Tall buildings pose significant challenges for engineering and are constantly the subject of studies to analyze and assess structural behavior. Wind engineering plays a crucial role in determining the horizontal forces acting on the structure, especially in tall and slender buildings subject to significant neighborhood effects on safety, structural lifespan, and occupant comfort. This study conducted a local analysis of pressure distributions on facades for various neighborhood configurations around a standard building model tested in the wind tunnel Professor Joaquim Blessmann. The experiments were conducted by Lavôr (2023), allowing the identification of pressure changes caused by different neighborhood configurations compared to the isolated standard building model (without neighborhood) at each pressure measurement point. Instantaneous pressures were obtained through an electronic transducer for simultaneous measurements of fluctuating pressures at all 280 pressure taps on the model. Using the collected data, a Monte Carlo statistical method was implemented to estimate the peak pressure coefficient with a 78% probability of not being exceeded over a 50-year return period. To compare the data, mean and peak pressure coefficients were organized into spatial distribution and bar charts, which, after comparisons with NBR 6123:1988 and the model without neighborhood, revealed how the neighborhood distribution around a building can modify wind flow, altering the forces on each facade and leading to an increase in mean and peak pressure coefficients for certain neighborhood configurations. The analysis of the surrounding neighborhood of a tall building has proven to be a fundamental parameter for determining the horizontal forces due to wind.

In 1296, under the design of one of the greatest architects of the time, Arnolfo di Cambio, construction began on the Cathedral Santa Maria del Fiore, which for many years was the largest church in Christianity. Built 55.00 meters above the ground, with an internal height of 32.00 m and an internal diameter of 45.40 meters erected on an octagonal plane, the Cathedral Dome is the largest ever built without the use of reinforcement. Weighing around 29,000 tons, the Dome of Santa Maria del Fiore is considered one of the greatest feats of engineering. The city of Florence is located between two seismic activity zones: Mugello, to the North, and Chianti, to the South. In May 2022, the city was hit by some earthquakes with a magnitude of up to 3.7Mw, same magnitude as events that occurred in June 2023. In September of the same year, seismic shocks with a maximum magnitude of 4.90 Mw were recorded and, in February 2024, seismic events of magnitude 3.5 Mw. To allow the perpetuation of historical constructions over the years, it is essential to analyze and predict the behavior of these structures, also including seismic action. Therefore, the present work aims to develop a non-linear numerical analysis of the seismic behavior of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore, using the finite element method evaluated in the ABAQUS computer program environment. The seismic analysis was developed with the help of the database made available by the SCALCONA 3.0 software from seven natural accelerograms, for five return times (50, 75, 101, 201, 475 years), of seismic events recorded in rocky outcrops that satisfy spectrum compatibility requirements with the regulatory response spectrum for any location within the Tuscany region. This analysis consisted of detailing accelerations, tensions and deformations resulting from the application of seismic events in the Cathedral's structure, as well as indicating the fault zones in the structure. The greatest stresses, accelerations and deformations were observed for the seismic event with a magnitude of 6.93 Mw, a distance from the epicenter of 83.53 km and a return time of 475 years. The static stress state varied from +1.80 MPa and -4.50 MPa to +2.31MPa and -8.50 MPa with the application of the event, with the highest acceleration of 40.84 m/s² and maximum horizontal deformation of 13.85 mm of the structure at the top of the vertical fissure on the southwest surface of the Dome. Therefore, a methodology for analyzing historic buildings subject to earthquakes was proposed through the construction of a numerical model calibrated based on experimental records of vibration modes and frequencies. The option to develop a model adjusted based on dynamic properties guarantees greater suitability since these parameters are much more sensitive to small and complex variations than static parameters, being specific and unique for each existing structure.

This study presents the results of 38 pull-out tests on headed bars pre-installed in the tension zone of slender reinforced concrete elements. Among these tests, 12 investigated the influence of longitudinal reinforcement on the ultimate tensile strength of headed bars when subjected to edge effects or to the combined action of edge and group effects. These specimens were designed to fail by concrete cone failure, and the rate of longitudinal reinforcement was determined to control the level of concrete cracking, maintaining crack widths close to zero before failure. The remaining 24 tests primarily aimed to investigate the influence of supplementary reinforcement and the concrete's compressive strength on the concrete cone strength of headed bars subjected to edge and group effects. The main variables included the effective anchorage length, the spacing between headed bars, and the distance from these bars to the edges of the reinforced concrete elements. Furthermore, 16 tests conducted by Costa (2016) were used as references to extend the above-mentioned analyses. The experimental strengths were compared to those estimated using calculation methods presented in ACI 318 (2019) and EN 1992 - 4 (2018) standards, and proposed by Regan (2000), Sharma et al. (2017), and EOTA/ETAG Annex C (2012), which are analyzed and discussed. The results indicated that longitudinal reinforcement effectively controlled crack openings, maintaining the strength levels of headed bars in tension zones, similar to those in uncracked concrete. The anchorage length was the variable that had the most significant influence on the concrete cone strength of the headed bars, as expected, and the group effect tended to reduce this strength in specimens without supplementary reinforcement. The presence of supplementary reinforcement, in turn, increased the connector strength by up to 56% and made the failure more ductile, in addition to increasing the conservatism of the theoretical models analyzed. Among the analyzed calculation methods, the one proposed by Regan (2000) provided estimates that best matched the experimental strengths for specimens without supplementary reinforcement. In those where the influence of this reinforcement was observed, the calculation method proposed by Sharma et al. (2017) provided closer estimates to the experimental strengths, although under-strength values were obtained for specimens with the lowest concrete compressive strength.

