In Brazil, there is a shortage of approximately 5.80 million residences, a challenge that intensified during the pandemic. Since 2013, there has been a mandate to implement specific performance criteria in residential constructions. However, many construction firms face difficulties in meeting these standards, especially concerning sound insulation in partition elements. This work aims to assess the airborne sound insulation performance and compliance with legal standards in new residential buildings through measurements and simulations. In particular, subsidized housing units for low-income populations are studied, which are eligible for reduced taxes on building loans. These buildings are typically made of hollow ceramic blocks with vertical perforations as separating walls, a commonly used national building material. Three buildings located in Guarapuava, a southern city in Brazil with a population of approximately 183,000 residents, were selected for this purpose. Measurements were conducted following ISO 16283-1 guidelines, whereas simulations were performed using ISO 12354-1, initially assuming a uniform plate but also exploring an alternative model that considers orthotropic behavior with analytical expressions. The calculations considered both static and dynamic moduli of elasticity. The results indicated that all the units failed to meet the specified standards. The measured $D_{nT,w}$ values were below the required thresholds, obtaining 42 < 45 dB for Building B1, 40 < 45 dB for Building B2, and 38 < 40 dB for Building B3. The predicted $D_{nT,w}$ values agreed well with the measured values when considering orthotropy with a dynamic elastic modulus. However, discrepancies were observed in the spectral analysis, especially at lower and higher frequencies. The findings suggest refraining from employing single-leaf partition walls made of vertical hollow ceramic blocks in such buildings. Improving sound insulation necessitates embracing a comprehensive strategy that takes into account the separating element, flanking paths, and the room geometries.

Most of the dams registered on the National Information System on Dam Safety (SNISB of Brazil) do not have enough information to assess whether they fit into the National Dam Safety Policy (PNSB), or to assess their safety conditions. According to the National Agency of Waters (ANA, 2021b), there are currently 122 dams with some important structural problems indicated by their inspectors in 23 states. Therefore, this article proposes a methodology for identifying faults in dam safety activities. The method applies to all types of existing dams. The proposed methodology comprises ten stages that, according to the progress of the steps, are defined by three levels of completeness of the information. Tables were developed with the objective of being a verification guide for these ten stages. This research applied the proposed methodology to two dams in Paraná, Brazil. The first is the Iraí dam, located in the metropolitan region of Curitiba, and the second is the Jordan River Derivation dam, located in Reserva do Iguaçu. The example of the Iraí dam could complete all stages of the proposed methodology. For the Jordan River Derivation dam, stages 1 to 5 of the proposed methodology were carried out. The application of the proposed methodology intends to become a useful tool, especially for inspectors, aiming at a more effective registration process, accelerating the completion of the SNISB.

The acoustic performance of vertical partitions is essential for the quality of the built environment and is regulated by NBR 15575. Materials such as soil-cement still present uncertainties under real conditions, mainly due to construction discontinuities. This study experimentally evaluates the sound insulation of a soil-cement partition, with and without a gypsum coating. Tests were conducted in a reverberation chamber according to ISO 10140, with analysis in one-third octave bands. The uncoated system showed an Rw of 22 dB, while the 3 mm gypsum-coated system reached 41 dB, representing a gain of 19 dB. Results show that performance depends on execution conditions, with joint sealing being decisive. Thin coatings are a simple and effective solution to meet the standard.

Com o propósito de mitigar impactos ambientais gerados tanto pela indústria cerâmica, como pela construção civil, o presente trabalho tem por objetivo analisar a viabilidade técnica da utilização dos resíduos de materiais cerâmicos como material alternativo para a produção de argamassas de revestimento. Dessa forma, a metodologia deste trabalho foi desenvolvida a partir da produção das argamassas de revestimento com substituição do agregado miúdo natural pelo resíduo de cerâmica vermelha (RCV) nas proporções de 0%, 20%, 50% e 100%, avaliando o desempenho no estado fresco e endurecido das argamassas. No estado fresco, as substituições reduziram o espalhamento e a densidade de massa das argamassas. Já no estado endurecido as substituições de 50% e 100%, influenciaram positivamente, tanto na resistência à compressão, quanto na resistência à tração na flexão, aumentando significativamente, em comparação com as argamassas de referência.