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City-building games are very popular, on both digital and analog platforms. However, analog games named after cities are a tradition in modern board games. These games, resulting from the game design innovations of the last decades, are engaging a growing number of players worldwide. We wanted to understand what drives players and game designers to develop games that have a direct connection with cities or urban matters. We intend to explore them and identify their design patterns in order to support game-based planning support tools, mostly for participatory and collaborative planning. Planners have been using game-based processes, and analog games seem to be the easier solution. We analyzed the top-ranking city-building games (CBGs) and games named after cities (GNACs) from Board Game Geek (BGG) and then ran a survey with BGG users (n = 102). The results show that GNACs do not deeply portray cities but tend to focus on a specific dimension. CBGs are better at mimicking an urban planning process but with many simplifications. Despite this, mastering the design of these two types of games is useful for planners who wish to use game-based planning processes. However, the engagement level might depend on the target audience.

Ultra-high-performance concrete (UHPC) is a cementitious composite combining high-strength concrete matrix and fiber reinforcement. Standing out for its excellent mechanical properties and durability, this material has been widely recognized as a viable choice for highly complex engineering projects. This paper proposes (i) the review of the influence exerted by the constituent materials on the mechanical properties of compressive strength, flexural tensile strength, and elastic modulus of UHPC and (ii) the determination of optimal quantities of the constituent materials based on simplified statistical analyses of the developed database. The data search was restricted to papers that produced UHPC with straight steel fibers at a content of 2% by volume. UHPC mixture models were proposed based on graphical analyses of the relationship of constituent materials versus mechanical properties, aiming to optimize the material’s performance for each mechanical property. The results proved to be in accordance with the specifications present in the literature, characterized by high cement consumption, significant presence of fine materials, and low water-to-binder ratio. The divergences identified between the mixtures reflect how the constituent materials uniquely impact each mechanical property of the concrete. In general, fine materials were shown to play a significant role in increasing the compressive strength and flexural tensile strength of UHPC, while water and superplasticizers stood out for their influence on the material’s workability.

The process of seeking games as tools for participatory and collaborative approaches applied to planning and public engagement is thriving. Despite the growing literature, and in contrast to the increasing number of experiences, there is a lack of methods for developing game-based approaches. We propose using the MIQUAPA method to support low-tech and low-cost serious games for collaborative planning and participatory budgeting. We designed two serious games using modern board game mechanisms and tested them to address two sustainability problems related to a university campus. The games engaged the participants and delivered collaborative planning experiences. However, the experiences revealed several simulation limitations of this method. The participants’ preparedness, context, and motivation also affected the game outcome. This paper proposes a method to develop future game-based approaches, informing the advantages and limitations of such approaches and proposing data collection and facilitation solutions. It warns future practitioners about the required preparedness to use game-based approaches.

Ultra-high-performance concrete with steel fibers (UHPC) stands out for its exceptional mechanical properties and high ductility. The addition of steel fibers improves the tensile strength, allowing for its use in the design of structural elements subject to bending. The use of rice husk ash (RHA) as a natural mineral addition in the UHPC mixture offers significant advantages in terms of environmental impact and mechanical properties. Therefore, this work experimentally investigates the effect of RHA as a partial replacement for active silica fume on the flexural tensile strength and compressive behavior of UHPC. Additionally, a parametric study was conducted to examine the impact of varying prism geometries on the flexural tensile strength of UHPC with and without CCR in ABAQUS version 6.14. The experimental results made it possible to calibrate the UHPC parameters using RHA for numerical simulations of UHPC behavior based on the concrete damaged plasticity (CDP) model. The results indicated an increase of 4% in the compressive strength and 20% in the flexural tensile strength of UHPC with the addition of RHA. Furthermore, the numerical extrapolations of the flexural tensile strength test show that increasing the dimensions of the prisms reduces the strength by up to 30% of UHPC with RHA, evidencing the influence of geometry on the results.

The first profound ludemic studies are being done at the moment. Some projects are exploring the ludemic approach in video games and historic games. However, contemporary games known as modern board games are still underexplored. In this paper, the number one games, according to Board Game Geek since 2000, are analyzed according to a systemic approach. The authors propose exploring the game system and other dimensions of each game in order to find design patterns that help support a ludemic approach. By addressing ludemes, the authors seek to contribute to understanding the success of modern board games in an age of video game domination.

Reinforced concrete one-way slabs under concentrated loads can develop different shear failure mechanisms: as wide beams in one-way shear, punching shear around the load or a mixed mode between them. Until now, most publications presented recommendations to assess the shear capacity considering only the one-way shear failure mechanism. This study proposed developing recommendations to assess both the one-way shear and punching shear capacity of such slabs. Different codes of practice were addressed, including the current Eurocode and fib Model Code 2010 expressions. The recommendations were validated against 143 test results from the literature. Following these recommendations, one-way shear and punching capacities predictions achieved enhanced and almost the same level of accuracy.

This article addresses the evolving concept of geogames, traditionally focused on digital and location‐based experiences, and explores the potential of modern board games as an analogue form of geogame. While geogames have been defined by their use of real‐world spatial information, often through GIS technology, there is a recognized need to include more abstract and imaginative representations of space, particularly in analogue formats. This study investigates how modern commercial entertainment board games, characterized by innovative game mechanics and spatial representation, connect with the concept of geogames. It employs a bibliometric analysis of geogame literature and a descriptive analysis of modern board games from the BoardGameGeek database. Key findings indicate a lack of research on analogue games within geogame specific literature, while revealing that modern board games effectively utilize spatial units, territory representation, and game mechanics to create virtual spatial worlds. The study concludes that modern board games align with the definition of geogame, advocating for their inclusion in the geogame research agenda.

