On April 5, Técnico opened its doors to more than 2700 visitors at Open Day 2025. CERIS was actively involved in the event, participating in the Science Fair and offering guided tours of the Laboratory of Construction and the Laboratory of Structures and Strength of Materials.
In the Science Fair, CERIS presented the activity “Exploring earthquakes”, led by researcher Mónica Amaral Ferreira. Using a portable shaking table, the demonstration showed how a valuable museum artifact might behave during a magnitude 6.5 earthquake under different conditions: when simply supported, when the centre of mass was lowered, and when secured with a contour fastener. The activity aimed not only to highlight the importance of safeguarding cultural heritage but also to raise public awareness about simple strategies to reduce seismic damage at home.
In the laboratory tours, visitors had the opportunity to learn about various materials used in Civil Engineering and understand the relevance of their mechanical and structural properties through hands-on demonstrations.
The event was met with great enthusiasm, and CERIS hopes it may have inspired some of the next generation of Civil Engineers.
