Long-term behaviour of thin-walled concrete curved members strengthened with externally bonded composite materials. Concrete arches and domes are prone to catastrophic failures which involve loss of life and limb, and many global iconic structures are of this form. When subjected to creep, shrinkage and thermal effects, their behaviour is non-linear and complex. This proposal will keep Australian research at the forefront by developing a fundamental understanding of these structural forms over t ....Long-term behaviour of thin-walled concrete curved members strengthened with externally bonded composite materials. Concrete arches and domes are prone to catastrophic failures which involve loss of life and limb, and many global iconic structures are of this form. When subjected to creep, shrinkage and thermal effects, their behaviour is non-linear and complex. This proposal will keep Australian research at the forefront by developing a fundamental understanding of these structural forms over time, when strengthened with externally-bonded composite materials in an innovative retrofit procedure. It encompasses the priority goal of frontier technologies for building and transforming Australian industry, will lead to valuable guidance for engineers, and will contribute to the training of skilled PhD scholars.Read moreRead less
Long Term Behaviour Of Composite Steel-Concrete Beams And Its Effect On Composite Dynamic Response. Composite steel-concrete construction has proven to be a most prolific area of research over the last few decades with Australian researchers at the forefront in the field internationally. Despite this and the great significance of the problem to the Australian building industry (in 2000-2001 alone Australia spent 17.5 billion dollars on heavy engineering infrastructure development), there appears ....Long Term Behaviour Of Composite Steel-Concrete Beams And Its Effect On Composite Dynamic Response. Composite steel-concrete construction has proven to be a most prolific area of research over the last few decades with Australian researchers at the forefront in the field internationally. Despite this and the great significance of the problem to the Australian building industry (in 2000-2001 alone Australia spent 17.5 billion dollars on heavy engineering infrastructure development), there appears to be no systematic study of time effects, such as creep and shrinkage, on the static and dynamic response of composite beams. This project will explore these phenomena, both theoretically and experimentally, leading to development of valuable theoretical models and design aids for practicing engineers.Read moreRead less
Anchorage of reinforcement in concrete structures subjected to loading and environmental extremes. The consequences of collapse of a reinforced concrete building are severe both in terms of cost and human lives. When subjected to extreme events, such as earthquake, blast, accidental impact or other overloads, a concrete structure should deform excessively, but not collapse, i.e. it must be robust. Robustness requires that the steel reinforcement is ductile and that it is adequately anchored in t ....Anchorage of reinforcement in concrete structures subjected to loading and environmental extremes. The consequences of collapse of a reinforced concrete building are severe both in terms of cost and human lives. When subjected to extreme events, such as earthquake, blast, accidental impact or other overloads, a concrete structure should deform excessively, but not collapse, i.e. it must be robust. Robustness requires that the steel reinforcement is ductile and that it is adequately anchored in the concrete. When a collapse does occur, it is often due to inadequate anchorage of the steel bars. This project will re-assess the anchorage requirements for reinforcement in concrete structures and provide reliable guidance to the construction industry. The project will lead directly to improvements in the safety and reliability of structures.Read moreRead less
Modelling of Damage Progression and its Effects on the Expected Safety and Satisfactory Performance of Existing Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure. The extent of reinforcement corrosion in existing infrastructure will influence demolish/repair decisions, maintenance strategies and hence the frequency, timing, extent and required level of efficiency and effectiveness of repairs. The project will provide improved evaluation of existing structural systems by considering improved deterioration model ....Modelling of Damage Progression and its Effects on the Expected Safety and Satisfactory Performance of Existing Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure. The extent of reinforcement corrosion in existing infrastructure will influence demolish/repair decisions, maintenance strategies and hence the frequency, timing, extent and required level of efficiency and effectiveness of repairs. The project will provide improved evaluation of existing structural systems by considering improved deterioration modelling and predictions of safety and satisfactory performance. The potential economic benefits of greater precision in infrastructure replacement or repair strategies and of the risks involved are large given that the size of Australia's infrastructure stock is valued at over $400 billion and its maintenance involves considerable costs.Read moreRead less
Strength and Ductility of Steel Fibre Reinforced HSC Columns. Research has identified two problems in the use of HSC in columns; they are early spalling of the concrete cover and ductility. Ductility is an important feature of any structural member as it guards against unforeseen overload and sudden collapse. The provision of steel fibres has the potential to alleviate, if not solve, both problems. However, little research has been undertaken on the use of steel fibres in columns and questions s ....Strength and Ductility of Steel Fibre Reinforced HSC Columns. Research has identified two problems in the use of HSC in columns; they are early spalling of the concrete cover and ductility. Ductility is an important feature of any structural member as it guards against unforeseen overload and sudden collapse. The provision of steel fibres has the potential to alleviate, if not solve, both problems. However, little research has been undertaken on the use of steel fibres in columns and questions such as the quantity of fibres needed to control cover spalling and the degree that fibre reinforcement aids ductility remain largely unexplored. These issues are addressed in this project.Read moreRead less
