Just spaces: security without prejudice in the wireless courtroom. How do jurors respond to seeing defendants in a glass cage, in a traditional wooden dock or at the Bar table? The project will examine how courtroom design shapes attitudes; and, bringing together court executives, architects and researchers, will show how flexible wireless courtrooms can meet both security and human rights standards.
Designing Learning Spaces for Diversity, Inclusion and Participation. This project aims to provide evidence-based guidance on how to design and/or modify mainstream schools to make it easier for students with disabilities to participate. It seeks to inform architects, educators, and policy makers about disabled students' spatial requirements and to develop strategies and tools to support the process of co-designing schools with people with lived experience of disability. The outcomes will includ ....Designing Learning Spaces for Diversity, Inclusion and Participation. This project aims to provide evidence-based guidance on how to design and/or modify mainstream schools to make it easier for students with disabilities to participate. It seeks to inform architects, educators, and policy makers about disabled students' spatial requirements and to develop strategies and tools to support the process of co-designing schools with people with lived experience of disability. The outcomes will include an inclusive learning spaces design framework. This is expected to benefit all students' access and meaningful involvement in learning through the development of more inclusive learning spaces. The research is significant because it integrates previously dissociated knowledge from architecture, education and health.Read moreRead less
Innovative learning environments and teacher change. This project aims to bridge a gap between the educational potential of innovative learning environment designs, and their actual performance. Currently, multi-modal technology-enabled spaces are not producing demonstrable benefits for students. Many teachers resist altering their mindset about how students learn effectively in these spaces and thus how teachers should teach differently. The project aims to work with schools, government and ind ....Innovative learning environments and teacher change. This project aims to bridge a gap between the educational potential of innovative learning environment designs, and their actual performance. Currently, multi-modal technology-enabled spaces are not producing demonstrable benefits for students. Many teachers resist altering their mindset about how students learn effectively in these spaces and thus how teachers should teach differently. The project aims to work with schools, government and industry to analyse the relationships between quality teaching and effective use of innovative learning environments. The new understanding gained through the project is expected to guide developments in pedagogy, policy and design and to produce strategies to improve learning in schools across Australia and New Zealand.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
Development of efficient, robust and architecturally-flexible structural systems using innovative blind-bolted connections. The aim of the proposed project is to develop structural systems that have sufficient stiffness, strength, and ductility to withstand code-specified loads and that will be competitive in the marketplace. The development of demonstrable cost-effective structural systems is essential if these types of systems are to be widely adopted in practice, thus allowing Australian manu ....Development of efficient, robust and architecturally-flexible structural systems using innovative blind-bolted connections. The aim of the proposed project is to develop structural systems that have sufficient stiffness, strength, and ductility to withstand code-specified loads and that will be competitive in the marketplace. The development of demonstrable cost-effective structural systems is essential if these types of systems are to be widely adopted in practice, thus allowing Australian manufacturers of blind bolts and steel tubes to achieve a greater market share.Read moreRead less
Foundation systems for reactive soils using scarification and screw piles. This project will investigate the use of soil scarification, in combination with screw piles, as a reliable option for light-weight foundations on damaging reactive (expansive) clay soils. It will validate an innovative foundation alternative that will result in significant cost savings for residential foundations on reactive soil.
Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. This project aims to develop a whole-of-life procurement decision-making framework so schools can make delivering better education more cost effective. This framework—which draws on state-of-the-art and Nobel prize-winning theories and a new theory the project will develop—will be used in government and private schools. The effectiveness of this fram ....Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. Innovative procurement theories to optimise education per cost of school. This project aims to develop a whole-of-life procurement decision-making framework so schools can make delivering better education more cost effective. This framework—which draws on state-of-the-art and Nobel prize-winning theories and a new theory the project will develop—will be used in government and private schools. The effectiveness of this framework in improving schools will be shown using a new approach to make school facilities deliver educational outcomes and account for their total production and transaction costs. This research is expected to deliver more efficient ways to future-proof schools to create a well performing school system and more resilient infrastructure vital to Australia’s future prosperity.Read moreRead less
INTEGRATED PASSIVE AND ACTIVE CONTROL OF HUMMING NOISE FROM KCGM’S HAUL TRUCKS. This project aims to resolve an environmental noise issue caused by the humming noise of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines haul trucks in the areas of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Williamstown. This solution utilises integrated passive and active control systems to attenuate the frequency components of humming noise from a truck’s exhaust and engine. A novel aspect of this technique is the use of passive micro-perforate ....INTEGRATED PASSIVE AND ACTIVE CONTROL OF HUMMING NOISE FROM KCGM’S HAUL TRUCKS. This project aims to resolve an environmental noise issue caused by the humming noise of Kalgoorlie Consolidated Gold Mines haul trucks in the areas of Kalgoorlie, Boulder, and Williamstown. This solution utilises integrated passive and active control systems to attenuate the frequency components of humming noise from a truck’s exhaust and engine. A novel aspect of this technique is the use of passive micro-perforated structures to provide the necessary sound absorption capability and to alter the sound propagation and radiation properties of the truck exhaust and engine, and increase the effectiveness of active control.Read moreRead less
A novel design approach for sustainable and resilient railway formations. The project aims to validate a novel design approach for more sustainable and resilient railway formations. The railway network underpins the Australian economy and its maintenance costs tens of millions of dollars every year. This cost will increase with the growing frequency and intensity of climatic events. The research will advance the knowledge on the effect of water on the performance of railway formations and will d ....A novel design approach for sustainable and resilient railway formations. The project aims to validate a novel design approach for more sustainable and resilient railway formations. The railway network underpins the Australian economy and its maintenance costs tens of millions of dollars every year. This cost will increase with the growing frequency and intensity of climatic events. The research will advance the knowledge on the effect of water on the performance of railway formations and will deliver a novel design tool for end-users that will allow engineers to recycle fouled ballast in formations . The project will yield significant financial benefits for Australia, will strengthen links between Academia and industry partners, and will address environmental and sustainability issues linked to fouled ballast.
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Re-considering sustainable building and design: a cultural change approach. This project will help reduce the 38 per cent of all Australian waste that is produced by the construction industry by addressing the role of the building procurement team in reducing resource usage and eliminating waste. The outcomes of this research will address National Research Priority 1, An Environmentally Sustainable Australia.