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Dr. Ricardo Mateus
University of Minho, Guimaraes, Portugal

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Research Keywords & Expertise

0 Civil Engineering
0 Construction Processes
0 Sustainability
0 Vernacular architecture
0 Life Cycle Assessment LCA

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Sustainability
Life Cycle Assessment LCA
Vernacular architecture

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Short Biography

Ricardo Mateus completed a doctorate (2009) and Master's degree (2004) in Civil Engineering at the University of Minho, where he is an Assistant Professor. He is a member of the Technical Committee of the International Initiative for the Sustainability of the Built Environment (iiSBE). He is also a member of the Technical Committee for Standardization CT 171 (Sustainability in Buildings) of IPQ. He has published more than 150 articles in scientific journals, international and national conferences. He is the author and co-author of 37 books and book chapters and one international patent and supervises several Master's and doctoral students.

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Journal article
Published: 24 July 2021 in Sustainability
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Despite the recognised importance of built heritage for sustainable development, and the multiple tools, recommendations, guidelines, and policies developed in recent years to support decision-making, good sustainable conservation practices often fail to be implemented. Challenges faced by practitioners often relate to external factors, and there is a gap in the understanding of the role of the nature of the designer and the behavioural dimension of the challenges in implementation. This research applies the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB) to verify how a building passport for sustainable conservation (BPSC) impacts design students’ intentions and actual design decisions towards built heritage conservation. This research aims to ascertain the role of the BPSC to affect attitudes, subjective norms, and intentions and ultimately change conservation behaviours. The results show that this tool has a positive contribution to reinforce existing attitudinal beliefs. Still, no significant changes were found in the overall conservation behaviours, suggesting that beliefs hindering implementation may more often be related to aesthetic reasons, creativity and innovation, and program requirements, than with beliefs regarding the sustainable performance of the building. This study demonstrates that using the TPB to analyse design processes in the context of built heritage is an innovative methodological approach that contributes to a deeper understanding of the psychological factors affecting sustainability and built heritage conservation decisions.

ACS Style

Joana Dos Santos Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Silvestre; Ana Roders. Beyond Good Intentions: The Role of the Building Passport for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage to Behavioural Change. Sustainability 2021, 13, 8280 .

AMA Style

Joana Dos Santos Gonçalves, Ricardo Mateus, José Silvestre, Ana Roders. Beyond Good Intentions: The Role of the Building Passport for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage to Behavioural Change. Sustainability. 2021; 13 (15):8280.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joana Dos Santos Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Silvestre; Ana Roders. 2021. "Beyond Good Intentions: The Role of the Building Passport for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage to Behavioural Change." Sustainability 13, no. 15: 8280.

Journal article
Published: 15 July 2021 in Energies
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Knowing the properties of vernacular materials is crucial to heritage conservation and to develop innovative solutions. Reed, considered to be a carbon-neutral and a carbon dioxide sink material, has been used for centuries for diverse uses. Its high availability and properties made it a popular building material, including in Portuguese vernacular architecture. An experimental investigation was conducted to evaluate the physical performance, thermal performance, and durability of the reed found in Portugal since the characterisation of this material was not found in previous studies. The influence of geometric characteristics and the presence of nodes on these properties were also analysed, and the results showed that they are irrelevant. The studied reeds were found to have an adequate thermal performance to be used as thermal insulation. Their thermal resistance (1.8 m2·°C/W) and thermal conductivity (0.06 W/m·°C) are under the requirements defined by Portuguese regulations on thermal insulation materials. Overall, the physical characteristics (moisture content, density, and retraction) are compatible to its use in the construction. Concerning durability, there was only a trend for mould growth in particular environments. The results provide valuable data to be considered in the development of new construction products based on this natural and renewable material. Additionally, considering the studied samples, the reed found in Portugal has characteristics suitable for use as a building material, especially as a thermal insulation material.

ACS Style

Raphaele Malheiro; Adriana Ansolin; Christiane Guarnier; Jorge Fernandes; Maria Amorim; Sandra Silva; Ricardo Mateus. The Potential of the Reed as a Regenerative Building Material—Characterisation of Its Durability, Physical, and Thermal Performances. Energies 2021, 14, 4276 .

AMA Style

Raphaele Malheiro, Adriana Ansolin, Christiane Guarnier, Jorge Fernandes, Maria Amorim, Sandra Silva, Ricardo Mateus. The Potential of the Reed as a Regenerative Building Material—Characterisation of Its Durability, Physical, and Thermal Performances. Energies. 2021; 14 (14):4276.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Raphaele Malheiro; Adriana Ansolin; Christiane Guarnier; Jorge Fernandes; Maria Amorim; Sandra Silva; Ricardo Mateus. 2021. "The Potential of the Reed as a Regenerative Building Material—Characterisation of Its Durability, Physical, and Thermal Performances." Energies 14, no. 14: 4276.