Remaining life estimation for existing deteriorating reinforced concrete infrastructure. Structural deterioration affects the safety and performance of infrastructure facilities and so life extension is an area of increasing economic importance. The project will provide improved techniques for making sound assessments of the remaining safe service life of existing deteriorating infrastructure such as jetties, piers, bridges, buildings, etc. The incorporation of on-site inspection and test data w ....Remaining life estimation for existing deteriorating reinforced concrete infrastructure. Structural deterioration affects the safety and performance of infrastructure facilities and so life extension is an area of increasing economic importance. The project will provide improved techniques for making sound assessments of the remaining safe service life of existing deteriorating infrastructure such as jetties, piers, bridges, buildings, etc. The incorporation of on-site inspection and test data will, in many cases, allow for the extension of safe service life beyond what was originally intended by the designers. This will provide substantial economic benefits since as much as 3% of Australia's GDP is lost due to corrosion and other forms of structural deterioration.Read moreRead less
Modelling and Integration of Spatial Time-Dependent Variability in Structural Reliability Analysis. This project deals with some theoretical aspects of the increasingly important practical problem of realistic assessment of the remaining safe and serviceable life of deteriorating infrastructure. It uses cutting-edge techniques in stochastic structural mechanics to model spatial variability due to pitting corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This is then extended to the time dependent dom ....Modelling and Integration of Spatial Time-Dependent Variability in Structural Reliability Analysis. This project deals with some theoretical aspects of the increasingly important practical problem of realistic assessment of the remaining safe and serviceable life of deteriorating infrastructure. It uses cutting-edge techniques in stochastic structural mechanics to model spatial variability due to pitting corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This is then extended to the time dependent domain to reflect deterioration processes. These are calibrated to experimental data generated in the project. In parallel, a novel technique is developed to incorporate these spatial models in procedures for time dependent structural reliability analysis. The outcomes will enhance engineering risk assessment for infrastructure decision-making.Read moreRead less
FRACTURE OF STEEL FIBRE-REINFORCED CONCRETE: MODES I & II. In 2000-2001 Australia spent 17.5 billon dollars on heavy engineering infrastructure development (3% of its gross domestic product). As this infrastructure ages costs of repairs and maintenance magnifies. Conventional structural concrete can significantly deteriorate with time requiring regular and often costly maintenance. This research goes to the development of a class of "super" concretes with very high strengths and with excellent d ....FRACTURE OF STEEL FIBRE-REINFORCED CONCRETE: MODES I & II. In 2000-2001 Australia spent 17.5 billon dollars on heavy engineering infrastructure development (3% of its gross domestic product). As this infrastructure ages costs of repairs and maintenance magnifies. Conventional structural concrete can significantly deteriorate with time requiring regular and often costly maintenance. This research goes to the development of a class of "super" concretes with very high strengths and with excellent durability properties. With improved understanding of fracture and fracture processes with these materials, new models can be developed to represent the behaviour of structural elements fabricated with this "super" class of concretes and speed their implementation into Australian construction practice.Read moreRead less
DEBONDING FAILURE IN CFRP STRENGTHENED CONCRETE STRUCTURES. In 1999-2000 Australia spent $19 billion on civil engineering infrastructure renewal (3% of the country's GDP). The repair of damaged structures and strengthening of existing structures has become a research priority to maximise the life of aging infrastructure. A method that shows particular promise is the use of CFRP technology to retrofit structures. The repair technology, however, requires development and questions remain as to bond ....DEBONDING FAILURE IN CFRP STRENGTHENED CONCRETE STRUCTURES. In 1999-2000 Australia spent $19 billion on civil engineering infrastructure renewal (3% of the country's GDP). The repair of damaged structures and strengthening of existing structures has become a research priority to maximise the life of aging infrastructure. A method that shows particular promise is the use of CFRP technology to retrofit structures. The repair technology, however, requires development and questions remain as to bonding mechanics and debonding strength of the repair material from the structure. This research will provide high quality experimental data and will develop a rational analytical model for debonding between CFRP plates from the parent concrete.Read moreRead less
Mechanics of dynamic loading and rapid penetration of soils. The project will produce improved understanding and new numerical tools that will permit cost effective simulation and modelling of rapid penetration of objects into the ground, and of the compaction processes used on the majority of construction sites. The free fall penetrometer will be developed to enable soil strength to be determined at remote sites, e.g. ocean seabed, jungles, swamps. The project will also assist in the selection ....Mechanics of dynamic loading and rapid penetration of soils. The project will produce improved understanding and new numerical tools that will permit cost effective simulation and modelling of rapid penetration of objects into the ground, and of the compaction processes used on the majority of construction sites. The free fall penetrometer will be developed to enable soil strength to be determined at remote sites, e.g. ocean seabed, jungles, swamps. The project will also assist in the selection of compaction equipment and procedures.Read moreRead less