Centro de Território, Ambiente e Construção
Escola de Engenharia da Universidade do Minho
Campus de Azurém
4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Phone: + 351 253 510 200 (517 206)
Fax: + 351 253 510 217
Email: geral@ctac.uminho.pt
Coordinator: José Barroso Aguiar
The general objectives assumed by the Strategic Programme comprise the production of new knowledge in the Research Area of Competence of “Construction Materials and Technologies” (CMT), between others, contributing to the general vision of Sustainable Built Environment & Energy Efficiency, as well as of Sustainable and Resilient Systems and Infrastructures. CMT area will make research in the field of materials and technologies, mainly in its eco-efficiency. Their contributions to increase the quality of life in territories, without compromising the future generations, will be studied during all the phases of the life-cycle. Environmental, economic and social aspects need to be considered in order to fulfil the mentioned objectives.
Mainly, CMT area will develop research on “innovative ecomaterials & technologies” with connections to “energy efficiency & sustainable built environment” and “risk management and health”. The main projects to be developed are:
- New technologies for smart materials, involving the study of phase change, photocatalytic and self-healing materials The use of nanomaterials will be fundamental to increase the efficiency of the new technologies;
- Eco-efficient mortars and concretes, involving the study of high performance pozzolans that can replace part of Portland cement, a material with low sustainability. The resulting mortars and concretes will have advantages related with economy, energy efficiency, durability and environment;
- New composites for rehabilitation of constructions, involving the study of composites with incorporation of natural or artificial fibres for structural and non-structural applications. The durability of these composites will be an important aspect to be considered;
- Functional materials for lightweight construction, involving the study of polymeric membranes to be used mainly in lightweight covers. Their resistance to environmental conditions is fundamental to be analysed.
Cardoso, C., Camões, A. Aires, Eires, R., Mota, A., Araújo, J., Castro, F., Carvalho, J., Using foundry slag of ferrous metals as fine aggregate for concrete, Resources, Conservation and Recycling, Elsevier, November 2018
Kheradmand, M.; Abdollahnejad, Z.; Pacheco-Torgal, F.. 2018. "Alkali-activated cement based binder mortars containing phase change materials (PCMs): Mechanical properties and cost analysis ", European Journal of Environmental and Civil Engineering , 1: 1 - 16.
Kheradmand, M.; Abdollahnejad, Z.; Pacheco-Torgal, F.. 2017. "Shrinkage Performance of Fly Ash Alkali-activated Cement Based Binder Mortars", KSCE Journal of Civil Engineering, 1: 1 - 11.
Kheradmand, M.; Mastali, M.; Abdollahnejad, Z.; Pacheco-Torgal, F.. 2017. "Experimental and numerical investigations on the flexural performance of geopolymers reinforced with short hybrid polymeric fibres", Composites Part B: Engineering, 126: 108-118.
Abdollahnejad, Z.; Kheradmand, M.; Pacheco-Torgal, F.. 2017. "Short-term compressive strength of fly ash and waste glass alkali-activated cement based binder (AACB) mortars with two biopolymers", Journal of Materials in Civil Engineering,
Pacheco-Torgal, F. (2017) High tech startup creation for energy efficient built environment. Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews (in press)
Pangdaeng, S.; Sata, V.; Aguiar, J.B.; Pacheco-Torgal, F.; Chindaprasirt, Jarin; Chindaprasirt, P.. 2017. "Bioactivity enhancement of calcined kaolin geopolymer with CaCl2 treatment", ScienceAsia 42, 6: 407 - 414.
