Structural reliability and remaining life estimation for deteriorating steel infrastructure. The risk-based approach to infrastructure performance allows the likelihood and extent of corrosion damage to be modelled. This will allow the safety of new and existing steel infrastructure to be assessed, and the safe remaining service life to be calculated.
Stiffness degradation of concrete members induced by reinforcement corrosion. Corrosion of steel reinforcement is the major cause of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures exposed to coastal and marine environments. In Australia, corrosion-related repair and rehabilitation costs about $13 billion annually. Research carried out to date on the effects of corrosion in concrete structures has not considered the effects of sustained loads and shrinkage on corrosion and the deterioration of m ....Stiffness degradation of concrete members induced by reinforcement corrosion. Corrosion of steel reinforcement is the major cause of deterioration of reinforced concrete structures exposed to coastal and marine environments. In Australia, corrosion-related repair and rehabilitation costs about $13 billion annually. Research carried out to date on the effects of corrosion in concrete structures has not considered the effects of sustained loads and shrinkage on corrosion and the deterioration of member stiffness with time. This project will develop a new theoretical basis to characterise corrosion effects on the in-service behaviour of concrete structures, essential for adequate assessment of durability of existing structures and for the safe design of new structures. Read moreRead less
Integrated multilayered floor systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop new integrated multilayered floor systems that is expected to increase the structural performance of inter-storey floors, minimise construction time and integrate the installation of services and structural components. This development will build on current construction techniques commonly available in Australia, such as composite steel-concrete systems, thin-metal products and prestressing techniq ....Integrated multilayered floor systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop new integrated multilayered floor systems that is expected to increase the structural performance of inter-storey floors, minimise construction time and integrate the installation of services and structural components. This development will build on current construction techniques commonly available in Australia, such as composite steel-concrete systems, thin-metal products and prestressing techniques, and will combine their use in innovative arrangements which integrate services. A holistic theoretical framework intends to be established to develop and identify floor systems that maximise the structural efficiency while minimising the use of construction materials.Read moreRead less
Time-dependent stiffness of cracked reinforced concrete. This project will quantify the time-dependent change in stiffness of cracked reinforced concrete and provide a clearer insight into the time-varying load sharing mechanisms at the concrete-reinforcement interface. Analytical models to simulate structural behaviour and reliable procedures for use in structural design will be developed.
Behaviour of lifting inserts for precast concrete construction. The Australian market for precast concrete wall panels is estimated to be 5-6 million square metres per annum. This project will create the first guidelines for the design and safer usage of inserts for lifting operations, using novel analytical and numerical models to simulate structural behaviour and determine reliable procedures.
Behaviour & design of large fabricated stainless steel composite structures. This project will focus on the fundamental behaviour of large fabricated stainless steel composite sections for built infrastructure. Current Australasian standards for buildings and bridges do not address the use of fabricated stainless steel sections for members. The project will involve both an experimental and theoretical component and will result in the development of design guidelines for real applications for str ....Behaviour & design of large fabricated stainless steel composite structures. This project will focus on the fundamental behaviour of large fabricated stainless steel composite sections for built infrastructure. Current Australasian standards for buildings and bridges do not address the use of fabricated stainless steel sections for members. The project will involve both an experimental and theoretical component and will result in the development of design guidelines for real applications for structural engineers in Australian standards. The benefits that arise by the use of stainless steel for durability will be further enhanced by the composite action achieved with concrete which will improve the strength, stability and ductility properties.Read moreRead less
Adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. A new theoretical platform will be instrumental in the development of building technologies such as adaptive shading and ventilation components. In a reversal of the conventional design avoidance of structural phenomena such as lateral and flexural-torsional buckling, these phenomena will be exploited to achieve functional forms for shading componen ....Adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. A new theoretical platform will be instrumental in the development of building technologies such as adaptive shading and ventilation components. In a reversal of the conventional design avoidance of structural phenomena such as lateral and flexural-torsional buckling, these phenomena will be exploited to achieve functional forms for shading components. Thin-metal ventilation ducts will be embedded within structural components to produce optimised ventilation strategies and to increase thermal mass, while accounting for their structural contribution.Read moreRead less
Durability of carbon fibre reinforced polymer (CFRP) strengthened steel structures against environment-assisted degradation. This research project will challenge conventional methods of repairing or strengthening steel structures by using carbon fibre reinforced polymer with advanced epoxy. The outcome of this research is to remove the biggest barrier to the full utilization of such advanced material in civil, offshore and mining industry.
Long-term corrosion of offshore steel structures in near-stagnant seawater. This project investigates the seawater corrosion of structural steels under near-stagnant and possibly polluted conditions. Better understanding of long-term corrosion of structural steels in near-stagnant seawaters is needed to predict the safety of steel offshore structures such as the pods supporting wind and wave energy generators. Also, the expensive maintenance of protective coatings and systems could be obviated o ....Long-term corrosion of offshore steel structures in near-stagnant seawater. This project investigates the seawater corrosion of structural steels under near-stagnant and possibly polluted conditions. Better understanding of long-term corrosion of structural steels in near-stagnant seawaters is needed to predict the safety of steel offshore structures such as the pods supporting wind and wave energy generators. Also, the expensive maintenance of protective coatings and systems could be obviated or reduced if corrosion remains acceptable. This project plans to investigate experimentally the temporal development and stochastic nature of general corrosion and pitting for steels under actual near-stagnant seawater conditions. It also plans to build mathematical-probabilistic models for corrosion prediction, calibrated to field data. These models will include allowance for microbiological corrosion effects, important under anthropological pollution.Read moreRead less
Buckling capacity of high-strength steel flexural members. This project aims to investigate the capacity of high-strength steel (HSS) flexural members by undertaking physical tests and numerical simulations, and proposes to craft innovative overarching design guidance for them within a paradigm of Design by Advanced Analysis. HSS structures are significant as they are lighter than their mild steel counterparts and so use less material, with a much lower carbon footprint. Modern metallurgical pro ....Buckling capacity of high-strength steel flexural members. This project aims to investigate the capacity of high-strength steel (HSS) flexural members by undertaking physical tests and numerical simulations, and proposes to craft innovative overarching design guidance for them within a paradigm of Design by Advanced Analysis. HSS structures are significant as they are lighter than their mild steel counterparts and so use less material, with a much lower carbon footprint. Modern metallurgical process can produce HSS of Grade 1000 Megapascals or higher, but there is no specific structural code governing their design. Surprisingly little research has been reported on HSS flexural members which fail by lateral buckling, and this is the focus of the project, filling the gap needed to produce an advanced design standard.Read moreRead less