Background

Physical modeling in geotechnical centrifuges began in Brazil in the mid-1990s with the installation of the first geotechnical drum centrifuge at COPPE/UFRJ. This equipment was installed in 1995 in the new Geotechnical Laboratory building. In 1996, the centrifuge began operating, with the first studies related to the transport of heavy metals in soils (Gurung et al., 1998; Almeida, 2000). In 2012, a new piece of equipment, this time a geotechnical beam centrifuge (Broadbent), was acquired, allowing for a wider range of tests, research, and activities. Since then, several studies have been carried out through master's and doctoral research, focusing mainly on the application of geotechnics and soil-structure interaction in offshore problems (non-renewable and renewable energies).