Progressive collapse resistance of concrete flat plate structures. This project aims to systematically and thoroughly investigate the progressive collapse mechanisms and resistance capacity of concrete flat plate structures. They represent one of the most common construction systems used worldwide in modern days, yet their progressive collapse mechanisms require attention and limited collapse prevention design guidelines are available. The outcomes are expected to broaden and deepen the existing ....Progressive collapse resistance of concrete flat plate structures. This project aims to systematically and thoroughly investigate the progressive collapse mechanisms and resistance capacity of concrete flat plate structures. They represent one of the most common construction systems used worldwide in modern days, yet their progressive collapse mechanisms require attention and limited collapse prevention design guidelines are available. The outcomes are expected to broaden and deepen the existing theoretical framework and knowledge base, prevent injury and loss of life in both new and existing buildings. This is expected ultimately to contribute to the establishment of a set of collapse-resistant design guidelines for further development of relevant Australian and international standards.Read moreRead less
Poro-elastic, single domain model of wave-induced transport and transformation of pollutants in coastal sediments. The sediments in many bays and estuaries in Australia are contaminated by pollutants due to discharge of waste from the river, groundwater or/and ocean outfall. Most previous research has had a multi-domain approach and have ignored the wave-dirven advective flow and effects of soil behaviour in coastal sediment. In this study, we will couple the procedure of pollutant transport ne ....Poro-elastic, single domain model of wave-induced transport and transformation of pollutants in coastal sediments. The sediments in many bays and estuaries in Australia are contaminated by pollutants due to discharge of waste from the river, groundwater or/and ocean outfall. Most previous research has had a multi-domain approach and have ignored the wave-dirven advective flow and effects of soil behaviour in coastal sediment. In this study, we will couple the procedure of pollutant transport near the sediment-water interface by a single domain approach, and link wave-dirven advective flow and contaminant in marine sediments. The research outcomes will provide a better prediction of the transformation behaviour of pollutants in contaminated sediments.Read moreRead less
The response of beams subjected to axial load and lateral soil movements. Beams (piles, soil nails, and pipelines) are not only subjected to axial (vertical, axial and longitudinal)loading, but often withstand simultaneous lateral loading, due to either explicit structural loads, or due to loads induced by movement of the soils in which they are founded. Bridge piles adjacent to an approach embankment are one example. This project will provide experimental evidence to assist with the estimation ....The response of beams subjected to axial load and lateral soil movements. Beams (piles, soil nails, and pipelines) are not only subjected to axial (vertical, axial and longitudinal)loading, but often withstand simultaneous lateral loading, due to either explicit structural loads, or due to loads induced by movement of the soils in which they are founded. Bridge piles adjacent to an approach embankment are one example. This project will provide experimental evidence to assist with the estimation of capacity, axial and shear resistance, the validation of unified solutions for beams subjected to simultaneous lateral soil movements and axial loads. Such experimental evidence and analytical solutions are not currently available. The evidence will also assist with solving a contradictory, existing design principle, which will lead to an economic and efficient design approach.Read moreRead less
Rigorous Three Dimensional Plasticity Solutions for Soil and Rock Slopes. Slope failures and landslides are a persistent cause of economic loss in Australia. Damages resulting from landslides include both property damage and loss of life. One such recent catastrophic slope failure is the landslide that occurred at Thredbo Village in New South Wales in 1997. This monumental landslide resulted in the deaths of 18 people and was considered by the coroner as the worst natural disaster in Australian ....Rigorous Three Dimensional Plasticity Solutions for Soil and Rock Slopes. Slope failures and landslides are a persistent cause of economic loss in Australia. Damages resulting from landslides include both property damage and loss of life. One such recent catastrophic slope failure is the landslide that occurred at Thredbo Village in New South Wales in 1997. This monumental landslide resulted in the deaths of 18 people and was considered by the coroner as the worst natural disaster in Australian history. The primary aim of this research project is to apply recently developed computational tools to better understand 3D slope behaviour and to develop rigorous stability solutions that can be used by design engineers. A better understanding of 3D slope failure will lead to more economic and safer slope designs.Read moreRead less
Coupling models for ocean waves, groundwater and porous seabeds interaction. The ocean waves, groundwater flow and porous seabeds interaction problem is vital for erosion control, saltily and biological activities in coastal regions. Most previous research has investigated the problem from individual aspects, rather than a coupling concept. In this study, we will develop advanced theoretical models for procedures of waves propagation, water table fluctuations and soil behaviour in a porous seabe ....Coupling models for ocean waves, groundwater and porous seabeds interaction. The ocean waves, groundwater flow and porous seabeds interaction problem is vital for erosion control, saltily and biological activities in coastal regions. Most previous research has investigated the problem from individual aspects, rather than a coupling concept. In this study, we will develop advanced theoretical models for procedures of waves propagation, water table fluctuations and soil behaviour in a porous seabed, and couple them in a model. A series of experiments will be conducted for the verification of the theoretical findings. The research outcomes will provide a better understanding of the interaction between ocean wave, groundwater flow and porous seabeds.Read moreRead less
