Former members

David Martins

David Martins joined the CORE Group in 2013 as a research assistant on the ClickHouse project. In 2017 he would join the FRP-Quake project and start his PhD studies on the mechanical behaviour of GFRP frame structures, focusing on the development of beam-to-column connection technology and their influence in the frames’ structural behaviour. He completed his PhD in 2022 with the thesis titled “Monotonic, cyclic and seismic behaviour of pultruded structures: from connections to full-scale frames”.

Mateus Hofmann

Mateus Hofmann joined the CORE Group in 2017, where he worked in the EcoComposite project and developed bio-based unsaturated polyester resins for structural applications in FRP composite materials. He completed his PhD in 2022 with the thesis titled “Sustainable bio-based resins and fibre-polymer composites for civil engineering structural applications”.

Pietro Mazzuca

Pietro Mazzuca joined the Composites Research Group in 2018, as an exchange student, to develop his MSc thesis about the bond behaviour between GFRP rebars and concrete at elevated temperature. After obtaining his master’s degree in architecture and construction engineering at University of Calabria, he went on to develop his PhD studies on the fire resistance behaviour of sandwich panels composed of GFRP face sheets and longitudinal webs, and two different core materials, namely polyurethane (PUR) foam and polyethylene terephthalate (PET) foam. He completed his PhD in 2022 with the thesis titled “Fire behaviour of GFRP sandwich panels for the rehabilitation of building floors”.

Wallace Maia

Wallace Maia joined the Composites Research Group in 2017 to develop his PhD studies on the behaviour of concrete columns reinforced with GFRP rebars subjected to different loading conditions, including monotonic and cyclic lateral loads. This research included a comprehensive experimental campaign, comprising tests on 16 real-scale concrete columns (with footings), complemented with analytical and numerical studies. He completed his PhD in 2021 with the thesis titled “Comportamento de colunas de betão armado com varões de GFRP sob diferentes condições de carregamento”.

Lourenço Almeida Fernandes

Lourenço Fernandes joined the CORE Group in 2015, where he worked on the web-crippling and fracture behaviour of pultruded FRP materials. He completed his PhD in 2020 with the thesis titled “Fracture behaviour of pultruded GFRP profiles: application to web-crippling phenomena”.

João Sousa

João Sousa joined the CORE Group in 2012, where he worked on the durability of pultruded FRP materials and their adhesively bonded connections. He completed his PhD in 2018 with the thesis titled “Durability of pultruded GFRP profiles and adhesively bonded connections between GFRP adherends”.

Tiago Morgado

Tiago Morgado joined the CORE Group in 2013, where he worked on the behaviour of pultruded GFRP profiles under fire exposure. He completed his PhD in 2018 with the thesis titled “Thermal and structural response of pultruded GFRP profiles under fire exposure”.

Cristina Lopez

Cristina Lopez joined the CORE Group in 2012, where she worked on the numerical modelling of the behaviour of pultruded GFRP profiles under fire exposure. She completed her PhD in 2017 with the thesis titled “Numerical modelling of the thermomechanical behaviour of GFRP pultruded profiles subjected to fire”.

Francisco Nunes

Francisco Nunes joined the CORE Group in 2012, where he worked on the assessment of the structural behaviour of pultruded GFRP beams and columns. He completed his PhD in 2016 with the thesis titled “Structural behaviour of FRP pultruded beams and columns”.

Luís Valarinho

Luís Valarinho joined the CORE Group in 2010, where he worked on the development of hybrid glass-GFRP structural members. He completed his PhD in 2016 with the thesis titled “Construction in structural glass: Flexural behaviour of laminated glass members and development of glass-GFRP composite beams”.

José Sampaio

José Sampaio joined the CORE Group in 2012, where he worked until 2013 on the numerical modelling of reinforced concrete structures strengthened with CFRP strips under fire exposure.