Innovation and Development

In Portugal, emphasis should be placed on activities carried out by the Technological Innovation and Development Centre (TIDC), the mission of which is to give a boost to Seasonalpha Lda’s Research, Development and Innovation (R&D+i) activities, and to identifying aspects that could be integrated as R&D+i projects that could have a useful effect on an area of activity.

These projects may be developed within the group of subsidiary companies and/or in partnership with national and international Universities and Research Laboratories.

Standardisation is a means of setting the group apart competitively, favouring companies that carry out their activities in lines with sector rules and national and international standards, to the detriment of companies operating in other ways.

In the regulatory environment, emphasis should be placed on the participation of Teixeira Duarte – Engenharia e Construções, S.A. in the European Federation of Foundation Contractors (EFFC) and CO2 Foundations – Geotechnical Carbon Calculator working groups, aimed at calculating the carbon footprint of geotechnical works, as well as in the Technical Working Group (TWG), aimed at cooperation and the development of guidelines and standards for the execution of geotechnical works.

Teixeira Duarte – Engenharia e Construções, S.A. also participates in the standardisation activities of the Portuguese Standardisation Technical Committee CT156 – Geotechnics in Civil Engineering, chairing the SC10 subcommittee, a technical body that aims to issue opinions on legislation and translate CEN European standards in the field of Testing of Geotechnical Structures and the Execution of Special Geotechnical Works. It also forms part of the WG3 work group of the ISO Technical Committee TC182, responsible for preparing the ISO 22477-5 standard Geotechnical investigation and testing – Testing of geotechnical structures – Part 5: Testing of grouted anchors, the final text of which was published in August 2018.

In awareness of its active role in the innovation and technological development of its own sector, Teixeira Duarte– Engenharia e Construções, S.A. carries out RDI activities in partnership with scientific and technological system institutions and with other similar companies.

Main partnerships in Portugal:

• PTPC – Portuguese Technological Platform for Construction
• AEC Cluster – Architecture, Engineering and Construction
• The Portuguese Structures Engineering Association (PSEA), which is the Portuguese group of the International Association for Bridge & Structural Engineering (IABSE).

Main international partnerships:

• ENCORD – European Network of Construction for Research and Development
• ECTP – European Construction Technology Platform.

BIM is an innovative technological approach that is revolutionizing the Architecture, Engineering and Construction (AEC) sector. It consists of replicating a building in a 3D digital model that centralises all of its information – architecture, structure, water networks, electricity, mechanical installations, etc.

By adopting this tool and associating it with nearly 100 years of experience, Teixeira Duarte adds more value to its customers’ projects and strengthens its contribution to the technological advancement of the construction industry.

Advantages of BIM:

• Centralisation of all information in a single, validated and permanently connected model, involving all stakeholders in all phases of the life of a building.
• Automatic clash detection, ensuring that resources are profitable and that unforeseen circumstances are reduced, as these can lead to increased costs and lead times.
• Alternatives can be viewed and assessed in terms of cost and other project parameters.
• Sustainability analyses can be conducted, and different types of material quantity calculations can be made.
• Models can represent the completed project and include all operation and maintenance aspects. They can be provided to property owners to support their facilities management strategy.