Understanding the performance of cold-formed steel frame wall systems in fires to design for superior fire resistance. This project will develop new light gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems with superior fire resistance rating and associated design rules to enable innovative and safe applications of these wall systems in various building applications. This will enable expansion of the worldwide market for LSF wall systems by the industry partner.
Innovative and safe design solutions for aluminium façade systems. This project plans to develop design rules and mullion profiles to support the use of façades using aluminium members with complex shapes. The façade is of great importance to the structural safety, energy efficiency and aesthetics of a building. Commonly used façade systems are made of glass supported by aluminium mullions with complex shapes. Current aluminium design standards do not consider the instability and failures caused ....Innovative and safe design solutions for aluminium façade systems. This project plans to develop design rules and mullion profiles to support the use of façades using aluminium members with complex shapes. The façade is of great importance to the structural safety, energy efficiency and aesthetics of a building. Commonly used façade systems are made of glass supported by aluminium mullions with complex shapes. Current aluminium design standards do not consider the instability and failures caused by wind actions on facades using such complex aluminium members. This project aims to conduct full-scale tests and develop advanced numerical models to resolve several critical problems and identify designs with superior wind resistance. Based on this, the project aims to provide innovative, accurate and safe design rules for the façade engineering profession and building industry.Read moreRead less
Fire resistance of complex light gauge steel framed wall systems. This project aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of high-strength Light gauge Steel Framed (LSF) wall systems when exposed to fire, and develop a generic model for predicting fire resistance levels of all LSF wall systems. Plasterboard-lined LSF walls are increasingly used as cost-effective load-bearing walls in low and mid-rise buildings worldwide. This has required new wall designs with complex steel stud wa ....Fire resistance of complex light gauge steel framed wall systems. This project aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of high-strength Light gauge Steel Framed (LSF) wall systems when exposed to fire, and develop a generic model for predicting fire resistance levels of all LSF wall systems. Plasterboard-lined LSF walls are increasingly used as cost-effective load-bearing walls in low and mid-rise buildings worldwide. This has required new wall designs with complex steel stud wall configurations, but their fire resistance is not understood. This project will provide validated fire resistance data and fire design methods for a proposed national Fire Design Handbook and steel design codes, enabling more widespread, safer use of these walls. This will benefit the Australian steel industry, the construction industry and the community.
Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101598
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$357,446.00
Summary
Fire resistant and lightweight wall systems using innovative blocks. This project aims to develop an innovative block with lightweight and fire resistant characteristics by using Pumice and Perlite materials, followed by wall systems using the blocks. For this purpose, it will use material and thermal characterization studies, thermal and structural numerical models and fire tests of the new blocks, wall panels and a compartment. This project will generate new knowledge on lightweight blocks and ....Fire resistant and lightweight wall systems using innovative blocks. This project aims to develop an innovative block with lightweight and fire resistant characteristics by using Pumice and Perlite materials, followed by wall systems using the blocks. For this purpose, it will use material and thermal characterization studies, thermal and structural numerical models and fire tests of the new blocks, wall panels and a compartment. This project will generate new knowledge on lightweight blocks and fire safety, and develops cost-effective fire safe solutions for mid-rise buildings and bushfire safe rooms.Read moreRead less
Enhancing the fire and energy ratings of cold-formed steel wall systems. This project intends to develop novel cold-formed light-gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems with superior fire resistance and energy ratings for use in buildings. LSF systems are increasingly used in homes and offices. The project plans to investigate fundamental thermal, structural and energy performances of LSF walls and their components using experimental and numerical studies. It plans to develop enhanced plasterboards ....Enhancing the fire and energy ratings of cold-formed steel wall systems. This project intends to develop novel cold-formed light-gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems with superior fire resistance and energy ratings for use in buildings. LSF systems are increasingly used in homes and offices. The project plans to investigate fundamental thermal, structural and energy performances of LSF walls and their components using experimental and numerical studies. It plans to develop enhanced plasterboards, insulations and innovative composite panels using suitable nanomaterials, chemical additives, fillers and phase-change materials and use these with innovative wall configurations to significantly improve the fire and energy performance of LSF walls. The new wall systems may increase occupant comfort and safety, reduce business losses in fires, and lead to low-energy buildings.Read moreRead less
Bearing capacities of innovative LiteSteel beams and their floor systems. This project will develop accurate bearing capacity design models for the new LiteSteel beams (LSB) to enable innovative and safe applications of LSBs in various flooring systems in buildings. Improved LSB floor systems will also be developed. This will enable expansion of the worldwide market for LSB products and systems by the industry partner.
