Historical and Masonry Structures
The group consists of 25 PhD members, led by Graça Vasconcelos and integrated in two clusters. Originally centred in “Historical”, i.e. existing buildings with cultural value, often referred to as architectural heritage (majority in masonry and timber, but also 20th century heritage), and “Masonry”, i.e. new masonry construction.
Overview
Group HMS - Historical Masonry
The group interests are wider, with relevant activity in timber structures, infrastructure management and geotechnical engineering. Conservation of the built heritage includes non-destructive testing and monitoring, advanced experimental characterization, sophisticated numerical simulation tools, earthquake engineering, repair and strengthening techniques, durability, management systems and life cycle analysis.
Re-use of structural masonry and timber aims at developing integral building solutions (all functional requirements) and modular solutions. Infrastructure management has a strong focus on assessment of bridges and transportation networks, including risk management and extreme events. Geotechnics has a focus on ground parameters and performance predictions, namely for rock masses, slope management and railways engineering.
Clusters
Projects
Latest News
🚨 Final reminder | PhD Position closes soon
Only a few days left to apply for PhD14 in the REFFRACTEUR European Industrial Doctoral Network.
This PhD will focus on physics-informed digital twins for steel ladle refractories, combining industrial data, FEM/ROM models and explainable machine learning.
The project will address key challenges such as:
🔹 Predicting lining temperature and wear
🔹 Estimating remaining useful life
🔹 Building robust industrial data pipelines
🔹 Supporting better monitoring and decision-making in steel ladle operations
📍 Mobility: Germany + Portugal
🎓 Profile: Materials science or engineering, thermomechanical analysis, modelling, data-driven methods
⚠️ Residents of Germany 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 #matich #reffracteur #ApplyNow #PhDOpportunity #MSCA #digitaltwin #IndustrialAI #PredictiveMaintenance #SteelIndustry #refractories #EngineeringJobs
🚨 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 14
REFFRACTEUR is recruiting a Doctoral Candidate for PhD14: Physics-informed digital twins for steel ladle refractories.
This position is ideal for candidates with a background in materials science, engineering, thermomechanical analysis, modelling, machine learning and industrial data.
The PhD will contribute to the development of a digital twin able to support real-time, uncertainty-aware forecasts of refractory lining behaviour, including temperature, wear and remaining useful life.
📍 Host institutions:
SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar, Germany
University of Minho, Portugal
⚠️ Due to the MSCA Mobility Rule, residents of Germany cannot apply for PhD14.
📅 Deadline: 24 June
🌐 Apply at: www.reffracteur.eu
#ISISE #HMS #matich #reffracteur #PhDposition #MSCA #digitaltwins #MachineLearning #refractorymaterials #steelladle #PredictiveMaintenance #industrialdoctorate
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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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📢 New publication in the Journal of Building Engineering
We are pleased to share our latest open-access article:
“Full-scale flexural behaviour of polyurethane-infilled steel web-core sandwich floor panels”
Authors: Pier Giovanni Benzo, Guilherme Gontijo, Marco Abreu Filho, João M. Pereira, José Sena-Cruz
This study investigates the structural performance of innovative lightweight sandwich floor panels made of cold-formed steel face sheets, steel web-core reinforcement, and polyurethane foam infill.
Through full-scale static and dynamic flexural testing, the work evaluates the potential of these panels as lightweight flooring systems for the rehabilitation of existing buildings, particularly where reducing structural mass is essential.
The results highlight the promising stabilising effect of the steel–foam interaction, the good agreement of numerical models up to peak load, and key insights into the failure mechanisms that should guide future design developments.
🔗 Read the paper here: buff.ly/7WIajQX
#ISISE #HMS #MATICH #SC #FRP #OpenAccess #JournalOfBuildingEngineering #StructuralEngineering #ColdFormedSteel #SandwichPanels #LightweightStructures #BuildingRehabilitation #SustainableConstruction #CivilEngineering #UniversityOfMinho #ARISE
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🚨 Open PhD Position | PhD14 – REFFRACTEUR Doctoral Network
Are you interested in digital twins, machine learning and industrial process optimisation?
PhD14 focuses on physics-informed digital twins for design, monitoring and optimal operation of steel ladle refractories.
The selected Doctoral Candidate will work on:
🔹 Industrial data pipelines for steel ladle operation
🔹 Physics-informed machine learning
🔹 Reduced-order models and FEM-based forecasts
🔹 Prediction of lining temperature, wear and remaining useful life
🔹 Dashboard tools for monitoring and decision support
📍 Mobility:
18 months at SHS – Stahl-Holding-Saar, Völklingen, Germany
18 months at University of Minho, Guimarães, Portugal
⚠️ Due to the MSCA Mobility Rule, residents of Germany cannot apply for this specific position.
📅 Apply by 24 June
🌐 www.reffracteur.eu
Join REFFRACTEUR and help develop digital tools for a carbon-neutral and resilient European industry.
#ISISE #HMS #matich #reffracteur #MSCA #DoctoralNetwork #PhDposition #digitaltwin #MachineLearning #SteelIndustry #refractories #IndustrialAI #engineering
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