Sustainable retirement villages for Ageing Australians. This project aims to deliver sustainable retirement villages to better accommodate older Australians and assess their effects on the growth of the retirement village industry. More organisations and governments globally are embracing sustainable development, but the Australian retirement village industry has been largely static and unresponsive; it has not yet met the green movement’s challenge to provide a sustainable living environment fo ....Sustainable retirement villages for Ageing Australians. This project aims to deliver sustainable retirement villages to better accommodate older Australians and assess their effects on the growth of the retirement village industry. More organisations and governments globally are embracing sustainable development, but the Australian retirement village industry has been largely static and unresponsive; it has not yet met the green movement’s challenge to provide a sustainable living environment for senior citizens. This project is expected to improve the living environment of retirement villages and the quality of life of older Australians.Read moreRead less
Minimisation of damage to residential structures due to ground movement. In Australia some 150,000 new houses are built every year with a total value of approximately $40 billion; making it one of the most significant industries affecting consumers and industries. With a quadrupling of the cost of building new houses in the last 20 years, an increase in the levels of expectations of owners, a high rate of reported damage in new and existing houses, and predications of worsening conditions under ....Minimisation of damage to residential structures due to ground movement. In Australia some 150,000 new houses are built every year with a total value of approximately $40 billion; making it one of the most significant industries affecting consumers and industries. With a quadrupling of the cost of building new houses in the last 20 years, an increase in the levels of expectations of owners, a high rate of reported damage in new and existing houses, and predications of worsening conditions under climate change scenarios; there is an urgent need to evaluate the causes of damage. The outcomes from this project will assist in minimising damage to houses from ground movement and in adopting new performance-based design methods for new homes to better match owner expectations. This will lead to cost effective and innovative solutions to meet adverse conditions.Read moreRead less
Functionally graded modelling of geopolymer and Portland cement concretes. This project aims to investigate why geopolymer concretes crack less than the Portland cement concretes. Carbon emissions from Portland cement is second only to fossil fuels. Geopolymer may emit less carbon dioxide than Portland cement concrete because it bleeds less and has higher creep. The project will test this hypothesis on geopolymer and Portland cement concretes, and emulate its findings in all types of concretes. ....Functionally graded modelling of geopolymer and Portland cement concretes. This project aims to investigate why geopolymer concretes crack less than the Portland cement concretes. Carbon emissions from Portland cement is second only to fossil fuels. Geopolymer may emit less carbon dioxide than Portland cement concrete because it bleeds less and has higher creep. The project will test this hypothesis on geopolymer and Portland cement concretes, and emulate its findings in all types of concretes. The project intends to create a specific market for geopolymer by developing a crack-free pavement and floors technology, while understanding cracking in concrete will reduce cracking issues.Read moreRead less
Modelling and testing corroding reinforced concrete structures. The project aims to develop models and methods to enable the early detection of active steel corrosion. Most of Australia’s critical infrastructure is located on or near the coast in high saline conditions and is exposed to a high risk of reinforcing steel corrosion. Our ability to design and monitor such structures is crucial. The first part of the project aims to develop an innovative finite element model to improve the prediction ....Modelling and testing corroding reinforced concrete structures. The project aims to develop models and methods to enable the early detection of active steel corrosion. Most of Australia’s critical infrastructure is located on or near the coast in high saline conditions and is exposed to a high risk of reinforcing steel corrosion. Our ability to design and monitor such structures is crucial. The first part of the project aims to develop an innovative finite element model to improve the prediction of both active steel reinforcement corrosion and the time to concrete cracking in a chloride environment. It then plans to develop a non-destructive method, combining ultrasonic waves-based technology and acoustic emission, to detect active steel corrosion before any damage is visible on the structure.Read moreRead less
Novel multiple-constraint model for green buildings and life-cycle analyses. This project aims to develop a multiple-constraint automation model to perform life-cycle analyses for projects in the Australian construction industry. The model will optimise construction methods for green-building implementation and offer a realistic approach to Green-star status achievement. The Life-cycle model analyses for cost, greenhouse-gas emissions and energy consumption allowing the construction methods to b ....Novel multiple-constraint model for green buildings and life-cycle analyses. This project aims to develop a multiple-constraint automation model to perform life-cycle analyses for projects in the Australian construction industry. The model will optimise construction methods for green-building implementation and offer a realistic approach to Green-star status achievement. The Life-cycle model analyses for cost, greenhouse-gas emissions and energy consumption allowing the construction methods to be optimised for minimum environmental impact. Utilisation of the model should significantly shape an organisations’ strategic planning, while a recognised high Green-star status from Green Building Council of Australia will improve their reputation and bring benefits to the construction industry.