Areas of Activity
- Advanced laboratory and in situ testing for characterisation of natural soils (residual soils, unsaturated and sensitive soils with emphasis to liquefiable soils), stabilized and cemented soil mixtures.
- Wastes (urban, industrial, including ash, sediments and mine tailings).
- Experimental and numerical characterisation of short and long-term behaviour of geosynthetics-reinforced structures under static and dynamic loading.
- Soil dynamics and Earthquake Engineering.
- Geomechanics and numerical modelling of geotechnical structures (foundations, tailings dams and sediment deposits, deep excavations, underground works, embankments on soft soils, landfills, highways and railways).
Relevant Consultancy Services
- In situ and laboratory geotechnical tests for characterisation of bridge foundations: Vasco da Gama and 25 de Abril bridges, Lisbon; Salgueiro Maia, Santarém; Infante D. Henrique, Porto; Mosqueiros, Benavente; new Douro Bridges at Entre-os-Rios between 1994 and 2003 (Teixeira Duarte, SA; Tecnasol, SA; ICOR - Institute for Road Construction).
- Geotechnical (mechanical and hydraulic) testing of soils and rocks involved in large dams projects: Pinhosão, Alvão, Enxoé, Luz, Olgas, Álamos, Sambade, Santa Justa, Pisão, Rio Seco, Paradela, Lapa, Padroselos, Canto Cagarra – Cabo Verde, Almeidas 1994-2019 (COBA Consultores, SA; Hidrorumo, SA; Geoma, SA; Tetraplano, SA; Mota-Engil, SA, EDP Gestão de Produção de Energia, SA; Geoqual, Lda; SEG, SA; Monte Adriano, SA; Elsamex Portugal, SA, TPF- CENOR).
- In situ and laboratory geomechanical tests for soil characterisation and rocks within the scope of the first phase of the Metro do Porto project, between 2000 and 2004 (Transmetro, ACE) and the new phase of the Metro do Porto project (2018-present)
- Soil testing and geotechnical characterisation of tailings: oedometer tests, monotonic and cyclic triaxial and simple shear tests, permeability and retention curves tests (Somincor and Cerro do Lobo; Coper Mine – Spain; Heap Leach Pad 4A - Sociedad Minera Cerro Verde, La Coipa, Chile, between 2013 and 2016 (Golder Associates Portugal, Lda; URS Corp., USA; Knight Piésold and Co., USA); Casa de Pedra (CSM, Brasil) and diverse dams in Brazil (VALE).
- Characterisation of the geocontainers behaviour at the Restinga of Ofir, 2016 (Polis Litoral Norte). Quality control of the liners of Valença and Vila Real landfills, 2013-2014 (Valorminho), 2016 (Resinorte). Behaviour analysis of a geosynthetics-reinforced wall at EN 353, Isna de Oleiros, 2017 (Grupo Lena).
Resources
- Wide range of geotechnical laboratory equipment for soils and rocks, including automated triaxial and direct/simple shear systems for static, stress-path, cyclic and dynamic testing, double triaxial chamber for unsaturated soils, true triaxial cube, precision internal instrumentation (hall-effects, bender elements) and large triaxial systems for ballast testing.
- In situ testing equipment: CPT/CPTU/SCPT, Seismic CH and U/DH; PLT; PMT; Guelph permeameter
- Laboratory equipment for characterisation of short and long-term behaviour of geosynthetics, including durability, and software for numerical analysis of the behaviour of geosynthetics-reinforced structures.
Principal Investigator
Prof. António Viana da Fonseca (viana@fe.up.pt)