Professor Luis Godinho from the Departamento de Engenharia Civil da Universidade de Coimbra (DEC), contributed to the Biosfera episode “Noise – The Invisible Pollutant.”

Noise is a constant part of urban life and a serious health concern, recognised by the WHO as a major environmental threat, highlighting the need for better management of this invisible pollutant.

Watch the episode here: buff.ly/MrmsHhN

#ISISE #Acoustics #FP #DEC #UC #FCTUC ... See MoreSee Less

🚨 𝐍𝐞𝐰 𝐩𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐮𝐛𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝!

✔️ This study presents an innovative approach for the development of 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐬 for construction applications, using 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐞 (𝐏𝐢𝐧𝐮𝐬 𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫) modified through a two-step process combining 𝐥𝐨𝐰-𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 and 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐲𝐥 𝐦𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐜𝐫𝐲𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧.

💠 The research investigates the influence of the combined MW + MMA treatment on 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐩𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐢-𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲, 𝐦𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐝𝐢𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲, and 𝐦𝐢𝐜𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐦𝐨𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

🌲 The results show that microwave pre-treatment enhances wood permeability, facilitating MMA penetration and leading to improved polymer incorporation. This combined treatment significantly improves the dimensional stability, water repellency, and overall technological performance of maritime pine, highlighting its potential as a 𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐢𝐠𝐡-𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬.

📖 Two-Step Modification of Maritime Pine via Microwave and Methyl Methacrylate Treatments to Develop High-Performance Wood Polymer Composites for Construction Applications
👨‍🔬 Fernando Júnior Resende Mascarenhas, André Luis Christoforo, Rogério Manuel Santos Simões, Alfredo Manuel Pereira Geraldes Dias, André Eduardo Palos Cunha and Francisco Antonio Rocco Lahr
📘 Polymers
🔗 buff.ly/DJIxD4i

#ISISE #SMCT #FP #ucoimbra #Dec #SerQ #Arise #WOODPOLYMERCOMPOSITES #microwavetreatment #methylmethacrylate #pinuspinaster #woodmodification #woodscience #constructionmaterials #sustainableconstruction #MaterialInnovation #Durability #polymers ... See MoreSee Less

We are pleased to share the 𝗜𝗦𝗜𝗦𝗘 𝗛𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀 2025, reflecting a year of strong research, collaboration, and innovation in structural engineering.
From the 𝗘𝗫𝗖𝗘𝗟𝗟𝗘𝗡𝗧 ⭐ evaluation by FCT to impactful projects addressing sustainability, resilience, and advanced materials, this report showcases the commitment of our teams to advancing the built environment.

🔗 Explore the full highlights:
buff.ly/iAMJY1V

#ISISE #STATS&Highlights #UC #UM #SMCT #HMS #FP #SC ... See MoreSee Less

New paper published in Waste and Biomass Valorization!

“Turning Invasive Cortaderia Selloana into Sustainable Building Insulation: A Biomass Valorization Approach”

Authors: Livia Cosentino, Diana Ferreira, Jorge Fernandes, Ricardo Mateus

In this work, we show that stems of the invasive pampas grass (Cortaderia selloana) can be transformed into low-density insulation panels with thermal performance comparable to cork and wood fibre, while maintaining good mechanical resistance. This approach helps turn a problematic invasive species into a sustainable resource for low-carbon building envelopes.

Check out the paper: buff.ly/Xb9ROUb

#ISISE #FP #SCon #sustainableconstruction #biobasedmaterials #invasivespecies #insulation #circulareconomy ... See MoreSee Less