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Our ever-evolving built environment is continuously facing emerging needs for housing, work, health, and mobility, among others. Yet, buildings are usually designed and set up as finished permanent objects, reflecting the one constant scenario in mind of defined form, function, and performance. Since change is increasingly inevitable in our life, enlarging buildings’ adaptive capacities in response to arising variables and changing conditions over their lifecycle becomes a necessity in seeking global sustainability demands. The concept of building adaptability has been a notable subject in this respect, increasingly stimulating and proposing regenerative alternatives to today’s often obsolete buildings. This paper critically reviews the existing body of knowledge on the concept of adaptability in building research. The main focus is made on the evolution of the concept interpretations and related paradigms, and on the development of its applications and strategies in the light of promoting models and trends. Drawing on the literature as a source of evidence, the paper analyzes and classifies the content of existing studies published in scientific journals and gray literature, focusing on a timeframe from 2015 up-to-date. Moreover, the paper aims to build a constructive discussion to identify potential gaps between the actual state of the art and emerging needs, which should be addressed by further research.
Rand Askar; Luís Bragança; Helena Gervásio. Adaptability of Buildings: A Critical Review on the Concept Evolution. Applied Sciences 2021, 11, 4483 .
AMA StyleRand Askar, Luís Bragança, Helena Gervásio. Adaptability of Buildings: A Critical Review on the Concept Evolution. Applied Sciences. 2021; 11 (10):4483.
Chicago/Turabian StyleRand Askar; Luís Bragança; Helena Gervásio. 2021. "Adaptability of Buildings: A Critical Review on the Concept Evolution." Applied Sciences 11, no. 10: 4483.
All over the world, the number of civil engineering structures, particularly bridges with long service periods, has been increasing. The most common evidences of damages are the presence of corroded metallic elements and cracks in structural details due to the fatigue phenomenon. A large number of cases were found in which fatigue cracks were detected in structural details, such as riveted connections. Different strategies can be implemented for repairing and strengthening operations of old metallic riveted bridges. However, the use of injection bolts has been considered as an alternative with important advantages. In this regard, it is essential to study their performance under fatigue loading. In this investigation, an experimental campaign has been performed to assess the fatigue strength of injection bolts by means of comparison with standard bolts. These fatigue tests are defined to be representative of a structural strengthening scenario of an old metallic bridge. Experimental results show that injection bolts contribute to significantly reduce the scatter in the data related to fatigue resistance. For double shear specimens, the characteristic curve proposed for connections with injection bolts presents a detail category with 15% higher value when compared to non-injected specimens. The beneficial effect is also verified in terms of slip deformation. For single shear specimens, the overall effect of the adhesive is not clear.
Bruno Pedrosa; José Correia; Carlos Rebelo; Milan Veljkovic; Helena Gervásio. Fatigue experimental characterization of preloaded injection bolts in a metallic bridge strengthening scenario. Engineering Structures 2021, 234, 112005 .
AMA StyleBruno Pedrosa, José Correia, Carlos Rebelo, Milan Veljkovic, Helena Gervásio. Fatigue experimental characterization of preloaded injection bolts in a metallic bridge strengthening scenario. Engineering Structures. 2021; 234 ():112005.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Pedrosa; José Correia; Carlos Rebelo; Milan Veljkovic; Helena Gervásio. 2021. "Fatigue experimental characterization of preloaded injection bolts in a metallic bridge strengthening scenario." Engineering Structures 234, no. : 112005.
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.
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 StyleJorge 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 StyleJorge 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.
Open-loop earth-air heat exchangers (EAHE) can be used as a passive contribution to reduce the energy demand of buildings for heating and cooling, by providing a thermal pre-conditioning of the required ventilation air. This paper aims to numerically assess the influence of three parameters on the overall thermal performance of an EAHE system for residential buildings in warm-summer Mediterranean climate: spacing between pipes, pipes diameter and flowing air velocity. ANSYS-CFX® was used to simulate the EAHE transient behaviour during heating and cooling operation modes, and to evaluate the influence of each parameter on the outlet air temperature and soil-air heat transfer rate. The numerical results were validated against experimental data and compared with previously obtained analytical results. It was concluded that for a certain pipe diameter and distance between adjacent pipes, the higher the air velocity the lower the thermal performance of the system, mainly for cooling. Results also showed that for a certain air velocity and pipe diameter, the distance between pipes can be reduced from 1.0 m to 0.5 m without compromising the EAHE performance, thus allowing a reduction of the land area needed for the EAHE pipes up to ca. 50%.
