Behaviour and design of concrete-filled stainless steel tubular columns at ambient and elevated temperatures. Stainless steel is recognised as an advanced construction material for its merits of corrosion resistance, attractive appearance and ease of maintenance. It has enormous potential for use in steel-concrete composite construction, which will provide the structural engineering community with greater choice in terms of aesthetics, constructability, cost and sustainability. The research put ....Behaviour and design of concrete-filled stainless steel tubular columns at ambient and elevated temperatures. Stainless steel is recognised as an advanced construction material for its merits of corrosion resistance, attractive appearance and ease of maintenance. It has enormous potential for use in steel-concrete composite construction, which will provide the structural engineering community with greater choice in terms of aesthetics, constructability, cost and sustainability. The research put forward in this proposal will promote the better use of stainless steel in Australia's building, bridge and offshore infrastructure, thereby providing significant socio-economic benefits to Australia. Moreover it will greatly increase Australia's infrastructure maintenance capability.Read moreRead less
Variational multiscale modelling of granular materials. Granular materials play an important role in a wide-range of problems related to physical infrastructure. These include landslides and similar catastrophic events often leading to loss of life and property. This project will aim to develop new methods for adequate simulation of granular flows to allow formulation of efficient risk mitigation strategies.
Game changing anchoring solution for Australia’s deep water gas development. This Fellowship aims to establish a novel dynamically installed anchor shape for economic and safer mooring of floating gas drilling platforms in Australia’s deep water calcareous seabed. The novel anchor pairing with the advanced floating platforms are expected to allow for unlocking Australia’s 50% gas reserves that are considered to be stranded. This Fellowship expects to extend a sophisticated numerical analysis tec ....Game changing anchoring solution for Australia’s deep water gas development. This Fellowship aims to establish a novel dynamically installed anchor shape for economic and safer mooring of floating gas drilling platforms in Australia’s deep water calcareous seabed. The novel anchor pairing with the advanced floating platforms are expected to allow for unlocking Australia’s 50% gas reserves that are considered to be stranded. This Fellowship expects to extend a sophisticated numerical analysis technique and a soil constitutive model, and use field testing in the Swan River and centrifuge modelling for extensive investigation on the novel anchor shape, leading to calculation methods for assessing the anchor embedment during dynamic installation and capacity under operational monotonic and cyclic loadings.Read moreRead less
Fundamental study of fracture-controlled compensation grouting for ground movement. This project aims to investigate the fundamentals of fracture-controlled compensation grouting in various types of soil, so as to optimise the compensation efficiency and to minimise the risk of collapse of nearby structures. This will result in the minimisation of ground movements induced by underground excavations, which pose a major threat to existing infrastructure and communities worldwide. Small-scale labor ....Fundamental study of fracture-controlled compensation grouting for ground movement. This project aims to investigate the fundamentals of fracture-controlled compensation grouting in various types of soil, so as to optimise the compensation efficiency and to minimise the risk of collapse of nearby structures. This will result in the minimisation of ground movements induced by underground excavations, which pose a major threat to existing infrastructure and communities worldwide. Small-scale laboratory experiments, centrifuge tests and numerical analyses will be conducted to develop an effective and economical grouting method that will provide a valuable design tool for engineers.Read moreRead less
Preventing mining disasters: reducing the risk of tailings dam failure. This project aims to improve safety of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Mineral processing produces waste called tailings, being mixtures of water and soil-sized particles. Tailings are stored on sites contained by embankments made from soil or a coarse component of tailings. Sections of the TSFs are partially saturated, have high concentrations of fine particles and physically change with age. Their resistance to earthqu ....Preventing mining disasters: reducing the risk of tailings dam failure. This project aims to improve safety of tailings storage facilities (TSFs). Mineral processing produces waste called tailings, being mixtures of water and soil-sized particles. Tailings are stored on sites contained by embankments made from soil or a coarse component of tailings. Sections of the TSFs are partially saturated, have high concentrations of fine particles and physically change with age. Their resistance to earthquake loading and liquefaction, and strength post-earthquake, arising from these properties are poorly understood and can not be quantified reliably so will be addressed here. Anticipated outcomes will be updated industry guidelines for the design and management of TSFs. Mines will benefit and failures will be prevented.Read moreRead less