To be added

The problem of scarce construction area in the main and highly populated cities of the world has led to the use of tall buildings in the modern era. This serves as a way to allocate more space for homes, commerce, entrepreneurship and business. The use of lightweight and high strength materials along with advanced construction techniques have led to an incredible rise in the number of tall buildings, which tend to be slender, flexible and lightly damped structures. Because of that, they are very sensitive to environmental excitations such as winds and earthquakes. This also causes these types of structure to become more susceptible to the problems caused by unwanted vibrations, which could induce structural failure, occupant discomfort and malfunction of equipment. Even small vibrations, often times not offering risk to a building’s structural integrity, can cause extreme nuisance and discomfort to its inhabitants. Thus, it becomes important to search for practical and effective ways to reduce these vibration-related problems in the form of, for example, devices capable of controlling structure vibrations. The functioning of a passive device is focused on absorbing part of the energy of the structure to which it is coupled and dissipating this energy by its own mechanisms. One of these devices is the Tuned Liquid Column Damper (TLCD), which consists of a U-shaped tube partially filled with water. Part of the energy absorbed from the vibrating main system is dissipated by the movement of the liquid inside the tube. In this work, the efficiency of the TLCD in reducing structural vibration is analyzed. The analysis in the search for its ideal parameters is made by numerical and analytical methods, such as a parametric analysis. Software packages like DynaPy are used to perform simulations, generate data, model case studies and analyze situations that approximate practical examples and real-life scenarios, such as seismic excitations. Optimal TLCD parameters are presented via response map for reducing the structure's maximum permanent response to harmonic excitation and for reducing the structure's rms response to seismic excitation. The variation of the TLCD parameters presented by the response map is directly related to the force acting on the structure. However, it is verified that regardless of the acting force, there is an ideal frequency range to tune the TLCD where the greatest reductions in the primary system response are found. From the ideal liquid column parameters determined by the parametric analysis, structural response reductions of approximately 60% were achieved. This work also illustrates Dynapy’s multiple features as a tool for learning and teaching structural dynamics.

In order to investigate the bending behavior of reinforced concrete beams reinforced by the NSM technique, an experimental program of twelve beams was designed, with variable bending reinforcement rates (ρs = 0.19%, ρs = 0.29%, ρs = 0.48% and ρs = 0.75%) and two different types of reinforcement, considering the use of steel bars with cement-based adhesive or CFRP laminates with epoxy-based resin.
The twelve beams were tested in the laboratory, this series being composed of four reference beams (without reinforcement), four reinforced with steel bars and four reinforced with CFRP laminates.
The experimental results indicated that the beams reinforced with steel bars and CFRP laminates had a very similar behavior, being both efficient solutions to increase the resistance capacity of the elements. Also, by increasing the rate of bending reinforcement of the beams, the increase in load provided by the reinforcement reduces, since to provide more significant increments of resistant capacity, high amounts of reinforcement would be required, which are not applicable in practice, given the limitations dimensions of the design indicated by the standards.
Comparing the results estimated by the theoretical formulations of ACI 440.2R (2017) and fib Bulletin 90 (2019) with the experimental results, it is observed that both presented adequate results in estimating the ultimate load and failure mode of the beams.

The construction industry is notoriously known for its low degree of technological innovation.
However, this reality has changed with the use of Building Information Modelling, artificial
intelligence and computer vision in several fields of this industry, and these technologies are
being used both independently and integrated. In this context, construction monitoring is one
area that is constantly benefiting from these changes. Construction control, in this sense, is an
area of fundamental importance for the success of a project, since it allows the monitoring of
whether what is being executed in the field is compatible with what was planned, in order to
identify deviations and make the right decisions to mitigate delays. Computer vision, 4D BIM,
machine learning and the Internet of Things are examples of technologies that are being used
to help construction managers at this stage of the building process. However, for these
resources to be used properly in construction monitoring, studies and research are needed on
each of them, as well as on their integration. Thus, this dissertation proposes the use of
computer vision and artificial intelligence applied to the evaluation of construction progress in
a 4D BIM simulation. To this end, a database of images of simulations of a construction was
created, each with its respective construction progress. Then, these images were used to train
3 convolutional neural networks with the objective of obtaining the construction progress in
each image. The trained machine learning models were then statistically evaluated, so that it
was possible to analyze whether the algorithm was able to identify the main characteristics of
the images, and analyze the occurrence of underfitting and overfitting in the models.
Subsequently, an analysis of the feature maps generated by the convolutional neural
networks was performed in order to better understand the model results. As a scientific
contribution, this dissertation explores the integration between BIM and convolutional neural
networks, showing that these networks can be trained with BIM model images and provide
accurate results. In addition, this study uses convolutional neural networks for regression
problems, something little explored in the scientific literature.

In many urban buildings, gas is supplied through central stations where pressurized tanks are located. One of the main risks associated with these places is the explosion, which can generate, as a primary effect, a shock wave and then launch fragments at high speeds and even cause fires. Explosions are characterized by the sudden expansion of a material and, consequently, the release of energy. In many situations, the consequence of this phenomenon in gas central storage is catastrophic since the overpressure of the shock wave can cause various material damages and even fatalities. Some researches have contributed to understand this event in terms of predicting the energy stored in the gas tanks and the pressure distribution around the explosion. However, it is necessary to broaden the understanding of this subject using numerical tools capable of overcoming limitations of analytical models, for example, predicting pressures in a complex environment where multiple reflections of the shock wave occur. Furthermore, analyzing protective physical barriers for constructions close to gas tanks with large volumes is essential for developing safer and more reliable projects. Through numerical simulations, the present work aimed to analyze the shock wave overpressures resulting from explosions of gas tanks on the ground and in buried shelters. For this, environments representing common situations in urban areas were proposed. Furthermore, the influence of obstacles on overpressure peaks was analyzed. All simulations in this study were performed using the Autodyn software from the Ansys® Workbench package. The results allowed a broader understanding of the distribution of pressures in each analyzed scenario and the correlation with possible damages.