Journal article
Published: 09 June 2021 in Buildings
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Buildings are responsible for several negative impacts on the environment, most of them related to nonrenewable energy consumption, increasing the concern regarding buildings energy efficiency. In this context, computer software has been used to estimate the energy needs of the built environment, and the Building Information Modelling (BIM) methodology can be used to simplify this process. This study aims to validate a BIM-based framework to streamline the energy analysis of Portuguese buildings, based on the method of the national regulation for the thermal performance of residential buildings. Currently, designers need to spend considerable time assessing all the building characteristics and performing the mandatory calculations for energy performance analysis. It is also intended to link the results of the energy simulation with a Building Sustainability Assessment method—SBToolPT-H. The purpose is to demonstrate how it is possible to benefit from this approach to simultaneously improve building sustainability during the design stage. To do so, different case studies were modelled in Autodesk Revit and exported to a BIM energy tool to perform energy simulation analysis. The results were validated against the official assessment method of the Portuguese thermal regulation and were successfully used to assess the SBToolPT-H energy efficiency category. The research outcomes provide design teams with a reliable BIM-based framework to improve building energy performance and to develop thermal projects while enhancing building sustainability. It also increases the knowledge about the integration of sustainability assessment in the BIM environment, providing new insights for complete integration.

ACS Style

José Carvalho; Manuela Almeida; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. BIM-Based Energy Analysis and Sustainability Assessment—Application to Portuguese Buildings. Buildings 2021, 11, 246 .

AMA Style

José Carvalho, Manuela Almeida, Luís Bragança, Ricardo Mateus. BIM-Based Energy Analysis and Sustainability Assessment—Application to Portuguese Buildings. Buildings. 2021; 11 (6):246.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Carvalho; Manuela Almeida; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. 2021. "BIM-Based Energy Analysis and Sustainability Assessment—Application to Portuguese Buildings." Buildings 11, no. 6: 246.

Journal article
Published: 07 April 2021 in Applied System Innovation
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Population growth, along with a rapid urban expansion, is imposing a heavy pressure on the planet’s finite resources. It is widely acknowledged that the building industry consumes large amounts of raw materials while generating waste and emissions. To set apart economic growth from environmental repercussions, the Circular Economy (CE) arose as an innovative paradigm that can offer a fast-track towards a sustainable built environment. This paper will tackle a research gap that academia and policymakers often highlighted, which is how can we apply CE to assets that are predominantly meant to be demolished and their resources wasted when they reach their end-of-life. Globally, the paradigm aims at erasing the waste concept, relying on renewable and regenerative sources, and keeping the materials, components, and systems in use at their highest value as long as possible. The concept’s implementation would attempt to consider the built environment as a closed-loop system wherein resources are viewed as a scarce commodity. Although the CE seems straightforward, translating the circular thinking to the building level might be a hardship. The following paper will attempt to shed light on how to promote CE in buildings that will ultimately lead to healthier, more efficient, and more sustainable cities on a broader scale. The proposed framework considers CE implementation strategies throughout the building’s lifecycle and mainly deals with three innovative aspects: wise resource management, building design approaches, and digitalization of the building industry. In this sense, this study will explore these game-changing factors that are considered paramount to concretize the concept in practice and provide a smooth pathway for CE uptake in buildings.

ACS Style

Kamel Rahla; Ricardo Mateus; Luís Bragança. Implementing Circular Economy Strategies in Buildings—From Theory to Practice. Applied System Innovation 2021, 4, 26 .

AMA Style

Kamel Rahla, Ricardo Mateus, Luís Bragança. Implementing Circular Economy Strategies in Buildings—From Theory to Practice. Applied System Innovation. 2021; 4 (2):26.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kamel Rahla; Ricardo Mateus; Luís Bragança. 2021. "Implementing Circular Economy Strategies in Buildings—From Theory to Practice." Applied System Innovation 4, no. 2: 26.

Review
Published: 24 March 2021 in Infrastructures
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A growing concern is given to the environmental impacts caused by the construction industry. Waste generation, resource consumption, and greenhouse gas emissions are the main drawbacks of the rapid urbanization that the world is witnessing. As a response to these pressing issues, policymakers and academia are exploring the concept of Circular Economy (CE) to manage resources better and achieve resource efficiency while eliminating waste. One of the strategies to implement CE in the built environment is to select the appropriate building materials and components from the early stages to carry out the concept’s principles along the value chain and create a closed-loop system. Therefore, this study aims at identifying selection criteria for building elements according to CE principles through a review of the latest research. Results have shown that little has been concretely achieved in terms of a paradigm shift to CE since the main focus of the literature is still the use of recycled products and the recyclability of building materials and components at their end-of-life. Although the present study is solely focused on the technical aspect of building materials and components, it outlines current adopted criteria to bring about a circular built environment and highlights the need for a more innovative approach to attain higher circularity levels.

