Radu Godina is currently an Assistant Professor at the NOVA School of Science and Technology, FCT NOVA, NOVA UNIVERSITY LISBON. He received the Ph.D. degree from University of Beira Interior (UBI), Covilhã, Portugal. Radu Godina is an Integrated Research Member of the Research and Development Unit in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (UNIDEMI), which is part of Associated Laboratory of Intelligent Systems (LASI), located in Guimarães, Portugal. He has authored or co-authored more than 165 indexed international journals, book chapters and conference proceedings papers in such topics as industrial symbiosis, sustainability, lean manufacturing, electric vehicles, circular economy, life cycle assessment and quality control. He has published with 22 international universities and 10 distinct enterprises and/or corporations. He is a full member of the EurOMA (European Operations Management Association) and full member of the IEOM Society International Association (Industrial Engineering and Operations Management Society - IEOM). He recently is developing research in the project Microstructural Engineering and Integrated Non-Destructive Testing - Smart-WAAM obtained through European Institute of Innovation & Technology (EIT) RawMaterials, and in this task the goal is to detail rigorously and perform the life cycle analysis, life cycle cost and social life cycle analysis of the additive manufacturing process, namely Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing (WAAM). Radu Godina is currently the coordinator at UNIDEMI of the project M4ML - Mobility for Maritime Logistics: M4ML, which is part of the Blue Growth Program that is funded by the EEA Grants Portugal and the Portuguese State.
Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Sep 5, 2019
No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual ... more No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Papers submitted to this conference have been double-blind peer reviewed before final acceptance to the conference. Initially, abstracts were reviewed for relevance and accessibility and successful authors were invited to submit full papers. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of all the submissions. ACPIL adheres to a strict ethics and publication malpractice policy for all publicationsdetails of which can be found here: The Conference Proceedings is a book published with an ISBN and ISSN. The proceedings have been submitted to a number of accreditation, citation and indexing bodies including Thomson ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus. Author affiliation details in these proceedings have been reproduced as supplied by the authors themselves.
Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic ... more Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic waters far from the Portuguese coast. Thus, regional tensions and the environmental impacts of Portuguese codfish importation and production are significant current issues. The present study uses a life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate the array of environmental impacts of the production of 1 kg of codfish, following a cradle to gate approach. The life cycle inventory was grouped into catch and preprocessing, transit, and curing stages. The data collection of products and processes in each stage was based on scientific peer reviewed documents, technical reports, and the Ecoinvent database. The ReCiPe 2016 method, both midpoint and endpoint, was applied to determine the impacts of codfish production using SimaPro software. Results show that the curing stage of production is responsible for most environmental impacts (90-99%), followed by the capturing stage (25-45%). Thus, improving factory efficiency and adjusting fishing techniques are key factors to increase the sustainability of the codfish life cycle. El bacalao, un plato típico consumido muy frecuentemente en Portugal, se pesca en las frías aguas del Atlántico norte, lejos de la costa de ese país. Por lo tanto, las tensiones regionales y los impactos ambientales de la importación y producción portuguesa de bacalao son problemas significativos en la actualidad. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo presentar una 1 Frost et al.: Environmental Analysis of Codfish Production and Consumption in P Published by SIT Digital Collections, 2024 2 | Frost et al. metodología de evaluación del ciclo de vida para evaluar una serie de impactos ambientales en la producción de 1 kg de bacalao, desde su origen hasta la mesa del consumidor. El inventario del ciclo de vida se agrupó en las etapas de captura y preprocesamiento, tránsito y curación. La recopilación de datos de productos y procesos de cada etapa se basó en documentos científicos revisados por pares, informes técnicos y la base de datos de Ecoinvent. Se aplicó el método ReCiPe 2016, tanto de punto medio como de punto final, para determinar los impactos de la producción de bacalao, a través del uso del software SimaPro. Los resultados muestran que la etapa de curación de la producción es responsable de la mayoría de los impactos ambientales (90-99%), seguida de la etapa de captura (25-45%). Por lo tanto, mejorar la eficiencia de las fábricas y ajustar las técnicas de pesca son factores clave para aumentar la sostenibilidad del ciclo de vida del bacalao.