In its notable progress, Linear Elastic Fracture Mechanics (LEFM) equipped with Computational Mechanics, made explicit the enormous lack of structural norms in the face of structural failures conceived in brittle materials, still allocated under stresses lower than the design stress limit. Generally, such failures are due to events ranging from structural weaknesses to the occurrence of failure by the brittle fracture mechanism. Characterized by the arbitrary arrangement of its granular constituents, concrete is the most used brittle material in the world, anisotropic composite and subject to unique phenomena, such as the size effect. Macroscopically, it is taken as a material resulting from the union between cementitious paste, aggregates and a transition zone between them, composed of a portion of already fragile material, before its mechanical action due to the presence of numerous microfailures resulting, mainly, from the high accumulation of water in the region. Thus, based on the LEFM, it is proposed the development of a methodology applicable to the analysis of the phenomena of cohesive fracture and multiple critical cracking in brittle materials, through the use of homemade processing software, BEMCRACKER2D, and pre- and post-processing, the BEMLAB2D interface, both based on the Dual Boundary Element Method (MECD). Briefly, the proposed methodology is based on an interactive process consisting of two stages: the first comprises the use of the BEMCRACKER2D and BEMLAB2D software to carry out analysis procedures and incremental obtainment of cracking, displacements, stresses and their respective Stress Intensity Factors (SIF). The second stage covers the creation of a routine in MATLAB for prospecting cohesive fracture processes through softening curves, represented by linear, bilinear and exponential cohesive models. Altogether, ten classic models from the literature are considered for verification, validation and application of the developed methodology, presenting results fully consistent with expectations.

Building Information Modeling (BIM) is a valuable tool for construction management that can enhance control over the construction process through efficient and collaborative design, improving quality and reducing project costs. Despite the benefits, most companies have yet to achieve higher levels of BIM implementation due to barriers in three main areas: people, processes, and technology. The objective of this work is to develop a theoretical framework of principles and practices based on the concepts of Lean, Agile, and Design Thinking to overcome these barriers to BIM implementation. This proposal arises from the identified need to integrate concepts that are still rarely worked together in the scientific literature, thereby contributing a significant advance in the field. The critical barriers were identified through a systematic literature review and validated through semi-structured interviews with a panel of four experts. Subsequently, another systematic review was conducted to define the principles and practices of Lean, Agile, and Design Thinking. The proposed framework was generated using the Delphi method, in two rounds of consultation with 10 industry professionals. This process allowed us to evaluate and correlate the barriers with the identified principles and practices, culminating in a satisfactory consensus. The framework is then represented by a node diagram, which associates each barrier with the corresponding principles and practices. This work provides a valuable starting point for overcoming barriers to BIM implementation, playing a crucial role in the effective management of this process. Moreover, it offers an innovative scientific contribution by presenting a meaningful integration of concepts, such as Lean, Agile, and Design Thinking, usually not worked together, clarifying and organizing complex issues, and offering new perspectives and tools to support progress and innovation in the AEC industry

The monitoring of structures is growing in importance due to society's demands on safety,
reliability and economic management of aging infrastructure. After the initial demand for
construction, it is natural that there is concern on the part of managers for issues related to the
monitoring, detection, estimation and prediction of damage and useful life of structures. In the
context of large Brazilian cities, which have part of their road and subway infrastructure with
many years of use, there is a need for a more detailed assessment of the integrity of large
structures, such as bridges and viaducts, which cannot be completely met only with visual
inspections. In this sense, vibration monitoring and structural modeling analyzing the dynamic
and static characteristics of the structure has become an excellent monitoring technique for
evaluating and predicting the structural integrity of large structures. Being now a mature field
of study and application, it has several benefits, such as easy implementation and a reasonable
consistency in the measured parameters. This work presents the numerical-experimental
analysis modeling of the bridge in prestressed concrete over the Vicente Pires Stream of the
Brasilia Subway System, aiming at the identification of modal parameters such as natural
frequencies and modal forms, and patterns of displacement and deformation. Impulse and
ambient vibration tests were also carried out on a full-scale slab and a high-grade system with
a low-cost vibration-based SHM wireless multinode system, based on the Arduino platform,
for identification of modal parameters in civil infrastructures and compared with a professional
accelerometer system, The same used in the monitoring of the subway bridge. The data
obtained from the proposed system in the impulse tests allowed to estimate natural frequencies
within 2%, and CAM values around 0.3 to 0.9, in relation to those estimated with the highgrade
system. However, the low-cost system was not able to produce usable data in ambient
vibration tests. It can be concluded that the experimental and numerical results showed a good
correlation and that the current conditions of the bridge are in accordance with the basic design
hypotheses.

Slabs with cast-in-place steel formwork are composite structural elements composed of
concrete and steel. The horizontal shear failure mode is the most common in composite slabs
based on numerous experimental studies. This failure mode consists of loss of adherence and
mechanical contact at the interface of the composite system and often occurs before the system
reaches its full bending capacity. Thus, the design of this constructive system is determined by
the value of the longitudinal shear strength, which can be computed by the semi-empirical socalled
traditional m-k method based on the four-point bending test proposed by several
standards. One of the most known factors to influence the longitudinal shear strength is the
geometry of embossments present in the steel work. Calibrated computational simulation using
the finite element method can be an alternative way to simulate this type of test. The present
work modified and adapted a methodology explicitly including the geometry of embossments
in the analysis in order to use materials and products with characteristics available to structural
engineers in Brazil and used this methodology to derive m-k coefficients. This is being made
with the objective of numerically simulating the effect of relevant parameters for determining
the longitudinal shear strength at the concrete-steel interface of composite slabs. Force versus
slip, force versus displacement graphs were obtained and the m-k coefficient values found were
compared with those of other authors in the literature. The simulations presented values
consistent with the literature and in relation to the rupture mode by longitudinal shear, the
numerical simulations performed presented ultimate strengths with goodness-of-fit measured
by the conventional coefficient of determination, reaching a good value for the semi-empirical
relation using the results of the finite element data. In order to extend these results, a total of
36 structural models were simulated and a parametric analysis was developed, whose results
were in agreement with the works found in the literature.

