Creating pH-sensitive self-healing concrete using sludge waste for sewers. In Australia, our 117,000 km of concrete sewer pipes are currently internally corroding at a depth rate of 1-3 mm per annum. The repair of deteriorated concrete is costly and often short-lived. Based on an advanced composite technology, this project will develop a pH-sensitive self-healing concrete that can repair itself without human intervention at the early stage of corrosion. Sludge waste from drinking water treatment ....Creating pH-sensitive self-healing concrete using sludge waste for sewers. In Australia, our 117,000 km of concrete sewer pipes are currently internally corroding at a depth rate of 1-3 mm per annum. The repair of deteriorated concrete is costly and often short-lived. Based on an advanced composite technology, this project will develop a pH-sensitive self-healing concrete that can repair itself without human intervention at the early stage of corrosion. Sludge waste from drinking water treatment will be utilised as a healing agent to mitigate the corrosion. Combined experiments and molecular dynamics simulation will uncover all aspects of the healing process to enable the practical application of this technology. The findings will extend the lifetime of concrete structures and promote a circular economy.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101422
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$467,760.00
Summary
Chameleon-Inspired Building Envelope for the Australian Building Sector. The project aims to develop an intelligent reflective coating that can act like a chameleon skin on a building surface, allowing sunlight to reflect efficiently in summer and be absorbed in winter without using pigments or dyes. The research will reveal how microstructural architecture can mimic a chameleon skin on building envelopes to address the critical challenge of this technology, which is overcooling in winter. The e ....Chameleon-Inspired Building Envelope for the Australian Building Sector. The project aims to develop an intelligent reflective coating that can act like a chameleon skin on a building surface, allowing sunlight to reflect efficiently in summer and be absorbed in winter without using pigments or dyes. The research will reveal how microstructural architecture can mimic a chameleon skin on building envelopes to address the critical challenge of this technology, which is overcooling in winter. The expected outcome is a smart coating technology that is easy to manufacture on small and large scales with no winter penalty, compatible with even, uneven and rough surfaces, free from the use of pigment and durable under sunlight. Read moreRead less
Robust cement-based sensors for smart automation in future infrastructure. Infrastructural health and operation monitoring are core parts of managing built assets. The project aims to develop robust cement-based sensors with integrated self-sensing and hydrophobicity, and to optimise their robustness and resilience for smart automation in future infrastructure. The new sensors are expected to more accurately assess structural health, monitor traffic-flow, decrease the costs of operation and main ....Robust cement-based sensors for smart automation in future infrastructure. Infrastructural health and operation monitoring are core parts of managing built assets. The project aims to develop robust cement-based sensors with integrated self-sensing and hydrophobicity, and to optimise their robustness and resilience for smart automation in future infrastructure. The new sensors are expected to more accurately assess structural health, monitor traffic-flow, decrease the costs of operation and maintenance through enhanced piezoresistivity and serviceability, and gain insights into intrinsic self-sensing and integral water repellency. The outcomes will improve predictions of performance and service, with major reductions in asset management costs through significantly more-efficient operation and maintenance.Read moreRead less
Unlocking self-healing bio-concrete through multiscale modelling. Self-healing bio-concrete, which uses bacteria as means to repair cracks, has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry and reduce the infrastructure repair and maintenance cost by billions of dollars annually. To unlock this, we need to understand the bacterial self-healing mechanisms for effective control of the performance. This project will develop a multiscale framework to describe the competing mechanisms betw ....Unlocking self-healing bio-concrete through multiscale modelling. Self-healing bio-concrete, which uses bacteria as means to repair cracks, has the potential to revolutionise the construction industry and reduce the infrastructure repair and maintenance cost by billions of dollars annually. To unlock this, we need to understand the bacterial self-healing mechanisms for effective control of the performance. This project will develop a multiscale framework to describe the competing mechanisms between crack widening and healing at the macro-scale, incorporated with key information of substances diffusion and bio-cementation at the meso- and micro-scales. This will enable to optimise the self-healing of bio-concrete via design–test–learn approach and enhance the durability of structures under sustained loads.Read moreRead less
Break the deadlock in corrosion research to prevent infrastructure collapse. Corrosion destroys one-quarter of the world’s annual steel production and costs the Australian economy $30 billion each year. This project targets a crucial missing link in understanding the structure and dynamics of the atomic lattices of corroded steel and the degradation of its mechanical strength. By combining advanced electrochemical and mechanical measurements with dynamics simulation of atomic lattices of corrode ....Break the deadlock in corrosion research to prevent infrastructure collapse. Corrosion destroys one-quarter of the world’s annual steel production and costs the Australian economy $30 billion each year. This project targets a crucial missing link in understanding the structure and dynamics of the atomic lattices of corroded steel and the degradation of its mechanical strength. By combining advanced electrochemical and mechanical measurements with dynamics simulation of atomic lattices of corroded steel, this project will produce the first concerted picture of corrosion induced strength degradation with a particular focus on real industrial conditions. This promises to guide the ongoing diagnosis of corrosion damages to steel, effectively preventing the collapse of corroded infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE230101221
