to reproduce the effect of the upper floors of a building. The characteristics of the models, the test set-up and instrumentation and the testing procedure are reported. Some results of this experimental study are also presented and analysed.

This paper reports part of an experimental work conducted at LNEC/C3ES (Centre for Studies and Equipments in Earthquake Engineering) aiming at analyzing the behavior of R/C bare and infilled frames subjected to horizontal loads and the effectiveness of different repair procedures. Three models in a 2:3 scale were tested. One of these models was only a bare R/C frame and the other two were R/C frames fully infilled with brick masonry. In a first phase the models were tested under horizontal cyclic actions that caused severe damage in the infill walls and also some damage in the R/C frames. In a second phase the models were repaired and subjected again to horizontal cyclic actions. Different repair techniques were used for the two infilled models. The assessment of the models behavior, before and after repair, is presented in terms of strength, stiffness degradation, energy dissipation and failure mechanisms.

The object of this paper is to improve the probabilistic methodology to evaluate seismic losses in a given area, considering the randomness of the buildings vulnerability. Probabilistic methods for the evaluation of seismic losses are used taking into account both (i) the seismic hazard in the area and (ii) the seismic vulnerability of the existing stock of buildings. The distribution of losses is obtained convolving the probability distribution of seismic hazard (Beta distribution) with the conditional probability distribution of vulnerability, given a macroseismic intensity (Lognormal distribution), for a known stock of buildings. The above-described methodology is applied to the Portuguese continental country. The number of housing units per county as a function of the epoch of construction, available from the Portuguese Census 91 is the data base for the application of the model.

This paper presents an experimental study on the behaviour of reinforced concrete infilled frames, carried out at the shaking table of the Centre for Earthquake Studies of LNEC, in Lisbon, within the 2nd phase of the European Programme ECOEST II, by request of the University of Patras. Five three-dimensional structures were tested, at real scale, with one storey and one bay in each of the two orthogonal directions of the horizontal plan. A biaxial seismic excitation was considered based on the adaptation of the records of two orthogonal horizontal components of the Patras 1993 earthquake, taking into account the inertial characteristics of the shaking table. The tests carried out are summarised, describing the test set-up and instrumentation, as well as the methodology used. The experimental results obtained are outlined and analysed.

This book presents a selection of the best papers from the HEaRT 2015 conference, held in Lisbon, Portugal, which provided a valuable forum for engineers and architects, researchers and educators to exchange views and findings concerning the technological history, construction features and seismic behavior of historical timber-framed walls in the Mediterranean countries. The topics covered are wide ranging and include historical aspects and examples of the use of timber-framed construction systems in response to earthquakes, such as the gaiola system in Portugal and the Bourbon system in southern Italy; interpretation of the response of timber-framed walls to seismic actions based on calculations and experimental tests; assessment of the effectiveness of repair and strengthening techniques, e.g., using aramid fiber wires or sheets; and modelling analyses. In addition, on the basis of case studies, a methodology is presented that is applicable to diagnosis, strengthening and improvement of seismic performance and is compatible with modern theoretical principles and conservation criteria. It is hoped that, by contributing to the knowledge of this construction technique, the book will help to promote conservation of this important component of Europe

The applications of discrete elements models based on rigid block formulations to the analysis of masonry walls under horizontal out-of-plane loading is simplified block pattern are addressed. Two procedures for creating irregular block systems are presented, one using Voronoi polygons, the other based on a bed and cross joint structure with random deviations. A test problem provides a comparison of various regular and random block patterns, showing their influence on the failure loads. The estimation of manual frequencies of rigid block models, and its application to static pushover analyses, is addressed. An example of application of rigid block model to wall capacity problem is presented.

The overall aim of Sub-Project 10 (Earthquake disaster scenario predictions and loss modelling for urban areas) has been to create a tool, based on state-of-the-art loss modelling software, to provide strong, quantified statements about the benefits of a range of possible mitigation actions, in order to support decision-making by urban authorities for seismic risk mitigation strategies. A further larger aim has been to contribute to a seismic risk mitigation policy for future implementation at European level. Among the European cities for which loss estimation studies have been carried out are Istanbul, Lisbon and Thessaloniki, and tools, using GIS mapping, have been developed by research teams in each of these cities; these were made available for further development to examine mitigation strategies within SP10. Related research studies

