Structural Composites
The Structural Composites research group (SC) is leaded by Prof. Joaquim Barros and has the following main research areas: fibre reinforced concrete and fibre reinforced polymers for new construction and for the retrofitting of the built environmental; bituminous materials, road infrastructures and their conditions for connected and autonomous vehicles, including systems for safe protection of pedestrians; computational mechanics; BIM and digital processes in construction.
Overview
Group SC - Structural Composites
This research involves multidisciplinary and complementary fields and has been supported by the high capacity of SC to get projects funded by FCT, EU, in co-promotion and demonstration with the industry, and from specialized consultancy. SC has members in several technical committees of fib, ACI and RILEM, and has organized regularly national and international events, some of them of highest reputation in SC’s key-research areas.
The SC coordinates the European Master BIM A+ and FRP++. SC has had an excellent record on forming PhD and MSc students, with a high percentage supported by PhD-grants obtained in competitive regime. Since SC formation, the publication per staff member in ISI journals varied between 1.7 to 4.
Clusters
Projects
Latest News
🌿 ISISE Day-Out 2026 | Science, community and a great day together!
Last July, the ISISE community came together for our 2026 Day-Out, held in the beautiful setting of Solar das Bouças.
The day combined science, networking and plenty of fun, bringing together ISISE members and collaborators outside our usual research environment. The programme included scientific presentations by our PhD researchers, providing an opportunity to share ongoing work, exchange ideas and discover the wide range of research being developed across the Institute.
🏆 Congratulations to Kasra Mostofi, who received the Best Presentation Award for his presentation “Recycled fibre-reinforced concrete floating docks for sustainable offshore renewables”.
And, of course, an ISISE Day-Out would not be complete without some time away from the slides and research discussions! The afternoon brought everyone together for traditional Portuguese games, a walk around the venue and plenty of good moments along the way.
The ISISE Directors would like to thank all our members and collaborators for taking part in the day and, above all, for their continued contribution to the growth and success of the Institute.
A great opportunity to strengthen connections, celebrate our community and enjoy being together. See you at the next ISISE Day-Out! 🙌
#ISISE #SC #SMCT #HMS #FP #Research #StructuralEngineering #CivilEngineering #ResearchCommunity #PhDResearch #Science #TeamBuilding #UMinho #UCoimbra
📢 New publication by ISISE researchers!
A new study has been published in Construction and Building Materials:
📄 “Determining the coefficient of thermal expansion of FRP–concrete hybrid structural system constituents: Implementation and validation of a strain gauge–based method”
The work presents and validates a practical methodology for determining the coefficient of thermal expansion of materials used in FRP–concrete hybrid structural systems. Based on strain-gauge measurements, a low-expansion reference material and dedicated post-processing, the proposed approach offers a robust and cost-effective alternative for structural engineering laboratories.
The methodology was applied to the constituents of a hybrid sandwich panel composed of pultruded GFRP, polyurethane foam and steel fibre-reinforced self-compacting concrete. Full-scale experimental testing and numerical analyses confirmed that the material-level properties obtained with the proposed method can successfully reproduce the thermal response of the complete structural system.
👥 Authors: Marco Abreu Filho, João M. Pereira, Miguel Azenha and José Sena-Cruz
🔗 Read the open-access paper:
buff.ly/d3SiJCL
#ISISE #SC #FRP #ARISE #UniversityOfMinho #StructuralEngineering #CompositeMaterials #FRP #Concrete #ThermalBehaviour #ExperimentalResearch #OpenAccess
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📢 The ISISE Newsletter N30 is out!
In this 30th biannual edition, we share some of the latest highlights from our research community, including:
🔹 ISISE Day Out 2025 in Tomar
🔹 A new Impact Story featuring Mohammadali Rezazadeh
🔹 Completed and newly started R&D projects
🔹 Recently completed PhD theses
🔹 Awards, prizes, events, upcoming conferences and courses
This edition once again reflects the strong scientific activity, collaboration and impact of the ISISE community across structural engineering, sustainability, heritage, digitalisation and innovation.
📖 Read the full newsletter here:
buff.ly/z4syrMY
#ISISE #StructuralEngineering #Research #Innovation #Sustainability #CivilEngineering #ScienceCommunication
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📢 New publication in Construction and Building Materials!
“Durability of NSM CFRP-to-concrete bond after six years of exposure to laboratory and outdoor environments”
This study provides rare long-term experimental evidence on the durability of near-surface mounted (NSM) CFRP strengthening systems for reinforced concrete structures. The work followed specimens exposed for six years to laboratory-controlled conditions and to real outdoor environments in Portugal, including Lisbon, Serra da Estrela, Elvas, and Viana do Castelo.
The results show that CFRP laminates maintained their mechanical performance after ageing, while the epoxy adhesive was more sensitive to environmental exposure, particularly under water immersion. These findings contribute to more reliable durability assessment and long-term design of CFRP strengthening systems.
👏 Congratulations to the authors: Luís Correia, Aloys Dushimimana, Sayed Adeel Jawed, João Miguel Pereira, Susana Cabral-Fonseca, and José Sena-Cruz.
🔗 Read the paper: buff.ly/s3pXTsf
#ISISE #SC #FRP #ARISE #UniversityOfMinho #LNEC #CivilEngineering #StructuralEngineering #CFRP #FRP #Concrete #Durability #Infrastructure #Research
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🚨 Final reminder | PhD Position closes soon
Only a few days left to apply for PhD11 in the REFFRACTEUR European Industrial Doctoral Network.
This PhD will focus on THM-FEM modelling of dry-out and early-age behaviour in castable refractory linings, combining modelling, experimental data and industrial validation.
The project will address key questions such as:
🔹 How can dry-out schedules be optimised?
🔹 How do moisture transport, temperature and stress interact?
🔹 How does early-age damage affect long-term refractory durability?
📍 Mobility: Portugal + Austria
🎓 Profile: Engineering, multiphysics modelling, programming, excellent English
⚠️ Residents of Portugal cannot apply for this specific position due to the MSCA Mobility Rule.
📅 Apply by 24 June
🌐 www.reffracteur.eu
Do not miss this opportunity to join an international academia–industry doctoral network.
#ISISE #HMS #sc #matich #dice #reffracteur #ApplyNow #PhDOpportunity #MSCA #doctoralcandidate #Refractories #FEM #thermomechanicalmodelling #materialsengineering
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⏳ One week left to apply! | PhD Position 11
REFFRACTEUR is recruiting a Doctoral Candidate for PhD11: Thermo-hygral-mechanical modelling and optimisation of dry-out and early-age behaviour in castable refractory linings.
This position is ideal for candidates with a background in engineering, constitutive modelling, multiphysics simulation and programming.
You will contribute to the development of validated models and experimental strategies to optimise refractory castable dry-out, helping industry move towards safer, faster and more durable refractory operations.
📍 Host institutions:
University of Minho, Portugal
RHI Magnesita, Austria
⚠️ Due to the MSCA Mobility Rule, residents of Portugal cannot apply for PhD11.
📅 Deadline: 24 June
🌐 Apply at: www.reffracteur.eu
#ISISE #HMS #sc #matich #dice #reffracteur #PhDposition #MSCA #DoctoralNetwork #refractorymaterials #numericalmodelling #Multiphysics #IndustrialResearch #EngineeringJobs
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