Nuno Rosa; Nelson Soares; J.J. Costa; P. Santos; Helena Gervasio. Assessment of an earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) system for residential buildings in warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 2020, 38, 100649 .
AMA StyleNuno Rosa, Nelson Soares, J.J. Costa, P. Santos, Helena Gervasio. Assessment of an earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) system for residential buildings in warm-summer Mediterranean climate. Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments. 2020; 38 ():100649.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNuno Rosa; Nelson Soares; J.J. Costa; P. Santos; Helena Gervasio. 2020. "Assessment of an earth-air heat exchanger (EAHE) system for residential buildings in warm-summer Mediterranean climate." Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments 38, no. : 100649.
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.
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 StyleJorge 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 StyleJorge 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.
In this paper, a comprehensive experimental study on cylindrically curved steel panels is presented, in order to characterize the structural behavior of cylindrically curved panels as individual members under uniform compression. Therefore, 32 full-scale compression tests on both stiffened and unstiffened simply supported curved panels were performed, where the radius of curvature and the number of stiffeners were varied. Based on the experimental results a numerical model is built, which was used to investigate the sensitivity to initial geometric imperfections of curved panels. One of the main conclusions is that the behaviour of a panel highly depends on the shape of the initial geometric imperfections, which also determines its ultimate resistance.
Filip Ljubinković; João Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva; Carlos Leitão. Experimental and numerical investigation on cylindrically curved steel panels under uniform compression. Thin-Walled Structures 2019, 149, 106527 .
AMA StyleFilip Ljubinković, João Pedro Martins, Helena Gervasio, Luis Simoesdasilva, Carlos Leitão. Experimental and numerical investigation on cylindrically curved steel panels under uniform compression. Thin-Walled Structures. 2019; 149 ():106527.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilip Ljubinković; João Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva; Carlos Leitão. 2019. "Experimental and numerical investigation on cylindrically curved steel panels under uniform compression." Thin-Walled Structures 149, no. : 106527.
Bridges have a significant role in society but are often massive structures requiring a high amount of materials, leading to high consumption of natural resources and high costs. In this respect, the use of high-strength steel (HSS) may represent a significant advantage as it enables to reduce the quantity of materials required for a structure to fulfil its function. Notwithstanding this potential benefit, the use of slender plates allowed by HSS makes I-girders more vulnerable to local bucking phenomena and fatigue issues. Hence, this article aims to discuss the potential advantages of HSS in bridge design, in terms of structural, environmental and economic performances. The discussion is based on a comparative analysis, in which a bridge made of steel grade S355 is compared with two alternative designs made of steel grade S690. The results of the analysis showed that although the use of HSS in bridges enables to save steel, thus providing some environmental advantages, in terms of costs the differences are negligible due to the higher requirements of HSS bridges.
Melaku Seyoum Lemma; Helena Gervásio; José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro; Constança Rigueiro; Luis Simoesdasilva. Enhancement of the life-cycle performance of bridges using high-strength steel. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering 2019, 16, 772 -786.
AMA StyleMelaku Seyoum Lemma, Helena Gervásio, José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro, Constança Rigueiro, Luis Simoesdasilva. Enhancement of the life-cycle performance of bridges using high-strength steel. Structure and Infrastructure Engineering. 2019; 16 (4):772-786.
Chicago/Turabian StyleMelaku Seyoum Lemma; Helena Gervásio; José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro; Constança Rigueiro; Luis Simoesdasilva. 2019. "Enhancement of the life-cycle performance of bridges using high-strength steel." Structure and Infrastructure Engineering 16, no. 4: 772-786.
In the Portuguese context, the life cycle assessment of building materials is still in its infancy. So far, there is only a small number of Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) available, all target for industrially-based materials. Although vernacular earthen materials are seen as ecological materials, with low potential environmental impacts, there are no studies that allow to quantitatively compare these materials with conventional ones, according to the applicable standards. In the case of Portugal, there are no EPDs or studies for these materials and the studies available worldwide are hard to compare, since they not follow the same life-cycle assessment methodology. This paper aims at contributing to a better understanding about the environmental performance of earthen materials by presenting results from the life cycle assessment of Compressed Earth Blocks (CEBs) and Rammed earth, based on specific life cycle inventory values obtained from a producer company, following the guidance provided by the standard EN15804. Among other conclusions, results show that CEB and Rammed earth have a total Embodied Energy of 3.94 MJ/block and 596 MJ/1 m3 and a Global Warming Potential of 0.39 kg CO2 eq/block and 47.5 kg CO2 eq./1 m3, respectively. In a cradle-to-gate analysis of different walls, the use of earthen building elements can result in reducing the potential environmental impacts in about 50%, when compared to the use of conventional ones. Additionally, the advantages of using earthen materials are also discussed for the different building life-cycle stages, focusing on the possibility to recycle these materials in a closed-loop approach.
