The growing global energy demand requires solutions that improve energy efficiency in all sectors. The civil construction sector is responsible for a large part of global energy consumption. In this context, phase change materials (PCMs) can be incorporated into construction materials to improve the energy efficiency of buildings. The purpose of this study was to incorporate a PCM to jute fabric, applying it in civil construction as a reinforcement for cement matrices. In order to do that, a method of immersing jute fabric in liquid phase change material, and then coating it with a polymer, was proposed. Treated jute fabric was then used to produce a laminated composite with a cementitious matrix. Morphological, mechanical and chemical characterization of jute textiles was performed, as well as an analysis of the composites’ mechanical and thermal behavior. The results verified that jute textiles absorbed 102% PCM in weight, which was successfully contained in the capillary porosity of jute. The PCM was able to delay the composite’s temperature increase by up to 24 °C. It was concluded that this method can be used to incorporate PCM to natural textiles, producing composites with thermal energy storage properties.

The last four decades were important for the Brazilian highway system. Financial investments were made so it could expand and many structural solutions for bridges and viaducts were developed. In parallel, there was a significant raise of pathologies in these structures, due to lack of maintenance procedures. Thus, this paper main purpose is to create a short-term monitoring plan in order to check the structural behavior of a curved highway concrete bridge in current use. A bridge was chosen as a case study. A hierarchy of six numerical models is shown, so it can validate the bridge's structural behaviour. The acquired data from the monitoring was compared with the finest models so a calibration could be made.

Since the beginning of twentieth century, along with academic publications of Ritter and Mörsch, several studies have been done in order to understand shear strength in reinforced concrete elements. Approximately 1,200 laboratory tests results of reinforced concrete beams under shear stresses were used in a comparative analysis among values from prediction models of codes and laboratory tests results, enabling classification of the codes according to their applicability in several tests intervals. Although the Brazilian Code NBR 6118 (2007) showed good results in usual ranges of parameters, it presented unsatisfactory results on the following cases: low and medium shear transverse reinforcement rate.

This paper investigates the bond behavior between a bio-aggregate and a cement-based matrix. The experimental evaluation comprised physical, chemical, image, and mechanical characterization of the bio-aggregate. The image analyses about the bio-aggregate’s outer structure provided first insights to understand the particularities of this newly proposed bio-aggregate for use in cementitious materials. A mineral aggregate (granitic rock), largely used as coarse aggregate in the Brazilian civil construction industry, was used as reference. The bond behavior of both aggregates was evaluated via pull-out tests. The results indicated that both aggregates presented a similar linear elastic branch up to each respective peak loads. The peak load magnitude of the mineral aggregate indicated a better chemical adhesion when compared to the bio-aggregate’s. The post-peak behavior, however, indicated a smoother softening branch for the bio-aggregate, corroborated by the microscopy image analyses. Although further investigation is required, the macaúba crushed endocarp was found to be a thriving bio-material to be used as bio-aggregate.