VESAM Steel Research Center

ABSTRACT:
It is currently recognized that research, development and innovation (R&D+i) activities are fundamental to differentiate organizations and for the creation of new products and services, increasing their competitiveness and promoting their grow and affirmation in the global market. In the construction industry, namely the steel and mixed construction, the R&D+i activities are clearly a differentiation factor since this is an industry where the incorporation of technology from other engineering areas, such as electronics and computers, is significantly reduced.
This paper presents the VESAM Steel Research Center, a laboratory for testing materials and structures, focused in steel and mixed construction, describing the motivation for its creation, the facilities, the equipments, the instrumentation and, shortly, some of the projects and tests already developed.

AUTHORS:

Pedro Santos¹, Paulo Carapito¹, Filipe Santos¹

¹ VESAM Engenharia S.A., Zona Industrial de Cantanhede, Lote 69, 3060-197 Cantanhede, Portugal

Paper presented in “III Congresso Luso-Africano de Construção Metálica Sustentável”, 20-21 November, 2014, Luanda, Angola (in Portuguese)