From 16 to 17 October 2025, the national community of researchers, engineers, and industry professionals gathered at the Congresso Nacional em Prefabricação de Betão (ANIPB 2025) to discuss the future of industrialized concrete construction in Portugal. Organized by the Associação Nacional da Indústria de Prefabricação de Betão (ANIPB), the event provided a platform for sharing advances in research, design, and production across the prefabrication sector.
A major highlight of the conference was the strong participation of the R2UTechnologies | Modular Systems project, which presented five scientific papers developed within its ongoing research activities. These contributions showcased the project’s commitment to advancing sustainable, digital, and resilient prefabricated modular building solutions.
Highlights from R2UTechnologies Contributions
Each presentation reflected a different research dimension of the project, covering experimental, digital, and architectural perspectives:
- Performance of dry mechanical connections in precast modular walls – experimental assessment of a new horizontal joint system, ensuring strength, stiffness, and assembly efficiency.
- Seismic response of precast modular buildings – evaluation of modular structural systems under seismic loading, confirming their feasibility for resilient construction.
- Digital workflows for modular design – development of parametric and data-driven design tools to improve precision, efficiency, and coordination in modular design.
- Architectural integration of prefabricated concrete in residential buildings – exploration of modular construction as a flexible and sustainable approach to housing design.
- Optimization of material use in wall panel production – investigation of innovative concrete formulations and production methods to enhance efficiency and reduce waste.
These papers illustrate the multidisciplinary scope and collaborative spirit of the R2UTechnologies project, uniting research teams and industry partners—such as Vigobloco—to foster innovation in Portugal’s prefabrication and modular construction sectors.