Much work in Earthquake Engineering was devoted to the improvement of earthquake resistant design of new structures. One European result is EN 1998, which will be in several years the main seismic code for all European countries. But it is well known, that older existing structures cause in many large earthquakes much more casualties and damages than new structures. It is certainly not possible to retrofit all existing structures, but agreement exists, that assessment and retrofit of safety - critical - structures and lifeline structures must have priority. In September 2004 the European Integrated Research Project LESSLOSS on Risk Mitigation for Earthquakes and Landslides was started. The project will run for three years and comprises 13 Sub-Projects (SP´s). The consortium consists of 46 partners (see http:\\www.lessloss.org). LESSLOSS SP5 is on In-situ Assessment, Monitoring and Typification of buildings and Infrastructure. The project partners of SP5 are ARS, CESI, LNEC, RWTH and VCE. This Sub Project focuses mainly on the assessment of important existing structures and tries to integrate experimental methods into the assessment procedure. The progress of SP5 obtained in the first year is summarized in this paper. Highlights presented by all partners are mentioned and the assessment of Hospital Innsbruck is presented in more detail. The most innovative task of LESSLOSS/ SP5 is Update of vulnerability estimates via monitoring, which was also started in the first year.

In order to study the behavior of bridge structures in relation to traffic, wind and seismic loads, it is extremely important to know their actual dynamic properties (natural frequencies, vibration mode shapes and damping). The experimentally identified dynamic properties of bridge structures are also an effective way to characterize their actual global structural behavior. Whether included in the reception load tests of recently built bridges, before they are opened to the traffic, or as part of the inspection works of bridges already in service, LNEC has performed modal analysis studies based on the results of ambient vibration tests. Some of the studies carried out recently in important bridges are reported in this paper.

O sismo de Northridge ocorreu na parte norte da área metropolitana de Los Angeles, Califórnia, às 4:31 h do dia 17 de janeiro, uma segunda-feira coincidente com dia de feriado nacional, tendo atingindo uma magnitude de 6.6 na escala de Richter. O número total de vítimas mortais cifra-se em 57, havendo para cima de 8 000 feridos e 20 000 desalojados.As estimativas de perdas totais, feitas em meados de fevereiro de 1994, apontavam para valores de 15 biliões de US dólares, tendo o Estado da Califórnia apresentado um impacto económico total de ordem dos 30 biliões de dólares, perto do valor do Orçamento Geral do estado Português para 1994. Os prejuízos infligidos na indústria e no comércio são também surpreendentemente elevados, exigindo longos períodos de interrupção das atividades económicas.

Communicating science within disaster risk reduction using methods that encourage two-way dialogue between scientists and laypersons is a challenging task. This paper aims at presenting a methodological strategy of communicating risk and non-structural seismic protection measures through participatory approach. Such methodological strategy is part of a pilot experience of risk communication in two schools in Lisbon (Portugal) under the EU project KnowRISK (Know your city, Reduce seISmic risK through non-structural elements). The efficacy of education for seismic safety is often inhibited by an incomplete understanding of the process by which individuals decide to protect themselves from harm (Becker JS, Paton D,Johnston DM, Ronan KR. Nat Hazards 64(1):107

Most of the Lisbon 18th century timber-framed masonry

Good performance of non-structural elements can be decisive in saving lives and costs when an earthquake strikes. The European project KnowRISK aims to educate and encourage households to take the necessary precautionary measures to protect people, houses, and contents. Preparedness and prevention act on community resilience. Within the KnowRISK project, the idea of a Practical Guide has been conceived suggesting seismic mitigation solutions for non-structural components to non-experts stakeholders. It is intended to guide people into the first steps of prevention in a straightforward manner, minimizing or avoiding injuries, damage, and long-term financial consequences. The novelty of the Guide belongs to his philosophy: a path through increasing challenges corresponds to a growing level of safety. The idea is that anyone can mitigate seismic risk in its own environment by adopting simple and low cost measures. The Practical Guide may contribute to increase risk awareness. This kind of initiatives if undertaken at larger scales may also enhance social resilience.

When one of the dimensions of a structural member is not clearly larger than the two orthogonal ones, engineers are usually compelled to simulate it with refined meshes of shell or solid finite elements that typically impose a large computational burden. The alternative use of classical beam theories, either based on Euler-Bernoulli or Timoshenko

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This text reflects the first of the four lectures that the author has presented at Udine, Italy, at CISM

Um dos principais problemas e interesses da engenharia sísmica é a caracterizaçãoda acção sísmica, envolvendo a estimativa da intensidade, conteúdo em frequência,duração e variabilidade espacial dos movimentos intensos do solo mais gravosos, emtermos dos seus efeitos nas estruturas, que pode ocorrer num local.O presente trabalho de investigação desenvolve e aplica a metodologia estocástica etécnicas de modelação de fonte

