Green Walls Benefits in Contemporary City

There is nothing new about using vegetation in buildings and construction of cities. Greenery has always played an important role in the construction of cities. However, contemporary cities are currently dominated by building structures to the detriment of natural elements, causing problems of congestion and pollution. The urban rehabilitation policies should always consider both buildings and vegetation as being defining elements in the city. Green spaces should be present alongside one of the fundamental elements of cities. Not only because they improve the city image, from an aesthetic point of view, but also due to social, cultural or landscape factors. The most recent and compulsory Portuguese urban rehabilitation principles emphasize the improvement of sustainability. It is, therefore, critical to draw attention to this area and find innovative solutions in this domain, especially with regards the integration of vegetation in historical areas. Green walls can be a good choice towards achieving sustainable urban rehabilitation, due to the lack of free space which exists in the consolidated urban fabric. This paper aims to reflect about green walls benefits in the contemporary city and in the urban rehabilitation, identifying the advantages of their utilization as an enhancement of the quality of city image, especially in dense urban areas

Applications of Green Walls in Urban Design

Green walls are a choice towards achieving sustainable urban rehabilitation, due to the lack of free space in the consolidated urban fabric. Nowadays, green walls are considered to be an innovation in the fields of ecology, horticulture or buildings. Nevertheless, in the domain of urban design, they are still surprising and unexpected ideas. Thus, this research aims to reflect on green walls as a feature in urban design and rehabilitation, identifying the advantages of their utilization as an enhancement of the quality of city’s image, especially in dense urban areas. It aims to demonstrate some practical applications of green walls in urban design proposals, showing model solutions and their real application in several architectural examples.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Relação entre a variabilidade climática e a produção de cereja

Estudos realizados por todo o mundo mostram evidências de que as mudanças climáticas estão já a afectar a ecologia e a persistência das espécies. Neste trabalho são apresentadas relações entre a produtividade dos pomares de cerejeira e a variabilidade climática. Os primeiros resultados indicam que a produtividade dos pomares é mais sensível às variações climáticas nos meses de Março e Abril, altura da polinização, e Maio, quando se forma o fruto. Os dados climáticos utilizados foram a temperatura, a precipitação, a altura geopotencial e o vento. A metodologia aplicada consistiu na análise de correlação, funções empíricas ortogonais e na composição de gráficos e mapas nos quais são apresentados sinais filtrados de variabilidade climática observados e a relação com a produtividade dos pomares de cerejeira. Deste modo é fornecida informação de como as cerejeiras respondem à variabilidade climática em Portugal, permitindo identificar as condições atmosféricas favoráveis à produção de cereja. Uma das aplicações potenciais deste estudo é deduzir as produções a partir dos regimes de tempo esperados, mediante modelos estatísticos ou dinâmicos.Studies from all over the world show that climate change is already affecting the ecology and behavior of various species. The aim of this particular study is to show the relation between cherry tree productivity and climate variability. The first results indicate that productivity is more prone to climate variability in March and April, months of pollination, and May, when the fruit is formed. The climate data that was used was the temperature, precipitation, geopotential height and the wind. The applied methodology consisted of correlation analysis, empirical orthogonal functions and the utilization of graphs and maps to show the relation between filtered climate variability signals and cherry tree productivity. This way we can observe how the cherry tree population reacts to climate variability in Portugal and determine the best atmospheric conditions for cherry production. One of the potential applications of this study is to predict cherry production by observing the weather pattern given to us by statistical or dynamic models. Keywords: cherry tree productivity, temperature, precipitation, climate variability, NAO, circulation indexes, agriculture, climate

Determinação dos tempos de descongelação e das percentagens de água de vidragem de várias espécies de pescado