ACS Style

Kamel Rahla; Ricardo Mateus; Luís Bragança. Selection Criteria for Building Materials and Components in Line with the Circular Economy Principles in the Built Environment—A Review of Current Trends. Infrastructures 2021, 6, 49 .

AMA Style

Kamel Rahla, Ricardo Mateus, Luís Bragança. Selection Criteria for Building Materials and Components in Line with the Circular Economy Principles in the Built Environment—A Review of Current Trends. Infrastructures. 2021; 6 (4):49.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Kamel Rahla; Ricardo Mateus; Luís Bragança. 2021. "Selection Criteria for Building Materials and Components in Line with the Circular Economy Principles in the Built Environment—A Review of Current Trends." Infrastructures 6, no. 4: 49.

Journal article
Published: 08 March 2021 in International Journal of Architectural Heritage
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This paper presents and discusses the selection of a set of core indicators for the sustainable conservation of built heritage. This core set of indicators was selected by following a two-step methodology: 1) first, a comparative analysis of indicators of two building sustainability assessment (BSA) tools with different approaches was performed by using content analysis to identify common priorities; 2) second, a selection of the indicators according to scale, stage of the life cycle, and coverage of core aspects for sustainable development, following the criteria established by the International Organization for Standardization. The results show that even if current methodologies have different structures, terminology, and priorities, they share common principles that promote a more sustainable built environment. However, by being mostly oriented to the intervention and operation phases, these methods do not have direct application as an assessment framework for the sustainable conservation of the built heritage. To overcome this situation, this research presents a concise set of indicators that can support the development of an assessment tool to ensure the sustainable conservation of existing buildings.

ACS Style

Joana Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Dinis Silvestre; Ana Pereira Roders; Graça Vasconcelos. Selection of Core Indicators for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage. International Journal of Architectural Heritage 2021, 1 -16.

AMA Style

Joana Gonçalves, Ricardo Mateus, José Dinis Silvestre, Ana Pereira Roders, Graça Vasconcelos. Selection of Core Indicators for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage. International Journal of Architectural Heritage. 2021; ():1-16.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joana Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Dinis Silvestre; Ana Pereira Roders; Graça Vasconcelos. 2021. "Selection of Core Indicators for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage." International Journal of Architectural Heritage , no. : 1-16.

Journal article
Published: 20 February 2021 in Crystals
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The search for environmental preservation and conservation of natural resources gives rise to new concepts and viable technical solutions on the path to sustainable development. In this context, this study’s main objective is to analyse the influence of recycled concrete aggregates (RCAs) on the development of pervious concrete, whose use as a floor covering represents an excellent device to mitigate the urban soil sealing phenomena. For this, mechanical and hydraulic tests were carried out, in addition to microstructural analyses and the assessment of its environmental performance. The results obtained were compared to reference studies also involving the incorporation of recycled aggregates. A pilot-scale case study was conducted, involving a parking space lined with pervious concrete moulded “in situ”. In laboratory tests, permeability coefficients and mechanical strengths compatible with the literature and above the normative limit for light traffic were found. The case study demonstrated higher permeability than in the laboratory, but the flexural strength was lower, being indicated only for pedestrian traffic. The environmental assessment showed that the RCA represents a positive contribution to the environmental performance of pervious concrete. Still, attention should be given to the recycled aggregate transport distance between the concrete plant and the RCA treatment plant.

ACS Style

Adilson Paula Junior; Cláudia Jacinto; Thaís Oliveira; Antonio Polisseni; Fabio Brum; Elisabete Teixeira; Ricardo Mateus. Characterisation and Life Cycle Assessment of Pervious Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregates. Crystals 2021, 11, 209 .

AMA Style

Adilson Paula Junior, Cláudia Jacinto, Thaís Oliveira, Antonio Polisseni, Fabio Brum, Elisabete Teixeira, Ricardo Mateus. Characterisation and Life Cycle Assessment of Pervious Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregates. Crystals. 2021; 11 (2):209.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Adilson Paula Junior; Cláudia Jacinto; Thaís Oliveira; Antonio Polisseni; Fabio Brum; Elisabete Teixeira; Ricardo Mateus. 2021. "Characterisation and Life Cycle Assessment of Pervious Concrete with Recycled Concrete Aggregates." Crystals 11, no. 2: 209.

Journal article
Published: 30 January 2021 in Computers in Industry
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Due to the time-consuming and complicated process of performing Building Sustainability Assessment (BSA), this is usually incompatible with construction companies’ deadlines. With the emergence of Building Information Modelling (BIM) in the construction industry, the opportunity for BSA methods to adopt and benefit from BIM arises. Following a previous study, this paper aims to put in practice a proposed theoretical approach to facilitate the implementation of the BSA since the preliminary design stages using, as an example, the Portuguese SBToolPT-H method. Therefore, this paper analyses how BIM platforms can contribute to optimising the BSA evaluation. To achieve this goal, a case study was modelled and characterised in Autodesk Revit and, tailored parameters were created to support the assessment. The results show that Autodesk Revit can support the evaluation of 13 SBToolPT-H sustainability criteria, in a faster and automated way when faced with the traditional assessment process. The capabilities of BIM platforms and its wider use by designers can significantly contribute to the integration of BSA methods in the BIM collaborative process, thus contributing to a more sustainable built environment.

