SENSORS FOR AROMATIC MOLECULES BASED ON METAL ION ACTIVATED MOLECULAR RECEPTORS. This project aims to develop highly sensitive chemical sensors for aromatic compounds which will quantify their concentration, in situ, without elaborate sample preparation or instrumentation. The sensors will employ advanced supramolecular chemistry in which the aromatic molecule becomes trapped within a binding cavity in the three dimensional structure of a larger receptor molecule. Coincident with the entrapmen ....SENSORS FOR AROMATIC MOLECULES BASED ON METAL ION ACTIVATED MOLECULAR RECEPTORS. This project aims to develop highly sensitive chemical sensors for aromatic compounds which will quantify their concentration, in situ, without elaborate sample preparation or instrumentation. The sensors will employ advanced supramolecular chemistry in which the aromatic molecule becomes trapped within a binding cavity in the three dimensional structure of a larger receptor molecule. Coincident with the entrapment a change in the fluorescence level of the receptor occurs which signals the presence of the aromatic compound and its concentration. This research will stimulate economic and social benefits through the development of new environmental and medical sensing techniques and analytical diagnostics.Read moreRead less
Porous silicon biosensor for rapid detection of water-borne contaminants. We have recently demonstrated the rapid degradation of porous silicon by certain transition metal complexes known as biomimetic catalysts. The catalysed degradation forms the basis of a new sensor principle where the porous layer serves as matrix, transducer and signal amplification stage. Using this mechanism, we will develop a biosensor for the rapid detection of contaminants (toxins etc.) in water resources. Reservoir w ....Porous silicon biosensor for rapid detection of water-borne contaminants. We have recently demonstrated the rapid degradation of porous silicon by certain transition metal complexes known as biomimetic catalysts. The catalysed degradation forms the basis of a new sensor principle where the porous layer serves as matrix, transducer and signal amplification stage. Using this mechanism, we will develop a biosensor for the rapid detection of contaminants (toxins etc.) in water resources. Reservoir water treatment today is reactive rather than preventive because current analysis is slow. Our biosensor can be turned into a field kit to improve water quality management and prevent acts of deliberate sabotage to the water supply.Read moreRead less
Multifunctional mixed matrix membranes incorporating aligned carbon nanotubes. The pressure on water supplies in Australia will only increase in coming years meaning that effective and cheap means of recycling water must be found. By developing a carbon nanotube-based water filtration system, we intend to promote the growth of Australia's world-class reputation in water remediation. The technological outcomes from this research will lead to direct economic and environmental benefits for the comm ....Multifunctional mixed matrix membranes incorporating aligned carbon nanotubes. The pressure on water supplies in Australia will only increase in coming years meaning that effective and cheap means of recycling water must be found. By developing a carbon nanotube-based water filtration system, we intend to promote the growth of Australia's world-class reputation in water remediation. The technological outcomes from this research will lead to direct economic and environmental benefits for the community and offer commercial opportunities for industry. Training research scientists of the future forms an integral part of our program as it is crucial to maintain a critical mass in this potentially forthcoming water based economy.
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Development of an interferometric nanoscale silicon biosensor. Voelcker et al. have recently demonstrated the rapid degradation of porous silicon by certain supramolecular transition metal complexes known as functional mimics of metalloproteins. The catalyzed degradation forms the basis of a new sensor principle where the porous layer serves as matrix, transducer and signal amplification stage. This project uses porous silicon degradation to develop a biosensor platform capable of detecting a ra ....Development of an interferometric nanoscale silicon biosensor. Voelcker et al. have recently demonstrated the rapid degradation of porous silicon by certain supramolecular transition metal complexes known as functional mimics of metalloproteins. The catalyzed degradation forms the basis of a new sensor principle where the porous layer serves as matrix, transducer and signal amplification stage. This project uses porous silicon degradation to develop a biosensor platform capable of detecting a range of analytes with high sensitivity. The project includes detection of an water-borne toxin, a plant virus and a cancer antigen as demonstrators of its wide applicability. Multiplexing of the biosensor to demonstrate its potential as high-throughput chip sensors is also included.Read moreRead less
A New Generic Approach for Assessing Blast Effects on Reinforced Concrete Members. A framework allow for both flexural and shear response analysis using a new segmental approach is developed in this proposal. A blast test program is designed to validate the framework for reinforced concrete members. The validated framework is then used to derive normalised pressure impulse programs for reinforced members in unconfined and confined spaces. This project will provide design engineers guidelines for ....A New Generic Approach for Assessing Blast Effects on Reinforced Concrete Members. A framework allow for both flexural and shear response analysis using a new segmental approach is developed in this proposal. A blast test program is designed to validate the framework for reinforced concrete members. The validated framework is then used to derive normalised pressure impulse programs for reinforced members in unconfined and confined spaces. This project will provide design engineers guidelines for reliably and quickly assessing the effect of different kinds of blast loads on different types and properties and geometries of reinforced concrete structural members, saving computation time and efforts while providing increased realism and accuracy.Read moreRead less
