Fluid-soil-structure interactions in semi-buried tanks: quantitative and qualitative analysis of seismic behaviors

Qualitative and quantitative assessments evaluate the structural vulnerability of liquid storage tanks. Liquid storage tanks are typically constructed and operated in areas with hard soils to minimize confining influences. However, many of these critical structures are in coastal areas with soft soils. The research conducted in this study entails the utilization of the finite element method accurately model the seismic behavior of a semi-buried concrete tank under various conditions, including changing water levels and soil properties. The study examines fluid–structure and soil–structure interactions through dynamic analyses of the rectangular semi-buried tank and comparing its different parameters. It also identifies sensitive areas where there is a probability of liquid leakage in storage tanks. The modeling is compared with the qualitative evaluation in the Japanese vibration capability diagnosis table. The results show that the tensile stress in the wall adjacent to the expansion joint is greater than the corresponding stress in the wall in all cases. In the dynamic analyses of the soil types, the pressure on the surface increases with increasing water height. A comparison of the quantitative and qualitative evaluation results shows the possible leakage of the tank in soft soil in the expansion joint.EC -European Commission(ID 101103978

Finite element model updating for composite plate structures using particle swarm optimization algorithm

In the Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) industry, particularly civil engineering, the Finite Element Method (FEM) is a widely applied method for computational designs. In this regard, computational simulation has increasingly become challenging due to uncertain parameters, significantly affecting structural analysis and evaluation results, especially for composite and complex structures. Therefore, determining the exact computational parameters is crucial since the structures involve many components with different material properties, even removing some additional components affects the calculation results. This study presents a solution to increase the accuracy of the finite element (FE) model using a swarm intelligence-based approach called the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm. The FE model is created based on the structure’s easily observable characteristics, in which uncertainty parameters are assumed empirically and will be updated via PSO using dynamic experimental results. The results show that the finite element model achieves high accuracy, significantly improved after updating (shown by the evaluation parameters presented in the article). In this way, a precise and reliable model can be applied to reliability analysis and structural design optimization tasks. During this research project, the FE model considering the PSO algorithm was integrated into an actual bridge’s structural health monitoring (SHM) system, which was the premise for creating the initial digital twin model for the advanced digital twinning technologyThis work was partly financed by FCT/MCTES through national funds (PIDDAC) under the R&D Unit Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE), under reference UIDB/04029/2020, and under the Associate Laboratory Advanced Production and Intelligent Systems ARISE under reference LA/P/0112/2020. The authors also acknowledge ANI (“Agência Nacional de Inovação”) for the financial support given to the R&D Project “GOA Bridge Management System—Bridge Intelligence”, with reference POCI-01-0247-FEDER-069642, cofinanced by the European Regional Development Fund (FEDER) through the Operational Competitiveness and Internationalization Program (POCI).Minh Q. Tran was supported by the doctoral grant reference PRT/BD/154268/2022 financed by the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT), under the MIT Portugal Program (2022 MPP2030-FCT). Minh Q. Tran acknowledges Huan X. Nguyen (Faculty of Science and Technology, Middlesex University, London NW4 4BT, UK) and Thuc V. Ngo (Mien Tay Construction University, Institute of Science and International Cooperation, 85100 Vĩnh Long, Vietnam) for their support as cosupervisors as well as specific suggestions in terms of the “conceptualization” and “methodology” of this paper. Helder S. Sousa acknowledges the funding by FCT through the Scientific Employment Stimulus—4th Editio

Cimentação adesiva – Revisão de literatura

Através de uma revisão de literatura procurou-se descrever sobre a cimentação adesiva de restaurações indiretas estéticas e livres de metal, em comparação com os demais agentes cimentantes. Com base nas informações obtidas chegou-se à conclusão que a cimentação adesiva é de fundamental importância quando se trata de restaurações metal free.This literature review related about adhesive strengthens metal free restorations in comparison with the most strengthen agents. With basis on informations obtained, we conclude that the adhesive strengthen is very important in metal free restorations

