Fernando G. Branco
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View article: Physics-Based Machine Learning for Vibration Mitigation by Open Buried Trenches
Physics-Based Machine Learning for Vibration Mitigation by Open Buried Trenches Open
Mitigating ground vibrations from sources like vehicles and construction operations poses significant challenges, often relying on computationally intensive numerical methods such as Finite Element Methods (FEM) or Boundary Element Methods…
View article: Sustainable Use of Volcanic Ash in Mortars as a Replacement for Cement or Sand: Shrinkage and Physical and Mechanical Properties
Sustainable Use of Volcanic Ash in Mortars as a Replacement for Cement or Sand: Shrinkage and Physical and Mechanical Properties Open
The eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano on 19 September 2021 resulted in the deposition of over 20 million cubic meters of tephra, posing significant environmental and logistical challenges in the affected areas. This study aimed to explo…
View article: Self-Compacting Concrete with Artificial Lightweight Aggregates from Sugarcane Ash and Calcined Scheelite Mining Waste
Self-Compacting Concrete with Artificial Lightweight Aggregates from Sugarcane Ash and Calcined Scheelite Mining Waste Open
Self-compacting concrete (SCC) is a relevant technology and an alternative to conventional concrete in complex structures due to its exceptional workability. The rheological parameters demonstrated by SCC provide high fluidity and cohesion…
View article: A machine-learning based approach to estimate acoustic macroscopic parameters of porous concrete
A machine-learning based approach to estimate acoustic macroscopic parameters of porous concrete Open
Porous concrete with expanded clay inherent porosity makes it an interesting and effective acoustic material, applied in numerous scenarios such as highways, airports and architectural structures, due to its capacity to mitigate noise poll…
View article: Evaluation of Chloride Ion Attack in Self-Compacting Concrete Using Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Aggregates
Evaluation of Chloride Ion Attack in Self-Compacting Concrete Using Recycled Construction and Demolition Waste Aggregates Open
Construction and demolition waste (CDW) destined for recycling companies has great potential for use in civil construction, since it gives rise to recycled aggregates of different particle sizes that can be used in concrete. However, there…
View article: Long-Term Behavior Related to Water Ingress in Mortars Which Combine Expanded and Natural Cork Lightweight Aggregates and Eco-Friendly Cements
Long-Term Behavior Related to Water Ingress in Mortars Which Combine Expanded and Natural Cork Lightweight Aggregates and Eco-Friendly Cements Open
The water ingress plays an important role in building materials’ degradation. The use of lightweight aggregates is interesting in terms of sustainability, because they reduce the density of cement-based materials, among other advantages. T…
View article: Chloride Ingress Resistance, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Mortars with Natural Cork and Expanded Clay Prepared Using Sustainable Blended Cements
Chloride Ingress Resistance, Microstructure and Mechanical Properties of Lightweight Mortars with Natural Cork and Expanded Clay Prepared Using Sustainable Blended Cements Open
The use of lightweight aggregates in construction materials is a good solution for increasing the contribution to sustainability of civil engineering works, such as maritime ones. In this regard, the possibility of using cork granulates an…
View article: The Narrow Mausolea at Conchada Cemetery as Part of Portuguese and European Architectural Heritage
The Narrow Mausolea at Conchada Cemetery as Part of Portuguese and European Architectural Heritage Open
Over millennia, death was the origin of great funerary constructions that have come down to us. These constructions aimed at ensuring eternity and perpetuating memory. Funeral art thus appears not in the service of death, but in the servic…
View article: Effect of using biomass fly ash on the concrete sustainability
Effect of using biomass fly ash on the concrete sustainability Open
Biomass fly ash has been studied has a partial cement material, since this material has a positive effect on concrete properties. Even though, some mixes with BFA presents a positive benefit, they need to be economically competitive and pr…
View article: Characterization of Fresh and Durability Properties of Different Lime Mortars for Being Used as Masonry Coatings in the Restoration of Ancient Constructions
Characterization of Fresh and Durability Properties of Different Lime Mortars for Being Used as Masonry Coatings in the Restoration of Ancient Constructions Open
Coatings and plasters are an integral part of masonry cladding, having a fundamental protective and aesthetic function. They are exposed to numerous aggressive actions, which produce their degradation over time. The utilization of lime, as…
View article: Effects after 1500 Hardening Days on the Microstructure and Durability-Related Parameters of Mortars Produced by the Incorporation of Waste Glass Powder as a Clinker Replacement
Effects after 1500 Hardening Days on the Microstructure and Durability-Related Parameters of Mortars Produced by the Incorporation of Waste Glass Powder as a Clinker Replacement Open
One of the ways of lessening the CO2 emissions of cement industry consists of replacing clinkers with supplementary cementitious materials. The required service life of real construction elements is long, so it is useful to characterize th…
View article: Mechanical Performance of Lime Mortar Coatings for Rehabilitation of Masonry Elements in Old and Historical Buildings
