http://repositorio.lnec.pt:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/38 2026-10-26T10:07:14Z http://repositorio.lnec.pt:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1020070 Swelling effects in a reinforced concrete pier of Foz Dão bridge (Portugal). First approach for modeling and behavior interpretation Folgado Santos, C.; Nuzzo, M.; Dias, I. M.; Xu, Min; Oliveira Santos, L.; Batista, A. L. The degradation of the Foz do Dão bridge, that served the IP3 road and is located over the Aguieira dam reservoir, in Portugal, mainly due to the internal swelling reactions in concrete, resulting in visible cracking in its piers, led to the bridge re-placement in August 2015. Since 2009, this bridge has been subject to several in-spections, including underwater inspections, laboratory tests of cores, as well as periodic geometric levelling of the deck and ambient vibration tests. These actions were aimed to characterize its structural behaviour and to detect damage growth that might jeopardize safety. The aim of this work is to characterize and interpret the structural behaviour of the highest pier. For this purpose, a three-dimensional numerical model, which consid-ers the environmental conditions and the time-dependent behaviour of the concrete, was developed. The loads applied to the pier are the dead-weight of pier and the weight of the bridge deck, the pressure of the reservoir water, the effects of the thermal variations and of the swelling. The computing of the expansions considers the influence of the temperature and of the confining effect of the rebars and of the stress fields. The temperatures variations at the pier were computed using a thermal model. The model was calibrated considering data obtained by laboratory tests, on samples extracted from the bridge and by the deck levelling. 2024-05-18T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.lnec.pt:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1020069 Long Term Field Assessment of EC2 and MC 2020 Models for Creep and Shrinkage Xu, Min; Oliveira Santos, L. Accurate prediction of concrete creep and shrinkage remains challenging owing to the significant variability of influencing parameters, particularly environmental factors such as temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall. Reliable prediction of these time-dependent phenomena is essential for modelling the long-term behaviour of concrete structures. Over recent decades, prediction models have undergone successive refinements, culminating in the fib Model Code 2020 and the forthcoming second generation of Eurocode 2, scheduled for implementation in 2027. This study assesses the predictive capability of these models using long-term experimental results obtained over more than 15 years from 45 shrinkage and 13 creep specimens installed on a reinforced concrete bridge over the Douro River, in Portugal. The comparison between measured and predicted values provides insight into the models’ accuracy and suitability for representing the behaviour of concrete under real environmental exposure conditions. 2026-06-15T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.lnec.pt:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1020053 Adapting Bridges to Climate Change: Impacts, Regulatory Responses, Case Study, and Challenges Molon, N.; Moldovan, I.; Oliveira Santos, L.; Faber, M.; Figueiredo, E. Climate change increasingly exposes critical infrastructure systems, like bridges, to hazards for which these systems were neither originally designed nor adequately maintained. Over the past decade, both researchers and stakeholders have produced a growing body of scientific studies and practice-oriented guidelines aimed at enhancing infrastructure resilience, but there is still a lack of studies focused on bridges. This paper applies an integrated assessment approach, combining local monitoring data, biascorrected regional climate projections, physics-based finite element modelling, and reliability analysis, to evaluate the structural implications of future temperature scenarios. After reviewing projected climate impacts and current regulatory responses, with particular emphasis on the evolution of the Eurocodes, the methodology is applied to an existing prestressed concrete bridge in Portugal. Temperature projections derived from regional climate models are downscaled to the bridge site and incorporated into a probabilistic structural assessment. Results indicate that, under a high-emission scenario, projected temperature increases may lead to reductions in reliability index and increases in expansion joint displacements for a long-term period. The comparison between the first and second generations of Eurocodes highlights the transition from historically calibrated thermal actions to climate-adjusted design values. This study demonstrates that climate change represents a quantifiable structural action for bridges and underscores the need for reliability-based, forward-looking design and lifecycle management approaches. 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z http://repositorio.lnec.pt:8080/jspui/handle/123456789/1019983 Implementation of a Structural Health Monitoring System on the Mosteirô Bridge for BrIMe-Based Management Valença, J.; Coelho, T.; Branco Pedro, J.; Oliveira Santos, L.; Freire, L. This paper presents the implementation of a Structural Health Monitoring system on the Mosteirô Bridge, designed by Professor Edgar Cardoso and built in 1973. The monitoring system aims to support the digital transition of bridge management by integrating sensor data into BrIMe (Bridge Information Modelling enhanced) platforms. The first phase of the project involves the identification and planning of critical sections to be monitored, based on structural behaviour and accessibility. The selected monitoring sections include measurements of: (i) vertical and horizontal displacements at expansion joints near the abutments, (ii) strain at predefined transverse critical sections, (iii) rotations at the top of the piers, (iv) concrete temperature, (v) ambient temperature, and (vi) relative humidity. A network of sensors was installed to enable automated and continuous data acquisition. The system includes displacement transducers, strain gauges, inclinometers, and environmental sensors, all connected to a remote data logging and transmission unit. This configuration allows for real-time monitoring and long-term data storage, supporting both routine inspections and emergency assessments. The collected data will be processed and exported to BrIMe-compatible formats, enabling integration with geometric and structural models. This linkage enhances the bridge’s digital representation and supports predictive maintenance strategies, structural diagnostics, and decision-making processes. The paper discusses the technical specifications of the monitoring system, the criteria for selecting critical sections, and the methodology for data integration into BrIMe. The approach demonstrates how sensor-based monitoring can be effectively combined with digital modelling to improve infrastructure management and extend the service life of existing structures. 2026-06-01T00:00:00Z