Rehabilitation and Strengthening of Structures and Foundations

Code:

MESTEC28

Acronym:

RREF

Keywords
Classification	Keyword
OFICIAL	Construction and Civil Engineering

Instance: 2025/2026 - 1S

Active?	Yes
Responsible unit:	Department of Civil and Georesources Engineering
Course/CS Responsible:	Master in Civil Engineering Structures

Cycles of Study/Courses

Acronym	No. of Students	Study Plan	Curricular Years	Credits UCN	Credits ECTS	Contact hours	Total Time
MESTEC	4	Syllabus	2	-	6	49	162

Teaching language

Portuguese and english
Obs.: Português e Inglês

Objectives

Rehabilitation is one of the main paradigms of contemporary civil construction, with structural rehabilitation playing a key role in the successful “recycling” of buildings. In this context, the objectives of the course unit are to:

• raise student’s awareness for the structural problems of existing constructions, aiming at the conception, design and execution of rehabilitation and/or strengthening interventions on their structures, foundations elements and bearing soils;

• provide knowledge on: strategies for characterization, survey and assessment of the state condition of structures and foundations; techniques for repair, rehabilitation and strengthening of structures and foundations; basics of safety assessment of existing constructions and strengthening design in traditional and current structures and their foundations.

Learning outcomes and competences

It is intended that, by the end of the course, students will be able to:

• diagnose, analyse and interpret pathologies and their causes in structures and foundations of existing constructions;


• define and be aware of design basis of several rehabilitation and strengthening solutions of the main elements of traditional masonry/wood structures and of current reinforced concrete structures;


• define basic solutions of rehabilitation and strengthening with FRP composite materials.To know solutions for the improvement and strengthening of foundations, without and with deepening;


• define basic strengthening solutions for shallow foundations.

Working method

Presencial

Pre-requirements (prior knowledge) and co-requirements (common knowledge)

Previous knowledge of reinforced concrete structures and foundations.

Program

1. Introduction to structural rehabilitation and strengthening
1.1. Main existing structural typologies
1.2. Intervention approach model

2. Characterization and assessment of the condition of structures
2.1. General aspects of structural characterization and assessment
2.2. Structural inspection, survey, and diagnosis
2.3. Procedures and auxiliary means for inspection and diagnosis

3. Traditional masonry and timber structures
3.1. Construction and structural systems
3.2. Damages and associated causes
3.3. Inspection and diagnostic techniques
3.4. Intervention: local techniques for improving masonry and rehabilitating/strengthening timber structures
3.5. Intervention: global techniques for improving the overall performance of the construction

4. Conventional reinforced concrete structures
4.1. Damages and associated causes
4.2. Inspection and diagnostic techniques
4.3. Safety assessment: general concepts
4.4. Techniques for the rehabilitation and strengthening of slabs, beams, and columns
4.5. Design of strengthening actions

5. Rehabilitation and strengthening with FRP composite materials
5.1. Materials and FRP composite systems
5.2. Techniques for strengthening with 1D FRP systems. Examples of application
5.3. Recommendations for the strengthening design with 1D FRP systems

6. Rehabilitation and strengthening of foundations
6.1. Buildings’ and foundations’ pathologies. Associated causes
6.2. Strengthening of foundations without deepening: consolidation, base enlargement and refoundation. Application example
6.3. Strengthening of foundations with deepening. Solutions with piles and micro-piles. General aspects of jet-grouting. Micro-piles’ application example.

Mandatory literature

Vítor Cóias; Reabilitação estrutural de edifícios antigos. ISBN: 978-972-8479-40-9
Appleton, J. A. ; Reabilitação de edifícios antigos: patologias e tecnologias de intervenção., 2003
Aníbal Guimarães da Costa; Strengthening and retrofitting of existing structures. ISBN: 978-981-10-5858-5
A. P. Butcher; Reuse of foundations for urban sites: a best practice Handbook
Costa, A., Guedes, J. M., & Varum, H. (Eds.); Structural rehabilitation of old buildings, Springer Berlin Heidelberg, 2014
CNR Advisory Committee; CNR-DT 200-R1, Guide for the Design and Construction of Externally Bonded FRP Systems for Strengthening Existing Structures - Materials, RC and PC structures, masonry structures, 2013 (Link: https://www.cnr.it/en/technical-instructions-construction)
The ISIS Canada Education Committee; Module 6: Application and Handling of FRP Reinforcements for Concrete, ISIS Canada Research Management Committee (Link: http://simtrec.ca/publications/educational-modules/)

Complementary Bibliography

Watt, D. S.; Building pathology: Principles and practice., John Wiley & Sons, 2009
Woodson, R. D. ; Concrete structures: protection, repair and rehabilitation. , Butterworth-Heinemann, 2009
António Viana da Fonseca, Alexandre Pinto; Ground reinforcement and rehabilitation of foundations systems for their reuse, Springer Nature. http://www.springer.com/gp/book/9789811058578, 2017. ISBN: 978-981-10-5857-8 (Book chapter: "Strengthening and Retrofitting of Existing Structure")
ACI Committee 440; Guide for the design and construction of externally bonded FRP systems for strengthening concrete st. ISBN: 0-87031-088-7
FIB BULLETIN; No. 90. Externally applied FRP reinforcement for concrete structures. Technical report (229 pages), 2019. ISBN: 978-2-88394-131-1 (link: https://fibtg93.ugent.be/index.php/tgact/138-fibb90)

Comments from the literature

It is recommended to read the subjects included in the RREF program from the books listed as "Bibliografia Obrigatória". As a supplement, students can enhance their study by referring to the documents indicated in the "Bibliografia Complementar" section.