Averting Disaster: New Ways to Assess Bushfire Risk and Building Integrity. This project aims to develop a new method of assessing bushfire risk and building integrity using drone-based advanced technologies and computational fluid dynamics based heat transfer modelling for buildings located in bushfire prone areas. This coupled approach will enable the evaluation of bushfire effects on buildings and provide pre-bushfire condition/risk assessments, and site-specific cost-effective remedial actio ....Averting Disaster: New Ways to Assess Bushfire Risk and Building Integrity. This project aims to develop a new method of assessing bushfire risk and building integrity using drone-based advanced technologies and computational fluid dynamics based heat transfer modelling for buildings located in bushfire prone areas. This coupled approach will enable the evaluation of bushfire effects on buildings and provide pre-bushfire condition/risk assessments, and site-specific cost-effective remedial actions to reduce or eliminate bushfire damage and mitigate the risks pre-bushfire season. The new method will be applied to three selected buildings through which further enhancements and validations can be achieved. This project will showcase how the selected buildings and their components can be made bushfire safe.Read moreRead less
Extending building information models (BIM) for specifications and cost planning. The recognition in the 1990's that inefficiencies in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure were costing up to 30 per cent of the total constructed cost of buildings led to a push for the more efficient use of information. The major change in the industry to date has been the introduction of Building Information Models (BIM). Uptake has now reached the tipping point where it is be ....Extending building information models (BIM) for specifications and cost planning. The recognition in the 1990's that inefficiencies in the design, construction and maintenance of buildings and infrastructure were costing up to 30 per cent of the total constructed cost of buildings led to a push for the more efficient use of information. The major change in the industry to date has been the introduction of Building Information Models (BIM). Uptake has now reached the tipping point where it is becoming pervasive. This project examines methods of adding value to existing BIM information which will allow the industry and clients to achieve a higher level of efficiency than can be gained just through substitution of BIM for current processes.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE150100130
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$320,000.00
Summary
An earthquake shaking table to investigate soil-structure interactions. An earthquake shaking table to investigate soil-structure interactions: This project aims to develop Australia's most advanced earthquake shaking table. Earthquakes are a problem of great significance to Australia. Infrastructure in civil, transport, mining and energy sectors may be at an unacceptable risk of damage under earthquake loading as current design practices do not account for the interaction between infrastructure ....An earthquake shaking table to investigate soil-structure interactions. An earthquake shaking table to investigate soil-structure interactions: This project aims to develop Australia's most advanced earthquake shaking table. Earthquakes are a problem of great significance to Australia. Infrastructure in civil, transport, mining and energy sectors may be at an unacceptable risk of damage under earthquake loading as current design practices do not account for the interaction between infrastructure and the ground under such loading. The shaking table will simulate earthquakes and enable controlled testing of three-tonne models of foundation and soil-structure interaction systems typical of Australia's infrastructure. The discoveries made are expected to be integral to the modernisation of Australia's seismic design standards so that earthquake-induced damage and risk exposure can be minimised.Read moreRead less
Optimization of internal pressure for designing industrial buildings. The project seeks to understand the internal pressure in a building during windstorms, to improve safety and performance. The internal pressure in a building is dependent on its volume and flexibility and the sizes of openings in the building envelope, and is a critical loading parameter in building design. Windstorm damage investigations have shown that incorrect internal pressures are frequently used in building design, lead ....Optimization of internal pressure for designing industrial buildings. The project seeks to understand the internal pressure in a building during windstorms, to improve safety and performance. The internal pressure in a building is dependent on its volume and flexibility and the sizes of openings in the building envelope, and is a critical loading parameter in building design. Windstorm damage investigations have shown that incorrect internal pressures are frequently used in building design, leading to damage. This project aims to study the internal pressures generated in buildings with a range of volumes and openings in the envelope. A combination of model-scale and full-scale tests and theoretical analysis are planned to determine critical parameters for highly turbulent air-flow though openings. Results will inform the revision of design data in codes and of guidelines for consistent, optimal design of buildings.Read moreRead less