- Engineering & Construction
- Environment
- Telecommunications
- Renewable energies
- Ventures
- Real estate
Respect. (from the lat. respectu) n. 1. respect; 2. consideration; high regard; 3. deference; compliance; veneration; 4. honour; worship; 5. relation; refererence...
We believe that everyone should be respected for their work, for their attitudes, opinions and options.
Rigor. (from the lat. rigore) n. 1. harshness; strength; 2.fig., severity; punctuality; accuracy.
There is no "more or less levelled", "more or less upright”, "more or less clean" or "more or less safe", but rather “levelled”, "upright”, "clean” and “safe". The rigour is reflected in our procedures, in time and in the rules to follow. In the light of moral and principles, being severe means being rigorous.
Passion. (from the lat. passione) n. 1. intense and usually violent feeling (affection, joy, hate, etc.) which hinders the exercise of impartial logic; 2. derived from a feeling; 3. great predilection; 4. partiality; 5. great grief; immense suffering...
Under the sign of passion – a text of the Portuguese poet Regina Guimarães – is our icon. Passion is to reveal great enthusiasm for something, favourable encouragement or opposite to something.
It is the sensibility transmitted by an architect or engineer through work.
Passion is the dedication to a project. Passion is a state of warm soul.
Loyalty. (from the lat. legalitate) n. the quality of being loyal; fidelity; sincerity.
Respect for the principles and rules that guide the honour and probity. Faithfulness to commitments and agreements undertaken, staunch character.
To remain loyal to the business partners because we depend on them and they depend on us.
Being trustworthy for being loyal.
Solidarity. (from the lat. solidare) n. 1. the quality of being solidary; 2. reciprocal responsibility among the members of a group, namely social, professional, etc.; 3. sense of sharing another’s suffering.
Being solidary is being a friend, offering our hand with genuine generosity and bringing joy and human warmth to those who, somehow, are marginalized. Being solidary is being more human. A solidary company is recognized as a fair and non-selfish company. A solidary company is a preferred choice in business. It is a more competitive company. Volunteering is a vehicle to solidarity. It is modern, fair, cultured, friend, it is a noble gesture of moral elevation.
Courage. (from the lat. coraticum) n. 1. bravery facing danger; intrepidity; to have audacity; 2. moral force before a suffering or setback; 3. [fig.] to input energy when performing a difficult task; perseverance...
Courage is essential in our life. Courage to face less pleasant situations when complex issues come up, not expecting random resolutions.
It is a value that we must highlight as opposed to the fearful, cowardly and laziness.
The courage to react to criticism not with an attitude of demotivation or sadness, but rather to search for the means and the action to overcome its own reason. This kind of courage, which is also an intellectual courage, is highly recommended.
Ambition. (from the lat. ambitione) n. 1. vehement desire of wealth, honours or glories; 2. expectation about the future; aspiration; 3. lust; greed…
Vehement desire to achieve a particular goal. Ambition not to resign ourselves. Ambition to take the best potential from ourselves. Ambition to deserve ourselves. Ambition to be athletes in our top-level competitive jobs. Ambition to beat our brands. Ambition to get the best deals with the maximum value, due to the high levels of proficiency and efficiency.
Esthetics. ESTHETICS (from the Greek aisthetiké, "sensitive") n.f. 1. Philosophy branch of philosophy that studies the beauty and nature of artistic phenomena; 2. author's own style, time, etc.; 3. harmony of shapes and colors, beauty; 4. set of techniques and treatments that aim to beautify the body.
We decided to build the company's economic foundations under a cultured, cosmopolitan and cool image. Because it is a charming state of being. Good taste because we are sustainable and we respect the planet. Good taste because we are sensitive. Good taste just because.
Responsibility. (from the lat respondere) n. the trait of being answerable to someone for something or being responsible for one's conduct; a form of trustworthiness.