The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building ... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building facade retrofitting. Based on Sustainable Construction, this study is carried out by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14044:2006 standard requirements. A "cradle-to-grave" life cycle analysis is developed for each solution, comprising the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, and then a comparative analysis was performed by considering the same functional unit: 1 m 2 of building facade for a 40-year time horizon. Four retrofit solutions are assessed: two External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), differing only in the insulation material, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and insulation corkboard (ICB); and two ventilated facade systems with different types of timber cladding, thermally modified timber, and painted timber. The data included in the inventory phase is mostly taken from technical documentation and from the Ecoinvent database, complemented with scientific literature and estimations when necessary. The LCA was performed using the SimaPro software applying both EPD (2018) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) methods. Results of this study show that, phase-wise, the production and maintenance of the components materials have higher contribution in terms of environmental impact. On the other hand, by comparing the various solutions, the ventilated facade retrofit solution with heat treated timber cladding is the one that shows the highest environmental impact in almost every single category, whereas the cladding solution with painted timber finish is the one that shows the best environmental performance.
Owing to the growing concern of global warming and over-dependence on fossil fuels, there has bee... more Owing to the growing concern of global warming and over-dependence on fossil fuels, there has been a huge interest in last years in the deployment of Photovoltaic (PV) systems for generating electricity. The output power of a PV array greatly depends, among other parameters, on solar irradiation. However, solar irradiation has an intermittent nature and suffers from rapid fluctuations. This creates challenges when integrating PV systems in the electricity grid and calls for accurate forecasting methods of solar irradiance. In this paper, we propose a triple exponential-smoothing based forecasting methodology for intrahour forecasting of the solar irradiance at future lead times. We use time-series data of measured solar irradiance, together with clear-sky solar irradiance, to forecast solar irradiance up-to a period of 20 minutes. The numerical evaluation is performed using 1 year of weather data, collected by a PV outdoor test facility on the roof of an office building in Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. We benchmark our proposed approach with two other common forecasting approaches: persistence forecasting and average forecasting. Results show that the TES method has a better forecasting performance as it can capture the rapid fluctuations of solar irradiance with a fair degree of accuracy.
To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors... more To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors Prof. João Catalão and Prof. João Matias for their trust, support and for encouraging my research during these past three years. I am also immensely grateful to all the co-authors of my works and especially to my closest collaborator and friend, Dr. Eduardo Rodrigues. I would like to thank to my colleagues at Sustainable Energy Systems laboratory of UBI, for their friendship, support and valuable discussions regarding the topics of this thesis. I give my sincere greetings to all of them for able to create a friendly atmosphere for the development of this thesis. Also, I want to thank the University of Beira Interior for all the support, care and resources made available in these years, such that I consider it as my second home. I'm also grateful to all the personnel of the University of Beira Interior and especially to those from the Electromechanical Engineering Department. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their support. Thank you very much. v "Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit." "Não há nada mais terrível do que a ignorância em acção.
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Jun 1, 2021
Abstract The “Circular Car”, as a strategic concept, adopts a circular flow in the whole product ... more Abstract The “Circular Car”, as a strategic concept, adopts a circular flow in the whole product lifecycle: reduction, recovery, repair, renovation, reuse, and recycling of all components. These processes are a part of the value chain, and the reason is to increase value and the circularity of materials. The goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that uses cars as a case study in order to support the development of a full circular car throughout the product lifecycle, i.e. from the drawing to the use of the vehicle that we know today, to make the companies more environmental, socially and economically responsible. Based on the literature review and interviews and questionnaires with the automotive industry’s stakeholders, a set of practices - designated by “circular practices” – that can be used by the automotive industry are identified and the relationships between them established by using the Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM). The main results of this study make it possible to identify the practice “Development of alternatives to internal combustion engines” being at the top of the ISM hierarchy, which means that this practice is dependent on the other practices. In order to have the “Circular Car” concept implemented solutions as battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, among others, need to be supported by the other “circular practices”.
Industrial Symbiosis (IS) involves a network of organizations that exchange energy, materials, an... more Industrial Symbiosis (IS) involves a network of organizations that exchange energy, materials, and by-products to lower production costs, reduce environmental impact, and conserve natural resources. Despite over two decades of extensive research into IS, its benefits are well known, but implementation remains challenging. This paper proposes utilizing blockchain technology (BCT) to digitize IS, making it more secure and transparent. First, drivers and barriers of BCT implementation in IS are identified. A smart contract architecture framework using Hyperledger Fabric is then proposed using the constructed theoretical background and abductive method. Finally, the paper discusses how this framework supports the implementation of BCT in IS by addressing its drivers and attempting to overcome its barriers. It is a resource for those seeking a comprehensive grasp of the foundational elements necessary for constructing a successful IS blockchain design, which is adaptable to all types of IS network configurations.