Teaching methods and learning activities

keywords

Technological sciences > Technology > Construction technology > Building construction
Technological sciences > Engineering > Civil engineering > Structural engineering

Evaluation Type

Distributed evaluation with final exam

Assessment Components

Designation	Weight (%)
Exame	70,00
Teste	20,00
Trabalho de campo	10,00
Total:	100,00

Amount of time allocated to each course unit

Designation	Time (hours)
Frequência das aulas	45,50
Estudo autónomo	60,50
Trabalho de campo	4,00
Trabalho de investigação	20,00
Total:	130,00

Eligibility for exams

To obtain the final grade, regular attendance in the Course Unit is required, as established in FEUP's assessment rules. A student is considered to have fulfilled the attendance requirement for a Course Unit if, while being regularly enrolled, they do not exceed the maximum number of absences corresponding to 25% of the scheduled face-to-face classes.

Calculation formula of final grade

1. GENERAL ASPECTS

The Final Classification is determined based on a Distributed Assessment and a Final Exam to be held in the Regular Exam Period and/or the Resit Exam Period. The Distributed Assessment consists of a mandatory component and an optional one. Students who do not pass in the Regular Exam Period have access to the Appeal Exam Period. All evaluation components are expressed on a scale from 0 to 20 points.

2. DISTRIBUTED ASSESSMENT (AD)

The Distributed Assessment is always carried out during the current academic year. It consists of a mandatory test conducted during the class period (AD1) with a weight of 20%, and 1 optional report, with a weight of 10%, corresponding to 1 site visit to be carried out during the academic year (AD2). The score for the Distributed Assessment component (CAD) is determined by the following formula:

CAD = 0,67 x CAD1 + 0,33 x CAD2

Where CADi represents the score of ADi, with i=1 and 2.

If the student does not take the mandatory test, then CAD1 = 0. The student may always recover or improve the CAD1 component during the Resit Exam Period.

If the site visit does not take place, or if the student does not participate in the visit, or participates but does not submit the report, then:

CAD = CAD1

The score obtained in the Distributed Assessment from previous academic years will not be carried over to the current academic year.

3. REGULAR SEASON (EN)

The final exam to be held in the Regular Exam Period (EN) consists of a written test on the subject matter not evaluated in the CAD1 exam. The classification for the Regular Exam Period (N) is determined by the following formula:

N = 0,30 x CAD + 0,70 x CEN

Where CEN represents the grade of the EN.

4. APPEAL SEASON (ER)

The final exam to be held in the Resit Period (ER) consists of a written test on the topics not assessed in the AD1 test. The grade for the Resit Period (R) is determined by the following formula:

R = 0,30 x CAD + 0,70 x CER

where CER represents the grade obtained in the ER.

If the student wishes to recover or improve also the CAD1 component of the AD assessment, they may do so by taking a more comprehensive final exam in the ER, which will cover the entire syllabus of the course unit, including the topics assessed in the AD1 test. In this case, the grade for the Resit Exam Period (R) is determined by the following formula:

R = CER

5. CALCULATION OF FINAL GRADE (CF)

The Final Grade (CF) is given by the following formula:

CF = max {N ; R}

Examinations or Special Assignments

Not applicable.

Internship work/project

Not applicable.

Special assessment (TE, DA, ...)

The knowledge assessment for Students who require Special Exams, under the FEUP Evaluation Rules, will be carried out exclusively at a single moment by performing a written exam on all the subjects taught at UC.

The Special Exam classification, between 0 and 20 points, is rounded to the unit.

Classification improvement

Access to improving the Final Classification (CF) is only granted to students who have already passed the Course Unit and are duly registered for that purpose with the General Secretariat of Graduation of FEUP.

The improvement of the Final Classification involves taking a final exam during the Improvement Exam Period (EM) (Specific Regulations for the Evaluation of Students at FEUP). The student's score in this exam (CM), expressed on a scale from 0 to 20 points, is determined by the following formula:

CM = 0,30 CAD + 0,70 CME

Where CME represents the student's score in the Improvement Exam, and CAD the score of the Distributed Assessment indicated in the field "Fórmula de cálculo da classificação final", obtained in the same academic year

f the student also wishes to improve the CAD1 component of the CAD, the final exam in the Improvement Exam Period (EM) will cover the entire syllabus of the course unit, including the topics assessed in the AD1 test. In this case, the student’s grade is determined by the formula:

CM = max {CME ; 0,10 x CAD2 + 0,90 x CME}

The Final Classification (CF) is determined by the formula:

CF = max {CA; CM}

Where CA represents the Previous Final Classification.

Observations

There will be complementary study material available in the UC Contents on SIGARRA and on the UC Moodle page.