UFRN’s Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPCivAm/UFRN) was created from the merger of the Graduate Program in Civil Engineering (PEC/UFRN) and the Graduate Program in Sanitary and Environmental Engineering (PPGESA/UFRN). It was internally approved by UFRN on November 24, 2020, and endorsed by CAPES through Official Communication No. 308/2021-DAV/CAPES of December 14, 2021. PPCivAm/UFRN is linked to CAPES' Engineering I area and aims to educate researchers in Civil and Environmental Engineering with multidisciplinary, interdisciplinary, and transdisciplinary experience, capable of working in the field of Civil Engineering, in the research lines of Geotechnics, Geotechnologies and Coastal Environments and Construction Materials and Components, as well as in the Environmental Engineering area, which includes the research lines: Environmental Impacts, and Water Resources and Sanitation.

RESEARCH LINES IN THE CIVIL ENGINEERING AREA

• GEOTECHNICS: This research line, although positioned within the Civil Engineering area, interfaces with the Environmental Engineering area. This line deals with the development of studies on the mechanical and hydraulic behavior of soils and rocks, as well as the interaction of engineering works with these materials. Included in this line are fundamental works on theoretical and experimental Soil Mechanics; Engineering Geology and Rock Mechanics. Also included are topics related to the application of Soil Mechanics and Geology to engineering works that interact with soils and rocks, such as foundations, excavations and retaining structures, and various types of earthworks (dams, pavements and embankments on soft soils). The line also considers the application of fundamental concepts to environmental problems, such as studies on base layers and cover of sanitary landfills, percolation of pollutants in the soil, and the reuse of waste in engineering works. Other topics covered in this line of research relate to the application of geosynthetics in geotechnical works and soil improvement techniques.

• GEOTECHNOLOGIES AND COASTAL ENVIRONMENTS: Coastal environments occupy a narrow zone of the territory where complex non-linear interactions occur between terrestrial, oceanic, and atmospheric compartments. In the current context of increasing human occupation and climate emergencies, coastal environments have been the subject of concern and widespread public awareness due to the evident dangers, vulnerabilities, and risks of disasters arising from erosion, flooding, gravitational mass movements, reduced biodiversity, and increased pollution, among others. Given these circumstances, data analysis and spatial modeling play a decisive role in supporting decision-making regarding measures to guide mitigation, adaptation, and coastal development planning. From this perspective, the elements involved in investigating solutions to these issues must be processed from an interdisciplinary perspective, in order to guarantee interoperability between the various sources of geodata. Thus, the Applied Geotechnologies research line satisfies these requirements by corresponding to the integration of a set of sciences and areas of knowledge that deal with the means for capturing, analyzing, processing, interpreting, disseminating, and storing geospatial information (geodata and geoinformation).

• BUILDING MATERIALS AND COMPONENTS: This research line is connected with civil construction technology in topics linked to the evaluation and development of building materials and components. The studies in this line focus on experimental analysis in the laboratory and in the field of cementitious materials and components, ceramic materials and components, sustainable construction, building performance, and the durability of the built environment, with a focus on concretes, mortars, and earthen constructions with less environmental impact. This is because the construction industry is responsible for consuming 1/3 of extracted non-renewable raw materials and for 5% of greenhouse gas emissions. Therefore, the building materials and components studied in this line aim to use materials with low binder and raw material consumption through the incorporation of waste and materials with less environmental impact, as well as additives and admixtures that minimize water consumption and increase the durability of the built environment and the structural, thermal, and acoustic performance of building components.

RESEARCH LINES IN THE ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING AREA

• ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS: This research line addresses methodologies and procedures for evaluating and mitigating environmental impacts, identifying and predicting (models) impacts, assessing significance, as well as risk analysis and environmental management. This line also includes research that evaluates the dynamics of ecosystems, identifying potential impacts and proposing mitigating measures for the recovery of degraded areas (water and soil). Research in Geotechnologies, Hydrodynamic and Ecological Modeling is also developed, allowing the identification and quantification of environmental impacts, presenting innovative tools that seek regional development and international recognition.

• WATER RESOURCES AND SANITATION: This research line addresses research of a strategic nature for regional and national development. This research line has an interdisciplinary approach to water resources and sanitation, developing projects with a sustainable focus, seeking to understand and propose solutions for the particularities of the hydrological and sanitary characteristics of the Brazilian Northeast region. The study of water issues and the development of techniques and knowledge in this area are crucial for the economic and social development of the region. Thus, this research line encompasses topics related to the understanding and modeling of surface and groundwater hydrological processes in rural and urban areas; hydrometeorology and climate change; analysis, simulation, and optimization of water resource systems (reservoirs, urban drainage, rainwater harvesting, etc.); water resource management and its social, institutional, legal, economic, technical, and decision-making aspects and instruments; and water supply and demand management. The line also addresses sanitation research that is strategic to the program, aligning with some of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs/2030). This line includes studies focused on the operation and technologies for water quality and treatment for supply, wastewater treatment and reuse, seeking new technological and innovative strategies for regional development.

Students of the Graduate Program in Civil and Environmental Engineering (PPCivAm/UFRN) may, if made available by funding agencies, receive scholarships, in addition to the possibility of working together with the program’s professors in research or technological cooperation agreements maintained jointly with educational and research institutions in Brazil and funding agencies such as CAPES, CNPq, FAPERN and others.

We recommend visiting the links "Documents", "Offered Classes", "Curriculum" and others on this website for more information. If you have any questions, please send a message to the email: sipg@ct.ufrn.br

COORDINATOR: Prof. Vanessa Becker (e-mail: vanessa.becker@ufrn.br)

VICE-COORDINATOR: Prof. Joana D'arc Freire de Medeiros (e-mail: joana.medeiros@ufrn.br)

GENERAL ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE OF THE TECHNOLOGY CENTER’S GRADUATE STUDIES AT UFRN:

• http://sistemas.sgp.ufrn.br/posct/

• sipg@ct.ufrn.br

• telephone: + 55 84 991676596

OFFICE HOURS: From 7:00 AM to 7:00 PM.

POSTAL ADDRESS: Av. Senador Salgado Filho, nº 3000 - CEP 59078-900

Federal University of Rio Grande do Norte

Campus Universitário Lagoa Nova - Centro de Tecnologia - PGTEC
Natal - Rio Grande do Norte - Brazil