ACS Style

José Pedro Carvalho; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. Sustainable building design: Analysing the feasibility of BIM platforms to support practical building sustainability assessment. Computers in Industry 2021, 127, 103400 .

AMA Style

José Pedro Carvalho, Luís Bragança, Ricardo Mateus. Sustainable building design: Analysing the feasibility of BIM platforms to support practical building sustainability assessment. Computers in Industry. 2021; 127 ():103400.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Pedro Carvalho; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. 2021. "Sustainable building design: Analysing the feasibility of BIM platforms to support practical building sustainability assessment." Computers in Industry 127, no. : 103400.

Journal article
Published: 15 December 2020 in Sustainability
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The palafitic timber constructions of the central Portuguese coastline are an example of the adaptation to site-specific conditions (climate and sand landscape morphodynamics) using the available endogenous resources. Thus, in a context of environmental awareness and climate change, it is relevant to understand their features/strategies and how they perform. This work analyses the energy performance and thermal condition evaluation of a vernacular timber building–palheiro–from Praia de Mira, through in situ measurements, subjective analysis and energy simulation provided by DesignBuilder/EnergyPlus. The results show a good or satisfactory thermal performance during most of the seasons by passive means only. Despite, it was not possible to guarantee thermal comfort conditions for the occupants during winter. In the energy performance analysis, five scenarios, with different external walls, were compared. In the two scenarios that satisfy the maximum U-value for the climate zone, the current conventional building had a slightly better performance on heating and cooling (less 1.1 and 1.4 kWh/m2, respectively) than the timber building. However, the difference between the two construction solutions is not substantial in the annual energy demand (2.5 kWh/m2, 7.3%), indicating that timber structures are suitable in this mild climate area.

ACS Style

Jorge Fernandes; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio; Sandra Silva; Jorge Branco; Manuela Almeida. Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions Analysis of a Vernacular Palafitic Timber Building in Portuguese Coastline Context. Sustainability 2020, 12, 10484 .

AMA Style

Jorge Fernandes, Ricardo Mateus, Helena Gervásio, Sandra Silva, Jorge Branco, Manuela Almeida. Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions Analysis of a Vernacular Palafitic Timber Building in Portuguese Coastline Context. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (24):10484.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jorge Fernandes; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio; Sandra Silva; Jorge Branco; Manuela Almeida. 2020. "Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions Analysis of a Vernacular Palafitic Timber Building in Portuguese Coastline Context." Sustainability 12, no. 24: 10484.

Review
Published: 19 November 2020 in Sustainability
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This research addresses the performance gap between intentions towards a sustainable conservation of built heritage and its actual implementation. Socio-psychological models of human behaviour, such as the theory of planned behaviour (TPB), have been studying this dissonance between intention and behaviour, and allow to recognise latent critical factors. This paper provides a systematic literature review of research publications on the intersection of the topics of human behaviour, heritage, and sustainability. It aims to analyse how the TPB has been used in the field of sustainable conservation of built heritage. The studies are categorised according to the type of heritage, main actors targeted, aims, and methodology. A total of 140 publications were analysed. The results show a recent field of research. In the domain of built heritage conservation, behaviour is commonly addressed as a synonym of performance, targeting the building itself. Most publications relating socio-psychological constructs of behaviour and heritage sustainability can be found in the tourism and hospitality field, focusing on tourists’ and residents’ behaviours. The review shows that practitioners are still absent from the literature. However, research addressing other stakeholders shows that the theoretical framework can play an important role in the implementation of sustainable conservation practices in the built heritage.

ACS Style

Joana Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Silvestre; Ana Roders. Going beyond Good Intentions for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability 2020, 12, 9649 .

AMA Style

Joana Gonçalves, Ricardo Mateus, José Silvestre, Ana Roders. Going beyond Good Intentions for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage: A Systematic Literature Review. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (22):9649.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Joana Gonçalves; Ricardo Mateus; José Silvestre; Ana Roders. 2020. "Going beyond Good Intentions for the Sustainable Conservation of Built Heritage: A Systematic Literature Review." Sustainability 12, no. 22: 9649.

