Liseane Padilha Thives

Rapid urban growth and the expansion of impervious surfaces have intensified environmental issues such as flooding, water pollution, and urban heat islands. Permeable pavements have emerged as a green infrastructure solution to mitigate these impacts and support the sustainable development of cities. The aim of this study was to conduct an integrative review on the state of the art of permeable pavements, with a focus on their technical and environmental contributions. The methodology followed the PRISMA guidelines, using the Scopus database to select the most cited articles across four thematic areas: Life Cycle Assessment; infiltration capacity and pollutant retention; mitigation of heat islands and flooding; and the impacts of climate and clogging. The results show that, despite the initial cost and production-related impacts, permeable pavements offer long-lasting benefits, including reduced surface runoff, pollutant filtration, and evaporative cooling. The main economic limitations identified were clogging, which decreases system efficiency, and the high implementation cost, highlighting the need for regular maintenance and innovations in materials. In summary, permeable pavements are an effective strategy for sustainable urban development, but their longevity depends on proper design and maintenance.

In Brazil, approximately 93 trillion litres of water are withdrawn annually from surface and groundwater sources, with urban human use being the second-largest water consumer. Therefore, reducing water consumption in buildings is crucial. This study performed a technical and economic analysis of isolated and combined water-saving strategies at the Central Library of the Federal University of Santa Catarina (UFSC). The strategies assessed included water-saving appliances, rainwater harvesting, and greywater and blackwater reuse, individually and in four combined scenarios. User surveys provided data on the frequency and duration of water appliance use and cleaning activities, while on-site water flow measurements enabled the estimation of water end uses. The potential for potable water savings was then determined for each strategy and scenario. The highest savings (77.96%) were achieved by combining water-saving appliances with blackwater reuse, followed by a combination of water-saving appliances, greywater reuse, and rainwater harvesting (65.73%). All strategies were economically viable, except the combination of water-saving appliances with greywater reuse, which showed a negative net present value. The scenario combining water-saving appliances and blackwater reuse generated the most significant financial savings (R$7782.48 per month), with a payback period of 50 months. Given its environmental and economic benefits, these scenarios were recommended for implementation. The study may be replicated worldwide, and one key conclusion is that libraries consume a significant amount of potable water for non-potable purposes, which should be supplemented with alternative sources. It is essential to consider whether the building is already built or under design, as some implementation processes require design modifications.

The primary purpose of this paper is to investigate the impact of traffic wander on road pavement life for application in connected and autonomous vehicles. Research shows that in autonomous vehicles, drivers often follow the same path, leading to significant pavement damage on specific, well-defined paths. The paper examined the impact of traffic wander on pavement life by analysing two different wander distributions: normal and uniform. Based on the estimated pavement life for various pavement structures, a model that predicts the increase in pavement life due to traffic wander was developed for cracking and rutting prediction. The result of the research is the determination of relative pavement life influence functions, in which the variables are the traffic wander, asphalt layer thickness and subgrade stiffness. The obtained equations can be easily implemented for pavement service life extension evaluation. The model was also used to estimate the asphalt layer thickness as a function of the traffic expressed in terms of Equivalent Single Axle Load (ESALs). An analysis of the implications of the lateral distribution of traffic on the pavement thickness was presented. Significant reductions in the asphalt layer thickness of the pavement are achieved when wander is considered.

The construction sector significantly contributes to global greenhouse gas emissions, which is particularly relevant in emerging economies as Brazil. The Brazilian initiative of SIDAC (Construction Environmental Performance Information System) and the development of new tools aim to provide national data for assessing environmental impacts. A method that uses such data is the Whole Building Life Cycle Assessment (WBLCA), which is a systematic tool for evaluating a building’s environmental impacts throughout its life cycle, including resource consumption, emissions, and waste generation. Due to the complexity of obtaining local data for WBLCA, the Ecoinvent database has been widely used due to its comprehensive dataset. However, its applicability to the Brazilian context can be limited due to regional variations in production processes. In this context, this study compares the performance of national (SIDAC) and international (Ecoinvent) databases using simplified WBLCA models for embodied carbon and single-point scores. The assessment focuses on phases A1 to A3, covering the embodied impacts from the extraction of materials to the construction. Three single-family residential buildings were assessed. The results highlight the differences between the databases. For instance, concrete has a much higher relevance using the SIDAC data and carbon emissions, while all other materials present less relevance in the overall impact. Also, one highlights the difference between carbon accounting, which uses carbon emissions in SIDAC and equivalent carbon emissions in Ecoinvent. However, one can conclude that SIDAC is a promising tool for Brazilian WBLCA, providing an easy way to calculate the building’s impacts.

