Mixed Mode Torsion-Shear-Bending Failure in SFRC Elements . In 2017 and 2018 the Australian Standards for the design of concrete bridges and structures were released; these are some of the first in the world, to include design procedures for steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) in a comprehensive way. While rules have been introduced for shear and bending of SFRC girders, the rules exclude the use fibres to carry torsional moments. This study investigates the torsion-bending-shear interaction ....Mixed Mode Torsion-Shear-Bending Failure in SFRC Elements . In 2017 and 2018 the Australian Standards for the design of concrete bridges and structures were released; these are some of the first in the world, to include design procedures for steel fibre reinforced concrete (SFRC) in a comprehensive way. While rules have been introduced for shear and bending of SFRC girders, the rules exclude the use fibres to carry torsional moments. This study investigates the torsion-bending-shear interaction performance of SFRC members. The study will provide vital data needed for for adoption by engineers and Standards bodies.Read moreRead less
The behaviour and design of composite columns coupling the benefits of high strength steel and high strength concrete for large scale infrastructure. This project will involve the development of a novel structural column system which will be more efficient, robust and require less maintenance than current systems. The outcomes will involve improved design methodologies which will enable large scale infrastructure to be enhanced and will involve the use of materials which improve sustainability.
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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE180100101
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$744,697.00
Summary
New generation facility for impact testing. This project aims to develop a new generation, national-impact testing facility to study the impact response of civil and mechanical structures and components. This project expects to seek simultaneous, realistic impact scenarios with very high velocities, which were previously impossible. This will enhance the capability for innovative research on real-time behaviour of components/systems under high amplitude impacts to augment their protection throug ....New generation facility for impact testing. This project aims to develop a new generation, national-impact testing facility to study the impact response of civil and mechanical structures and components. This project expects to seek simultaneous, realistic impact scenarios with very high velocities, which were previously impossible. This will enhance the capability for innovative research on real-time behaviour of components/systems under high amplitude impacts to augment their protection through advanced materials. This project is essential for research on rational design philosophies and effective retrofitting of high-risk buildings, infrastructure and armoured vehicles. Benefits include the saving of lives and property through new knowledge from credible impact testing.Read moreRead less
Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for limited ductility. The integrity assessment of structures by direct methods, founded on limit and shakedown concepts, provides vital information about their failure loads. This project aims at overcoming a severe shortcoming of such approaches by incorporating the effects of limited ductility into the analyses. Novel formulations and efficient algorithms will be developed. These tools will be used to provide a better understanding of the implications of ....Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for limited ductility. The integrity assessment of structures by direct methods, founded on limit and shakedown concepts, provides vital information about their failure loads. This project aims at overcoming a severe shortcoming of such approaches by incorporating the effects of limited ductility into the analyses. Novel formulations and efficient algorithms will be developed. These tools will be used to provide a better understanding of the implications of limited ductility, vital to a proper safety assessment of limited ductility structures under complex loadings. Such a capability is important in infrastructure design as well as in such strategic areas as the aeronautical technologies.Read moreRead less
Thin-walled Structures Subjected to Impact and Blast Loading. Terrorist attacks have cost Australians much human grief and billions of dollars. Containing the consequences of a blast or impact is crucial to survival and restricting damage to critical civilian/defence infrastructure. Thin-walled structures are used extensively in such infrastructure. There is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour when subjected to impulse and blast loads. The investigators will establish the most economical m ....Thin-walled Structures Subjected to Impact and Blast Loading. Terrorist attacks have cost Australians much human grief and billions of dollars. Containing the consequences of a blast or impact is crucial to survival and restricting damage to critical civilian/defence infrastructure. Thin-walled structures are used extensively in such infrastructure. There is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour when subjected to impulse and blast loads. The investigators will establish the most economical means of designing passive blast protection into thin-walled structures and hence, Australia's critical infrastructure. This knowledge will be transferred into design standards and Australia's limited defence resources.Read moreRead less
Scaled boundary finite-element shakedown approach for the safety assessment of cracked elastoplastic structures under cyclic loading. Many structures in Australia have passed or are approaching their design life. One of the most common happening in an ageing structure is the appearance of cracks. The safety of a cracked structure is a major concern to general public and government authority if no reliable safety evaluation can be performed. In this research project, an advanced numerical tool wi ....Scaled boundary finite-element shakedown approach for the safety assessment of cracked elastoplastic structures under cyclic loading. Many structures in Australia have passed or are approaching their design life. One of the most common happening in an ageing structure is the appearance of cracks. The safety of a cracked structure is a major concern to general public and government authority if no reliable safety evaluation can be performed. In this research project, an advanced numerical tool will be developed to predict the stability of cracks and thus the safety of a cracked structure. Such a tool, which does not yet exist, will help engineers and government authorities in deciding on the necessity and type of rehabilitation, retirement or replacement of a cracked structure. Read moreRead less
Non-deterministic fracture analysis of structures by extending the scaled boundary finite-element method. A very large part of Australia's dam, bridge and building infrastructure is ageing and experiencing cracking and deteriorations in material properties caused by progressive deterioration of concrete and corrosion of steel. This research addresses the practical and challenging problems of cracked structures with uncertainties in their properties and crack sizes. The advanced numerical tool de ....Non-deterministic fracture analysis of structures by extending the scaled boundary finite-element method. A very large part of Australia's dam, bridge and building infrastructure is ageing and experiencing cracking and deteriorations in material properties caused by progressive deterioration of concrete and corrosion of steel. This research addresses the practical and challenging problems of cracked structures with uncertainties in their properties and crack sizes. The advanced numerical tool developed as an outcome of this project will enable engineers to evaluate the reliability of structures under various scenarios of cracking, variation in material properties, rehabilitation and loading. The acquired knowledge will lead to more rational decisions in safe and cost-effective management of our ageing infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Functionally Graded Ultra High Perfomance Concete Structure under Flexure. This project aims to develop a novel multilayer functionally graded concrete structure that is a mixture of normal strength concrete and ultra high performance concrete with the mixing ratio varying in a layer-wise manner, offering a highly cost-effective structural design solution with significantly improved safety and durability over conventional concrete structures. The expected outcomes include the innovative design, ....Functionally Graded Ultra High Perfomance Concete Structure under Flexure. This project aims to develop a novel multilayer functionally graded concrete structure that is a mixture of normal strength concrete and ultra high performance concrete with the mixing ratio varying in a layer-wise manner, offering a highly cost-effective structural design solution with significantly improved safety and durability over conventional concrete structures. The expected outcomes include the innovative design, experimental data on the static and dynamic structural behaviour, development of reliable simulation techniques and optimal design procedures for the proposed structure with greatly reduced material costs. The project will have huge benefits to Australian civil engineering industry and national economy.
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Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our ....Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our capability for assessing the long-term safety and serviceability of infrastructure. It may also be useful in improving the composition of steel to resist rusting and in the formulation of protective coatings. This project will contribute to better understanding of the likely involvement of bacteria in the longer-term corrosion of steel exposed to various inland environments.Read moreRead less