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Almeida, Pedro Gabriel de Faria Lapa Barbosa de
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- Data Collection Methodology to Assess Road Pavement Condition Using GNSS, Video Image and GISPublication . Santos, Bertha; Almeida, Pedro Gabriel De; Maganinho, Leonor Graciete de OliveiraTraffic loads, along with the environment, damage pavement over time. The degradation of pavement quality is reflected in the development of a diversity of pavement distresses, such as cracking, deformation or deterioration. These distresses may occur on the surface and/or in the pavement structure, having a determinant role in pavement’s quality. Aiming to increase the degree of reliability of the pavement distress data and reduce pavement observation time and visual inspection operations cost, this work presents the main steps proposed for a methodology to observe, record and evaluate flexible road pavement distresses to assess the quality of road pavements. This methodology is based on an in-vehicle inspection using GNSS and video image capture devices and in the use of Geographic Information System (GIS). Validation of the proposed methodology was made through a case study by comparing the results obtained on the in-vehicle inspection to those from a traditional visual inspection performed on foot. The similarity of results obtained by the two approaches allowed to conclude about the feasibility of the proposed methodology. Among the main advantages of the proposed methodology a highlight is on the possibility to identify, quantify and locate the most severe pavement distresses through the use of spatial tools available on GIS, producing information maps and reports that can be used in the decision-making process about road pavements rehabilitation and conservation.
- Radon concentration assessment in water sources of public drinking of Covilhã's county, PortugalPublication . Inácio, M.; Soares, S.; Almeida, PedroRadon, the heaviest of the noble gases on the periodic table of elements, is a natural radioactive element that can be found on water, soils and rocks. The main goal of this work is to present an evaluation of radon concentration on samples of water, used for human consumption, collected on uranium-rich granitic rock areas. Once the geological features of the sampling region evidence the presence of this natural radionuclides, their slow dissolution steadily increases concentration in ground water. Although, the most important contribution of natural radiation, for most populations, is from inhaled radon (generic term used commonly to refer to the isotope 222Rn), in some circumstances, exposure to natural radionuclides, through drinking water, could exceed acceptable levels, and also present a hazard. Despite the fact that radon can be reduced if the water is boiled, this gas, dissolved in ground water, can be released into the air during household activities such as showering, dishwashing and laundry. So, the short lived radon decay products will contribute to increase the number of those which are present in particles suspended in the indoor air and can be accumulated up to dangerous concentrations. Once the radon progeny emits highly ionizing alpha-radiation, they may cause substantial health damage after long-term exposure. Radon concentration measurements were performed on thirty three samples collected from water wells at different depths and types of aquifers, at Covilhã's County, Portugal with the radon gas analyser DURRIDGE RAD7. Twenty three, of the total of water samples collected, gave, values over 100 Bq/L, being that 1690 Bq/L was the highest measured value.
- GIS-based inventory for safeguarding and promoting Portuguese glazed tiles cultural heritagePublication . Santos, Bertha; Gonçalves, Jorge H. G.; Almeida, Pedro G.; Martins-Nepomuceno, Ana M. T.Innovative, non-invasive, digital, and cost-effective instruments for systematic inventory, monitoring and promotion are a valuable resource for managing tangible and intangible cultural heritage. Due to its powerful and effective inventory and analysis potential, which allows supporting central and local entities responsible for cultural heritage management, Geographic Information Systems (GIS) have proven to be an appropriate information technology for developing these kinds of instruments. Given the above, this work aims to introduce a GIS-based instrument to support inventorying, safeguarding, tourism, and cultural promotion of the traditional Portuguese glazed tile (‘azulejo’, in Portuguese) to raise general awareness of the importance of this unique Portuguese heritage. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, there is no other instrument available with inventory and safeguarding management functions that is accessible and affordable, developed to be used at a municipal level and that contributes to the enrichment of the cultural and tourist information. Information from 70 tile works located in the Portuguese city of Covilhã was used to test the proposed GIS tool, resulting in a georeferenced alphanumeric, graphical, image and drawing inventory and in three pedestrian routes for touristic and cultural heritage promotion. The results were validated by both the research team and the municipality of Covilhã, foreseeing its expansion and daily use in the management of the heritage of the traditional Portuguese glazed tile. The proposed instrument can be replicated in other locations and easily implemented and managed by municipalities or institutions dealing with the protection of cultural heritage.
- Pavement Inspection in Transport Infrastructures Using Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs)Publication . Feitosa, Ianca; Santos, Bertha; Almeida, Pedro Gabriel deThe growing demand for the transportation of goods and people has led to an increasing reliance on transportation infrastructure, which, in turn, subjects the pavements to high traffic volumes. In order to maintain adequate service and safety standards for users, it is essential to establish effective maintenance strategies that ensure the preservation of pavement conditions. As a result, emerging innovations in pavement surface inspection methods, surpassing traditional techniques in terms of inspection and data processing speed and accuracy, have garnered significant attention. One such groundbreaking innovation in inspection systems that has been tested and used in recent years to assess infrastructure condition is the use of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This study aims to present a critical open-access literature review on the use of UAVs in the inspection of transportation infrastructure pavement in order to assess the type of equipment used, the technology involved, applicability conditions, data processing, and future evolution. The analysis of relevant literature suggests that the integration of intelligent technologies substantially enhances the accuracy of data collection and the detection of pavement distress. Furthermore, it is evident that most applications and research efforts are oriented towards exploring image processing techniques for the creation of 3D pavement models and distress detection and classification.