Resumo O estágio decorreu na Eurest Portugal, uma empresa pertencente ao Grupo Compass que é líder mundial no fornecimento de serviços de alimentação e gestão de refeitórios, tanto na área da restauração pública como na coletiva. A gestão dos refeitórios implica um correto e eficiente manuseamento de todos os produtos e matérias-primas. O tema deste trabalho surgiu devido à necessidade da empresa definir os tempos médios de descongelação para várias espécies de pescado, bem como a determinação das percentagens de água de vidragem do pescado recebido na unidade, de modo a averiguar se a informação declarada no rótulo estava correta. Através do método descrito no decreto de lei nº 37 de 2004 foi determinada a percentagem de água de vidragem de 37 amostras de pescado (339 tomas), o que envolveu um total de 12 espécies e 9 fornecedores. Foram comparadas as percentagens declaradas nos rótulos com as percentagens determinadas experimentalmente e apenas 5,6% dos rótulos é que apesentavam a mesma percentagem à que foi determinada experimentalmente. Quanto aos tempos de descongelação, foram mensurados os tempos de 1713 kg de pescado. A sua medição foi realizada com base num critério de observação e toque para definir o fim da descongelação. Nesta parte do trabalho encontraram-se algumas dificuldades devido a algumas práticas incorretas na descongelação o que impossibilitava a descongelação completa do pescado. Devido à obtenção de poucos resultados experimentais, foram previstos tempos através do modelo de Planck e do modelo da capacitância global, onde se concluiu que não pode ser utilizada a capacidade total das caixas grandes pois o pescado que fica no centro da caixa não descongela durante o intervalo de tempo definido pela Eurest. Também se verificou que o local dentro da câmara (prateleira ou nas banheiras) também influencia o tempo de descongelação. Palavras-chave: descongelação, água de vidragem, Planck, pescado. vi Abstract The internship took place at Eurest Portugal, a company belonging by Compass Group that is the world leader in the provider of power and management of canteens services, both in the public and in the collective restoration. The management of canteens implies a correct and efficient handling of all products and raw materials. The subject of this work arose due to the company´s need to define the average defrosting times for several species of fish, as well as the determination of the percentages of water glazing of the received fish in order to establish whether the information declared in the label was correct. The method described in the Decree Law nº 37 of 2004 the percentage of water glazing of 37 fish samples (339 units), which involved a total of 12 species and 9 was determined suppliers. The percentages stated on the labels with the percentages determined experimentally were compared and only 5.6% of the labels had the same percentage to that determined experimentally. Relatively to defrosting times were measured times of 1713.16 kg of fish. Its measurement was based on a criterion of observation and tap to set the end of defrost. In this part of the work met some difficulties due to some wrong practices in thawing which precluded the complete thawing of fish. Due to low numbers of experimental results were predicted by the Planck time model and an overall capacitance more defrosting times. With all results are concluded that the total capacity of the big boxes can not be used because the fish that is in the center of the box does not thaw during the interval time defined by Eurest. It was also found that the location within the chamber (shelf or bathtubs) also influences the defrosting time. Key-words: thawing, glazing, Planck, fish

On the origin of Goa Cathedral former altarpiece: Material and technical assessment to the work of Garcia Fernandes, Portuguese painter from 16th century Lisbon workshop

Goa Cathedral former altarpiece is one of the oldest set of paintings in India. The seven remaining paintings from the first altarpiece of Goa Cathedral, nowadays in the sacristy, are attributed by some art historians to Master Garcia Fernandes (act. 1514–1565), Portuguese painter from Lisbon workshop. The 16th century was the “Golden age” of Portuguese painting. In this context the Royal Lisbon workshop played a predominant role, where the activity of the painter Garcia Fernandes and his workshop can be distinguished. In this new approach, Goa paintings are being studied and compared with other works in Portuguese territory attributed to this same painter, as St. Bartholomew altarpiece from the chapel of Bartolomeu Joanes in Lisbon Cathedral. The stratigraphic study allowed to compare ground layers, pigments and binders which, were characterized using complementary analytical and imaging techniques: (X-ray Fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), Infrared Reflectography (IRR), Infrared Photography (IRP), Macro Photography (MP), micro-X-ray Diffraction (μ-XRD), Scanning Electron Microscopy with Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (SEM-EDS), Raman micro-spectroscopy (μ-Raman), Fourier Transform Infrared micro-spectroscopy (μ-FTIR), Pyrolysis gas chromatography mass spectrometry (PY-GC/MS). This work brought a new insight on the techniques and materials used in this Masterpiece and highlighted the conclusion that Goa Cathedral former altarpiece must be a Portuguese production