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$431,154.00
Summary
Eco-friendly low shrinkage concrete integrating upcycled textile waste. This project aims to investigate a novel solution incorporating upcycled textile waste to reduce shrinkage induced cracking in reinforced concrete. The project is expected to generate new knowledge in crack nucleation and healing mechanisms in concrete and the application of flexible textile fibre reinforcement to control shrinkage induced cracking, creating a new fibre reinforced composite. The expected outcome is a reducti ....Eco-friendly low shrinkage concrete integrating upcycled textile waste. This project aims to investigate a novel solution incorporating upcycled textile waste to reduce shrinkage induced cracking in reinforced concrete. The project is expected to generate new knowledge in crack nucleation and healing mechanisms in concrete and the application of flexible textile fibre reinforcement to control shrinkage induced cracking, creating a new fibre reinforced composite. The expected outcome is a reduction in construction waste through extending the life span of concrete structures and reducing textile waste, 85% of which is currently disposed in landfills. The new composite could deliver a circular solution to textile waste leading to significant social, environmental and economic benefits.Read moreRead less
Novel Hydrophobic Concrete for Durable and Resilient Mining Infrastructure. The mining field is harsh with various corrosive media that cause rapid deterioration and ageing of concrete. This project aims to develop a novel hydrophobic concrete with integrated water-proofing and self-healing capacities and optimise its efficacy and cost-effectiveness for durable and resilient mining infrastructure using hybrid water-repellent nanoparticles and raw crystalline admixtures. The new hydrophobic concr ....Novel Hydrophobic Concrete for Durable and Resilient Mining Infrastructure. The mining field is harsh with various corrosive media that cause rapid deterioration and ageing of concrete. This project aims to develop a novel hydrophobic concrete with integrated water-proofing and self-healing capacities and optimise its efficacy and cost-effectiveness for durable and resilient mining infrastructure using hybrid water-repellent nanoparticles and raw crystalline admixtures. The new hydrophobic concrete is expected to significantly improve structural safety, durability, and service life of mining infrastructure while simultaneously reducing protection costs, repair needs, and reconstruction. The outcomes will offer desirable benefits for Australia’s mining industry, with significant reductions in maintenance costs.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240101261
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$429,347.00
Summary
Carbon-negative concrete produced with innovative artificial aggregates. To achieve net-zero carbon emissions in Australia by 2050, this project proposes to develop carbon-negative concrete using two typical industrial wastes, recycled powder from construction and demolition waste and drinking water treatment sludge from the water industry. This project first aims to develop innovative artificial aggregates containing sludge-derived biochar and recycled powder under carbonation curing. The devel ....Carbon-negative concrete produced with innovative artificial aggregates. To achieve net-zero carbon emissions in Australia by 2050, this project proposes to develop carbon-negative concrete using two typical industrial wastes, recycled powder from construction and demolition waste and drinking water treatment sludge from the water industry. This project first aims to develop innovative artificial aggregates containing sludge-derived biochar and recycled powder under carbonation curing. The developed artificial aggregates with superior carbon absorption capacity are then used to produce carbon-negative concrete. The properties of artificial aggregates and carbon-negative concrete will be comprehensively investigated. This project creates a green engineering solution to stockpiled industrial wastes.
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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100548
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$439,847.00
Summary
A novel high-temperature concrete-based system for renewable energy storage. This project aims to develop a novel alkali-activated concrete-based system for renewable energy storage. The system is based on the excellent performance, durability and affordability of concrete, which is widely used in the construction industry. The project expects to generate new knowledge in concrete thermal energy storage by using a holistic experimental and computational approach. Expected outcomes include insigh ....A novel high-temperature concrete-based system for renewable energy storage. This project aims to develop a novel alkali-activated concrete-based system for renewable energy storage. The system is based on the excellent performance, durability and affordability of concrete, which is widely used in the construction industry. The project expects to generate new knowledge in concrete thermal energy storage by using a holistic experimental and computational approach. Expected outcomes include insights into the novel high-temperature concrete, the advanced numerical, data-driven model and the system, that is highly scalable, efficient and low cost. This should provide significant benefits in accelerating the use of concrete for energy storage technologies and fostering the national and global renewable energy transition.Read moreRead less