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U.Porto Memory

University of Porto Famous Alumni

Emanuel Maranha das Neves

Emanuel Maranha das Neves 1938- University professor, researcher and engineer

Emanuel José Leandro Maranha das Neves was born in Coimbra on 25 May 1938. He lives in Lisbon.

He did his compulsory military service between 1959 and 1962. In the following year, he completed the degree in Civil Engineering at the Faculty of Engineering of the University of Porto, and started a brilliant career as a researcher and university teacher. Three years later, he specialized in Geotechnics at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC), and in 1983 rose to the position of Coordinator Researcher at LNEC. He completed his PhD in 1991 in Geotechnics – Soil Mechanics in 1991, at Universidade Nova de Lisboa, and in 1993 sat his Aggregation exams in Soil Mechanics at the university.

Maranha das Neves pursued a research career at the National Laboratory of Civil Engineering (LNEC) between 1963 and 1996, first as a scholarship student (1963), then as a Trainee (1964-1970) and later as a Geotechnics Specialist after sitting the public exams to obtain this degree (1969).
The exam included the theoretical discussion and defense of the thesis entitled "Influência das tensões neutras negativas no comportamento dos solos compactados saturados" [Influence of negative neutral tensions in the behaviour of saturated compacted soils], which was awarded 17.2 out of 20 marks. Between 1970 and 1982, he worked as a permanent Specialist at LNEC, and became Principal Researcher after his curriculum was evaluated (1982). In 1983, he once again sat public exams to become Coordinator Researcher, discussing and defending the research programme entitled "Previsão das deformações e critérios de dimensionamento de barragens de aterro" [A preview of the strain and sizing criteria in fill dams], for which he was awarded 19 out of 20 marks. Between 1984 and 1987, he headed the Foundations Centre of the Geotechnical Department, and later the Geotechnical Department (1984-1996). He was also permanent Coordinator Researcher at LNEC (1984 e 2000).

The research carried out at LNEC covered the following areas: laboratory tests to characterize the mechanical behaviour of fill materials; in situ tests to characterize the permeability and mechanical behaviour of landfill materials and natural grounds; constitutive equations of particulate materials to analyze the safety and functionality of geotechnical structures; index properties, construction control and mechanical characterization, in laboratory and in situ, of rockfills; the problem of natural filters and safety; analysis of safety and functionality of rockfill dams and earth-rockfill; limit states and safety in geotechnics; regulations on the geotechnical project.

In connection with the work done in State Laboratories, he also carried out other important activities. In 2006, he was instructed to establish the liaison between the Committee of Experts for the evaluation of State Laboratories (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 198/2005), chaired by Professor Jean-Pierre Contzen, and the commission of the Programme for Restructuring the State’s Central Administration (PRACE), associated to MCTES and headed by Professor Carlos Marques. In this capacity, he accompanied the Committee of International Experts on visits to State Laboratories and other entities, participated in meetings with the Committee of Experts, the PRACE and the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education, as well as with the Secretary of State for Science. In January 2007, he was appointed by the Minister of Science, Technology and Higher Education to run the "INETI Commission", formed by Professores Carmo Fonseca, Manuel Cruz, Paulo Ferrão and António Monteiro, which under the reform of State Laboratories (Council of Ministers Resolution No. 124/2006, of 7 September), produced the report that would establish the creation of the National Laboratory of Energy and Geology (LNEG), define its mission and suggest the allocation of staff and assets from the extinct National Institute of Engineering and Industrial Technology (INETI) to the new State Laboratory and to other institutions (Universities, Polytechnic Institutes, other State Laboratories, etc.).

Alongside the research work, he taught in several universities, first in Universidade Nova de Lisboa as Guest Lecturer in the Specialization Courses (between 1975 and 1982). Later, he became Assistant Professor (1982-1990) and in 1991 he obtained his PhD in Geotechnics-Soil Mechanics with honours, submitting a thesis entitled "Comportamento de barragens de terra-enrocamento" [The behaviour of fill-rockfill dams]. He rose to the position of Associate Professor between 1990 and 1993, and in 1993, obtained the title of Aggregate Professor in Soul Mechanics at Universidade Nova de Lisboa (on that occasion, in addition to defending the theoretical part of the work he gave a lecture on "As barragens de aterro. Dum passado longínquo às soluções do futuro" [Fill dams. From a distant past to future solutions]) and was appointed Full Guest Professor (1993-2000).