The bi-axial hollow slab is the result of applying a technology that removes concrete from the least useful region and replaces it with hollow plastic spheres. This technique leads to material economy and self-weight saving, without considerable inertial loss, enabling larger and more flexible spans. Consequently, these spans are vulnerable to unwanted vibrations and dynamic acceleration caused by external actions, such as movements produces by human activity. This way, understanding the dynamic behavior of this technology and confronting it with normative limits on project phase is essential for a good performance in the serviceability limit state, bringing comfort to the user. This research studies the dynamic behavior of a bi-axial hollow slab submitted to human actions, such as jumping, dancing, clapping, moving the body, and moving and clapping at the same time, and subsequently compare the results with a solid slab of the same inertia. For that, this work made a numerical model of the structure and applied dynamic actions to it. Numerical results show that, for most actions (clap, moving the body, and moving and clapping at the same time), normative service limits are met for both the relieved slab and the solid control slab, however, both show excessive accelerations for the actions of jumping and dancing, reaching, respectively, 273% and 150% above the established limit.

Cracking is the most frequent anomaly in mortar coatings, as it is associated with a greater number of possible causes. Cracks can be investigated by infrared thermography, as defects on a surface have different temperatures compared to the region without a defect. The temperature of the defects observed by thermography is dependent on the crack dimension, indicating that for each crack dimension there is a different temperature observed in the thermogram. Because the cracks have characteristics related to size and shape, the possibility of classifying the damage of the cracks according to different widths and depths, for different forms of cracks, linear and branched, by thermography, during heating and cooling, is evaluated. It is proposed to observe the evolution of temperature, in the heating and cooling of mortar plates with linear and branched cracks with different widths and depths, aiming to identify, through the thermographic contrast Delta-T, the evolution trends of Delta-T depending on the shape of the crack. The temperature variations of the plates with linear and branched cracks are monitored, during heating and cooling, by means of thermograms, where trends in temperature evolution and investigation methods for cracks in mortar coatings are established. The investigation conditions and evolution trends of Delta-T established in the laboratory, are compared with a thermography investigation in the field, identifying if the trends of Delta-T and investigative method are observed and possible application. Thermography investigation, through the application of Delta-T, indicates that the linear and branched cracks have the same trend of evolution, where the Delta-T of the branched cracks is inferior, in module, to the Delta-T of the linear cracks. Delta-T, for linear and branched cracks, is maximum, in modulus, at the beginning of heating and cooling. Higher Delta-T values are associated with larger crack dimensions, where crack width has a greater influence on Delta-T values, compared to the influence of depth. The evolution trends of Delta-T of the linear and branched cracks observed in the laboratory, have the same trends of Delta-T of the cracks obtained in the field analysis, making it possible to use thermography in the inspection of cracks in mortar.

Recently, several machine learning (ML) techniques are emerging as alternative and efficient ways to predict how component properties influence the properties of the final mixture. In the area of civil engineering, recent research already uses ML techniques in relation to conventional concrete dosages. The importance of discussing its use in the Brazilian context is inserted in an international context in which this methodology is already being applied, and it is necessary to verify the applicability of these techniques with national databases or with what is created from national input data. In this research, one of these techniques, an artificial neural network (ANN), is used to determine the compressive strength of conventional Brazilian concrete at 7 and 28 days, using a database built through publications in congresses and academic papers and comparing -o with Yeh's reference database. The data were organized into nine variables and five different cases where the data samples used for training and testing vary. The eight possible input variables were: cement consumption, blast furnace slag, pozzolana, water, additive, fine aggregate, coarse aggregate and age. The response variable was the compressive strength of the concrete. Using international data as a training set and Brazilian data as a test set, or vice versa, did not show satisfactory results in isolation. The results showed a variation in the five scenarios; however, when using the Brazilian and reference database together as test and training sets, an R² of 0.97 and an R² of 0.86 were obtained, showing that, in the union of the two databases, a good predictive model is obtained.

Nanosilica (NS) is considered a highly reactive pozzolanic addition that, replacing cement, has resulted in an improvement in the resistance of cementitious materials and an increase in resistance to water penetration, which strongly influences durability. Despite this improvement, NS contributes to potentiate undesirable effects in cementitious composites, regarding the rheological behavior, workability and final hardened properties of cementitious composites. Recently, some researchers have investigated ways to mitigate these effects, such as the incorporation of functional groups on the surface of the NS, a procedure called functionalization. Thus, this work aims to verify the effect of NS functionalization with low levels of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane (APTES) on the mechanical and microstructural properties of cementitious materials. The properties of five different cement pastes were investigated. The heat of hydration, the compressive strength at 1, 3, 7 and 28 days of hydration, the amount of CH and C-S-H through ATG diffraction techniques were evaluated in cement mixtures. and FTIR and porosity through the mercury intrusion porosimetry test (PIM). Such tests aimed to verify the effect of the functionalization of NS with low levels of APTES in the properties in the fresh and hardened state and in the microstructure of the cementitious materials. The results found for pastes with NSF in the calorimetry test demonstrate that the functionalization of NS increases the time required to reach the maximum heat value, leading to a delay in the hydration reactions. The resistance to compression of the NSF's is superior to that of the REF and the NS, the NSFA4 sample reached at 28 days a resistance 28% greater than the REF and 17% greater than the NS at the same age. Through the results of the ATG test, it was verified that the pastes with NS or NSF had lower levels of CH than the REF paste at all ages analyzed. FTIR assays demonstrate that the process of functionalization of NS with APTES slightly increased the amount of CH of pastes with NSF compared to P-NS. All pastes containing NS or NSF resulted in a lower amount of CH compared to P-REF. The PIM results show that, in general, the additions of NS and NSF lead to a decrease in the total porosity, in relation to the reference mortar.

