A phase-space description of the Earth System in the Anthropocene

Based on a dynamic systems approach to the Landau-Ginzburg model, a phase space description of the Earth System (ES) in the transition to the Anthropocene is presented. It is shown that, for a finite amount of human-driven change, there is a stable equilibrium state that is an attractor of trajectories in the system's phase space and corresponds to a Hothouse Earth scenario. Using the interaction between the components of the ES, it is argued that, through the action of the Technosphere, mitigation strategies might arise for which the deviation of the ES temperature from the Holocene average temperature is smaller.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figure

Analysis of damage building in the north region of Portugal

A damaged building in the North Region of Portugal is analysed. Geotechnical characterisation of the soil foundation is presented. This soil has a low bearing capacity and the water level is near the ground surface. The reinforced concrete structural skeleton of this building consists of a mat foundation and slabs joined by walls. The façades of the building are in air brick masonry. Instrumental devices to measure the settlements of the building were installed. To observe the behaviour of the developed cracks, a monitoring system was also applied. The water table was observed with piezometers. A tridimensional numerical linear-elastic analysis using a finite element computer program considering soil-structure interaction is done. The soil is modelled using springs distributed continuously and the values of the modulus of subgrade vertical reaction are estimated from the geotechnical properties. The numerical results reveal the deformations and the damages of the building. These results are compared with the field observations. A rehabilitation structural solution is analysed in order to decrease the differential settlements and the soil pressure, and sustain the crack development.Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia (FCT) - POCTI/ECM/59033/2004 “CUTINSHEAR - Performance assessment of an innovative structural FRP strengthening technique using an integrated system based on optical fiber sensors