Os sismos são encarados frequentemente como desastres naturais inevitáveis. Todavia,deveriam ser considerados fenómenos naturais, cujos efeitos adversos podem ser minimizadoscaso se proceda a uma gestão efectiva do risco sísmico.O objectivo principal do presente trabalho de investigação é o de avaliar o risco sísmicoem Portugal Continental.Sendo um tema de natureza multidisciplinar, apresentam-se e discutem-se modelos deavaliação probabilística da perigosidade sísmica e sua desagregação, de vulnerabilidade efragilidade sísmicas de tipologias construtivas, de danos e de perdas económicas e humanas.Aplica-se a análise probabilística da perigosidade sísmica, e sua desagregação, aPortugal Continental, obtendo-se cenários modais capazes de reproduzir os níveis deperigosidade que os condicionam. Apresenta-se o inventário do parque habitacional e seushabitantes, descriminado por factores de vulnerabilidade, e classifica-se a sua vulnerabilidadesegundo os modelos de dano. Procede-se à actualização e aferição de uma metodologia parasimulação de cenários sísmicos, integrada num Sistema de Informação Geográfico. Avalia-seo risco sísmico, seguindo diversas abordagens, comparando-se os resultados com o risco deoutros países.Construiu-se assim uma ferramenta de avaliação de perdas devidas a sismos, queconstitui uma primeira contribuição para o desenvolvimento de um processo de gestão dorisco sísmico aplicado ao Continente Português.

O parque habitacional de Portugal Continental contém algumas tipologias construtivas deelevada vulnerabilidade sísmica em relação às quais urge actuar no sentido de reduzir o riscosísmico a elas associado. No projecto de investigação

A caracterização da ação sísmica, para efeitos de projeto e verificação de segurança das estruturas de engenharia civil, é realizada para valores de intensidade sísmica elevados quando comparados com os valores de intensidade sísmica sentidos frequentemente. Tais valores elevados são compatíveis com os níveis de segurança exigidos para as estruturas, que usualmente são considerados implícitos nas regras de dimensionamento e verificação de segurança de estruturas contempladas nos códigos em vigor.

O presente relatório, elaborado no âmbito do projecto de investigação para a Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia intitulado

Os sismos são fenómenos naturais que apenas poderão ter consequências desastrosas se afetarem uma região habitada do globo. Sem dúvida que os piores efeitos de um desastre sísmico são as perdas de vida humana envolvidas.A redução das perdas de vidas humanas é assim um dos grandes objetivos das políticas de prevenção e proteção sísmica e do domínio de investigação da engenharia sísmica.Para se ter uma ideia da dimensão do problema refira-se que apenas no século XX (entre 1900 e o fim de 1992), o montante oficial de vítimas mortais em 1 100 sismos muito severos, atingiu o total de 1 528 000. Perto de metade deste número de vítimas ocorreu num único país, a China, e as principais contribuições para este.

O presente relatório, elaborado no âmbito do projeto de investigação PRAXIS XXI

O presente relatório, elaborado no âmbito do projeto de investigação para a Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia intitulado

The present progress report describes the research developed by LNEC under the ENVIRONMENT project ENV4-CT97-0548, entitled

O presente estudo tem por objetivo apresentar uma metodologia para a avaliação dos efeitos da propagação das ondas sísmicas em condutas de água enterradas. Essa avaliação é efetuada em termos do campo de deformações (extensões axiais e curvaturas), a serem impostas nas condutas, para diferentes valores máximos de aceleração e velocidade da ação sísmica associados a diferentes períodos de retorno.A metodologia desenvolvida é aplicada à cidade de Lisboa considerando as características locais do terreno, diversos diâmetros de tubagens e ambas as situações de condutas contínuas ou com juntas.

As part of ECOEST European research activities, this report describes the experimental programme carried out at the new LNEC seismic simulator facility. It is reported a detailed characterization of the frequency response of the shaking table and the results from an assessment of its control fidelity. This information will act as a benchmark, against which the performance of future tests at this facility could be gauged.A part of the description of the procedures and results of the test programme carried out, it was also compiled descriptive material about the entire facility.

O presente relatório descreve os estudos efetuados no LNEC, que visaram o desenvolvimento e implementação computacional de um algoritmo representativo das relações histeréticas forças-deslocamentos generalizados observados em ensaios de elementos de betão armado sujeitos á flexão.Foi dado um carater geral à implementação do modelo, de forma a poder ser usado em trabalhos futuros de análise dinâmica em regime não linear de estruturas de betão armado, sujeitas á ação dos sismos.O algoritmo computacional resultante é suficientemente versátil uma vez que através da introdução de alguns parâmetros pode reproduzir diferentes comportamentos estruturais, tais como: degradação de rigidez e resistência, efeito de

Análise dos registos históricos de eventos climáticos e o seu impacto no setor da energia da AML, para identificar o grau em que este setor foi afetado por estímulos relacionados com o clima. Avaliação de capacidades adaptativas.

Análise da forma das edificações nas ações do vento

As condicionantes arquitetónicas e de urbanização na ventilação natural

Caracterização do vento. Ações sobre estruturas. Ensaios em túnel de vento