The quasi-brittle behavior of concrete can lead to the formation of cracks in structures built with this material. However, the addition of steel fibers has proven highly effective in enhancing the post-cracking behavior of concrete, increasing its energy absorption capacity and reducing the likelihood of structural damage. As a result, steel fiber-reinforced concrete (SFRC) can withstand higher loads, better resist weather conditions and chemical attacks, and have a longer service life compared to conventional concrete. In this context, this research introduces a numerical approach to simulate the behavior of SFRC. The simulation of concrete behavior (including fracture) is carried out using volumetric finite elements combined with cohesive elements. A linear elastic model is employed for the volumetric elements, while the cohesive elements are based on the theory of plasticity and fracture mechanics, enabling the prediction of crack initiation and propagation. Steel fibers are modeled using two-node finite elements (truss elements) with a one-dimensional perfect elastoplastic constitutive model. They are positioned using a uniform and isotropic random distribution, accounting for the effect of mold walls. Special contact elements are utilized to model the complex and nonlinear behavior of the interface between the fiber and the matrix, capable of predicting relative displacements between the concrete and steel fibers. The validation of the method is performed through numerical examples involving sets of fibers, with load-displacement curves aligning with literature experiments and fracture patterns corresponding to expected failure modes. The comparison with experimental results reaffirms that the application of this numerical strategy in modeling SFRC behavior is highly promising, serving as a significant tool to further comprehend the diverse aspects governing the failure process of this material.

The application of Sandwich Panels has been significantly increasing in the Brazilian construction industry in recent years, with more significant usage in residential buildings. However, these construction elements are often employed without a proper understanding of their structural behavior due to the absence of regulatory standards and reliable calculation methods. Therefore, in order to assess the structural behavior of these panels under compression forces, a 3D nonlinear Finite Element model was developed in the ABAQUS software. This model was validated through experimental tests, demonstrating its capability to satisfactorily simulate the structural behavior of sandwich panels subjected to eccentric compression loads and providing reliable estimates of their strength capacity. In addition, a parametric study was conducted to evaluate the influence of insulation layer geometry, spacing, and diameter of the metal meshes on the panel's strength capacity. Finally, an equation for calculating the ultimate load of the sandwich panel subjected to eccentric compression loading was proposed.

Ceramic clad facades are widely used in commercial and residential buildings due to their durability, weather resistance and attractive aesthetics. Over time, these facades are subject to different factors and agents that can cause anomalies and degradation, affecting their appearance and performance. Different degrees of protection and exposure to agents of degradation, as well as the variability of the quality of materials and construction processes lead to a differentiated degradation along the facade. This work presents an analysis of the variability of degradation in facades with ceramic coating, with the objective of investigating how it presents itself, its quantification and which factors are responsible. The aim is to understand the behavior of degradation in the different positions of the façade plan, exposing how it manifests itself in terms of the floors of the buildings and the regions of the samples on the façades. We seek to identify different variables that have the potential to explain the degradation process and the most vulnerable points of the façade, allowing the development of adequate maintenance and rehabilitation strategies. The research starts from a database, developed from inspections in buildings in use, using the Degradation Measurement Method (MMD). The methodology is applied to the study of 174 samples of facades of six-story buildings, aged between 5 and 48 years old and located in Brasília, Brazil. The analyzes are based on degradation indicators, such as the General Degradation Factor (FGD), quantified from the investigated variables. Subsequently, statistical tools are applied to investigate the variability of degradation. The results allow the identification of degradation variability in relation to the proposed variables, as well as typical patterns of degradation in the façade plane. There is variability in degradation between the floors of the building, especially in relation to the top, the floor with the highest rates of degradation and the highest frequency of damage. Central region presented degradation variation in relation to the extreme regions.

Headed bars are a promising alternative for anchoring reinforced concrete structural members, replacing hooks, curves, and straight bars, which, in situations of geometric limitation of the structural element, may result in a restriction of the necessary embedding of the anchor. However, the headed bar application is not trivial. Understanding the failure mechanism and parameters that influence the concrete cone resistance of headed bars under tension in concrete elements is the critical point of this application and needs advances. For this purpose, experimental and numerical tests were conducted to investigate the influence of the edge and group effect on the concrete cone resistance of headed bars in concrete elements under concrete cone failure. Additionally, a parametric numerical study with 23 simulations was planned to explore the influence of several variables on concrete cone failure, including concrete strength, flexural reinforcement ratio, geometry and head size, shaft diameter, and edge and group effects. The ultimate load results, failure modes, and influence on ultimate load are discussed.

Buildings are composed of various systems, each subject to actions of differing intensities. Facades and roofs are considered systems with the highest number of anomalies, as they are the most exposed to environmental actions such as radiation, wind, precipitation, and temperature. Facades play an important role in buildings, not only visually, ensuring the aesthetics of the structure, but also in maintaining thermal conditions, mechanical resistance, stability, and internal protection of the building. Thus, this study aims to measure degradation through the analysis of the database from the 'Degradation, Measurement and Modeling (DMM)' project of PECC/UnB, which includes various samples for the study of degradation. To expand the database, field inspections of four buildings located in Brasília were carried out, and a drone was used to obtain images. After the anomalies are identified, the facade damages are quantified using the Degradation Measurement Method (DMM). Therefore, with the quantification of the anomalies, it is possible to propose a degradation indicator for mortar facades. For this, severity levels for each of the anomalies are proposed. The methodology also relies on the calculation of degradation indicators, such as the General Damage Factor (FGD), the Damage Factor (FD), the Equivalent Damage Factor (FD equivalent), and the severity level, taking into account in the analysis parameters that can influence the extent of degradation, such as the age and orientation of the facade. In addition to relating it to the service life.