Zhang F., Ding Y., Xu J., Zhang Y., Zhu W. and Shi Y.: Shear strength prediction for steel fiber reinforced concrete beams without stirrups, Engineering Structures, 127 (2016), pp. 101–116
MEDINE, Malika; TROUZINE, Habib; DE AGUIAR, José Barroso. Fresh State Properties of Concrete Incorporating Scrap Tire Rubber. Periodica Polytechnica Civil Engineering, [S.l.], v. 60, n. 4, p. 610-617, oct. 2016. ISSN 1587-3773
Teixeira, E.R., et al., Comparative environmental life-cycle analysis of concretes using biomass and coal fly
ashes as partial cement replacement material, Journal of Cleaner Production (2015), http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2015.09.124
Rui Reis et al., 2014, Key Engineering Materials, 634, 288
Ricardo Mateus, Jorge Fernandes, Elisabete R. Teixeira,
Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Earthen Building Materials,
Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering,
Elsevier, 2019, ISBN 9780128035818, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.11459-6.
Jorge Fernandes, Sandra M. Silva, Ricardo Mateus, Elisabete R. Teixeira,
Analysis of the Thermal Performance and Comfort Conditions of Vernacular Rammed Earth Architecture From Southern Portugal, Reference Module in Materials Science and Materials Engineering, Elsevier, 2019, ISBN 9780128035818, https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-803581-8.11460-2.
Pacheco-Torgal, F. (2018). Introduction to carbon dioxide sequestration–based cementitious construction materials. In Carbon Dioxide Sequestration in Cementitious Construction Materials (pp. 3-12). Elsevier
Pacheco-Torgal, F.. 2017. Introduction to Cost-Effective Energy Efficient Building Retrofitting. In Cost-Effective Energy Efficient Building Retrofitting: Materials, Technologies, Optimization and Case Studies, ed. Pacheco-Torgal, Granqvist, Jelle, Vanoli, Bianco and Kurnitski, 1 - 20. . Abington Hall, Cambridge, UK: : Woodhead Publishing Limited- Elsevier Science and Technology
Pacheco-Torgal, F.; Abdollahnejad, Z.; Miraldo, S.; Kheradmand, M.. 2016. Alkali-activated cement-based binders (AACB) as durable and cost competitive low CO2 binders: Some shortcomings that need to be adressed. In Handbook of low carbon concrete , ed. Nazari & Sanjayan, 195-216. Waltham, US: Elsevier Science and Tech
The CompactRIO system (cRIO) is a DAQ system with an incorporated computer (with its own operating system) capable of dedicatedly running one single LabVIEW program at a time. The cRIO has standard memory and an integrated real-time processor for control, data logging, and analysis, and able to run the program at much higher speed than a laptop (which is multitasking). The cRIO uses Ethernet to connect to its peripherals which enables it to communicate data fast. The cRIO connects to the electronic hardware via reconfigurable I/O field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology.
Available NI modules:
These pieces of equipment were acquired with fund that result from specialized services carried out by this Research Group to the Centre for Waste Valorisation.
Construction Materials Laboratory covers destructive and non-destructive testing of construction materials such as fresh and hardened pastes, mortars and concretes and the assessment of their durability and mechanical properties. The equipment housed in Construction Materials Laboratory will allow the characterization, development and testing of high performance sustainable materials for a wide variety of applications in the construction industry.
The Construction Materials Laboratory performs various tests in the following areas:
•Admixtures for mortar and concrete
•Aggregates;
•Mortars and concretes;
•Hydraulic and aerial lime;
•Alkali-activated materials;
•Earth based materials;
•Injection pastes;
•Cements and mineral additions;
•Wood;
•Ceramic materials;
•Paints and varnishes.
The Centre for Territory, Environment and Construction (CTAC) is a research unit of the School of Engineering of University of Minho (UMinho), recognised by the “FCT – Fundação para a Ciência e Tecnologia” (Foundation for Science and Technology), associated to the Department of Civil Engineering (DEC), with whom it shares resources and namely human resources.
Currently CTAC aggregates 24 researchers holding a PhD of which 20 are faculty professors of the Civil Engineering Department. Read more
Centro de Território, Ambiente e Construção
Escola de Engenharia da Universidade do Minho
Campus de Azurém
4800-058 Guimarães, Portugal
Phone: + 351 253 510 200 (517 206)
Fax: + 351 253 510 217
Email: geral@ctac.uminho.pt