Mechanical Performance of Lime Mortar Coatings for Rehabilitation of Masonry Elements in Old and Historical Buildings Open
The use of lime as a binder in masonry lining mortars plays an important role in its conservation and durability. Knowledge of the mechanical characteristics of pre-existing and restoration mortars is essential in order to guarantee the co…
View article: Effect of Biomass Fly Ash on Fresh and Hardened Properties of High Volume Fly Ash Mortars
Effect of Biomass Fly Ash on Fresh and Hardened Properties of High Volume Fly Ash Mortars Open
The objective of this work was to assess the use of biomass fly ash (BFA) as cement replacement material or as an alkalinity source in high volume fly ash mortar and concrete. Mortar formulations were prepared with different types of cemen…
View article: Effects in the short-term of combining an eco-friendly slag cement and several lightweight aggregates in relation to the microstructure and water ingress ability of mortars
Effects in the short-term of combining an eco-friendly slag cement and several lightweight aggregates in relation to the microstructure and water ingress ability of mortars Open
Improving the sustainability of the construction sector is now a major issue. In order to reach more eco-friendly buildings and structures, the use of cements which incorporate additions as clinker replacement has reached a great developme…
View article: Analytical hybrid effect prediction and evolution of the tensile response of unidirectional hybrid fibre-reinforced polymers composites for civil engineering applications
Analytical hybrid effect prediction and evolution of the tensile response of unidirectional hybrid fibre-reinforced polymers composites for civil engineering applications Open
The performance of a progressive damage model in quantitative hybrid effect prediction of a comprehensive set of different 16 unidirectional interlayer (layer-by-layer) hybrid composites was assessed. Composites, produced by the hand lay-u…
View article: Valorisation of wood fly ash on concrete
Valorisation of wood fly ash on concrete Open
Wood fly ash (WFA) is a waste material produced in power plants as result of forest residues combustion to produce power and heat. In countries like Portugal, this waste is disposed of in landfills. Since this material shows pozzolanic cha…
View article: Quality and durability properties and life-cycle assessment of high volume biomass fly ash mortar
Quality and durability properties and life-cycle assessment of high volume biomass fly ash mortar Open
The effect of using biomass fly ash (BFA) on the quality, durability and sustainability of mortars was studied. Using high amounts of BFA does not lead to a production of mortars with better performance than a plain cement mortar. However,…
View article: Hybrid FRP jacketing for enhanced confinement of circular concrete columns in compression
Hybrid FRP jacketing for enhanced confinement of circular concrete columns in compression Open
The main goal of the study herein described was to evaluate the performance of an innovative confining unidirectional hybrid FRP solution for circular concrete columns, exploiting the hybrid effect and pseudo-ductility of FRP jackets made …
View article: Hybrid effect and pseudo-ductile behaviour of unidirectional interlayer hybrid FRP composites for civil engineering applications
Hybrid effect and pseudo-ductile behaviour of unidirectional interlayer hybrid FRP composites for civil engineering applications Open
An experimental study on the tensile stress–strain curves of interlayer (layer-by-layer) unidirectional hybrid FRP composites was conducted aiming at evaluating the corresponding hybrid effect and pseudo-ductility of this innovative soluti…
View article: Evolution of the tensile response of unidirectional hybrid FRP laminates fabricated by hand lay-up method: experimental and analytic assessment
Evolution of the tensile response of unidirectional hybrid FRP laminates fabricated by hand lay-up method: experimental and analytic assessment Open
Hybridisation, i.e., the incorporation of two different types of fibres, namely low strain (LS) and high strain (HS) fibres, within the same polymeric matrix is an established approach to promote the appearance of a gradual and non-fragile…
View article: Axial compressive behaviour of hybrid FRP confined concrete
Axial compressive behaviour of hybrid FRP confined concrete Open
Fibre Reinforced Polymers (FRP) composites can be effectively used as passive confinement system of concrete columns. Regarding to this option, however, two main drawbacks can be pointed out: (i) in several cases the ultimate lateral strai…
View article: Attachment to Peers and Perception of Attachment to Parents in Adults
Attachment to Peers and Perception of Attachment to Parents in Adults Open
The attachment behavior is created in the infancy and accompanies the person throughout life. Considering that the attachment style may change, this article investigates the impact of a lasting love relationship and its influence in adults…
View article: Environmental life cycle assessment of concrete containing biomass fly ash
Environmental life cycle assessment of concrete containing biomass fly ash Open
Concrete production sector is challenged by attempts to minimize the consumption of raw materials and energy and to reduce environmental impact. The use of end-of-life products as cement replacement can allow the production of concrete wit…
View article: Biomass and coal fly ash as cement replacement on mortar properties
Biomass and coal fly ash as cement replacement on mortar properties Open
Nowadays, construction sector tries to implement several options to solve the issues related to concrete. The main goal of this work was to study the effect of biomass fly ash, blended with coal fly ashes or alone, as cement replacement in…