The objective of this study is to develop the Stress Gradient Factor (K_gr) based on the Stress Intensity Factor (SIF) to estimate the useful life through Deformation-Based Fracture Mechanics (DBFM) in welded specimens treated with High-Frequency Mechanical Impact (HFMI). Using Weight Functions (WF), Stress Intensity Factors are computed for the cross-sectional geometries of welds employing an inverse contour algorithm utilizing the 2D point load weight function. The model described in this work can estimate the fatigue of welded components and cruciform joints treated with HFMI under varying loading conditions, considering an initial semi-elliptical crack growing in two directions using the K_gr equations. Modeling of K_gr was performed concerning the analysis intervals, resulting in defining equations to determine the values of K_gra and K_grc. The numerical analysis presented here to estimate welding fatigue life is compared with experimental data for 350W steel conducted at the University of Waterloo, Canada. Subsequently, a statistical analysis of data produced by the Monte Carlo method is conducted with found and simulated data to validate the model through S/N curves. The experimental curves demonstrate that treated samples exhibit longer fatigue lives compared to untreated ones, and the analyses performed manage to replicate this fatigue behavior. The modeling results compared with the data presented by Ghahremani (2015) and Ranjan (2019) show validation of the model.

Many buildings around the world are aging, suffering damage from various factors, and presenting serious structural problems. Knowing the health state of these structures is a challenge for engineering and a necessity for countries and entities in order to optimize resource management. Thus, damage detection methodologies based on Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) have gained prominence in the last two decades. SHM provides real-time information about the health of a structure via data collected via a sensor network. In this work, a methodology for SHM based on Synchrosqueezed Wavelet Transform (SWT) is proposed. The proposed methodology consists of three steps: (1) noise elimination, (2) signal processing, and (3) processing of the results. The robustness of the proposed methodology was tested on two reference structures: the Benchmark Phase I designed by the SHM group of IASC-ASCE and the Tianjin Yonghe Bridge monitored by the Harbin Institute of Technology. The accuracy in the identification of natural frequencies and the number of sensors involved in the acquisition of the records were established as efficiency criteria. The results obtained show that the proposed methodology is reliable for structural health monitoring. The calculated natural frequencies were very close to the reference values in both structures analyzed. Moreover, the proposed methodology identified all the frequency content from a single record, i.e., using only one sensor.

This work aimed to analyze and implement a global-local approach combined with polynomial and discontinuous enrichment functions, according to the strategy of the Stabilized Generalized Finite Element Method (SGFEM), for application in simulations of failure problems in structures using a bilinear damage model. The most important contribution of this research was the study of damage in structural members under failures using coarse meshes (2D and 3D), with the application of enrichment functions to improve the approximation of the damage distribution and obtain computational efficiency in the process by reducing the number of iterations performed per load step and, consequently, reduce the number of processed degrees of freedom. The results were validated by comparing them with the crack path and with experimental curves taken from different types of tests found in the literature, with different types of materials and failure modes. The simulated tests were: three-point bending in beams with central notch, four-point shear in beam with central notch, square plate with double notch, L-shaped plate, beam without notch under four-point bending and human femur. The computational efficiency and accuracy of GFEM and SGFEM were proven to improve the prediction of rupture behavior in presenting quality results, with mesh objectivity and computational efficiency. The SGFEM combined with the global-local approach (with standard PU or flat-top) showed good ability to improve the quality of the final approximation, with the rational use of enrichment functions, in coarse meshes, combining characteristics such as flexible modeling, convergence and computational efficiency. The application of the discontinuous strategy ensured versatility, eliminating the need to use special elements or remeshing.

Researches related to BIM are not limited to the use of modeling where other tools are applied in synergy. The Lean, for example, has been inserted with the perspective of improving processes both qualitatively and quantitatively and exceeds technological aspects covering also behavioral and cultural issues. The studies related to the simultaneous applications of Lean and BIM indicates several benefits but also several adversities within the BIM cycle in the project design phase. Given this gap, this study aimed to propose a method that helps the management of BIM in the design phase, in order to improve the integration of processes, technologies, people, and especially the flow of information. Initially, a Systematic Literature Review was performed to raise the existing adversities in BIM design, and then a method was developed to guide the main causal factors at this stage using Artificial Neural Networks. It was built an artifact composed by Lean tools aiming to promote enxute alternatives to be applied in the companies. The results obtained pointed that the obstacles for the application of Lean and BIM in the design phase are related to technology, cost, management, shortage of professionals, data interoperability, and modifications in the workflow processes. An analysis including patterns and directives could be useful to understand the company’s processes and apply Lean practices and tools in order to identify particularities and aspects to be implemented. The built artifact was tested in three companies and Lean tools were pointed out to possible corrections of the problems evidenced, and this is a factor that can have an important contribution both in the scientific field and in the construction industry..

With the increase of urban occupation, and consequently its economic valuation, combined
with the development of construction techniques and materials, the construction of skyscrapers
is already a Brazilian reality. Such structures are susceptible to the development of severe
aerodynamic phenomena including the so-called interference effects. These effects arise due to
the change in wind load caused by buildings or obstacles present in the surroundings of the
analyzed building, and can be amplified or reduced. Understanding and quantifying the
interference effects is essential to design safe and efficient buildings, however, this is a complex
phenomenon that characterizes it as the greatest challenge of wind engineering and thus limits
improving design guidelines in a normative way. The study proposes the estimation and
analysis of these effects through interference factors, considering the changes in the global
aerodynamic loads on a tall building due to the presence of buildings in the surroundings,
relating them to the situation of the building analyzed in isolation. For this, two experimental
techniques were carried out in the wind tunnel of the Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul:
1) High Frequency Pressure Integration (HFPI) and 2) Aerolastic method with the Dynamic
Balance of Three Degrees of Freedom (BD3GDL). By measuring the wind pressures by the first
technique, the static analysis of the global aerodynamic coefficients and the dynamic analysis
of the global forces in a time history, according to the random vibration theory, were
performed. The static analysis, with an analytical-experimental approach, aims to increase the
database about the wind-induced interference effects on buildings, in addition to contributing
to the basis for updates to the Brazilian standard ABNT NBR 6123, particularly on the subject
discussed in its Annex G. The dynamic analysis was performed to analyze and verify the
presence of amplifications in the building responses caused by resonant phenomena. As the
dynamic analysis by HFPI comes partially from a numerical approach, some limitations are
intrinsically included in the methodology, not considering the effects of fluid-structure 

interaction. These limitations were evaluated based on the results from the second
experimental technique that allows aeroelastic modeling of structures. The results showed
excellent consistency between the experimental techniques up to wind velocities encompassing
the maximum velocities used in major standards worldwide. However, the type of analysis
substantially affects the interference effects, modifying both the magnitude and location of the
most critical interference factors. In general, the results obtained confirmed the complex
nature of the phenomenon. However, the magnitude of these results were consistent with the
values determined by referenced standards and researches. In divergence with the Brazilian
standard only in the coordinates of the critical effects, since this standard clearly lags in this
parameter, requiring revision.