Journal article
Published: 10 September 2020 in Sustainability
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With the increasing concerns about building environmental impacts, building information modelling (BIM) has been used to perform different kinds of sustainability analysis. Among the most popular are the life cycle assessment (LCA) and building sustainability assessment (BSA). However, the integration of BIM-based LCA in BSA methods has not been adequately explored yet. This study addresses the relation between LCA and BSA within the BIM context for the Portuguese context. By performing an LCA for a Portuguese case study, a set of sustainability criteria from SBTool were simultaneous assessed during the process. The possibility of integrating BIM-based LCA into BSA methods can include more life cycle stages in the sustainability assessment and allow for normalising and producing more comparable results. BIM automates and connects different stages of the design process and provides information for multi-disciplinary data storage. However, there are still some constraints, such as different BSA/LCA databases and the necessity to manually introduce the embodied life cycle impacts of building materials. The scope of the BSA analysis can be expanded by integrating a complete LCA and be fostered by the support of BIM, effectively improving building sustainability according to local standards.

ACS Style

José Carvalho; Ismael Alecrim; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. Integrating BIM-Based LCA and Building Sustainability Assessment. Sustainability 2020, 12, 7468 .

AMA Style

José Carvalho, Ismael Alecrim, Luís Bragança, Ricardo Mateus. Integrating BIM-Based LCA and Building Sustainability Assessment. Sustainability. 2020; 12 (18):7468.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Carvalho; Ismael Alecrim; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. 2020. "Integrating BIM-Based LCA and Building Sustainability Assessment." Sustainability 12, no. 18: 7468.

Review
Published: 28 June 2020 in Applied Sciences
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Building Information Modelling (BIM) is creating new opportunities for the Architecture, Engineering and Construction industry. One of them is the integration of the Building Sustainability Assessment (BSA) during the design process. Currently, an approach for using BIM to foster and optimise the application of BSA methods has not been clearly established yet, creating a knowledge gap on the application of BIM for sustainability assessment purposes. Thus, this paper analyses the current role of BIM to evaluate three BSA methods—LEED, BREEAM and SBTool. The current BIM applicability is assessed by performing a systematic review, where the criteria being assessed and the applied BIM software are identified. A comparison is made to determine which BSA method can currently take more advantage from BIM and to identify the number of assessed criteria from each one. Furthermore, the attractiveness of a BIM-based assessment for SBTool is analysed, facing the actual BIM scenario for LEED and BREEAM. Despite the restrictions, BIM use is increasing for sustainability purposes. Most of the analysed studies and identified software are still focused on the use of LEED for assessing sustainability during the design phase. However, BIM software capabilities can also support the assessment of the other BSA methods so that process replicability can happen. Among the most addressed criteria, the energy and material-related categories are the most eminent. Autodesk Revit is the most-used software. A BIM-based assessment for SBTool will have enough attractiveness. It can assess, at least, the same percentage of criteria as the other schemes, creating new opportunities to enhance building sustainability.

ACS Style

José Pedro Carvalho; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. A Systematic Review of the Role of BIM in Building Sustainability Assessment Methods. Applied Sciences 2020, 10, 4444 .

AMA Style

José Pedro Carvalho, Luís Bragança, Ricardo Mateus. A Systematic Review of the Role of BIM in Building Sustainability Assessment Methods. Applied Sciences. 2020; 10 (13):4444.

Chicago/Turabian Style

José Pedro Carvalho; Luís Bragança; Ricardo Mateus. 2020. "A Systematic Review of the Role of BIM in Building Sustainability Assessment Methods." Applied Sciences 10, no. 13: 4444.

Journal article
Published: 10 June 2020 in Energies
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The present research is focused on an experimental investigation to evaluate the mechanical, durability, and thermal performance of compressed earth blocks (CEBs) produced in Portugal. CEBs were analysed in terms of electrical resistivity, ultrasonic pulse velocity, compressive strength, total water absorption, water absorption by capillarity, accelerated erosion test, and thermal transmittance evaluated in a guarded hotbox setup apparatus. Overall, the results showed that compressed earth blocks presented good mechanical and durability properties. Still, they had some issues in terms of porosity due to the particle size distribution of soil used for their production. The compressive strength value obtained was 9 MPa, which is considerably higher than the minimum requirements for compressed earth blocks. Moreover, they presented a heat transfer coefficient of 2.66 W/(m2·K). This heat transfer coefficient means that this type of masonry unit cannot be used in the building envelope without an additional thermal insulation layer but shows that they are suitable to be used in partition walls. Although CEBs have promising characteristics when compared to conventional bricks, results also showed that their proprieties could even be improved if optimisation of the soil mixture is implemented.

ACS Style

Elisabete Teixeira; Gilberto Machado; Adilson P. Junior; Christiane Guarnier; Jorge Fernandes; Sandra Silva; Ricardo Mateus. Mechanical and Thermal Performance Characterisation of Compressed Earth Blocks. Energies 2020, 13, 2978 .

