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.
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
Variational multiscale modelling of granular materials. Granular materials play an important role in a wide-range of problems related to physical infrastructure. These include landslides and similar catastrophic events often leading to loss of life and property. This project will aim to develop new methods for adequate simulation of granular flows to allow formulation of efficient risk mitigation strategies.
Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will ....Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will include complex full-scale laboratory tests and advanced computer modelling to verify the performance against expected cyclic loading. New design approaches will be developed for this emerging foundation system, enabling more widespread adoption of this technology in the building and construction industry.Read moreRead less
Achieving structural morphing via functionalising nonlinear buckling. This project aims to develop a general framework to analyse and design functional components of buildings and structures, where they change shapes (morphing) by buckling. Australian buildings consume 20% of the nation’s total energy production on heating and cooling, and projected population increases are likely to increase energy demands. The shape changes are optimised, e.g. to reduce energy consumption by minimising solar r ....Achieving structural morphing via functionalising nonlinear buckling. This project aims to develop a general framework to analyse and design functional components of buildings and structures, where they change shapes (morphing) by buckling. Australian buildings consume 20% of the nation’s total energy production on heating and cooling, and projected population increases are likely to increase energy demands. The shape changes are optimised, e.g. to reduce energy consumption by minimising solar radiation loads or maximising natural air ventilation. The project expects to develop building technology solutions to reduce Australia's energy consumption, and provide domestic and global market opportunities in the high-tech manufacturing sector.Read moreRead less
Fibre-Reinforced Timber for Novel Hybrid Folded Thin-Walled Structures. This project proposes novel manufacture and analysis methods for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid sections. FRP composites have gained wide acceptance within the civil engineering community. All-FRP systems typically use thin-walled profiles based on steel sections, but existing manufacturing technologies are unable to optimise material usage. Hybrid systems combine FRP with traditional materials for optimum structural ....Fibre-Reinforced Timber for Novel Hybrid Folded Thin-Walled Structures. This project proposes novel manufacture and analysis methods for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid sections. FRP composites have gained wide acceptance within the civil engineering community. All-FRP systems typically use thin-walled profiles based on steel sections, but existing manufacturing technologies are unable to optimise material usage. Hybrid systems combine FRP with traditional materials for optimum structural performance and so are often more economical than all-FRP systems. This project aims to develop an effective way to analyse, manufacture, and design FRP-based hybrid thin-walled structural members and optimise performance against buckling failure modes. The technology developed in this project would support the development of advanced low-cost FRP structural systems.Read moreRead less
Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex ....Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex than current micropile theory; this project will research the mechanism of load transfer from micropiles to the soil and soil response.Read moreRead less
Adaptive Base Isolation using Innovative Magnetorheological Elastomers. Base isolation is of great importance for the safety of infrastructure, such as hospitals, bridges and nuclear power plants. Utilisation of a traditional passive base isolator makes the base isolation system vulnerable and susceptible to unexpected/extreme dynamic loadings, such as earthquakes. This project aims to address this critical issue through the development of a novel adaptive seismic isolator working with an innova ....Adaptive Base Isolation using Innovative Magnetorheological Elastomers. Base isolation is of great importance for the safety of infrastructure, such as hospitals, bridges and nuclear power plants. Utilisation of a traditional passive base isolator makes the base isolation system vulnerable and susceptible to unexpected/extreme dynamic loadings, such as earthquakes. This project aims to address this critical issue through the development of a novel adaptive seismic isolator working with an innovative stiffness softening magnetorheological elastomer (MRE). This research represents a fundamental step towards the understanding of MRE behaviour and is expected to be the breakthrough for the development of a future smart base isolation system.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100289
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Structural design and distributed fabrication of folded sandwich structures. This project intends to develop a new type of modular structural form that retains the streamlined construction of existing prefabricated systems, but can be rapidly fabricated in non-specialist and low-cost manufacturing plants. ‘Folded sandwich structures’ are part of the emerging field of origami-inspired engineering design. This project intends to conduct numerical, experimental and theoretical structural analysis a ....Structural design and distributed fabrication of folded sandwich structures. This project intends to develop a new type of modular structural form that retains the streamlined construction of existing prefabricated systems, but can be rapidly fabricated in non-specialist and low-cost manufacturing plants. ‘Folded sandwich structures’ are part of the emerging field of origami-inspired engineering design. This project intends to conduct numerical, experimental and theoretical structural analysis and optimisation on plate and shell building components. Such a system would enable the establishment of a distributed local manufacturing network, for example to provide the short-term infrastructure needs of regions affected by natural disaster.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.