Due the greater population density in large urban centers, there is a tendency to build taller and closer buildings. The action of strong winds or seismic activity can generate excessive vibrations and even the collision between these buildings. The vibration control technique by structural coupling has been largely studied in recent decades due to its efficiency in reducing displacements and avoiding the pounding effect between coupled structures. The central idea of this method is to connect two or more adjacent buildings through structural control devices. The development of new devices, such as those based on inerter, brought new possibilities and solutions for the structural coupling technique. Inerter is an element in which the force applied to it is proportional to the relative acceleration between its terminals. Thus, the aim of this work is to study the use of different inerter-based devices numerically and experimentally in the structural coupling technique. In the numerical part, the performance of four different devices (three devices are inerter-based) connecting two adjacent buildings in controlling their dynamic responses is compared. To determine the mechanical characteristics of each device, the Particle Swarm Optimization algorithm is used. It is assumed that the disturbance of the system is produced by a random white noise process with zero mean. Three distinct objective functions are applied to determine which one best applies in each case. In the experimental part, experimental tests are carried out on a vibration table using two shear frame models of adjacent buildings. An experimental model of an inerter device to connect the two structures is designed and built. The results indicated that the inerter element has several advantages when applied in the structural coupling technique. It is possible to obtain greater reductions in dynamic responses and systems with more economical devices.

In the civil construction sector the numbers of deaths and incapacitated people are still considered critical. Brazil ranks fourth in the world in occupational accidents, even though there is legislation in place to protect workers and occupational safety initiatives are widespread. With the emergence of Psychosocial Occupational Risks (POPR's), which are considered to be emerging today and are the result of interactions between work, job satisfaction, and organizational conditions, the need for new models of risk management arises, since the traditional models of blame (both employer's and employee's) have not been efficient. Thus, this research aims to present an alternative form of Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) management through the management of Occupational Psychosocial Risks (OPSRs) using Psychodynamics of Work (PDT). To do so, we used Dejours' PDT method of qualitative research for a pilot project. Clinical work listening was carried out in eight meetings with volunteer construction workers who worked at heights, in a collective speech space. As the meetings progressed, there was a greater engagement and a change in the posture and conduct of professional activities in the work environment, increasing the care with health and safety, and reflecting on the increase of productivity. It was observed that the inclusion of social aspects in risk management in the workplace presents itself as an alternative to optimize performance for an effective management of OSH.

The problem addressed in this work focuses on resolving the need to establish a secure relationship between the C and m parameters of the Paris Law and the number of fatigue life cycles in aircraft fuselage designs. This relationship is particularly important for designers who are constantly seeking rapid and reliable simulation methods that produce secure average data, thereby avoiding damage processes and, consequently, the occurrence of accidents.
To achieve this, this work has developed a new damage tolerance philosophy based on critical compliance, as an alternative to the classical method that considers the critical crack size. In this new methodology, it is assumed that the structure, even when damaged, is capable of withstanding the actions for which it was designed until the detection of local instability when compliance reaches the critical value. Thus, the overall objective is to obtain the optimal function of the Paris parameters that withstands the required number of cycles.
To accomplish this objective, the methodology employed here hinges on a multiscale approach comprising two key stages. In the initial stage, the macro model is utilized to analyze internal stresses and pinpoint the critical point's location. In the subsequent stage, the micro model is implemented to assess the number of cycles leading to local instability. As a result, the optimal N(C, m) curve (representing the number of cycles as a function of C and m) is derived, ensuring structural integrity.
To validate this methodology, three case studies were conducted utilizing BEMCRACKER2D and BEMLAB2D programs. These studies entailed the analysis of internal stress fields for each model, followed by simulations of crack propagation, ultimately yielding critical compliance and estimates fatigue life. Consequently, the m(C) function, which correlates the Paris parameters with the required number of cycles in each model, was established.
In conclusion, the developed technique facilitates generalization to various other models. By providing data on the Paris parameters C and m, this approach presents an innovative means to correlate these parameters with the required number of cycles in the design. Furthermore, the methodology based on critical compliance offers a fresh perspective for evaluating damage tolerance, signifying a substantial advancement in the safety and reliability of structures subject to fatigue.