Cambios de tendencias de la evapotranspiración potencial en la primavera y verano de la Cuenca del Duero

En este trabajo se analiza la tendencia: de la evapotranspiración potencial (EP), acumula estimada durante los meses de marzo a agosto, inclusive, por el método de Thornthwaite, y la precipitación acumulada en los mismos meses, a través de 15 estaciones meteorológicas para la Cuenca del Duero de España y Portugal (cinto en el entorno a la Cuenca del Duero (CD), en el periodo de 1970-2010. Los resultados muestran que en media la EP de estos seis meses, juntos, está aumentando al ritmo de 16.1 mm/semestre/década. Esta tendencia es significativa (al nivel de 95%), en 95 % de la estaciones de la CD. En cuanto que, la precipitación acumulada en los mismos meses disminuye, al ritmo de 6.2 mm/semestre/década. El índice hídrico anual también está disminuyendo lo que nos indica que existe una disminución media de la humedad en la CD y cambios en la clasificación climática

Definição de um modelo de indicadores ambientais, baseados na Global Reporting Initiative, para empresas do sector terciário: o caso de estudo da Prosegur

Tese de mestrado. Biologia (Ecologia e Gestão Ambiental). Universidade de Lisboa, Faculdade de Ciências, 2012Os relatórios de sustentabilidade são importantes ferramentas para a exposição do desempenho das entidades nas três áreas do Desenvolvimento Sustentável – Económica, Ambiental e Social. A existência de indicadores constitui um dos meios para monitorizar a performance das mesmas. Inúmeros autores e organizações têm vindo a propor diversos conjuntos destes indicadores, dos quais se destaca a Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Esta desenvolve modelos de relatórios e guias de orientação, com o propósito de facilitar a comunição destes, a consulta da informação publicada e responder à necessidade de uniformização do tipo de indicadores constantes nestes relatórios. No entanto, apesar de serem internacionalmente aplicados, não atingem ainda alguns destes objectivos, nomeadamente, o de tornar comparável o desempenho das organizações na área do Desenvolvimento Sustentável. Propôs-se, com este trabalho, definir um modelo de indicadores ambientais, com base na GRI, para aplicação por empresas do Sector Terciário, em particular, pela PROSEGUR. Procedeu-se à análise evolutiva do relato dos indicadores e aspectos ambientais de 463 documentos, publicados por 109 organizações. Posteriormente, os critérios estabelecidos restringiram a amostra a 37 empresas do sector terciário, efectuando-se a análise comparativa dos indicadores ambientais constantes desses relatórios, acrescida da apreciação da aplicabilidade das linhas orientadoras na versão G4 da GRI a esse mesmo sector. Daqui resultou a definição de um modelo, direcionado às empresas prestadoras de serviços, de onde constam indicadores-chave para os aspectos “Matérias-Primas”, “Energia”, “Água”, “Biodiversidade”, “Emissões”, “Efluentes”, “Resíduos”, “Produtos e Serviços”, “Conformidade”, “Transportes”, “Geral”, “Análise e Avaliação” e “Remediação”, bem como ferramentas para facilitar a obtenção de dados, constituindo uma proposta de melhoria às linhas orientadoras da GRI. Sustainability Reports are important tools to expose the performace of entities of the three areas of the Sustainable Development – Economical, Environmental and Social.The existance of indicators constitutes one of the means to monitor their performance. Inumerous authors and organizations have been proposing various sets of indicators, amongst which is the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). The GRI develops Templates of reports and guidelines in order to facilitate the communication between organizations, the consultation of published information and to address the need for standardization of the type of indicators for sustainability reports. However, despite being applied internationally, some objectives are still not being achieved, in particular to compare the performance of organizations in the Sustainable Development area. It was proposed with this thesis, the definition of a model of environmental indicators based on GRI, to be applied by companies of the Tertiary Sector, in particular by PROSEGUR. The study was based on the analysis of indicators and environmental aspects of 463 documents, published by 109 organizations. After, the criteria restricted the sample to 37 companies of the tertiary sector, analysing comparatively environmental indicators contained in these reports, and also the assessment of the applicability of the GRI’s G4 version to that same sector. This resulted in the definition of a model, targeting companies of the tertiary sector, that contains the key indicators for the aspects “Materials”, “Energy”, “Water”, “Biodiversity”, “Emissions", “Effluents”, “Waste”, “Products and Services”, “Conformity”, “Transports”, “Overall”, “Screening and Assessment” and “Remediation” as well as tools to facilitate data collection, representing a suggestion for the GRI guidelines improvement

