Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering
The Institute for Sustainability and Innovation in Structural Engineering (ISISE) is a R&D Research Centre created in 2007 involving the Civil Engineering Departments of University of Coimbra and University of Minho. The vision of ISISE is to increase the structural and functional performance of Civil Engineering Works, from a perspective of advanced technology, innovation and a knowledge based economy with a wide focus that ranges from materials to integral systems with a life cycle approach. ISISE currently comprises about 160 researchers, including a large number of PhD students. In 2014, ISISE was evaluated by FCT - the Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology and graded EXCELLENT.
ISISE possesses full expertise to address the seven basic requirements needed to bring building products to the market such as Mechanical resistance and stability; Safety in the case of fire; Hygiene, health and the environment; Safety in use; Protection against noise; Energy economy and heat retention. The research activities carried out in the institute are mainly divided into four research groups: Steel and mixed construction technologies (SMCT) and Functional Performance (FP) at University of Coimbra and Historical and masonry structures (HMS) and Structural concrete (SC) at University of Minho.
In the period 2014-2016, ISISE secured important funding (about 10 M€) for the construction and equipment of additional laboratory facilities in its two major campi (Coimbra and Minho). The new facilities have been completed and include a state-of-the-art Fire Safety Experimental Laboratory (FireLAB), in Coimbra, and the Institute for Bio-Sustainability (IBS), in Minho, joining engineering and biological sciences to address integrative and complex problems in the natural and built environment.
The Institute is involved in several Advanced Educational Programs, including two Erasmus Mundus International Masters, funded by the European Commission, four PhD programs, as well as 5 advanced MSc programs.
University of Coimbra
Laboratory of the Civil Engineering Department
The Laboratory of the Civil Engineering Department University of Coimbra is divided in two areas: Part A for testing of structures and Part B for testing of materials. In part A there are two reaction walls to allow the applications of horizontal forces on the experimental models; in the adjacent area, the slab has 1.00 m thickness and is perforated to allow the anchorage of reaction frames and the application of forces of high magnitude. Adjacent to part A of the laboratory there is an external zone for storage of materials. Both parts of the laboratory are equipped with cranes.
In the laboratory are developed three main types of activities:
i) Research work in several fields: steel and composite structures; concrete structures, steel and composite joints; fire tests in structures and components, among others;
ii) Specialized services of civil engineering to the industry: tests for mechanical characterization of concrete; tests for mechanical characterization of steel; tests on steel and concrete components; tests on wood structures, among others;
iii) Educational support to classes, through the realization of experimental tests.
Physical Installations
The laboratory of testing materials and structures has 1280m2 of area with 8m height aprox. The area of the storage zone is about 300m2.
Existing equipment
The laboratory is equipped with several equipments which to allow the realization of a large number of tests, including complex tests such as cyclic tests and fire tests in structures or components; the principal equipments are listed below:
- Cranes (2 units, with capacities 200 kN and 60 kN);
- Dynamic Loading Jacks (4 units with capacities of 300 kN, 600 kN and 100 kN (2 units));
- Steel frames (several);
- Load cells (several, with capacities between 50 kN and 1000 kN);
- Linear displacement transducers – LVDT’s (several);
- Furnaces (2 units);
- Universal testing machines (3 units with capacities of 1000 kN (2 units) and 300 kN);
- Machine for test concrete (2 units);
- Data Logger TML and accessories (2 units);
- Climatic chambers (2 units);
- Cement mixers (several).
FireLab
The Firelab - Fire Engineering Laboratory of the University of Coimbra - is a laboratory in the area of reaction to fire and fire resistance, which provides services in all areas of engineering and fire safety.
The Firelab is a center of excellence targeted towards providing services to companies, advanced technical training, consulting, research and development in fire safety, supported by the expertise of the ISISE research center (rated EXCELLENT in the latest review of the FCT in 2014).
The FIRElab performs certification of materials and construction solutions, in accordance with the relevant standards. The FIRElab is equipped with the most modern equipment to address multiple aspects, such as detection systems, fire extinguishing systems, smoke control, fire hazard, organization and safety management, design of steel structures subjected to fire, etc.
The FIreLab video is available here.
Fire Resistance Equipment:
Gas Furnaces
- Vertical furnace
- Horizontal furnace
Eletrical Furnaces
- Vertical furnace
- Vertical tubular furnace - split type
Fire Reaction Equipment
- Flooring Radiant Panel
- Small ignition
- Non-combustibility
- Bomb calorimeter
- Single burning item
Thermal Equipment:
- Hot box
- Thermal conductivity measurements
- Thermographic cameras
Mechanical Testing Machines
- Compression testing machine
- Servo-hydraulic dynamic testing machine
- Actuator system - double acting
Data acquistion equipment
- High speed camera
- Data acquisition systems
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University of Minho
General Description
The Laboratory of Structures (LEST) belongs to the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Minho (DEC-UMinho) and is a unit which carries out experimental works in three directions:
a) Pedagogical tests in the scope of different curricular units;
b) Tests in the frame of research, development and innovation activities;
c) Tests in the frame of applied research and consultancy activities in Civil Engineering.
Physical Installations
The physical installations of LEST are distributed by three floors of approximately 200m2 each one, totalizing an area of about 600m2.
Existing equipment
The LEST is equipped with several equipments which to allow the realization of a large number of tests, including complex tests such as cyclic tests in structures or components; the principal equipments are listed below:
- Cranes (2 units, with capacities 200 kN and 100 kN);
- Reaction slab and reaction slab;
- Servo-controlled systems (7 units up to 500 kN);
- Biaxial machine (1 unit, with capacities of 2000 kN in compression and 200 kN in tension);
- Fatigue machine (1 unit, with capacity of +/-1000 kN);
- Universal testing machine (1 unit with capacity of 2500 kN);
- Steel frames (several);
- Climatic chambers (5 units);
- Several dataloggers and sensors (load cells, LVDTs, accelerometers, clip gauges, …) from NI, HMB, RDP, PCB;
- Several equipment for NDT testing;
- Cement mixer (1 unit);
- Front loading oedometers (7 units) and Rowe cell (1 unit);
- Direct/residual shear strength apparatus (1 units);
- Bishop-Wesley cells (2 units) and multiple classic triaxial testing chambers.
Notice: Please contact international@erc-assoc.org if you represent this Research Institution and have identified any required additions or modifications to the above information.