AMA Style

Elisabete Teixeira, Gilberto Machado, Adilson P. Junior, Christiane Guarnier, Jorge Fernandes, Sandra Silva, Ricardo Mateus. Mechanical and Thermal Performance Characterisation of Compressed Earth Blocks. Energies. 2020; 13 (11):2978.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Elisabete Teixeira; Gilberto Machado; Adilson P. Junior; Christiane Guarnier; Jorge Fernandes; Sandra Silva; Ricardo Mateus. 2020. "Mechanical and Thermal Performance Characterisation of Compressed Earth Blocks." Energies 13, no. 11: 2978.

Erratum
Published: 21 April 2020 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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ACS Style

Vera Durão; José Dinis Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. Corrigendum to “Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes” [Resources, Conservation and Recycling 156 (2020) 104703]. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2020, 159, 104859 .

AMA Style

Vera Durão, José Dinis Silvestre, Ricardo Mateus, Jorge de Brito. Corrigendum to “Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes” [Resources, Conservation and Recycling 156 (2020) 104703]. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2020; 159 ():104859.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vera Durão; José Dinis Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. 2020. "Corrigendum to “Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes” [Resources, Conservation and Recycling 156 (2020) 104703]." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 159, no. : 104859.

Journal article
Published: 01 February 2020 in Energies
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The increase in global environmental problems requires more environmentally efficient construction. Vernacular passive strategies can play an important role in helping reducing energy use and CO2 emissions related to buildings. This paper studies the use of glazed balconies in the North of Portugal as a strategy to capture solar gains and reduce heat losses. The purpose is understanding thermal performance and comfort conditions provided by this passive heating strategy. The methodology includes objective (short and long-term monitoring), to evaluate the different parameters affecting thermal comfort and air quality, and subjective assessments to assess occupants’ perception regarding thermal sensation. The results show that the use of glazed balconies as a passive heating strategy in a climate with cold winters is viable. During the mid-seasons, the rooms with balcony have adequate comfort conditions. In the heating season, it is possible to achieve comfort conditions in sunny days while in the cooling season there is a risk of overheating. Regarding indoor air quality, carbon dioxide concentrations were low, but the average radon concentration measured was high when the building was unoccupied, rapidly decreasing to acceptable values, during occupation periods when a minimum ventilation rate was promoted. Occupants’ actions were essential to improving building behavior.

ACS Style

Jorge Fernandes; Raphaele Malheiro; Maria De Fátima Castro; Helena Gervásio; Sandra Monteiro Silva; Ricardo Mateus. Thermal Performance and Comfort Condition Analysis in a Vernacular Building with a Glazed Balcony. Energies 2020, 13, 624 .

AMA Style

Jorge Fernandes, Raphaele Malheiro, Maria De Fátima Castro, Helena Gervásio, Sandra Monteiro Silva, Ricardo Mateus. Thermal Performance and Comfort Condition Analysis in a Vernacular Building with a Glazed Balcony. Energies. 2020; 13 (3):624.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Jorge Fernandes; Raphaele Malheiro; Maria De Fátima Castro; Helena Gervásio; Sandra Monteiro Silva; Ricardo Mateus. 2020. "Thermal Performance and Comfort Condition Analysis in a Vernacular Building with a Glazed Balcony." Energies 13, no. 3: 624.

Journal article
Published: 31 January 2020 in Resources, Conservation and Recycling
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The environmental performance of construction products and assemblies is a determinant factor for the environmental sustainability of buildings. Increasing willingness of stakeholders in the construction sector for green procurement, better-informed decisions and consideration of environmental aspects increase the need of transparent, objective and independent information on the environmental performance of construction products. Environmental product declarations EPD based on the European standard EN 15804 are used in the construction sector since 2012. In parallel, since 2011, the European Commission EC has developed a common method for the assessment of the environmental performance of products: the Product Environmental Footprint PEF. After a pilot phase, the PEF method has evolved, and some updates were published in early 2019. The EN 15804 standard has also been revised, and therefore it is the ideal time to seek the harmonization of Life Cycle Assessment LCA methods. This paper presents a pioneer study applied to the construction sector that focus on the comparison between the PEF method 2019 updated and the EPDs developed according to the Core rules for the product category of construction products presented in EN 15804 EN 15804:2012+A1:2013, recently updated by EN 15804:2012+A1:2013 +A2:2019. The comparison was performed by listing and analysing key requirements of both methods and their updates. From the results, it was possible to conclude that the methods have very distinct requirements that make the comparison of results or the alternate use of PEFs and EPDs impossible, for instance, in the decision-making process. This highlights the need of harmonisation and therefore the discussion includes the presentation of a roadmap to update the PEF method and the EN 15804 standard so that results can be more coherent and comparable.

ACS Style

Vera Durão; José Dinis Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes. Resources, Conservation and Recycling 2020, 156, 104703 .