Jorge Fernandes; Marco Peixoto; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio. Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks. Journal of Cleaner Production 2019, 241, 118286 .
AMA StyleJorge Fernandes, Marco Peixoto, Ricardo Mateus, Helena Gervásio. Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks. Journal of Cleaner Production. 2019; 241 ():118286.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJorge Fernandes; Marco Peixoto; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio. 2019. "Life cycle analysis of environmental impacts of earthen materials in the Portuguese context: Rammed earth and compressed earth blocks." Journal of Cleaner Production 241, no. : 118286.
It is of high importance to develop innovative strengthening and rehabilitation operations for bridges whose design life is coming to an end. A case study concerning the centenary Portela road bridge in Coimbra is addressed. In situ experiments were performed in order to obtain a modal identification of the structure. The data was used to elaborate a reliable numerical model in order to compute and analyse the stress level on each element. It also allowed identifying which elements did not satisfy the strength and stability requirements of current standards. Thereby, the main goal was to propose a structural strengthening scenario, concerning its superstructure, in order to provide the safety levels required with emphasis on prolonging the superstructure, namely concerning the strength, deformation and fatigue resistance.
Bruno Pedrosa; Carlos Rebelo; Helena Gervásio; Luís Simões Da Silva. Modal Identification and Strengthening Techniques on Centenary Portela Bridge. Structural Engineering International 2019, 29, 586 -594.
AMA StyleBruno Pedrosa, Carlos Rebelo, Helena Gervásio, Luís Simões Da Silva. Modal Identification and Strengthening Techniques on Centenary Portela Bridge. Structural Engineering International. 2019; 29 (4):586-594.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Pedrosa; Carlos Rebelo; Helena Gervásio; Luís Simões Da Silva. 2019. "Modal Identification and Strengthening Techniques on Centenary Portela Bridge." Structural Engineering International 29, no. 4: 586-594.
Traffic patterns increasing and the degradation of existing roadway steel bridges due to poor maintenance has led to the need of an assessment deciding whether to retrofit or to supply a structure replacement. This paper focusses on the rehabilitation of steel truss bridges in order to extend the lifetime of such bridges. Two case studies are presented: the Adige Bridge, located between the provinces of Padua and Rovigo, and the Po Bridge, which connects the Rovigo and Ferrara provinces in northern Italy. In both cases, stress data and displacements are obtained by a 3D finite element model and the results show that loads defined in the European code are enough to compromise material strength in several sections. Appropriate retrofitting criteria are proposed and compared. A multi-criteria decision approach is introduced at the end of the paper to help in the decision-making process of selecting the best option for an additional reinforcement strategy, taking into account four criteria: reliability of the solution, ease of construction, estimated cost and embodied carbon.
Alessio Pipinato; Carlos Rebelo; Bruno Pedrosa; Helena Gervásio. Assessment Procedure and Rehabilitation Criteria for Riveted Road Bridges. Structural Engineering International 2019, 30, 109 -118.
AMA StyleAlessio Pipinato, Carlos Rebelo, Bruno Pedrosa, Helena Gervásio. Assessment Procedure and Rehabilitation Criteria for Riveted Road Bridges. Structural Engineering International. 2019; 30 (1):109-118.
Chicago/Turabian StyleAlessio Pipinato; Carlos Rebelo; Bruno Pedrosa; Helena Gervásio. 2019. "Assessment Procedure and Rehabilitation Criteria for Riveted Road Bridges." Structural Engineering International 30, no. 1: 109-118.