Características de la tendencia de evapotranspiración anual en la Cuenca del Duero

Este trabajo analiza las series temporales (1970 -2010), de evapotranspiración potencial de Penman-Monteith (PET), estimada en 19 estaciones de la cuenca del Duero (España y Portugal), en su conjunto y para cada estación. El análisis muestra que para el conjunto de la cuenca del Duero, la PET no ha disminuido ni aumentado de forma significativa, en general, en todos los meses excepto en el mes de junio, donde la evapotranspiración aumentó +3.2 mm/mes/década significativas al nivel de 95%. A nivel regional se ha encontrado un moderado aumento de evapotranspiración anual al centro y al este, mientras que en la parte occidental la PET anual está disminuyendo de forma significativa al 95%. La insolación parece estar más relacionada con la región central, mientras que el viento, humedad relativa y la temperatura son los principales factores en las regiones occidentales y norte. Si en la precipitación observada y en la PET las tendencias permanecen sin cambios, las tendencias futuras de producción agrícola, particularmente en el centro y este de la cuenca del Duero, tendrá que hacer frente a la disminución de la disponibilidad de agua en el período de crecimiento vegetativo.The main objective of this work is to evaluate the Penman-Monteith Potential Evapotranspiration (PET) during 1970-2010 for the Douro Basin (Spain and Portugal). A network of 19 stations were used for the PET evaluation, which proved to have little variation when assessed for the entire region, except for the month of June that gained 3.2mm per decade (95% confidence level). Regionally, a moderate increase on PET has been characterized for the central and east areas, whereas in areas westward a significant decrease (95% confidence level) is observed. The sunshine is mostly confined to the central region, while wind, relative humidity and temperature are the main factors in western and northern regions. If precipitation patterns in PET and tendencies remain unaltered, future agriculture production, especially in the center and eastern regions of the Douro Basin, will have reduced water available for irrigation during the vegetative growth stage. Keywords: tendencies analysis; climate variability; potential evapotranspiration; Douro Basin

Modular system design for vegetated surfaces: a proposal for energy-efficient buildings

http://issuu.com/maria_manso/docs/bess-sb13-paper-01-revised?workerAddress=ec2-23-22-93-32.compute-1.amazonaws.comBuildings represent 40 % of total energy consumption in the European Union (EU). So it is peremptory to reduce the EU energy dependency and greenhouse gas emissions. The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive 2010/31/EU (EPBD) requires that by 2020 all new buildings must be nearly “zero-energy buildings”. This document also evidences the importance to use passive design solutions adapted to local climate conditions, in order to minimize the heating or cooling energy needs in buildings. As result from an on-going research project (GEOGREEN) is presented the concept of a modular system for vegetated surfaces in new or retrofitted buildings. It is designed to be demountable and adaptable to different surfaces and inclinations, allowing the creation of vegetated surfaces simultaneously in roofs, walls and other building elements. The modular system materials were selected to minimize the embodied energy and CO2 emission. It is based on the recovery of mine wasting materials to develop alkaline activated binders (geopolymers), combining natural materials with the insertion of endemic vegetation resistant to dry mesomediterranean conditions. In order to evaluate the thermal and energy performance of this solution, a cell test infrastructure will be installed at the University of Beira Interior facilities to perform real climate studies.Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology, FCT