Microbiologically Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Underground Mines. Premature brittle failure of rock & cable bolts due to stress corrosion cracking can cause fatalities and serious damage, and has been reported in several mining operations across Australia and world-wide. The evidence suggests that microbial activity is a contributing factor. The project aims to implement experimental methodologies to determine the specific conditions responsible for bolt failure and develop novel prevent ....Microbiologically Induced Stress Corrosion Cracking in Underground Mines. Premature brittle failure of rock & cable bolts due to stress corrosion cracking can cause fatalities and serious damage, and has been reported in several mining operations across Australia and world-wide. The evidence suggests that microbial activity is a contributing factor. The project aims to implement experimental methodologies to determine the specific conditions responsible for bolt failure and develop novel prevention techniques applicable in underground mines. The benefits of this research will be improved understanding of the environment causing catastrophic failure of bolts and avoidance of potential hazards & economic loss in mining projects. This will lead to improved safety & increased productivity in mining operations.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC160100036
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,881,754.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre in Alloy Innovation for Mining Efficiency. ARC Training Centre in Alloy Innovation for Mining Efficiency. This centre aims to make Australian manufacturers dominant in the multi-billion dollar mining equipment sector by training innovators to design the world’s best highly customized long-life, wear resistant components. It intends to rapidly develop customized alloys that excel in severe mining conditions, using three-dimensional printing, novel characterisation and its netw ....ARC Training Centre in Alloy Innovation for Mining Efficiency. ARC Training Centre in Alloy Innovation for Mining Efficiency. This centre aims to make Australian manufacturers dominant in the multi-billion dollar mining equipment sector by training innovators to design the world’s best highly customized long-life, wear resistant components. It intends to rapidly develop customized alloys that excel in severe mining conditions, using three-dimensional printing, novel characterisation and its networked training environment. It expects these innovations will enable much needed efficiencies after the end of the mining super-cycle. Anticipated outcomes are the design of products with superior alloy design and material selection; jobs growth and security in the mining component production sector; and increased mining efficiency and cost reduction.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR180100005
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$1,225,000.00
Summary
Remediation of PFAS contaminated soil using soil washing and immobilisation. This project aims to assess the applicability of soil washing and immobilisation as cost-effective techniques for the remediation of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminated Australian soils. The project expects to establish the efficacy of the remediation of a range of PFASs, including many polyfluorinated precursors of perfluorinated, chemically-persistent legacy pollutants which are of concern. The proj ....Remediation of PFAS contaminated soil using soil washing and immobilisation. This project aims to assess the applicability of soil washing and immobilisation as cost-effective techniques for the remediation of per- and poly-fluroalkyl substance (PFAS) contaminated Australian soils. The project expects to establish the efficacy of the remediation of a range of PFASs, including many polyfluorinated precursors of perfluorinated, chemically-persistent legacy pollutants which are of concern. The project will provide a scientific basis for understanding the benefits and limitations associated with soil washing and immobilisation techniques and a more comprehensive understanding of future liabilities associated with formation of PFASs from precursors remaining in remediated soils. Collaboration with stakeholders will ensure benefits are captured both commercially and environmentally, as well as removing a potential and on-going health threat to communities exposed to these contaminants.Read moreRead less
Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and frac ....Nature's mechanisms for leaching and remobilising metals. This project aims to understand the chemical and physical processes that govern reactive transport and metal scavenging in rocky environments. Much of Australia's mineral wealth is the result of the interaction of warm fluids with rocks deep in the Earth over geological timescales. The formation of ore deposits is governed by the physical chemistry of mineral dissolution and crystallisation, and by fluid flow through porous rocks and fractures. This project integrates innovation in geology, chemistry, and mineral engineering, and will deliver mineral-scale reaction models that will increase efficiency of in-situ mining and leaching technologies. Knowledge generated can be applied to improve mineral exploration, mining, and processing, contributing to unlocking billions of dollars’ worth of resources tied up in low grade, mineralogically complex ores.Read moreRead less
Biogeochemistry of ferruginous duricrusts. The project is focussed on the examination and application of microbial iron cycling in the formation of geologically stable, iron duricrusts in tropical regimes. The aim of the project is to develop a site-scale bioremediation strategy for iron ore mines by re-establishing canga, which are ‘ancient’ distinct ecosystems possessing unique plant species rarely found on Earth. This university-industry collaboration aims to produce economic benefits for the ....Biogeochemistry of ferruginous duricrusts. The project is focussed on the examination and application of microbial iron cycling in the formation of geologically stable, iron duricrusts in tropical regimes. The aim of the project is to develop a site-scale bioremediation strategy for iron ore mines by re-establishing canga, which are ‘ancient’ distinct ecosystems possessing unique plant species rarely found on Earth. This university-industry collaboration aims to produce economic benefits for the world’s iron mining industry through advanced training in mining-related research, and through the completion of the mining life cycle by site remediation, enhancing Australia’s position as a global leader in providing innovative solutions to today’s mining challenges.Read moreRead less