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional printing of structures using fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete. This project aims to investigate geopolymer binders for cement. Three-dimensional printing using concrete can eliminate expensive formwork but is hampered by a lack of underpinning theoretical material and structural research. Conventional Portland cement’s setting characteristics limit its use for three-dimensional (3D) printing. The project will develop a theoretical framework for the structural properties of ....Three-dimensional printing of structures using fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete. This project aims to investigate geopolymer binders for cement. Three-dimensional printing using concrete can eliminate expensive formwork but is hampered by a lack of underpinning theoretical material and structural research. Conventional Portland cement’s setting characteristics limit its use for three-dimensional (3D) printing. The project will develop a theoretical framework for the structural properties of the 3D printed concrete and flow of geopolymer binder through aggregate bed, and design a fibre reinforcement system. This project is expected to improve construction, reduce injury rates and create high-end technology-based jobs.Read moreRead less
Additive manufacturing of functionally graded geopolymers. This project aims to use contour crafting for three-dimensional printing of functionally graded geopolymer concrete. Contour crafting has been touted for producing uniform structural members made of conventional concrete mixtures. This project will develop the existing technique to produce microstructurally graded geopolymer structures and include functionally graded placement of fibre within a geopolymer matrix. It will investigate mech ....Additive manufacturing of functionally graded geopolymers. This project aims to use contour crafting for three-dimensional printing of functionally graded geopolymer concrete. Contour crafting has been touted for producing uniform structural members made of conventional concrete mixtures. This project will develop the existing technique to produce microstructurally graded geopolymer structures and include functionally graded placement of fibre within a geopolymer matrix. It will investigate mechanical, thermal and durability properties of printed composite structures. The outcome of this research could lead to cost-effective automated production of specialised structural components.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101587
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$364,446.00
Summary
Three-dimensional printable geo-polymer with orientable fibres for construction application. This project aims to develop a fibre-reinforced geo-polymer for three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP). 3DCP allows freeform construction without the use of expensive formwork, but is limited by the range of printable concretes and reinforcing methods. Geo-polymer is a sustainable material and has adjustable setting characteristics and better fibre-matrix interface properties than conventional cemen ....Three-dimensional printable geo-polymer with orientable fibres for construction application. This project aims to develop a fibre-reinforced geo-polymer for three-dimensional concrete printing (3DCP). 3DCP allows freeform construction without the use of expensive formwork, but is limited by the range of printable concretes and reinforcing methods. Geo-polymer is a sustainable material and has adjustable setting characteristics and better fibre-matrix interface properties than conventional cement. This project is expected to improve construction safety and costs.Read moreRead less
High-Grade CO2 Concrete for Low Life-Cycle Costing and Emissions. This proposal solves Australia’s concrete-waste-storage problems, and lowers the life-cycle costs and greenhouse-gas emissions by creating CO2 Concrete as a world-first material for high-grade applications. Using an automation system with high-tech software, innovative mixing techniques are proposed to maximise bonding at interfacial transition zones, strengthening CO2 Concrete's quality. The new material CO2 Concrete is created, ....High-Grade CO2 Concrete for Low Life-Cycle Costing and Emissions. This proposal solves Australia’s concrete-waste-storage problems, and lowers the life-cycle costs and greenhouse-gas emissions by creating CO2 Concrete as a world-first material for high-grade applications. Using an automation system with high-tech software, innovative mixing techniques are proposed to maximise bonding at interfacial transition zones, strengthening CO2 Concrete's quality. The new material CO2 Concrete is created, whose strength and durability are comparable to virgin concrete's, leading to new CO2-Concrete specifications for trials in the construction industry. This diversifies the construction industry, reduces landfill area, greening up Australia on a global scale.Read moreRead less
Composite steel-timber structural system. This project aims to deliver a novel composite steel–timber system that alleviates many of the environmental concerns of the industry, while improving efficiency by using lighter materials. It aims to develop a unique composite system comprised of steel I-section beams and prefabricated timber slabs, with shear connection being provided by bolting or screws. The project plans to assess the structural system experimentally and numerically, and to craft gu ....Composite steel-timber structural system. This project aims to deliver a novel composite steel–timber system that alleviates many of the environmental concerns of the industry, while improving efficiency by using lighter materials. It aims to develop a unique composite system comprised of steel I-section beams and prefabricated timber slabs, with shear connection being provided by bolting or screws. The project plans to assess the structural system experimentally and numerically, and to craft guidelines for the safe and efficient design of these members. The novel lightweight composite system would enhance the speed of construction, allow for deconstructability and reuse and, because plantation timber sequestrates carbon dioxide, have a low carbon footprint.Read moreRead less