The growing need for high performance cementitious composites, as well as the environmental issues linked to the intense production of Portland cement, favored the advent of the use of supplementary cementitious materials (SCM) with high reactivity, such as metakaolin, as well as the development of new materials with potential application in cementitious matrices, such as nanosilica. Although there are already studies that address the interaction of metakaolin (MK) and nanosilica (NS), there is still a lack of knowledge regarding the understanding of the synergistic effect of these two materials at early hydration ages. Thus, this work aimed to carry out an evaluation of the microstructural changes of ternary Portland cement mixtures using metakaolin and nanosilica at the initial hydration ages of 1, 3 and 7 days. For this, four mixtures were produced, one reference (REF), two binary (2% nanosilica, 2NS, and 15% metakaolin, 15MK) and one ternary (13% metakaolin and 2% nanosilica, 13MK2NS). The pastes were evaluated from compressive strength tests and microstructural tests. From the results of compressive strength, it was found that although the 13MK2NS mixture replaced 15% of clinker, at all ages tested it presented mechanical strength equivalent to the 2NS mixture, which presented the highest result among the mixtures produced. Furthermore, it was also observed a tendency of strength growth of the 13MK2NS mixture after 7 days, while the 2NS mixture tends to stabilize at the same age. When monitoring the heat of hydration of the pastes from the isothermal calorimetry test, it was found that the C-S-H peak occurred more quickly in the 2NS mixture, however the 13MK2NS mixture presented higher heat flux at this peak. Qualitative, semi-quantitative and quantitative analyzes made from X-ray diffraction, infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and thermogravimetry (TG/DTG), respectively, showed high consumption of calcium hydroxide (CH) by the 13MK2NS mixture through the pozzolanic reaction, reflecting the synergistic action between MK and NS. It was also verified that, from the results of nuclear magnetic resonance (29Si NMR), in the 13MK2NS mixture there was a greater incorporation of aluminum in the structure of C-A-S-H, which led to a greater average chain length of these hydrates at ages 1.3 and 7 days. In general, it was observed that the synergistic interaction between MK and NS occurs from 1 day and favors the alteration of several microstructural parameters during the hydration of the cementitious composite.

The advancement of technical-scientific knowledge in the field of engineering makes it possible to design increasingly slender structures with less specific weight. Metallic structures with tensioned membranes, for example, in addition to presenting bold non-Platonic shapes, have low self-weight, therefore, they are extremely sensitive to the action of the wind. Slender structures with high heights are subject to high wind loads that can induce unbearable limit states and even collapse of these structures. The actions caused by flow in a structure depend, among other factors, on its shape. Considering the practical relevance of square-shaped structures, this study aims to reduce the gap in studies for square cylinders through two-dimensional numerical modeling of turbulent external flow through computational fluid dynamics (CFD) in ANSYS Fluent® software. The same flow presented by Bosch and Rodi (1998) was simulated, with 𝑅𝑒=22×103. The relevant parameters for model validation were compared to the data presented by Lyn and Rodi (1994). For this flow, the performance of the RANS turbulence models 𝑅𝑆𝑀,𝑆𝐴 𝑒 𝑆𝑆𝑇 𝑘−𝜔 was evaluated. The 𝑆𝐴 model, with lower computational cost, presented the worst overall performance, overestimating the fluctuating quantities analyzed. The model 𝑆𝑆𝑇 𝑘−𝜔 performed well in the wall region, where the main quantities of interest to engineering are evaluated. In turn, the 𝑅𝑆𝑀 model, with higher computational cost, had an overall performance very close to that of the 𝑆𝑆𝑇 𝑘−𝜔 model in the region of the walls, but with greater accuracy in the measurements performed in the flow. An important gap was found to be filled through the development of a turbulence model that presents adequate performance, both in the flow and in the wall region, has a reasonable computational cost and is capable of overcoming the limitations of existing turbulent viscosity models.

The facade degradation process is influenced by several factors and/or degradation agents that can favor the loss of system performance. Daily, the facades are exposed to the incidence of weather degradation agents such as driving rain and solar radiation. Only the incidence of the agent does not condition the appearance of pathologies, they occur from the degradation mechanisms that, according to the level of incidence of the agent, alter the physical or chemical structure of the material. The study of degradation is used by selecting the variables that influence the process and that are subject to determination for the buildings under analysis. This research aims to investigate the action of climatic agents and the behavior of the facades in terms of heat fluxes and humidity with the use of hygrothermal simulation, as well as to correlate the results of the hygrothermal simulation in a quantitative way with indicators of degradation measured in the field by research. of the DMM project. Statistical tools are used to obtain a model capable of describing the degradation in facades with ceramic coating. Modeling from multiple linear regression indicates the most relevant variables in the prediction of the model. In this research, the inclusion of quantitative values referring to climatic agents and the effects of heat and humidity fluxes in the coating allows the numerical weighting of their influences on the degradation process of ceramic coatings. It is observed that age is the most influential factor in the degradation process, that is, the greater the age of the building, the greater the degradation indicator and, consequently, the more serious the degradation of the facade. In addition to age, driving rain, moisture content, and thermal stresses are shown to be statistically representative in determining the degradation indicator. The application of linear modeling makes it possible to determine that the end of life of the analyzed facades occurs at 24 years (± 4), and with the application of quadratic modeling, the end of life occurs at 25 years (± 3.5).

pending

Concrete gravity dams and locks are structures, almost always large, which have a marked variety of uses, according to the needs of each region where they are implemented. In the engineering of these structures, it is essential to guarantee the minimum safety conditions, since their rupture can generate real catastrophes both in the economic, social and environmental spheres. As a result, this work deals with an analytical-numerical and experimental study of fluid-structure dynamic interaction problems, with application in concrete gravity dams and locks. At first, a simplified analytical methodology, called Artifice of the Prescribed Pressure Field (ACPP), was made to determine the uncoupled and coupled fluid-structure natural frequencies associated with the dominant modes of additional mass in an incompressible regime. ACPP covers different vibration modes and different boundary conditions for a dam-reservoir and lock-reservoir coupled problem. The results obtained by the ACPP were compared with the finite element method (FEM), using the ANSYS software, with the Pseudo-dynamic method, with the modified transfer matrix method (MMTM) and with results from the literature. Comparative studies were applied to different dam geometries. The responses were satisfactory and demonstrated a good agreement. Studies under free and forced vibrations (harmonic load) were still carried out, evaluating the influence of parameters linked to the dynamic behavior of dams and locks. In addition to the analytical and numerical part, the work includes an experimental approach. A harmonic vibrating table was constructed and used to study the effects of free surface sloshing in acoustic cavities with rigid boundaries. In this perspective, the Video Motion Capture Technique (MVCT) was used. The experimental results were also consistent and satisfactory. Therefore, this work contributes in several aspects related to fluid-structure interaction in dams and locks.