The Concrete Damage Plasticity (CDP) model is a widely used constitutive model to represent the non-linear behavior of concrete in numerical analysis. However, a limited number of studies compared the level of accuracy of numerical models with the main code provisions from the literature. In addition, the influence of CDP material parameters on the structural behavior of corbels was scarcely studied. This study proposes to evaluate the ability of numerical models using CDP to represent the structural behavior of corbels regarding the ultimate load, reinforcement deformation and failure mechanism. In addition, we compared the predictions of the numerical models with the ones from design code expressions regarding the ultimate capacity. For this, three test results of corbels from the literature were evaluated with numerical models using the CDP, as well as with analytical models from different code provisions. A sensitivity analysis—by changing the dilation angle (ψ) and shape factor (Kc)—was performed. The comparison between tested and predicted resistances with the proposed numerical modeling choices was equal to 1.04 with a coefficient of variation of 11%. On the other hand, the analytical models evaluated overestimated the corbel capacity by more than 62%, on average. Therefore, the proposed modeling choices provide better predictions of ultimate capacity than the evaluated analytical models and can be used to assess the corbel design under more complex boundary conditions.

Modern board games are changing the way people play analogue face-to-face multiplayer games. One of the novelties of this trend is the growing prevalence of games that offer collaborative gameplay. These cooperative games have been instrumental in shifting the demographic of players, attracting individuals who prefer engaging in constructive interactions rather than destructive confrontations. Likewise, playing cooperative games demand specific players' skills which can be associated with the concept of soft skills. Training these skills through modern cooperative board games, whether by modifying existing games or developing new ones as serious games or using gamification approaches, holds promising potential. To test the perception of students playing cooperative modern board games for the first time, we organized a one-day play session in a school environment, specifically in a classroom with the support of the students’ teachers. Over a period of six hours (three in the morning and three in the afternoon), a total of 25 high school students from the vocational multimedia area, comprising students of all genders, participated in the session. The students engaged in gameplay with a curated selection of four cooperative modern board games. The results indicate that the students enjoyed the game sessions and recognized the significance of collaboration, as well as the associated skills including communication, empathy, organization, focus, and complementary interactions. The experiment reinforces the suggestion that the used modern board games could be introduced during classes as engaging activities fit for learning and training.

Parece existir uma crise da participação cívica, ainda que os cidadãos não desejem participar nos assuntos coletivos e públicos. Mas nas sociedades contemporâneas há um sentimento de urgência e pressão pelo tempo e atenção dos indivíduos. Os cidadãos exigem níveis mais elevados de participação e que os resultados sejam consequentes. Os planeadores estão a tentar encontrar novos métodos para lidar com estas exigências enquanto ensaiam também novos métodos de recolha de informação para apoio aos seus processos. As abordagens do planeamento colaborativo têm vindo a ser testadas, pelo menos, nos últimos trinta anos, exigindo novos métodos para aumentar os níveis de participação e propor que a participação possa gerar resultados concretos. Participação sem resultados consequentes é um problema que planeadores, políticos e decisores tem de considerar. Os jogos sérios têm sido utilizados como ferramentas de apoio ao planeamento para incentivar a participação e recolher informações que dificilmente seriam obtidas através de outros métodos.A presente tese explora como os jogos de tabuleiro modernos podem apoiar o planeamento colaborativo e lidar com a complexidade. Primeiro, tenta definir o estado da arte dos jogos utilizados no planeamento, identificando a literatura de jogos sérios para propósitos de planeamento. Depois também explora o estado da arte dos jogos de tabuleiro modernos relacionados com a construção de cidades e territórios, analisando profundamente elementos dos jogos como os mecanismos e as suas representações. Depois, vários estudos de caso revelam o processo de desenvolvimento de diversos jogos analógicos sérios, incluindo uma adaptação digital. O foco nos jogos analógicos resulta da procura por métodos simples e pouco dispendiosos para gerar jogos sérios, pois os jogos analógicos são os mais simples e o ponto de partida mais provável para os planeadores que pretendam utilizar os jogos como ferramentas para os seus processos de planeamento. Mais, também porque os jogos de tabuleiro modernos são uma tendência mundial que está a cativar um número crescente de jogadores cada ano, e dentro desses jogos muitos são de simulação urbana ou relacionados com cidades reais.A tese identifica muitos casos de aplicação de jogos sérios ao planeamento, identificando as suas forças e limitações. Propõe um guia para selecionar e combinar mecanismos para construir jogos sérios analógicos. Ao explorar o processo de desenvolvimento de diversos jogos sérios analógicos originais para o planeamento urbano, em diferentes estudos de caso, evidencia os desafios, dificuldades e resultados das implementações práticas com utilizadores reais (participantes) para casos reais de planeamento. Entre estes estão o caso do UrbSecurity (Urbact) sobre um caso de um processo de planeamento participativo para melhorar a segurança urbana do centro histórico de Leiria (Portugal). Também o caso do planeamento da rede de escolas básicas do concelho da Marinha Grande (Portugal), em que um jogo colaborativo analógico foi comparado com um programa de otimização, revelando o quanto a interação humana pode trazer para um processo de planeamento, identificando muitas outras dimensões não consideradas no modelo. Estes dois casos foram possíveis de realizar porque outras abordagens de jogos sérios foram testadas previamente com alunos e especialistas em planeamento, explorando os mecanismos de jogos, as interações humanas e a gestão dos resultados dos jogos.Desenvolver jogos requer conhecimentos consideráveis de design de jogos e competências de facilitação que podem ser desafios para os planeadores que pretendam explorar planeamento baseado em jogos.