A crescente preocupação com os impactos ambientais da infraestrutura viária tem incentivado o uso de materiais reciclados na pavimentação, com o Reclaimed Asphalt Pavement (RAP) se destacando como uma alternativa sustentável. Este artigo apresenta uma revisão sistemática da literatura sobre a aplicação de RAP em misturas asfálticas, com foco na Avaliação do Ciclo de Vida (ACV) como ferramenta para analisar sua viabilidade ambiental. A pesquisa foi conduzida em quatro fases, com análise de 14 estudos selecionados a partir das bases de dados Scopus e Web of Science. Os resultados indicam que o uso de RAP pode reduzir significativamente a extração de agregados virgens e o consumo de ligantes asfálticos, além de mitigar impactos ambientais, especialmente quando se aumenta o teor de RAP nas misturas. A ACV se mostrou uma ferramenta essencial para avaliar soluções sustentáveis, pois possibilita a quantificação dos impactos ambientais ao longo do ciclo de vida do pavimento. No entanto, os estudos apresentam variações metodológicas em aspectos como limites do sistema, unidades funcionais e bancos de dados, evidenciando a falta de padronização. Além disso, ainda há uma necessidade de maiores investimentos no Brasil para a aplicação eficaz dessa solução, visando uma implementação mais ampla de práticas sustentáveis no setor viário.

In Brazil, there are still areas without access or limited access to electricity, which may be related to precarious health conditions and a lack of information. In this context, this study aims to evaluate the relationship between access to electricity, socioeconomic characteristics, and the health of the population in Brazil. The methodology was based on a survey of socioeconomic characteristics, access to electricity, inequalities, and the population’s health conditions. The relationship between electricity consumption per capita, the average income of the population, and the number of households without electricity was assessed through linear correlations based on data from each region in Brazil. The results confirmed a correlation between the lack of access to electricity and deficiencies in the population’s health level. However, it should be highlighted that access to electricity is only one of the factors influencing public health. In Brazil, disadvantaged populations are more vulnerable to health issues. The North and Northeast regions have the highest number of households without access to electricity and their populations are more affected by diseases. Access to reliable electricity is fundamental for the proper functioning of medical equipment and vaccine refrigerators, as well as for access to health information. To reduce social inequalities among the Brazilian population, investments in infrastructure, such as access to electricity, are needed.

This article addresses gender issues in the context of the professor’s productivity grants (PQ) distribution applied to Civil Engineering. It contributes with reflections on the advancement of knowledge and gender equality through the inclusion of integrity and holistic aspects. A quantitative and descriptive data analysis of public documents revealed that the number of women civil engineers is considerable, and that female professors engaged in postgraduate are capable of competing for scholarships. Nevertheless, less than 20% of PQ scholarships are awarded to female civil engineers, and the current scenario point to a gender disparity in terms of approval PQ demands. Moreover, despite the majority having already reached the pinnacle of their academic careers, only one has been designated at the highest level, and none have attained the rank of Senior. These findings can indicate segregation, structural barriers, lack of support and policies that encourage access to the highest levels of scholarships, possible subjectivity in the judgment that lead to the lack of impartiality and discrimination, and other factors that may still be understood as gender discrimination. Thus, the PQ criteria can be reviewed in light of the Brazilian National Care Policy, Sustainable Development Goal 5, and gender mainstreaming.