Numerical Modelling of Strain Localization in Reinforced Concrete and Its Application to Prediction of Crack Spacing and Crack Width. Cracking of concrete has a major influence on structural performance. Prediction of crack spacing and crack widths is essential for serviceability considerations of reinforced concrete. The available formulas to evaluate crack widths are approximate and give a wide scatter of predicted values. The project aims to provide a new numerical methodology that will (fina ....Numerical Modelling of Strain Localization in Reinforced Concrete and Its Application to Prediction of Crack Spacing and Crack Width. Cracking of concrete has a major influence on structural performance. Prediction of crack spacing and crack widths is essential for serviceability considerations of reinforced concrete. The available formulas to evaluate crack widths are approximate and give a wide scatter of predicted values. The project aims to provide a new numerical methodology that will (finally) predict crack spacing correctly. The expected outcomes include a numerical analysis model and a set of algorithms to predict crack widths. This will markedly improve the understanding of the mechanism of crack spacing and provide a better prediction of crack spacing and crack widths.Read moreRead less
Harnessing properties of liquid metals for future devices. This project aims to hybridise low toxicity liquid metal alloys of gallium with surface confined functional micro/nano materials and explore fundamental new fluidic and physical-chemistry phenomena. Liquid metals are an under-used group of materials, but their combination of flexibility, bestowed by their room temperature fluidity, and metallic properties means they demonstrate startling behaviour. The expected outcomes are new devices a ....Harnessing properties of liquid metals for future devices. This project aims to hybridise low toxicity liquid metal alloys of gallium with surface confined functional micro/nano materials and explore fundamental new fluidic and physical-chemistry phenomena. Liquid metals are an under-used group of materials, but their combination of flexibility, bestowed by their room temperature fluidity, and metallic properties means they demonstrate startling behaviour. The expected outcomes are new devices and systems such as reconfigurable and highly efficient actuators/generators, catalysts, sensors, and electronic and optical components.Read moreRead less
Inhomogeneous tissue conductivity influence on the forward and inverse electroencephalogram problems in realistic head models. The brain dysfunction indicators have been extremely difficult to obtain, largely because many disorders of higher brain function reflect abnormalities of brain function rather than apparent brain structure. The neuronal generator localization and identification in this project will provide complementary information about source and timing of neural activities sub-servin ....Inhomogeneous tissue conductivity influence on the forward and inverse electroencephalogram problems in realistic head models. The brain dysfunction indicators have been extremely difficult to obtain, largely because many disorders of higher brain function reflect abnormalities of brain function rather than apparent brain structure. The neuronal generator localization and identification in this project will provide complementary information about source and timing of neural activities sub-serving higher brain function and form sequences of spatial-temporal brain activity image. That will enable the information from MRI, which has a good spatial but poor temporal resolution, and the information from EEG, which has a high temporal resolution on the scalp, to be combined to provide clinical psychologists and brain researchers a more efficient diagnostic tool.Read moreRead less
Cardiac electrographic modelling and analysis. The outcomes of this project will improve the accuracy with which abnormal conduction pathways in the heart are found and will also use chaotic modelling tools to better predict the need and outcomes of patients with life threatening arrhythmias.
Interfacial Barriers to Transport in Nanomaterials. This project aims to make ground-breaking advances in the modelling of transport in disordered nanoporous materials by uncovering the interfacial barriers that are critical to the entry and exit of molecules from their nanostructure. The expected outcome is an efficient new simulation tool to simultaneously quantify interfacial transport resistances and system size-dependent internal transport coefficients. This is intended to be achieved throu ....Interfacial Barriers to Transport in Nanomaterials. This project aims to make ground-breaking advances in the modelling of transport in disordered nanoporous materials by uncovering the interfacial barriers that are critical to the entry and exit of molecules from their nanostructure. The expected outcome is an efficient new simulation tool to simultaneously quantify interfacial transport resistances and system size-dependent internal transport coefficients. This is intended to be achieved through simulations and experiments on the adsorption and dynamics of targeted gases in carbons with distinctly different nanostructures, enabling the optimal design of a wide range of emerging nanotechnologies for membrane separations, kinetic molecular sieving, catalysis, and gas and electrochemical energy storage.Read moreRead less