Fate of engineered nanoparticles: Challenges in informing human and ecological health risk assessments. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have generated significant public and scientific excitement due to their unique properties. This has led to their application in a wide variety of industries (for example, in composite materials and drug delivery). However, there is concern that some ENPs can have detrimental environmental impacts. This project aims to quantify, for the first time, the fate of E ....Fate of engineered nanoparticles: Challenges in informing human and ecological health risk assessments. Engineered nanoparticles (ENPs) have generated significant public and scientific excitement due to their unique properties. This has led to their application in a wide variety of industries (for example, in composite materials and drug delivery). However, there is concern that some ENPs can have detrimental environmental impacts. This project aims to quantify, for the first time, the fate of ENPs that have leached out of commercial products in groundwater systems. This information is expected to assist regulators in developing appropriate legislation to balance the tremendous benefits and potential risks of nanotechnology.Read moreRead less
Erosion processes in soils across scales. This project aims to develop a monitoring tool for predicting the evolution of internal erosion in dams based on innovative electromagnetic observation methods. Internal erosion is an insidious process occurring in the obscurity of the soil’s pore system until its consequences become visible and threaten the stability of the dams. These water retaining structures are vital for the future water and energy supply for our society and their failure can be ca ....Erosion processes in soils across scales. This project aims to develop a monitoring tool for predicting the evolution of internal erosion in dams based on innovative electromagnetic observation methods. Internal erosion is an insidious process occurring in the obscurity of the soil’s pore system until its consequences become visible and threaten the stability of the dams. These water retaining structures are vital for the future water and energy supply for our society and their failure can be catastrophic. By establishing an improved understanding of internal erosion as a sequence of processes on various scales, from the onset of erosion until the failure of the structure, this project will place Australia at the forefront of dam safety assessment.Read moreRead less
Modelling and simulation of complex granular flows. Granular flows are of crucial importance in a wide range of problems related to civil infrastructure. These include landslides and similar catastrophic events, often leading to loss of life and property. The project aims to develop new methods for accurate prediction of such events thus allowing for the formulation of efficient mitigation strategies.
Adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. A new theoretical platform will be instrumental in the development of building technologies such as adaptive shading and ventilation components. In a reversal of the conventional design avoidance of structural phenomena such as lateral and flexural-torsional buckling, these phenomena will be exploited to achieve functional forms for shading componen ....Adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. This project aims to develop adaptive structural systems for high-performance buildings. A new theoretical platform will be instrumental in the development of building technologies such as adaptive shading and ventilation components. In a reversal of the conventional design avoidance of structural phenomena such as lateral and flexural-torsional buckling, these phenomena will be exploited to achieve functional forms for shading components. Thin-metal ventilation ducts will be embedded within structural components to produce optimised ventilation strategies and to increase thermal mass, while accounting for their structural contribution.Read moreRead less
Validation and monitoring of advanced oxidation for potable water reuse. This project aims to address an important limitation in the ability to monitor performance of advanced oxidation processes used to treat recycled water for drinking. The project will be conducted using a novel pilot system, designed to facilitate flexible operation and detailed monitoring. Through carefully designed experiments, observed operational parameters will be related to treatment performance for a range of contamin ....Validation and monitoring of advanced oxidation for potable water reuse. This project aims to address an important limitation in the ability to monitor performance of advanced oxidation processes used to treat recycled water for drinking. The project will be conducted using a novel pilot system, designed to facilitate flexible operation and detailed monitoring. Through carefully designed experiments, observed operational parameters will be related to treatment performance for a range of contaminants. An expected outcome is the development of a framework to provide validation of process performance relationships and ongoing performance monitoring for use by water utilities and regulatory agencies that oversee their operations. This highly practical framework for validation and performance monitoring of an advanced water treatment process should result in improved viability of water recycling projects, increased urban water supply security and enhanced protection of public health.Read moreRead less