In this paper, an agent-based model is proposed to improve market efficiency by using different D... more In this paper, an agent-based model is proposed to improve market efficiency by using different Demand Response Programs (DRPs) in the day-ahead electricity market. To this end, both incentive-based and price-based DRPs are considered. On this basis, time of use, real time pricing, emergency demand response program, interruptible/curtailable services and critical peak pricing are investigated. The tariffs of the considered price-based programs and the amount of incentive in the incentive-based programs are optimized through the proposed model. Furthermore, a market power index, i.e., Share Weighted Average Lerner Index (SWALI) and the operation cost are used to evaluate the market efficiency and the market power. The proposed model optimizes the DRPs to improve the electricity market efficiency by using a multi-attribute decision-making approach. The results show that the market operator can mitigate the potential occurrence of market power in a power system by finding the optimal DRP.
Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Sep 5, 2019
No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual ... more No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Papers submitted to this conference have been double-blind peer reviewed before final acceptance to the conference. Initially, abstracts were reviewed for relevance and accessibility and successful authors were invited to submit full papers. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of all the submissions. ACPIL adheres to a strict ethics and publication malpractice policy for all publicationsdetails of which can be found here: The Conference Proceedings is a book published with an ISBN and ISSN. The proceedings have been submitted to a number of accreditation, citation and indexing bodies including Thomson ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus. Author affiliation details in these proceedings have been reproduced as supplied by the authors themselves.
To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors... more To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors Prof. João Catalão and Prof. João Matias for their trust, support and for encouraging my research during these past three years. I am also immensely grateful to all the co-authors of my works and especially to my closest collaborator and friend, Dr. Eduardo Rodrigues. I would like to thank to my colleagues at Sustainable Energy Systems laboratory of UBI, for their friendship, support and valuable discussions regarding the topics of this thesis. I give my sincere greetings to all of them for able to create a friendly atmosphere for the development of this thesis. Also, I want to thank the University of Beira Interior for all the support, care and resources made available in these years, such that I consider it as my second home. I'm also grateful to all the personnel of the University of Beira Interior and especially to those from the Electromechanical Engineering Department. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their support. Thank you very much. v "Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit." "Não há nada mais terrível do que a ignorância em acção.
The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building ... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building facade retrofitting. Based on Sustainable Construction, this study is carried out by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14044:2006 standard requirements. A "cradle-to-grave" life cycle analysis is developed for each solution, comprising the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, and then a comparative analysis was performed by considering the same functional unit: 1 m 2 of building facade for a 40-year time horizon. Four retrofit solutions are assessed: two External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), differing only in the insulation material, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and insulation corkboard (ICB); and two ventilated facade systems with different types of timber cladding, thermally modified timber, and painted timber. The data included in the inventory phase is mostly taken from technical documentation and from the Ecoinvent database, complemented with scientific literature and estimations when necessary. The LCA was performed using the SimaPro software applying both EPD (2018) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) methods. Results of this study show that, phase-wise, the production and maintenance of the components materials have higher contribution in terms of environmental impact. On the other hand, by comparing the various solutions, the ventilated facade retrofit solution with heat treated timber cladding is the one that shows the highest environmental impact in almost every single category, whereas the cladding solution with painted timber finish is the one that shows the best environmental performance.
Organisations seek to adopt strategies to increase their productivity and quality in highly compe... more Organisations seek to adopt strategies to increase their productivity and quality in highly competitive markets. For this purpose, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is often used. It is frequently combined with other scientific areas such as Ergonomics. Integrating LSS and Ergonomics may improve productivity while preserving workers' health and safety. This study presents a systematic literature review to clarify the impacts of integrating LSS and Ergonomics on organisations. Also, it seeks to assess the main limitations while answering the defined research questions. The research was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science. From the 74 results, 16 articles were included based on the eligibility criteria. The results show that few scientific studies report the application of both areas. As for integrating LSS and Ergonomics, no pattern is observed in the methods and tools to be applied, highlighting that the most common were the DMAIC cycle and the Value Stream Mapping tool. Nevertheless, this review evidences many positive effects of this integration, both for organisations and workers. In general, the topic of this review has the potential to be further studied through conceptual studies and case studies in organisations from different sectors to provide broader conclusions and show the relevance of this theme.
Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Sep 5, 2019
No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual ... more No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Papers submitted to this conference have been double-blind peer reviewed before final acceptance to the conference. Initially, abstracts were reviewed for relevance and accessibility and successful authors were invited to submit full papers. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of all the submissions. ACPIL adheres to a strict ethics and publication malpractice policy for all publicationsdetails of which can be found here: The Conference Proceedings is a book published with an ISBN and ISSN. The proceedings have been submitted to a number of accreditation, citation and indexing bodies including Thomson ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus. Author affiliation details in these proceedings have been reproduced as supplied by the authors themselves.
Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic ... more Codfish, a typical dish consumed frequently in Portugal, is fished in the cold Northern Atlantic waters far from the Portuguese coast. Thus, regional tensions and the environmental impacts of Portuguese codfish importation and production are significant current issues. The present study uses a life cycle assessment methodology to evaluate the array of environmental impacts of the production of 1 kg of codfish, following a cradle to gate approach. The life cycle inventory was grouped into catch and preprocessing, transit, and curing stages. The data collection of products and processes in each stage was based on scientific peer reviewed documents, technical reports, and the Ecoinvent database. The ReCiPe 2016 method, both midpoint and endpoint, was applied to determine the impacts of codfish production using SimaPro software. Results show that the curing stage of production is responsible for most environmental impacts (90-99%), followed by the capturing stage (25-45%). Thus, improving factory efficiency and adjusting fishing techniques are key factors to increase the sustainability of the codfish life cycle. El bacalao, un plato típico consumido muy frecuentemente en Portugal, se pesca en las frías aguas del Atlántico norte, lejos de la costa de ese país. Por lo tanto, las tensiones regionales y los impactos ambientales de la importación y producción portuguesa de bacalao son problemas significativos en la actualidad. El presente estudio tiene como objetivo presentar una 1 Frost et al.: Environmental Analysis of Codfish Production and Consumption in P Published by SIT Digital Collections, 2024 2 | Frost et al. metodología de evaluación del ciclo de vida para evaluar una serie de impactos ambientales en la producción de 1 kg de bacalao, desde su origen hasta la mesa del consumidor. El inventario del ciclo de vida se agrupó en las etapas de captura y preprocesamiento, tránsito y curación. La recopilación de datos de productos y procesos de cada etapa se basó en documentos científicos revisados por pares, informes técnicos y la base de datos de Ecoinvent. Se aplicó el método ReCiPe 2016, tanto de punto medio como de punto final, para determinar los impactos de la producción de bacalao, a través del uso del software SimaPro. Los resultados muestran que la etapa de curación de la producción es responsable de la mayoría de los impactos ambientales (90-99%), seguida de la etapa de captura (25-45%). Por lo tanto, mejorar la eficiencia de las fábricas y ajustar las técnicas de pesca son factores clave para aumentar la sostenibilidad del ciclo de vida del bacalao.
The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building ... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building facade retrofitting. Based on Sustainable Construction, this study is carried out by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14044:2006 standard requirements. A "cradle-to-grave" life cycle analysis is developed for each solution, comprising the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, and then a comparative analysis was performed by considering the same functional unit: 1 m 2 of building facade for a 40-year time horizon. Four retrofit solutions are assessed: two External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), differing only in the insulation material, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and insulation corkboard (ICB); and two ventilated facade systems with different types of timber cladding, thermally modified timber, and painted timber. The data included in the inventory phase is mostly taken from technical documentation and from the Ecoinvent database, complemented with scientific literature and estimations when necessary. The LCA was performed using the SimaPro software applying both EPD (2018) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) methods. Results of this study show that, phase-wise, the production and maintenance of the components materials have higher contribution in terms of environmental impact. On the other hand, by comparing the various solutions, the ventilated facade retrofit solution with heat treated timber cladding is the one that shows the highest environmental impact in almost every single category, whereas the cladding solution with painted timber finish is the one that shows the best environmental performance.
