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.
Composite structures: a game changer for modular buildings. Modular construction can tackle Australia's housing affordability crisis on a large scale. This project aims to develop cutting-edge technologies for the next generation of modular buildings by embracing recent breakthroughs in construction materials, computational modelling methods and construction techniques. Expected outcomes include a novel composite modular unit, a smart joining technique, a robust computational framework and desig ....Composite structures: a game changer for modular buildings. Modular construction can tackle Australia's housing affordability crisis on a large scale. This project aims to develop cutting-edge technologies for the next generation of modular buildings by embracing recent breakthroughs in construction materials, computational modelling methods and construction techniques. Expected outcomes include a novel composite modular unit, a smart joining technique, a robust computational framework and design guidelines that enable modular buildings to be built taller, safer, faster and thus cheaper than current practices allow. This project will position Australia at the forefront of modular construction technology, and make the local construction industry more competitive globally.Read moreRead less
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
Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods ....Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods and swells in wetter periods. The main outcome of the project will be recommendations for the design of lightly loaded pile foundations in soils that shrink and swell significantly. The benefits will be the reduced risk and cost associated with the geotechnical aspects of foundation design.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
Development of prefabricated composite building panels and connections . This project will develop a new prefabricated composite brick-concrete panel technology, by exploiting cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities for the production of bricks and concrete components. It is expected to generate new robust design methodologies at both service and ultimate conditions by relying on advanced testing and theoretical modelling.
The project is expected to transform the current brick industry by repla ....Development of prefabricated composite building panels and connections . This project will develop a new prefabricated composite brick-concrete panel technology, by exploiting cutting-edge manufacturing capabilities for the production of bricks and concrete components. It is expected to generate new robust design methodologies at both service and ultimate conditions by relying on advanced testing and theoretical modelling.
The project is expected to transform the current brick industry by replacing traditional labour-intense brick construction with advanced and cost-effective prefabricated technologies that will enable brick construction to enter new markets, such as those of multi-storey buildings and complex load-bearing facades, previously not feasible or cost-effective with traditional brick technology.
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Innovative coupled composite steel-concrete shear wall and frame systems. This project aims to develop an innovative coupled composite steel-concrete shear wall and frame system that revolutionises and improves the economical design and construction of multi-storey buildings. The proposed system uses novel cost-effective composite structural components that can be prefabricated and easily assembled on-site using innovative blind bolting techniques to speed up construction. The project will offer ....Innovative coupled composite steel-concrete shear wall and frame systems. This project aims to develop an innovative coupled composite steel-concrete shear wall and frame system that revolutionises and improves the economical design and construction of multi-storey buildings. The proposed system uses novel cost-effective composite structural components that can be prefabricated and easily assembled on-site using innovative blind bolting techniques to speed up construction. The project will offer a promising opportunity to promote prefabricated and modular construction which is believed will have a major benefit in shaping the future construction industry. This will provide significant benefits to Australian structural engineers and the construction industry in advancing their knowledge in composite construction.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