The research team has been working in 4 main research areas:

i) Thermal behaviour and energy efficiency of buildings;

ii) Development of new insulation materials (e.g. aerogels) and composite polymers;

iii) Acoustic behaviour and noise attenuation in buildings, and;

iv) Sustainability and lifecycle assessment of buildings.

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Within this project, the team aims to merge efforts in order to:

1. Develop a new eco-friendly and cost-effective insulation composite material based on recycled tyre rubber and insulation materials;
2. Evaluate and optimize the performance of this new composite insulation material by characterizing its properties (hygrothermal, acoustic, fire reaction, mechanical resistance and durability);
3. Optimize the use of the new insulation material in building elements (e.g. walls) in order take maximum advantage of it regarding thermal and acoustic performance, and;
4. Assess the environmental impacts and cost of this new insulation material from a life cycle perspective.

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With these goals, the research team includes the participation of Chemical and Civil Engineering Departments of the University of Coimbra. While the first will focus on the development of the innovative composite material, the second will aim for its evaluation and optimization at building element level.