Injection bolts have been used to replace faulty rivets on strengthening operations of old riveted steel bridges. This technology has been essentially tested for its quasi-static or creep behaviour and there are very few studies concerned the assessment of its fatigue resistance. This paper presents an experimental program developed to evaluate the fatigue behaviour of single shear preloaded bolted connections with injection and standard bolts. Specimens combine S355 steel and old metallic material obtained from structural elements of the centenary Eiffel bridge in Portugal. Fatigue failure was found either at the net cross-section or at a gross cross-section of the plates. Statistical analysis was conducted on the experimental data to compare with the fatigue design curves proposed in Eurocode 3, part 1-9. It is concluded that the detail category suggested on the reference code is not able to represent the fatigue life of old steel materials. An alternative S-N curve is proposed which is able to represent the fatigue behaviour of the studied detail. Furthermore, it was concluded that the influence of the adhesive on the detail’s fatigue strength is not significant.
Bruno Pedrosa; Carlos Rebelo; Helena Gervásio; Luís Simões Da Silva; José Antonio Correia. Fatigue of Preloaded Bolted Connections with Injection Bolts. Structural Engineering International 2019, 30, 102 -108.
AMA StyleBruno Pedrosa, Carlos Rebelo, Helena Gervásio, Luís Simões Da Silva, José Antonio Correia. Fatigue of Preloaded Bolted Connections with Injection Bolts. Structural Engineering International. 2019; 30 (1):102-108.
Chicago/Turabian StyleBruno Pedrosa; Carlos Rebelo; Helena Gervásio; Luís Simões Da Silva; José Antonio Correia. 2019. "Fatigue of Preloaded Bolted Connections with Injection Bolts." Structural Engineering International 30, no. 1: 102-108.
The main objective of the research program is to develop solid knowledge on the structural behavior of curved steel panels for optimized applications in steel and composite bridges. Moreover, the new findings in this field should spur and contribute to the extension of the EN 1993-1-5 design methodology, which is still limited only to the design of flat plates. Therefore, two identical prototype box-girder bridge segments, in scale 1:3 with respect to a real study case, with two different steel grades (S460 and S690) were experimentally tested. Segments are tested as three-point bending tests, with the aim to assess the complex behavior of a box girder bridge deck near the intermediate support, where the moment-shear (M - V) interaction occurs. This paper gives a detailed description of the experimental program executed and most relevant results, which will be used for the calibration of a numerical model, where the influence of several key parameters will be further investigated.
Filip Ljubinković; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva; José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro. Experimental behavior of curved bottom flanges in steel box-girder bridge decks. Journal of Constructional Steel Research 2019, 160, 169 -188.
AMA StyleFilip Ljubinković, Joao Pedro Martins, Helena Gervasio, Luis Simoesdasilva, José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro. Experimental behavior of curved bottom flanges in steel box-girder bridge decks. Journal of Constructional Steel Research. 2019; 160 ():169-188.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilip Ljubinković; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva; José Joaquim Oliveira Pedro. 2019. "Experimental behavior of curved bottom flanges in steel box-girder bridge decks." Journal of Constructional Steel Research 160, no. : 169-188.
In this paper, an extensive numerical study is performed with the aim to investigate the post-buckling behavior of simply supported cylindrically curved steel panels subjected to a pure shear load. The main objective is to understand the influence of geometrical parameters, such as curvature and aspect ratio, but also it is aimed to examine how the level of the constraint of the edges affects the ultimate shear resistance. Finally, a new set of formulas are numerically derived, which allow estimation of the ultimate shear reduction factor of unstiffened curved panels with three different types of edge constraints, for various curvatures (up to 50) and various aspect ratios (up to 5). Moreover, the formulas use a similar base form as the one available in EN 1993-1-5 for the prediction of the ultimate shear load of a flat panel.
Filip Ljubinković; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva. Ultimate load of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear. Thin-Walled Structures 2019, 142, 171 -188.
AMA StyleFilip Ljubinković, Joao Pedro Martins, Helena Gervasio, Luis Simoesdasilva. Ultimate load of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear. Thin-Walled Structures. 2019; 142 ():171-188.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilip Ljubinković; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva. 2019. "Ultimate load of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear." Thin-Walled Structures 142, no. : 171-188.
In this paper, an extensive numerical study is performed with the aim to investigate the elastic buckling behavior of simply supported cylindrically curved steel panels subjected to a pure shear load. The main objective is to understand the influence of geometrical parameters, such as curvature and aspect ratio, but also of the edge in-plane constraints. Finally, a new formula is proposed, which allows simple and accurate estimation of the critical shear stress of unstiffened curved panels with three different types of edge constraints, for various curvatures (1 < Z ≤ 100) and various aspect ratios (up to 5).