AMA Style

Vera Durão, José Dinis Silvestre, Ricardo Mateus, Jorge de Brito. Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes. Resources, Conservation and Recycling. 2020; 156 ():104703.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Vera Durão; José Dinis Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. 2020. "Assessment and communication of the environmental performance of construction products in Europe: Comparison between PEF and EN 15804 compliant EPD schemes." Resources, Conservation and Recycling 156, no. : 104703.

Original article
Published: 15 January 2020 in Energy Efficiency
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Retail stores are amongst the building typologies with the highest carbon (CI) and energy intensities (EI). However, previous studies have only explored best practice EI of food and non-food retailers, without identifying best practice CI threshold values. This paper presents a five-step analysis of CI and EI amongst the highest revenue retailers, benchmarking best and worst performing CI and EI retailers, analysing their nationality, performing a content analysis on their CSR reports and comparing results in terms of differentiation policies, strategies and building practices that can lead to increased environmental performance. Combined CI and EI best practice threshold values were found simultaneously under 346 kWh/m2/y and 115 kg CO2eq/m2/y for food retailers and under 146 kWh/m2/y and 70 kg CO2eq/m2/y for non-food retailers. In terms of policy, best-performing retailers shared a strong top-down management commitment towards sustainability across all business areas (p = 0.04) and an increased use of referential reporting standards, particularly of GRI standards (p = 0.05) and of the GHG protocol (p = 0.01). In terms of strategy, they established ambitious energy goals, such becoming 100% supplied by renewable energy (p = 0.05) or carbon neutral by 2020. As for building practice, LED and photovoltaic technology were the most popular high-performance solutions, but only the use of natural refrigerants (p = 0.001) and gas transfer to CO2 (p = 0.0007) were related to best-performing practice. The variability of CI and EI found in this study shows that it is already possible to reduce the retail sector’s contribution to global GHG emissions considerably. The proposed best practice CI and EI reference levels, linked to corporate policy, strategy and building practice, are useful new tools for retail energy-management, which can further promote sustainability in retail buildings, thus allowing a deeper understanding of how to decarbonize the retail building sector.

ACS Style

Ana Ferreira; Manuel Duarte Pinheiro; Jorge de Brito; Ricardo Mateus. Relating carbon and energy intensity of best-performing retailers with policy, strategy and building practice. Energy Efficiency 2020, 13, 597 -619.

AMA Style

Ana Ferreira, Manuel Duarte Pinheiro, Jorge de Brito, Ricardo Mateus. Relating carbon and energy intensity of best-performing retailers with policy, strategy and building practice. Energy Efficiency. 2020; 13 (4):597-619.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ana Ferreira; Manuel Duarte Pinheiro; Jorge de Brito; Ricardo Mateus. 2020. "Relating carbon and energy intensity of best-performing retailers with policy, strategy and building practice." Energy Efficiency 13, no. 4: 597-619.

Journal article
Published: 25 September 2019 in Energy Policy
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The retail industry is one of the top 10 most carbon-intensive sectors. This paper is original in addressing what has changed in corporate retail with the Paris Agreement, accessing trends to decarbonize the sector. A qualitative comparison was performed regarding the policy, strategy and energy-related building solutions of the top 27 global retailers, ranked according to their revenue, regarding the reporting periods of 2014–2015 and 2016–2017. For each retailer, data were searched on retailers’ sustainability reports was organized in different tables according to the variables policy, strategy and energy-related building practice. A comparison analysis was carried out, in order to identify differentiating decarbonizing measures. Corporate governance is increasingly relevant to manage climate change issues. Strategies to decarbonize the retail sector include establishing ambitious energy goals, invest in sustainability of supply chain with more efficient logistics and in greener retail operations, with buildings designed and managed under a life-cycle perspective (energy-efficiency, renewable energy and natural refrigerants). Retailers are progressively aligning their energy targets to those of the Paris Agreement and converging in business principles and reporting standards. With forthcoming regulation on GHG emissions, retailers could benefit from a business case on low-carbon opportunities and financial incentives to accelerate low-carbon transition investments.

ACS Style

Ana Ferreira; Manuel Duarte Pinheiro; Jorge de Brito; Ricardo Mateus. Decarbonizing strategies of the retail sector following the Paris Agreement. Energy Policy 2019, 135, 110999 .

AMA Style

Ana Ferreira, Manuel Duarte Pinheiro, Jorge de Brito, Ricardo Mateus. Decarbonizing strategies of the retail sector following the Paris Agreement. Energy Policy. 2019; 135 ():110999.

Chicago/Turabian Style

Ana Ferreira; Manuel Duarte Pinheiro; Jorge de Brito; Ricardo Mateus. 2019. "Decarbonizing strategies of the retail sector following the Paris Agreement." Energy Policy 135, no. : 110999.