Cost Effective Pipeline Condition Assessment Using Paired Pressure Sensor Arrays. Water distribution networks represent society's most important infrastructure asset. They are buried pipes and are often old and deteriorating. Cost-effective methods to assess their physical condition are urgently needed. This research will develop a novel and advanced approach to determine the interior condition of pipes quickly and effectively using small water hammer pulses or waves. Paired pressure sensor arra ....Cost Effective Pipeline Condition Assessment Using Paired Pressure Sensor Arrays. Water distribution networks represent society's most important infrastructure asset. They are buried pipes and are often old and deteriorating. Cost-effective methods to assess their physical condition are urgently needed. This research will develop a novel and advanced approach to determine the interior condition of pipes quickly and effectively using small water hammer pulses or waves. Paired pressure sensor arrays will be used to measure reflections of the waves in pipes and these methods will enable finer resolution and identification of pipeline faults, such as wall thickness loss and leakage while at the same time allowing operational continuity. The outcome will be powerful tools to more cost effectively manage these crucial assets.Read moreRead less
High-resolution pipeline condition assessment using hydraulic transients. This project aims to develop urgently needed non-invasive methods to assess fine detail of a pipe’s condition and allow ‘just in time’ predictive repair. Water distribution networks are society's most important infrastructure asset. They consist of buried pipes that are often old and deteriorating, and annual maintenance overhead exceeds $1 billion per year in Australia alone. The project will develop cost-effective powerf ....High-resolution pipeline condition assessment using hydraulic transients. This project aims to develop urgently needed non-invasive methods to assess fine detail of a pipe’s condition and allow ‘just in time’ predictive repair. Water distribution networks are society's most important infrastructure asset. They consist of buried pipes that are often old and deteriorating, and annual maintenance overhead exceeds $1 billion per year in Australia alone. The project will develop cost-effective powerful tools to identify faults, such as pipe wall corrosion and blockages, while allowing operational continuity. The expected outcome is high-resolution images of wall condition of pipes using high-frequency pressure transients and sophisticated fibre optic sensor arrays.Read moreRead less
Next-generation smart water network for performance-driven asset management. This project aims to develop smart water network systems and techniques for continuous monitoring and early detection of structural failure in water distribution systems. Water assets are critical infrastructure, and they consist of a network of buried pipes that are old and deteriorating, with an annual maintenance overhead exceeding $1billion per year in Australia. This project is expected to deliver next-generation s ....Next-generation smart water network for performance-driven asset management. This project aims to develop smart water network systems and techniques for continuous monitoring and early detection of structural failure in water distribution systems. Water assets are critical infrastructure, and they consist of a network of buried pipes that are old and deteriorating, with an annual maintenance overhead exceeding $1billion per year in Australia. This project is expected to deliver next-generation smart water technology that enables continuous assessment of the actual performance of water pipe networks, guide “just in time” pipe replacement and optimise operations. This technology will assist asset managers to make informed decisions, strategically prioritise investment and extend asset life.Read moreRead less
Smart Pipe Condition Assessment in Water Distribution Systems. The project aims to develop an urgently needed smart pipe fault diagnosis, characterisation and prognosis system. Analysis techniques will be used for the detailed mapping of buried pipe condition between access points using micro-sized transient pressure waves. Water assets are critical infrastructure and they consist of a network of pipes that are often old and deteriorating. The annual maintenance cost exceeds $1b per year in Aus ....Smart Pipe Condition Assessment in Water Distribution Systems. The project aims to develop an urgently needed smart pipe fault diagnosis, characterisation and prognosis system. Analysis techniques will be used for the detailed mapping of buried pipe condition between access points using micro-sized transient pressure waves. Water assets are critical infrastructure and they consist of a network of pipes that are often old and deteriorating. The annual maintenance cost exceeds $1b per year in Australia. The outcome will be a next-generation tool that allows water utilities to move from reactive emergency repairs to proactive repair and predictive replacement. This will enable performance-driven asset management, extending asset life and replacing deteriorated high-risk pipe sections in a timely manner.Read moreRead less
Reducing the Risk of Foundation Failures by Improving the Effectiveness of Geotechnical Investigations. Inadequate geotechnical site investigation is the major factor in construction overruns and delays. In some instances failure may occur. Alternatively, such investigation may result in over-designed foundations. This research will examine these issues through sites, based on numerical simulations of variable soil conditions and investigations. Case studies will be used to verify the modelling. ....Reducing the Risk of Foundation Failures by Improving the Effectiveness of Geotechnical Investigations. Inadequate geotechnical site investigation is the major factor in construction overruns and delays. In some instances failure may occur. Alternatively, such investigation may result in over-designed foundations. This research will examine these issues through sites, based on numerical simulations of variable soil conditions and investigations. Case studies will be used to verify the modelling. A practical framework for planning and implementing geotechnical investigations, based on the variability of the soil profile will be developed. A key aspect of this framework is that, for the first time, site investigations will be linked to risk of foundation failure and cost of overdesign.Read moreRead less