Filip Ljubinkovic; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva. Eigenvalue analysis of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear. Thin-Walled Structures 2019, 141, 447 -459.
AMA StyleFilip Ljubinkovic, Joao Pedro Martins, Helena Gervasio, Luis Simoesdasilva. Eigenvalue analysis of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear. Thin-Walled Structures. 2019; 141 ():447-459.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilip Ljubinkovic; Joao Pedro Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luis Simoesdasilva. 2019. "Eigenvalue analysis of cylindrically curved steel panels under pure shear." Thin-Walled Structures 141, no. : 447-459.
In Portugal, there is a lack of quantitative studies on the thermal performance of earthen buildings. This paper aims at contributing to this research context by studying site-specific strategies, and the thermal performance and comfort conditions of a rammed earth building located in southern Portugal. The study is based on objective and subjective assessments and consists of assessing the hygrothermal conditions, thermal comfort levels and analysing the occupants’ perception regarding thermal sensation. The results showed that the strategies used are closely related to local conditions, mitigating the effects of high summer temperatures and ensuring a good summer thermal performance by passive means alone. During the summer monitoring, results showed that the building stayed most of the time (80%) in Category I (high level of expectation) and the remaining time in Category II, according to the classification method defined by the standard EN15251. During the winter period, the building had the worst performance, being necessary a heating system to guarantee comfort conditions. Additionally, the results showed that the good thermal performance of the case study depended more on the high thermal inertia than on the U-value of the envelope. Limitations and advantages of the use of earthen construction elements are discussed.
Jorge Fernandes; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio; Sandra M. Silva; Luís Bragança. Passive strategies used in Southern Portugal vernacular rammed earth buildings and their influence in thermal performance. Renewable Energy 2019, 142, 345 -363.
AMA StyleJorge Fernandes, Ricardo Mateus, Helena Gervásio, Sandra M. Silva, Luís Bragança. Passive strategies used in Southern Portugal vernacular rammed earth buildings and their influence in thermal performance. Renewable Energy. 2019; 142 ():345-363.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJorge Fernandes; Ricardo Mateus; Helena Gervásio; Sandra M. Silva; Luís Bragança. 2019. "Passive strategies used in Southern Portugal vernacular rammed earth buildings and their influence in thermal performance." Renewable Energy 142, no. : 345-363.
The use of natural resources for building construction represents, in terms of mass, one of the biggest challenges in resource consumption. On the other hand, construction and demolition waste is one of the most important waste streams generated in the EU, about 25% - 30% of all waste generated in the EU, and consists of numerous materials with potential for recycling. Recently, a research project EFIResources was completed, which focussed on the development of a performance based approach for sustainable design, enabling to assess resource efficiency of buildings, in the early stages of building design, and supporting European policies related to resource efficiency and circular economy. Therefore, the main aim of this paper is to present the developed approach, which is based on the benchmarking of the environmental performance of buildings, in a life cycle perspective. Moreover, this paper includes a discussion of the different methods that are available for the allocation of credits and/or debits due to the recycling process, between the system producing the secondary materials and the system receiving them, in line with current EU policies.
Helena Gervasio. The role of resource efficiency towards circular economy. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 2019, 225, 012057 .
AMA StyleHelena Gervasio. The role of resource efficiency towards circular economy. IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 2019; 225 (1):012057.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena Gervasio. 2019. "The role of resource efficiency towards circular economy." IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science 225, no. 1: 012057.
The main objective of this research project is to develop solid knowledge on the structural behavior of curved steel panels for optimized applications in steel and composite bridges. Moreover, the goal is to extend the EN 1993-1-5 design methodology for transversally curved panels subjected to various in-plane load cases. For that purpose, two identical prototype box-girder bridge segments in scale 1:3, with the transversally curved bottom flange and with two different steel grades (S460 and S690) are to be tested. Bridge segments are tested as three-point bending tests, simulating the bridge behavior near the intermediate support, where the interaction between bending moment and shear force occurs in the lower curved flange. This paper is mainly focused on the preparation process prior to the experiments and the description of the test layout. The first specimen was tested recently and thus, only the preliminary results are presented. Later on, based on these results, a numerical model will be validated and used for a parametric study, where the influence of several parameters on the behavior of these innovative bridge prototypes will be investigated.
Filip Ljubinkovic; João Pedro S C Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luís A P Simões Da Silva. Experimental investigation on the bridge segments with transversally curved bottom flange. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 2018, 419, 012042 .