- Validation of an indirect data collection method to assess airport pavement conditionPublication . Santos, Bertha; Almeida, Pedro Gabriel De; Feitosa, Ianca; Lima, DéboraIn this study the authors compare two methods for airport asphalt pavement distress data collection applied on the main runway of Amílcar Cabral international airport, located at Sal Island in Cape Verde. The two methods used for testing were traditional visual inspection (on-foot) and an indirect method using a vehicle equipped with image capture and recording, lasers and geolocation devices (in-vehicle inspection). The aim of this research is to contribute to the validation of the proposed low-cost in-vehicle pavement distress inspection system with semiautomatic data processing in order to be considered in the implementation of the pavement condition assessment component of airport pavement management systems (APMS). This is a particularly important component as from the collected distress data it is possible to assess the condition of the pavements and define intervention strategies. Validation of the indirect data collection method is evaluated by statistical comparison of the collected distress data and pavement condition index (PCI) obtained from both methods. Statistically non-significant differences between the result sets validate the proposed indirect method, however the analysis evidenced two aspects that need improvement in the proposed system, namely the quality of the captured images to identify distresses with lower severity level and inspector training for proper allocation of severity levels during image analysis. This results in significant advantages considering that the total amount of the runway pavement area is inspected. Inspection time is reduced and data collection cost can be reduced. Processing and results visualization on GIS environment allows revaluation of the dataset on the in-vehicle method. Data interpretation and measurements quality control becomes simpler and faster.
- Radon Concentration Potential in Bibala Municipality Water: Consequences for Public ConsumptionPublication . Kessongo, Joaquim; Bahu, Yoenls; Inácio, M.; Almeida, Pedro; Peralta, Luis; Soares, SandraThe primary motivation for this work is the evaluation of the radon concentration in portable water for human consumption in Bibala, a municipality in Angola, where granitic rocks are common, and contain a high concentration of uranium that can be mobilized in underground water. Radon is the largest contributor of radioactive pollution in underground water.Its concentration in water, represents a public health risk due to the fact that the gas can easily escape into the air, adding to the total indoor concentration of radon.On the other hand, ingestion of water with a high radon concentration represents an additional risk to the stomach. Measurements of radon concentration, in Bibala municipality's water, were performed on 16 samples obtained from wells of various depths and analyzed with DURRIDGEs' RAD7 equipment. Measured concentrations are in the range from 39.5 to 202 Bq/L , with 2 of the recovered samples presenting values over 100 Bq/L.
- When past and future meet in architecture teaching: heritage and GISPublication . Santos, Bertha; Martins, Ana Maria Tavares; Campos, Inês; Gonçalves, Jorge H.G.; Almeida, Pedro Gabriel deThis article aims to present some of the teaching methodologies applied in the Integrated Master degree in Architecture at the University of Beira Interior, Covilhã (Portugal). The discussion focuses on the collaborative and interdisciplinary approach adopted for the teaching/learning process, particularly the courses of History of Portuguese Architecture, Project III and Geographical Information Systems (GIS), all belonging to the 3rd year. The aim of this approach is to encourage project-based learning through the use of spatial tools and new technologies to analyse and manage architectural spatially referenced data. As students present a heterogeneous level of general History knowledge and of History of Portuguese Architecture in particular, it was necessary to introduce the acquisition of knowledge to achieve the required competence on scientific work, research, adequate scientific terminology and architectural dating to finally achieve the expected results. Interdisciplinary state of the art and knowledge gathering performed by the students concerned Architecture, GIS, Civil Engineering, Heritage, and History. Consequently, an interdisciplinary connection was achieved during student research of religious Portuguese heritage in Covilhã by implementing a GIS based inventory and analysis. Concerning the curricular unit of Project III, design studies aiming to evaluate the potentialities of a site are developed based on requests from external institutions. These requests are incorporated in the course program on an annual basis, adapted accordingly to the defined skills to be achieved. For students this is an important experience as they must respond to a real design problem. The conjugation with the GIS curriculum complements all the necessary study for a better understanding of the site and its surroundings, thus developing a useful spatial database for future reference. This collaboration with the GIS curricular unit began in 2016/2017 with Project III and evolved in 2017/2018 to History of Portuguese Architecture through practical works gathering knowledge from multiple subjects. Regarding the experience of teachers and students, the use of GIS in Architecture has proven to be a success, given students’ skills on the use of new technologies. This also allows them to contact with other scientific, technical and technological realities, preparing students for a demanding international work context.