Owing to the growing concern of global warming and over-dependence on fossil fuels, there has bee... more Owing to the growing concern of global warming and over-dependence on fossil fuels, there has been a huge interest in last years in the deployment of Photovoltaic (PV) systems for generating electricity. The output power of a PV array greatly depends, among other parameters, on solar irradiation. However, solar irradiation has an intermittent nature and suffers from rapid fluctuations. This creates challenges when integrating PV systems in the electricity grid and calls for accurate forecasting methods of solar irradiance. In this paper, we propose a triple exponential-smoothing based forecasting methodology for intrahour forecasting of the solar irradiance at future lead times. We use time-series data of measured solar irradiance, together with clear-sky solar irradiance, to forecast solar irradiance up-to a period of 20 minutes. The numerical evaluation is performed using 1 year of weather data, collected by a PV outdoor test facility on the roof of an office building in Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands. We benchmark our proposed approach with two other common forecasting approaches: persistence forecasting and average forecasting. Results show that the TES method has a better forecasting performance as it can capture the rapid fluctuations of solar irradiance with a fair degree of accuracy.
To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors... more To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors Prof. João Catalão and Prof. João Matias for their trust, support and for encouraging my research during these past three years. I am also immensely grateful to all the co-authors of my works and especially to my closest collaborator and friend, Dr. Eduardo Rodrigues. I would like to thank to my colleagues at Sustainable Energy Systems laboratory of UBI, for their friendship, support and valuable discussions regarding the topics of this thesis. I give my sincere greetings to all of them for able to create a friendly atmosphere for the development of this thesis. Also, I want to thank the University of Beira Interior for all the support, care and resources made available in these years, such that I consider it as my second home. I'm also grateful to all the personnel of the University of Beira Interior and especially to those from the Electromechanical Engineering Department. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their support. Thank you very much. v "Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit." "Não há nada mais terrível do que a ignorância em acção.
Sustainable Energy Technologies and Assessments, Jun 1, 2021
Abstract The “Circular Car”, as a strategic concept, adopts a circular flow in the whole product ... more Abstract The “Circular Car”, as a strategic concept, adopts a circular flow in the whole product lifecycle: reduction, recovery, repair, renovation, reuse, and recycling of all components. These processes are a part of the value chain, and the reason is to increase value and the circularity of materials. The goal of this paper is to develop a conceptual model that uses cars as a case study in order to support the development of a full circular car throughout the product lifecycle, i.e. from the drawing to the use of the vehicle that we know today, to make the companies more environmental, socially and economically responsible. Based on the literature review and interviews and questionnaires with the automotive industry’s stakeholders, a set of practices - designated by “circular practices” – that can be used by the automotive industry are identified and the relationships between them established by using the Interpretative Structural Modelling (ISM). The main results of this study make it possible to identify the practice “Development of alternatives to internal combustion engines” being at the top of the ISM hierarchy, which means that this practice is dependent on the other practices. In order to have the “Circular Car” concept implemented solutions as battery electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, among others, need to be supported by the other “circular practices”.
Industrial Symbiosis (IS) involves a network of organizations that exchange energy, materials, an... more Industrial Symbiosis (IS) involves a network of organizations that exchange energy, materials, and by-products to lower production costs, reduce environmental impact, and conserve natural resources. Despite over two decades of extensive research into IS, its benefits are well known, but implementation remains challenging. This paper proposes utilizing blockchain technology (BCT) to digitize IS, making it more secure and transparent. First, drivers and barriers of BCT implementation in IS are identified. A smart contract architecture framework using Hyperledger Fabric is then proposed using the constructed theoretical background and abductive method. Finally, the paper discusses how this framework supports the implementation of BCT in IS by addressing its drivers and attempting to overcome its barriers. It is a resource for those seeking a comprehensive grasp of the foundational elements necessary for constructing a successful IS blockchain design, which is adaptable to all types of IS network configurations.
In this paper, an agent-based model is proposed to improve market efficiency by using different D... more In this paper, an agent-based model is proposed to improve market efficiency by using different Demand Response Programs (DRPs) in the day-ahead electricity market. To this end, both incentive-based and price-based DRPs are considered. On this basis, time of use, real time pricing, emergency demand response program, interruptible/curtailable services and critical peak pricing are investigated. The tariffs of the considered price-based programs and the amount of incentive in the incentive-based programs are optimized through the proposed model. Furthermore, a market power index, i.e., Share Weighted Average Lerner Index (SWALI) and the operation cost are used to evaluate the market efficiency and the market power. The proposed model optimizes the DRPs to improve the electricity market efficiency by using a multi-attribute decision-making approach. The results show that the market operator can mitigate the potential occurrence of market power in a power system by finding the optimal DRP.