AMA StyleFilip Ljubinkovic, João Pedro S C Martins, Helena Gervasio, Luís A P Simões Da Silva. Experimental investigation on the bridge segments with transversally curved bottom flange. IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering. 2018; 419 (1):012042.
Chicago/Turabian StyleFilip Ljubinkovic; João Pedro S C Martins; Helena Gervasio; Luís A P Simões Da Silva. 2018. "Experimental investigation on the bridge segments with transversally curved bottom flange." IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering 419, no. 1: 012042.
The work presented in this paper is part of a research project aiming for the development of a performance-based approach for sustainable design, focusing on the efficient use of natural resources over the lifetime of buildings. The proposed approach requires the set of benchmarks to provide a consistent and transparent yardstick for the environmental performance of buildings and to strive towards an effective reduction in the use of resources and relative environmental impacts in the building sector. This paper focuses on the development of the framework for the quantification of the benchmarks. Additionally, a review of available benchmarks is provided, showing a huge diversity of values. One of the main factors contributing to such diversity is the lack of a reliable model for the quantification of the benchmarks. To overcome this problem, a consistent model for life-cycle assessment (LCA) is adopted, which is based on a standardized framework and enables comparability of results. Based on the proposed approach, a preliminary set of benchmarks for residential buildings is defined, leading to values in the range of 5–12 kg CO2/m2.yr and 68–186 MJ/m2.yr, for life-cycle global warming and total primary energy, respectively.
Helena Gervasio; Silvia Dimova; Artur Pinto. Benchmarking the Life-Cycle Environmental Performance of Buildings. Sustainability 2018, 10, 1454 .
AMA StyleHelena Gervasio, Silvia Dimova, Artur Pinto. Benchmarking the Life-Cycle Environmental Performance of Buildings. Sustainability. 2018; 10 (5):1454.
Chicago/Turabian StyleHelena Gervasio; Silvia Dimova; Artur Pinto. 2018. "Benchmarking the Life-Cycle Environmental Performance of Buildings." Sustainability 10, no. 5: 1454.
Earth-to-air heat exchanger is an efficient complement to the space heating and cooling systems. An earth-to-air heat exchanger system consists of a set of subterranean pipes leading outdoor air to a ventilation room and by collecting geothermal energy saves some energy. This article presents testing of an earth-to-air heat exchanger installation in a residential building in Coimbra (Portugal) during 1 year. An analytical model is developed and verified with data from the system monitoring. Many variables affect the outcome of the model and they are included in the parametric study, namely, pipe length and diameter, air velocity, pipe wall material and type of soil. While the difference between outlet and inlet air temperatures is proportional to the pipe length and ground thermal conductivity and inversely proportional to pipe diameter and air velocity, the evaluation is made in terms of a coefficient of performance. For that, the most important factor is the air velocity while material of the pipe does not have a significant effect.
Nuno Rosa; P Santos; José J. Costa; Helena Gervasio. Modelling and performance analysis of an earth-to-air heat exchanger in a pilot installation. Journal of Building Physics 2018, 42, 259 -287.
AMA StyleNuno Rosa, P Santos, José J. Costa, Helena Gervasio. Modelling and performance analysis of an earth-to-air heat exchanger in a pilot installation. Journal of Building Physics. 2018; 42 (3):259-287.
Chicago/Turabian StyleNuno Rosa; P Santos; José J. Costa; Helena Gervasio. 2018. "Modelling and performance analysis of an earth-to-air heat exchanger in a pilot installation." Journal of Building Physics 42, no. 3: 259-287.
Joao Pedro Martins; Filip Ljubinkovic; Luis Simoesdasilva; Helena Gervasio. Behaviour of thin-walled curved steel plates under generalised in-plane stresses: A review. Journal of Constructional Steel Research 2018, 140, 191 -207.
AMA StyleJoao Pedro Martins, Filip Ljubinkovic, Luis Simoesdasilva, Helena Gervasio. Behaviour of thin-walled curved steel plates under generalised in-plane stresses: A review. Journal of Constructional Steel Research. 2018; 140 ():191-207.
Chicago/Turabian StyleJoao Pedro Martins; Filip Ljubinkovic; Luis Simoesdasilva; Helena Gervasio. 2018. "Behaviour of thin-walled curved steel plates under generalised in-plane stresses: A review." Journal of Constructional Steel Research 140, no. : 191-207.