Estudo de motor universal com núcleos obtidos pelos processos da metalurgia do pó para utilização em furadeiras manuais

Este trabalho teve por objetivo o estudo de ligas sinterizadas a partir de Fe puro, FeP, FeSi e FeNi obtidas a partir dos processos da Metalurgia do Pó para sua aplicação nos núcleos do rotor e estator de um motor universal, tendo como finalidade sua utilização em uma máquina furadeira manual. A pesquisa compreendeu a obtenção de curvas de histerese destas ligas, ensaios para avaliação de perdas elétricas e simulação em software de elementos finitos para obtenção de fluxo de entreferro e conjugado eletromagnético (torque). Os estudos teóricos foram realizados em um motor universal de topologia convencional e as simulações foram realizadas de forma a comparar este motor com os de núcleos fabricados a partir de chapas de aço laminadas

Memorado - Da APG a um novo paradigma, a “Ordem dos Geólogos”.

A Associação Portuguesa de Geólogos (APG) foi fundada em 11 de Novembro de 1976. É uma associação sócio-profissional, sem fins lucrativos, que congrega profissionais da Geologia que se dedicam a domínios diversificados e especializados no âmbito das Ciências da Terra. É membro fundador da Federação Europeia de Geólogos (FEG) e membro da Federação Portuguesa das Associações e Sociedades Científicas (FEPASC). No âmbito da FEG a APG, através da Comissão Nacional de Acreditação e em estreita colaboração com o “Internacional Licensed Body” da FEG, participa na atribuição do título de Eurogeólogo (EurGeol) reconhecido e aceite internacionalmente como um padrão de qualidade, deontologia e ética no exercício da profissão de geólogo. Os Eurogeólogos podem ainda ser considerados “Profissionais Competentes” pelo “Pan-European Reserves and Resources Reporting Committee” (PERC). Volvidos 44 anos, verifica-se que a APG ainda não atingiu plenamente os objetivos para que foi entusiasticamente criada, no que toca à defesa da profissão de geólogo e sua representação, a promoção da excelência na aplicação da prática geológica, a dinamização do conhecimento, a elevação ética, a independência e o prestígio da profissão, e a contribuição para uma consciencialização pública da importância das geociências na sociedade. Designadamente não foi, até agora, conseguido um estatuto de representatividade formal da profissão que no contexto português terá de passar por uma organização com maior capacidade de intervenção, o que segundo a Lei n.º 2/2013, de 10 de janeiro, corresponde à criação da associação pública profissional dos geólogos, vulgarmente designada por “Ordem dos Geólogos”, com estatuto legal para regulamentar o exercício da profissão e defender perante a sociedade a credibilização da atividade profissional de geólogo. No estado atual, a visibilidade pública da geologia e dos geólogos em Portugal continua incipiente num quadro de exigência europeia e mundial, o que é particularmente negativo para os geólogos e para os portugueses. A APG faz a sua parte, mas deverá, necessariamente, evoluir para um paradigma de maior responsabilização e exigência profissional com os seus membros e consequente interação e perceção para uma sociedade mais esclarecida. Promover a profissão do geólogo passa por dialogar com outras profissões de matrizes técnico-científica afins e comunicar de forma clara e assertiva para os cidadãos, para os media e para os decisores políticos, a importância do trabalho do geólogo numa base eco-responsável e ambiental, de elevada competência técnico-científica, de deontologia e ética irrepreensíveis

MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL : A data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in P ortugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with 26% of all species being includedin the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associatedwith habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mam-mals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion formarine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems func-tionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is cru-cial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS INPORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublishedgeoreferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mam-mals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira thatincludes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occur-ring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live obser-vations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%),bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent lessthan 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrowsjsoil moundsjtunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animaljhairjskullsjjaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8),observation in shelters, (9) photo trappingjvideo, (10) predators dietjpelletsjpine cones/nuts, (11) scatjtrackjditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalizationjecholocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and100 m (76%). Rodentia (n=31,573) has the highest number of records followedby Chiroptera (n=18,857), Carnivora (n=18,594), Lagomorpha (n=17,496),Cetartiodactyla (n=11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n=7008). The data setincludes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened(e.g.,Oryctolagus cuniculus[n=12,159],Monachus monachus[n=1,512],andLynx pardinus[n=197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate thepublication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contrib-ute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting onthe development of more accurate and tailored conservation managementstrategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite thisdata paper when the data are used in publications.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Pervasive gaps in Amazonian ecological research

Biodiversity loss is one of the main challenges of our time,1,2 and attempts to address it require a clear un derstanding of how ecological communities respond to environmental change across time and space.3,4 While the increasing availability of global databases on ecological communities has advanced our knowledge of biodiversity sensitivity to environmental changes,5–7 vast areas of the tropics remain understudied.8–11 In the American tropics, Amazonia stands out as the world’s most diverse rainforest and the primary source of Neotropical biodiversity,12 but it remains among the least known forests in America and is often underrepre sented in biodiversity databases.13–15 To worsen this situation, human-induced modifications16,17 may elim inate pieces of the Amazon’s biodiversity puzzle before we can use them to understand how ecological com munities are responding. To increase generalization and applicability of biodiversity knowledge,18,19 it is thus crucial to reduce biases in ecological research, particularly in regions projected to face the most pronounced environmental changes. We integrate ecological community metadata of 7,694 sampling sites for multiple or ganism groups in a machine learning model framework to map the research probability across the Brazilian Amazonia, while identifying the region’s vulnerability to environmental change. 15%–18% of the most ne glected areas in ecological research are expected to experience severe climate or land use changes by 2050. This means that unless we take immediate action, we will not be able to establish their current status, much less monitor how it is changing and what is being lostinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Mammals in Portugal: a data set of terrestrial, volant, and marine mammal occurrences in Portugal

Mammals are threatened worldwide, with ~26% of all species being included in the IUCN threatened categories. This overall pattern is primarily associated with habitat loss or degradation, and human persecution for terrestrial mammals, and pollution, open net fishing, climate change, and prey depletion for marine mammals. Mammals play a key role in maintaining ecosystems functionality and resilience, and therefore information on their distribution is crucial to delineate and support conservation actions. MAMMALS IN PORTUGAL is a publicly available data set compiling unpublished georeferenced occurrence records of 92 terrestrial, volant, and marine mammals in mainland Portugal and archipelagos of the Azores and Madeira that includes 105,026 data entries between 1873 and 2021 (72% of the data occurring in 2000 and 2021). The methods used to collect the data were: live observations/captures (43%), sign surveys (35%), camera trapping (16%), bioacoustics surveys (4%) and radiotracking, and inquiries that represent less than 1% of the records. The data set includes 13 types of records: (1) burrows | soil mounds | tunnel, (2) capture, (3) colony, (4) dead animal | hair | skulls | jaws, (5) genetic confirmation, (6) inquiries, (7) observation of live animal (8), observation in shelters, (9) photo trapping | video, (10) predators diet | pellets | pine cones/nuts, (11) scat | track | ditch, (12) telemetry and (13) vocalization | echolocation. The spatial uncertainty of most records ranges between 0 and 100 m (76%). Rodentia (n =31,573) has the highest number of records followed by Chiroptera (n = 18,857), Carnivora (n = 18,594), Lagomorpha (n = 17,496), Cetartiodactyla (n = 11,568) and Eulipotyphla (n = 7008). The data set includes records of species classified by the IUCN as threatened (e.g., Oryctolagus cuniculus [n = 12,159], Monachus monachus [n = 1,512], and Lynx pardinus [n = 197]). We believe that this data set may stimulate the publication of other European countries data sets that would certainly contribute to ecology and conservation-related research, and therefore assisting on the development of more accurate and tailored conservation management strategies for each species. There are no copyright restrictions; please cite this data paper when the data are used in publications