We must be certain that, before a choice, we chose what is best for both of us and not just the best for each one. Each employee is responsible for his negotiated activity and co-responsible if the co-worker does not fulfil his own task, thus preventing the common goal. A team is a set of individuals - is a whole. In the business game, as in social or family contexts, everyone must comply with their own relative position and we shall not permit that one of ours fails to be in our team.
Edifícios e Energia
Within the scope of the project CirMat – CIRcular aggregates for sustainable road and building MATerials, started in September 2020, dst s.a. (of thedstgroup), Instituto Superior Técnico, Universidade do Minho and Universidade Norueguesa de Ciência e Tecnologia developed an industrial technology to create an innovative range of structural concrete and bituminous concrete with a high incorporation of waste and by-products from the construction sector. To address the results of this initiative with 85% funding by EEA Grants, presented on May 5th in Braga, we invited Mafalda Rodrigues, coordinator of the CirMat project. “It is essential to adapt industrial centers” to the treatment of waste and construction by-products and the manufacture of new products with these elements, she stresses as one of the main messages.
What does this project and this technology consist of?
The aim of the CirMat project is to develop the industrial sector by promoting products with a high degree of incorporation of waste from the construction sectors and by-products of the iron and steel industry. Most of the activity of construction companies is based on the large-scale use of structural concrete and bituminous concrete, which implies an intensive use of natural raw materials and energy resources, construction being considered one of the industries that most contributes to greenhouse gas emissions.
CirMat thus seeks to contribute to an increase in sustainability in the construction sector, through a paradigm shift in the implementation of the principles of circular economy, based on the development of industrial technology of a range of innovative and widely used structural concrete and bituminous concrete, manufactured mainly from construction and demolition waste (CDW) and industrial by-products. The development of these products aims, on the one hand, to drastically reduce the use of natural resources and energy-intensive products and, on the other hand, to boost the reintroduction of waste and by-products into the value chain within the scope of the concept of circular economy. The project also involved the application of four innovative solutions in pilot constructions, for each of the products developed, as well as the preparation of Environmental Product Declarations (EPD) so that it is possible to demonstrate the mitigation of environmental impacts related to the products developed, throughout their life cycle, thus constituting a highly differentiating option.
The results obtained were presented on the May 5th. What main messages can be drawn from these results?
That the adaptation of industrial centers is indispensable, both for the treatment of waste and by-products, and for the manufacture of products incorporating waste and by-products. [It should also be noted] That the results obtained in terms of mechanical and functional characteristics [in these products] are equal or superior, when compared to conventional products.
Another message is that the application of these innovative products must, from the outset, be prescribed by designers, owners of works and architects, their fundamental role being to increase the acceptance of these products; and also the message that projects like this are important to demonstrate the viability of these products and for the paradigm shift that is sought and which is so necessary for the green transition in the construction industry.
During the project, EPDs were drawn up. What challenges and opportunities does this process represent?
These declarations will be the first in Portugal for this type of product and are already in the submission phase. From the start, this was the biggest challenge and, at the same time, the main opportunity. The EPDs demonstrate, in a harmonized way, a set of quantified and reliable information, functioning as a voluntary communication tool regarding the environmental performance of the product throughout its life cycle and allowing the comparison of results (related to environmental performance) between products with similar functions or applications. The development of these statements was supported by life cycle assessment (LCA) studies that determined their environmental performance.
Circularity passports and ecodesign files were also developed. The first are aimed at the customer, and where information about the product is presented, in a summarized way, including a circularity indicator. The latter provide relevant information for the manufacturer, as they identify actions that allow optimizing/improving the results obtained during the manufacturing process.
Materials represent a major share of building sector’s greenhouse gas emissions. Is that what motivated the creation of this range of innovative structural concrete and bituminous concrete?
The aim of this project was to replace the natural aggregates in structural concrete and bituminous concrete by incorporating high rates of duly processed recycled aggregates. Studies carried out show that this replacement allows for a significant reduction in the consumption of virgin mineral resources and a reduction in the carbon footprint and the embodied energy. However, the potential for reducing the carbon footprint will be greater the shorter the transport distance of the waste to the production sites and the greater the economy of scale in its processing.