Unravelling soil carbon response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems. This project aims to reveal the continental pattern of soil carbon (C) response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems across Australia and to unravel the biogeochemical mechanisms underlying fire’s role in shaping the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Fire has modified over 40% of the Earth’s land surface and wildfire frequency is predicted to increase under global warming. This project expects to generate new k ....Unravelling soil carbon response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems. This project aims to reveal the continental pattern of soil carbon (C) response to warming in fire-affected ecosystems across Australia and to unravel the biogeochemical mechanisms underlying fire’s role in shaping the temperature sensitivity of soil respiration. Fire has modified over 40% of the Earth’s land surface and wildfire frequency is predicted to increase under global warming. This project expects to generate new knowledge on how fire influences soil-to-atmosphere C fluxes in a warmer climate using a multi-disciplinary approach. Expected outcomes include an enhanced capacity to predict the terrestrial ecosystem-to-atmosphere C fluxes and their feedbacks to climate under increasing frequency of fire using Earth-system models. Read moreRead less
Formation and stabilisation of coastal blue carbon. Blue carbon is organic carbon stored within coastal vegetated ecosystems. This project will examine the composition, formation and dynamics of blue carbon in a range of coastal ecosystems. Combining advanced analytical chemistry with environmental microbiology, we will discover how blue carbon is stabilised and destabilised, a critical factor in nature-based climate change mitigation strategies. Further, we will gain a quantitative understandin ....Formation and stabilisation of coastal blue carbon. Blue carbon is organic carbon stored within coastal vegetated ecosystems. This project will examine the composition, formation and dynamics of blue carbon in a range of coastal ecosystems. Combining advanced analytical chemistry with environmental microbiology, we will discover how blue carbon is stabilised and destabilised, a critical factor in nature-based climate change mitigation strategies. Further, we will gain a quantitative understanding of blue carbon contributions to carbon cycling, providing enhanced modeling and prediction of climate-cycle feedbacks in response to biotic and environmental change. This research will significantly benefit Australia’s effective management of coastal vegetated ecosystems for maximum carbon offsets.Read moreRead less
Legal and social dynamics of eBook lending in Australia’s public libraries. Legal and social dynamics of eBook lending in Australia’s public libraries. This project aims to develop an evidence base of quantitative and qualitative data about how eBooks are used in libraries. EBooks have tremendous beneficial potential, particularly for Australians in remote areas and those with impaired mobility or vision. However, libraries’ rights to acquire and lend them are more restricted than for physical b ....Legal and social dynamics of eBook lending in Australia’s public libraries. Legal and social dynamics of eBook lending in Australia’s public libraries. This project aims to develop an evidence base of quantitative and qualitative data about how eBooks are used in libraries. EBooks have tremendous beneficial potential, particularly for Australians in remote areas and those with impaired mobility or vision. However, libraries’ rights to acquire and lend them are more restricted than for physical books. Libraries and legal, social and data science researchers will investigate eBook lending practices and understand their social impacts. The project will identify ways of reforming policy, law, and practice to help libraries fulfil their public interest missions. This project is expected to enable libraries to extract more value from existing public investments.Read moreRead less
The big flood: will it happen again? If we could better predict the frequency of extreme flood events, would we be better prepared to safeguard human lives and settlements? This project provides a time-line of flood activity in the south east Queensland region extending back thousands of years using state-of-the-art dating techniques and seeks to identifiy those settlements most at risk.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100090
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$250,000.00
Summary
Computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models. Computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models:
The computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models aims to enable new developments in machine learning of deep neural network models by providing the specialised computing necessary to train and evaluate the networks. In the last three years, deep networks have smashed previous performance ceilings for tasks such as object ....Computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models. Computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models:
The computational infrastructure for developing deep machine learning models aims to enable new developments in machine learning of deep neural network models by providing the specialised computing necessary to train and evaluate the networks. In the last three years, deep networks have smashed previous performance ceilings for tasks such as object recognition in images, speech recognition and automatic translation, bringing the prospect of machine intelligence closer than ever. Modern machine learning techniques have had huge impact in the last decade in fields such as robotics, computer vision and data analytics. The facility would enable Australian researchers to develop, learn and apply deep networks to problems of national importance in robotic vision and big data analytics. Read moreRead less