History

Water Surveys
Alcácer do Sal, Portugal

Engineer Ricardo Esquível Teixeira Duarte began his activity as an entrepreneur in his own right in 1921, the year in which he and three other partners set up “Sociedade Portuguesa de Engenharia Lda”, where he held the position of Director of the Hydrology Section. In the photograph, one of the artesian wells drilled in the area of Alcácer do Sal, between 1921 and 1922.

Porto de Vila Real de Santo António
Portugal

During the first few years of its existence, Teixeira Duarte’s activity went beyond the boundaries of hydrology and geotechnics to include projects in the public works sector.

Portugal’s National Assembly
Foundations and Columns of the Central Body of the National Assembly Palace, in Lisbon.

Innovation was a constant feature of Teixeira Duarte’s activity over time. An example of this is the introduction of technology for casting piles in the ground, instead of piles made from nailed wood. This technology was used in the foundations of the New Central Body of the Palace of Congress (now the Assembly of the Republic) in 1934, in the foundations of Igreja Nova on Av. da Berna (Church of Fatima) and in the foundations of the mint building in Lisbon.

Patent for invention of a riveting probe
The first innovation registered by the engineer Ricardo Esquível Teixeira Duarte, under the title “Patent for the invention of a riveting probe”, receiving patent number 19640.
This patent still features on Teixeira Duarte’s logo today.

Lisbon Airport
Foundations of Portela Airport, Sacavém – Portugal

Cement Injections into the Biópio Dam
Angola

Geotechnical Survey of Rivers
India

In 1955, Teixeira Duarte carried out geotechnical survey work on the beds of the rivers Mandovi, Zuari and Chaporá rivers, and on the foundations of the Sanquelim and Assolnã-Salcete bridges. The diagram shows, a longitudinal cross-section of the Assolnã for the Municipality of Salcete.

Portas do Sol Slope Stabilisation
Santarém, Portugal

Stabilisation of a slope in Portas do Sol, in Santarém, above the North Line, in 1965, 1970 and 1983. This was one of Teixeira Duarte’s emblematic projects, due to the innovative solutions implemented to control the main causes of landslides (weathering and land erosion), as well as the ancillary causes (accumulation of groundwater in aquifers or overhangs on the surface of the slope).

Entry into Venezuela

The start of activity in Venezuela, with the incorporation of “Tegaven – Teixeira Duarte Y Associados, C.A.” and the construction of the “Urbanización Palma Real” real estate development in Valencia.

Construction of the Coimbra University Hospital
Portugal

Return to Angola

After a pause in the 60s and 70s, Teixeira Duarte resumed its activity in Angola with the construction of foundations for the Microwave Telecommunications System in 1979. The photograph shows the construction of the Karl Marx Institute building, in 1988.

Entry into Mozambique

Activity commenced in Mozambique in 1982, with the venture for the “Consolidation and Positioning of Tower I of the Bridge over the Zambezi River”, in the city of Tete.

Bridge over the Guadiana River
Portugal

Lisbon Stock Exchange

Opening of the share capital for public investment, with the listing of the shares for trading on what was known at the time as the “Lisbon Stock Exchange”.

Entry into Spain

Teixeira Duarte began its activities in Spain in 2001, by carrying out cast concrete wall work within the scope of the Metrosur – Madrid Metro project. In 2003, it acquired a majority stake in the company then known as “GSC – Compañia General de Servicios y Construcción, S.A.”. The photograph shows the construction of piles at the Port of Algeciras in 2005.

Entry into Algeria

Activity began in Algeria in 2005, with an infrastructure venture contract forming part of the “Drinking Water Supply to the Cities of Mostaganem, Arzew and Oran” (MAO) project.

Entry into Brazil
Teixeira Duarte began operating in Brazil in December 2007, through the subsidiary EMPA, S.A. – Serviços de Engenharia, a company founded in 1954.

Entry into Colombia
As a result of the geographical proximity to Brazil and Venezuela, where Teixeira Duarte already had a solid presence, activities in Colombia arose from business opportunities in the areas of geotechnics and underground works in particular, in this case through a branch of its subsidiary “E.P.O.S. – Empresa Portuguesa de Obras Subterrâneas, S.A.”.

Entry into the United States
Teixeira Duarte began its activity in America in 2016 through a technical assistance contract with the company “EIC Associates, Inc”.

Entry into Peru

Teixeira Duarte started to operate in this country through the branch of its subsidiary “E.P.O.S. – Empresa Portuguesa de Obras Subterrâneas, S.A.”, incorporated there in October 2016.

In December of that year, a contract was signed with the M2 Lima Construction Consortium, consisting of the construction of two cut and cover galleries, with a total length of 146m.

Entry into the UK
Teixeira Duarte started operating in this country in 2016 in the railway market, through its subsidiary the local company “SOMAFEL – Railway Construction, S.A.”. This company entered into a partnership with a British company, initially for the areas of catenary design and construction. However, it did not rule out the possibility of submitting bids for any opportunities that may be identified in the railway sector.

Entry into Ecuador
Operations in Ecuador arose from business opportunities in the infrastructure area. In this case a consortium was set up – led by the branch of “Teixeira Duarte – Engenharia e Construções, S.A.” and with the participation of a local partner – for the construction of a road bridge between Daule and Guayaquil.