Proceedings of the 20th European Conference on Knowledge Management, Sep 5, 2019
No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual ... more No reproduction, copy or transmission may be made without written permission from the individual authors. Papers submitted to this conference have been double-blind peer reviewed before final acceptance to the conference. Initially, abstracts were reviewed for relevance and accessibility and successful authors were invited to submit full papers. Many thanks to the reviewers who helped ensure the quality of all the submissions. ACPIL adheres to a strict ethics and publication malpractice policy for all publicationsdetails of which can be found here: The Conference Proceedings is a book published with an ISBN and ISSN. The proceedings have been submitted to a number of accreditation, citation and indexing bodies including Thomson ISI Web of Science and Elsevier Scopus. Author affiliation details in these proceedings have been reproduced as supplied by the authors themselves.
To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors... more To begin with, I would like to express my deepest appreciation and thanks to my Ph.D. supervisors Prof. João Catalão and Prof. João Matias for their trust, support and for encouraging my research during these past three years. I am also immensely grateful to all the co-authors of my works and especially to my closest collaborator and friend, Dr. Eduardo Rodrigues. I would like to thank to my colleagues at Sustainable Energy Systems laboratory of UBI, for their friendship, support and valuable discussions regarding the topics of this thesis. I give my sincere greetings to all of them for able to create a friendly atmosphere for the development of this thesis. Also, I want to thank the University of Beira Interior for all the support, care and resources made available in these years, such that I consider it as my second home. I'm also grateful to all the personnel of the University of Beira Interior and especially to those from the Electromechanical Engineering Department. Last but not least, I would like to thank my family and my friends for their support. Thank you very much. v "Es ist nichts schrecklicher als eine tätige Unwissenheit." "Não há nada mais terrível do que a ignorância em acção.
The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building ... more The aim of this work is to evaluate the environmental impact of different solutions for building facade retrofitting. Based on Sustainable Construction, this study is carried out by applying the Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology based on ISO 14044:2006 standard requirements. A "cradle-to-grave" life cycle analysis is developed for each solution, comprising the extraction of raw materials to the disposal phase, and then a comparative analysis was performed by considering the same functional unit: 1 m 2 of building facade for a 40-year time horizon. Four retrofit solutions are assessed: two External Thermal Insulation Composite Systems (ETICS), differing only in the insulation material, expanded polystyrene (EPS), and insulation corkboard (ICB); and two ventilated facade systems with different types of timber cladding, thermally modified timber, and painted timber. The data included in the inventory phase is mostly taken from technical documentation and from the Ecoinvent database, complemented with scientific literature and estimations when necessary. The LCA was performed using the SimaPro software applying both EPD (2018) and ReCiPe 2016 Endpoint (H) methods. Results of this study show that, phase-wise, the production and maintenance of the components materials have higher contribution in terms of environmental impact. On the other hand, by comparing the various solutions, the ventilated facade retrofit solution with heat treated timber cladding is the one that shows the highest environmental impact in almost every single category, whereas the cladding solution with painted timber finish is the one that shows the best environmental performance.
Organisations seek to adopt strategies to increase their productivity and quality in highly compe... more Organisations seek to adopt strategies to increase their productivity and quality in highly competitive markets. For this purpose, Lean Six Sigma (LSS) is often used. It is frequently combined with other scientific areas such as Ergonomics. Integrating LSS and Ergonomics may improve productivity while preserving workers' health and safety. This study presents a systematic literature review to clarify the impacts of integrating LSS and Ergonomics on organisations. Also, it seeks to assess the main limitations while answering the defined research questions. The research was conducted in Scopus and Web of Science. From the 74 results, 16 articles were included based on the eligibility criteria. The results show that few scientific studies report the application of both areas. As for integrating LSS and Ergonomics, no pattern is observed in the methods and tools to be applied, highlighting that the most common were the DMAIC cycle and the Value Stream Mapping tool. Nevertheless, this review evidences many positive effects of this integration, both for organisations and workers. In general, the topic of this review has the potential to be further studied through conceptual studies and case studies in organisations from different sectors to provide broader conclusions and show the relevance of this theme.
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