At the Instituto Superior Técnico, of the Technical University of Lisbon, as a Full Professor he taught Soil Mechanics I, Degree in Civil Engineering (2000-...), collaborated in the subjects of Natural and Technological Catastrophes, Degree in Environmental Engineering, (2003-...), Introduction to Civil Engineering, Geotechnics module, Degree in Engineering and Industrial Management (2005...), Civil Engineering and the Environment, Degree in Civil Engineering (2005-...); he was responsible for the Scientific Area of Geotechnics (Civil Engineering and Architecture Departments) (2000-...), for the subjects Civil Engineering and the Environment, Degree in Civil Engineering (2000-2004), and Soil Mechanics I and II (2000-...). He also participated in the Masters in Geotechnics Applied to Civil Engineering (IST-UNL-LNEC), teaching Modelling of Geomaterials I and Fill Dams since 2002.

He has also taught in Master Courses (Universidade Nova de Lisboa, Instituto Superior Técnico, University of Coimbra, Instituto Superior de Engenharia do Porto), Undergraduate degrees (Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade Nova de Lisboa), post-graduate degrees (Universidade Católica de Asunción and Universidade Clássica de Lisboa) and in several specialization courses organized by various institutions. One of the PhD theses he supervised was awarded the Science and Technology Prize of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation.

He is currently Professor Emeritus of Instituto Superior Técnico, Technical University of Lisbon, Chairman of the Board of FUNDEC, Association for Continuous Training in Civil Engineering and Architecture (2003-...), President of the "European Union Road Federation", Brussels (2007-...), a member of the Executive Board of the European Council of Applied Sciences and Engineering (Euro-CASE)" (Association of European Academies of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Paris) (2005-...), a member of the Dam Safety Commission (1992-...), a member of the Advisory Board of (IGESPAR) - the Portuguese Institute for Architectural and Archaeological Heritage (2006-...), a member of the Assembly of Representatives of the Portuguese Association of Engineers - South Region (2007-...), a member of the Portuguese Commission of Large Dams (1988-...), associate editor of Soils & Rocks, an International Journal of Geotechnical and Environmental Engineering, a member of the Editorial Commission of the journal Geotecnia (1982-...), a member of the Standardization Committee CT-115 (coordinates the Structural Eurocodes in Portugal), a member of the Management Board of Instituto Vial Ibero-Americano (IVIA), Madrid, (2005-...) and is also a member of the Technical Committee TC6 - Unsaturated Soils, International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering" (2005-...).

Maranha das Neves has written about 130 scientific and technical articles published in national and international reference journals, and about three hundred technical reports. He has delivered about one hundred conference papers in both Portugal and abroad.

As a consultant, he has designed and collaborated in more than one hundred works, including fill dams (65 dams in Portugal and abroad), airports, highways, docks, tailings dams, tunnels and foundations of many types of structures.

He has provided consultancy services on geotechnical issues for a variety of worksites, some of them large and complex, in both Portugal and abroad (structure foundations, containment works, fill dams, tailings dams, natural slopes, roads, airports, ports, etc.).
He is a member of several professional and cultural associations, for e.g., the Academy of Engineering (effective member since 1995), the Portuguese Association of Engineers (advisor since 1987, and Geotechnics Specialist since 1988), the Portuguese Society of Geotechnics, the Portuguese Commission of Large Dams, the Organization of Scientific Workers, the International Society for Soil Mechanics and Geotechnical Engineering, the International Association for Engineering Geology and the Environment, the International Society for Rock Mechanics and the Conseil National des Ingénieurs et Scientifiques de France.
(Universidade Digital / Gestão de Informação, 2008)