Conference paper
Published: 06 September 2019 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
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The aim of this paper is to identify existing methods for economic valuation or monetisation of life cycle environmental impacts and to assess its applicability in the broad European context. Although environmental awareness is more and more important in several industrial sectors, including the construction sector, easy to understand data are still missing for professionals to assess and manage impacts related to the whole life cycle of a building. Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) is one of the most commonly accepted methodologies to calculate potential life cycle environmental impacts of a product or service. However, the results of such method, even when published in an Environmental Product Declaration, meant for business to business communication, are not always comparable or easily understandable by non-practitioners. Economic valuation or monetisation of LCA results is a weighting step that can make it easier for non-practitioners to use LCA results to support decision-making. From the several monetisation methods analysed, it is discussed the one that is most suitable for use when LCA results already exist. It is concluded that further work is needed to improve such weighting methods or develop a common one that can be representative at a broader geographical level (for instance, Europe-wide).

ACS Style

V Durão; J D Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. Economic valuation of life cycle environmental impacts of construction products - A critical analysis. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2019, 323, 012147 .

AMA Style

V Durão, J D Silvestre, Ricardo Mateus, Jorge de Brito. Economic valuation of life cycle environmental impacts of construction products - A critical analysis. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2019; 323 (1):012147.

Chicago/Turabian Style

V Durão; J D Silvestre; Ricardo Mateus; Jorge de Brito. 2019. "Economic valuation of life cycle environmental impacts of construction products - A critical analysis." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 323, no. 1: 012147.

Conference paper
Published: 06 September 2019 in IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science
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The IEA EBC Annex 72 focuses on the assessment of the primary energy demand, greenhouse gas emissions and environmental impacts of buildings during production, construction, use (including repair and replacement) and end of life (dismantling), i.e. during the entire life cycle of buildings. In one of its activities, reference buildings (size, materialisation, operational energy demand, etc.) were defined on which the existing national assessment methods are applied using national (if available) databases and (national/regional) approaches. The "be2226" office building in Lustenau, Austria was selected as one of the reference buildings. TU Graz established a BIM model and quantified the amount of building elements as well as construction materials required and the operational energy demand. The building assessment was carried out using the same material and energy demand but applying the LCA approach used in the different countries represented by the participating Annex experts. The results of these assessments are compared in view of identifying major discrepancies. Preliminary findings show that the greenhouse gas emissions per kg of building material differ up to a factor of two and more. Major differences in the building assessments are observed in the transports to the construction site (imports) and the construction activities as well as in the greenhouse gas emissions of the operational energy demand (electricity). The experts document their practical difficulties and how they overcame them. The results of this activity are used to better target harmonisation efforts.

ACS Style

R Frischknecht; H Birgisdottir; C-U Chae; T Lützkendorf; A Passer; E Alsema; Maria Balouktsi; B Berg; D Dowdell; A García Martínez; G Habert; Alexander Hollberg; H König; S Lasvaux; C Llatas; Freja Nygaard Rasmussen; B Peuportier; L Ramseier; M Röck; B Soust Verdaguer; Z Szalay; R A Bohne; L Bragança; M Cellura; C K Chau; M Dixit; N Francart; V Gomes; L Huang; S Longo; A Lupíšek; J Martel; Ricardo Mateus; C Ouellet-Plamondon; Francesco Pomponi; P Ryklová; Damien Trigaux; W Yang. Comparison of the environmental assessment of an identical office building with national methods. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2019, 323, 012037 .

AMA Style

R Frischknecht, H Birgisdottir, C-U Chae, T Lützkendorf, A Passer, E Alsema, Maria Balouktsi, B Berg, D Dowdell, A García Martínez, G Habert, Alexander Hollberg, H König, S Lasvaux, C Llatas, Freja Nygaard Rasmussen, B Peuportier, L Ramseier, M Röck, B Soust Verdaguer, Z Szalay, R A Bohne, L Bragança, M Cellura, C K Chau, M Dixit, N Francart, V Gomes, L Huang, S Longo, A Lupíšek, J Martel, Ricardo Mateus, C Ouellet-Plamondon, Francesco Pomponi, P Ryklová, Damien Trigaux, W Yang. Comparison of the environmental assessment of an identical office building with national methods. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2019; 323 (1):012037.

Chicago/Turabian Style

R Frischknecht; H Birgisdottir; C-U Chae; T Lützkendorf; A Passer; E Alsema; Maria Balouktsi; B Berg; D Dowdell; A García Martínez; G Habert; Alexander Hollberg; H König; S Lasvaux; C Llatas; Freja Nygaard Rasmussen; B Peuportier; L Ramseier; M Röck; B Soust Verdaguer; Z Szalay; R A Bohne; L Bragança; M Cellura; C K Chau; M Dixit; N Francart; V Gomes; L Huang; S Longo; A Lupíšek; J Martel; Ricardo Mateus; C Ouellet-Plamondon; Francesco Pomponi; P Ryklová; Damien Trigaux; W Yang. 2019. "Comparison of the environmental assessment of an identical office building with national methods." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 323, no. 1: 012037.