Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354894
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Innovative risk analysis, assessment, rehabilitation and strengthening of aging critical civil infrastructure. Much essential civil engineering infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, dams, pipelines and pavements was commissioned many decades ago, and sustaining the integrity of this infrastructure in developed nations as it ages is now considered to be a major challenge to the engineering and scientific community. Australia is not spared by the ramifications of its aging civil assets, and ....Innovative risk analysis, assessment, rehabilitation and strengthening of aging critical civil infrastructure. Much essential civil engineering infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, dams, pipelines and pavements was commissioned many decades ago, and sustaining the integrity of this infrastructure in developed nations as it ages is now considered to be a major challenge to the engineering and scientific community. Australia is not spared by the ramifications of its aging civil assets, and identification and rectification procedures that are often ad-hoc now represent a sizeable proportion of the GDP. This Research Network draws together the leading Australian research groups in engineering and applied mechanics in a coordinated program to address this most important cost to the community.Read moreRead less
Characterisation of granular base and sub-base pavement materials under cyclic loading. Pavement construction is a high cost item in road construction. Until very recently, pavements were designed based on empirical rules and restrictive material prescriptions. With the introduction of rational mechanistic pavement design methodology, it has become necessary to reliably characterise the behaviour of road foundation materials under cyclic loading. This project is focused on the characterisati ....Characterisation of granular base and sub-base pavement materials under cyclic loading. Pavement construction is a high cost item in road construction. Until very recently, pavements were designed based on empirical rules and restrictive material prescriptions. With the introduction of rational mechanistic pavement design methodology, it has become necessary to reliably characterise the behaviour of road foundation materials under cyclic loading. This project is focused on the characterisation of unbound granular base and sub-base materials. Since these are geo-materials, geotechnical concepts such as the influence of stress path will be used. This project will lead to better roads at lower cost, and significant leap in know-how in pavement design and material specification.Read moreRead less
Development of hot-mix asphalt layer thickness design for longer-life asphalt pavements. This project will bring about an advance in pavement analysis and design, based on a more realistic approach to design inputs, analysis and design. The contribution of the project outcomes to knowledge in the field will be extremely important and a move away from empiricism will benefit pavement building industries world-wide.
Clogging of Permeable Reactive Barrier when treating Acidic Groundwater. Proper understanding of soil-water interaction is vital for sustainable development of floodplains, and to halt acid mine drainage caused by the oxidation of pyritic soil. Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) offer a cost-effective solution to neutralize acidified groundwater. The project aims to quantify the clogging potential of PRB’s granular medium by coupling geotechnical fundamentals with integrated hydro-bio-geochemical ....Clogging of Permeable Reactive Barrier when treating Acidic Groundwater. Proper understanding of soil-water interaction is vital for sustainable development of floodplains, and to halt acid mine drainage caused by the oxidation of pyritic soil. Permeable reactive barriers (PRB) offer a cost-effective solution to neutralize acidified groundwater. The project aims to quantify the clogging potential of PRB’s granular medium by coupling geotechnical fundamentals with integrated hydro-bio-geochemical processes. Time-dependent clogging will be evaluated through geotechnical laboratory & field testing. Expected outcomes are enhanced PRB design methods and sound geotechnical field monitoring to provide significant industry benefits, such as mine-site rehabilitation, increased productivity and infrastructure longevity.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150100428
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Effect of natural seabed on hydrodynamics around cylindrical structures. This project aims to investigate the flow around a circular cylinder, placed near a plane boundary, as a fundamental fluid phenomenon and for applications of designing subsea pipelines. The proposed work will be carried out using a combined approach of physical model testing and numerical study. The effect of the plane boundary on flow transition from 2D to 3D, from sub-critical to critical turbulence regime will be examine ....Effect of natural seabed on hydrodynamics around cylindrical structures. This project aims to investigate the flow around a circular cylinder, placed near a plane boundary, as a fundamental fluid phenomenon and for applications of designing subsea pipelines. The proposed work will be carried out using a combined approach of physical model testing and numerical study. The effect of the plane boundary on flow transition from 2D to 3D, from sub-critical to critical turbulence regime will be examined. The project aims to derive a comprehensive set of force coefficients to predict hydrodynamic forces on pipelines that will improve the design of subsea pipelines. This project could provide significant benefits for the Australian subsea oil and gas industry.Read moreRead less
Modelling and simulation of complex granular flows. Granular flows are of crucial importance in a wide range of problems related to civil infrastructure. These include landslides and similar catastrophic events, often leading to loss of life and property. The project aims to develop new methods for accurate prediction of such events thus allowing for the formulation of efficient mitigation strategies.
INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANISM CAUSING SHRINKAGE STRAINS IN CONCRETES MADE WITH SLAG BLENDED CEMENTS. Slag, an industrial by-product, can partially substitute portland cement. High slag contents produce highly durable concretes and help reduce the CO2 emissions due to cement manufacture. Major problem of high slag content is often the high shrinkages resulting in the concrete. This project will systematically study all the factors affect the shrinkage behaviour in slag-blended cement concrete ....INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANISM CAUSING SHRINKAGE STRAINS IN CONCRETES MADE WITH SLAG BLENDED CEMENTS. Slag, an industrial by-product, can partially substitute portland cement. High slag contents produce highly durable concretes and help reduce the CO2 emissions due to cement manufacture. Major problem of high slag content is often the high shrinkages resulting in the concrete. This project will systematically study all the factors affect the shrinkage behaviour in slag-blended cement concretes including the appropriateness of the standard shrinkage measurement method. The other aim is to develop a micro-mechanical model to understand the fundamental mechanism involved. This model will also lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in shrinkage in all concretes.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100010
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy. This project aims to create new knowledge to reduce waste going to landfills and transform reclaimed waste into new materials for use in construction and other manufacturing sectors. It integrates multisector input and multidisciplinary academic research to address ten challenging waste streams. Expected outcomes are smart materials, socio-technical change, accelerated t ....ARC Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy. This project aims to create new knowledge to reduce waste going to landfills and transform reclaimed waste into new materials for use in construction and other manufacturing sectors. It integrates multisector input and multidisciplinary academic research to address ten challenging waste streams. Expected outcomes are smart materials, socio-technical change, accelerated testing methods, predictive modeling, circular life cycle costing and a trusted evidence base. Outcomes will lead to commercial benefits as well as jobs and a significant contribution to addressing the pressing environmental impacts of waste production, management, and re-use.Read moreRead less
A holistic integrated design approach for building envelopes incorporating sustainability, security and safety. This project aims to develop a highly secure and sustainable facade system for buildings with a significant enhancement over other conventional facades in terms of both protection against extreme loads and life cycle energy performance. The outcome of this project can be used to improve the sustainability and safety of buildings in Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100657
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$330,000.00
Summary
Improving mental health and safety in the construction industry. This project aims to quantify the interdependencies of the psychosocial risk factors the construction workforce is exposed to and contribute to developing strategies for improving the mental health and safety of the Australian construction industry. The suicide rate of Australian construction workers is 84 per cent higher than non-construction workers due to the high psychosocial risks involved. The quantification of these psychoso ....Improving mental health and safety in the construction industry. This project aims to quantify the interdependencies of the psychosocial risk factors the construction workforce is exposed to and contribute to developing strategies for improving the mental health and safety of the Australian construction industry. The suicide rate of Australian construction workers is 84 per cent higher than non-construction workers due to the high psychosocial risks involved. The quantification of these psychosocial risk factors and their interdependencies will enable effective strategies to be designed. The long-term impacts of this project include improving the mental health of the construction workforce, reducing suicide rates and mental health work compensation, enhancing employee productivity, and reducing accidents and injuries. This project will make Australia a global leader in mental health and safety of the construction industry.Read moreRead less