Hydrogen carbon waste into concrete: AI assisted nanoscience approach. The carbon waste from hydrogen production will be converted into carbon nanosheets on abundant construction materials for the creation of stronger and more durable concrete. Cutting-edge nanoscience-based experiments, as well as sophisticated modelling techniques including machine learning and finite element modelling, will be employed. The findings will drive advances in clean hydrogen production, carbon waste utilisation, c ....Hydrogen carbon waste into concrete: AI assisted nanoscience approach. The carbon waste from hydrogen production will be converted into carbon nanosheets on abundant construction materials for the creation of stronger and more durable concrete. Cutting-edge nanoscience-based experiments, as well as sophisticated modelling techniques including machine learning and finite element modelling, will be employed. The findings will drive advances in clean hydrogen production, carbon waste utilisation, cement hydration, nanotechnology and concrete technology for the next generation of an upskilled workforce and the promotion of a circular economy. This project will be carried out in collaboration with Australian and international renowned experts in computational modelling, nanomaterials and concrete materials.Read moreRead less
Innovative composite systems with enhanced resilience to extreme loads. The rapidly increasing global population (projected to be 9.8 billion by 2050) and global urbanisation have created a demand for the construction industry, thereby increasing the pressure on our planet’s limited resources for the construction industry. This high demand can yield detrimental effects to the environment due to the high carbon footprint of conventional construction materials, and is amplified by the threat of ac ....Innovative composite systems with enhanced resilience to extreme loads. The rapidly increasing global population (projected to be 9.8 billion by 2050) and global urbanisation have created a demand for the construction industry, thereby increasing the pressure on our planet’s limited resources for the construction industry. This high demand can yield detrimental effects to the environment due to the high carbon footprint of conventional construction materials, and is amplified by the threat of accidental or deliberate extreme loadings to buildings, which can trigger fatal progressive collapse events. The proposed project aims to develop an innovative structural system with that possesses superior structural resilience to extreme loads and progressive collapse using lightweight eco-friendly materials. Read moreRead less
Floating Forest – a breakwater for protecting the Australian coastline. This project aims to develop structural, materials and foundation solutions for a large floating forest that will act as a mega breakwater and windbreaker to protect the Australian coastline from strong waves and winds caused by climate change. This requires the evaluation of structural and environmental loads, concepts and optimal structural solutions, design, materials and foundation. The newly developed floating structure ....Floating Forest – a breakwater for protecting the Australian coastline. This project aims to develop structural, materials and foundation solutions for a large floating forest that will act as a mega breakwater and windbreaker to protect the Australian coastline from strong waves and winds caused by climate change. This requires the evaluation of structural and environmental loads, concepts and optimal structural solutions, design, materials and foundation. The newly developed floating structure will lead to future construction applications on the Australian harsh sea conditions that call for stringent requirements on infrastructures.Read moreRead less
Accurate Prediction of Safe Life of Buried Pipelines. Failures of buried pipes are disastrous, causing severe consequences and disruptions. They often reoccur because the fundamental cause-effect relation for pipe failures has not been fully understood and hence the safe life of pipelines cannot be reliably predicted. The aim of this research is to develop a new theory to predict pipe failures, based on a fundamental analysis of pipe behaviour and failure mechanisms and a reliability approach. T ....Accurate Prediction of Safe Life of Buried Pipelines. Failures of buried pipes are disastrous, causing severe consequences and disruptions. They often reoccur because the fundamental cause-effect relation for pipe failures has not been fully understood and hence the safe life of pipelines cannot be reliably predicted. The aim of this research is to develop a new theory to predict pipe failures, based on a fundamental analysis of pipe behaviour and failure mechanisms and a reliability approach. The outcomes will be a suite of models and solutions that will advance knowledge in deterioration science and failure theory. They will provide a sustainable solution to the intelligent management of buried pipelines throughout the world.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional printing of structures using fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete. This project aims to investigate geopolymer binders for cement. Three-dimensional printing using concrete can eliminate expensive formwork but is hampered by a lack of underpinning theoretical material and structural research. Conventional Portland cement’s setting characteristics limit its use for three-dimensional (3D) printing. The project will develop a theoretical framework for the structural properties of ....Three-dimensional printing of structures using fibre reinforced geopolymer concrete. This project aims to investigate geopolymer binders for cement. Three-dimensional printing using concrete can eliminate expensive formwork but is hampered by a lack of underpinning theoretical material and structural research. Conventional Portland cement’s setting characteristics limit its use for three-dimensional (3D) printing. The project will develop a theoretical framework for the structural properties of the 3D printed concrete and flow of geopolymer binder through aggregate bed, and design a fibre reinforcement system. This project is expected to improve construction, reduce injury rates and create high-end technology-based jobs.Read moreRead less
Non-contact Integrity Assessment of Façade Panels of High-rise Buildings. Disintegration of the external façade (with tiles, plates, etc.) of high-rise buildings presents a great challenge and a threat to community. This project develops fundamental knowledge and algorithms that underpin the deployment of a new technique for fast and automated quantitative integrity assessment of façade units of high-rise buildings, integrating mechanisms of directional acoustic waves, vibro-acoustics of façade ....Non-contact Integrity Assessment of Façade Panels of High-rise Buildings. Disintegration of the external façade (with tiles, plates, etc.) of high-rise buildings presents a great challenge and a threat to community. This project develops fundamental knowledge and algorithms that underpin the deployment of a new technique for fast and automated quantitative integrity assessment of façade units of high-rise buildings, integrating mechanisms of directional acoustic waves, vibro-acoustics of façade tiles or panels, laser sensing technology, deep learning algorithms and drone technology. Outcomes of this project are critical for implementing the new technology for enhanced safety to community and the development of new procedures for driving down maintenance costs of the external façade of high-rise buildings.Read moreRead less
Topological Optimization of Load-carrying Structural Systems with Repetitive Geometrical Patterns. Periodic structures are increasingly used in the design of the structural systems or sub-systems of buildings, bridges, aircraft, motor vehicles etc. The duplication of identical or similar modules significantly reduces the production cost and greatly simplifies the assembly process. In many cases periodic structures are also selected for their distinctive aesthetic appeal. The proposed research wi ....Topological Optimization of Load-carrying Structural Systems with Repetitive Geometrical Patterns. Periodic structures are increasingly used in the design of the structural systems or sub-systems of buildings, bridges, aircraft, motor vehicles etc. The duplication of identical or similar modules significantly reduces the production cost and greatly simplifies the assembly process. In many cases periodic structures are also selected for their distinctive aesthetic appeal. The proposed research will develop advanced techniques for the optimal design of such structures. The new design tool will enable Australian engineers and architects to create innovative and efficient structural systems for a wide range of applications and to become involved in high profile international projects. Read moreRead less
Design of Microstructures for Materials and Composites with Desired Functional Properties. The creation of new and advanced materials and composites will underpin the growth in many industrial and economic activities in Australia. This project will meet the substantial scientific and technological challenges in exploring and finding optimal microstructures for materials and composites with desired functional properties. The proposed research will significantly extend a topological optimization t ....Design of Microstructures for Materials and Composites with Desired Functional Properties. The creation of new and advanced materials and composites will underpin the growth in many industrial and economic activities in Australia. This project will meet the substantial scientific and technological challenges in exploring and finding optimal microstructures for materials and composites with desired functional properties. The proposed research will significantly extend a topological optimization technique known as ESO/BESO - an Australian initiative that has earned a widespread international recognition. Its further development and applications will enable the Australian researchers and engineers to maintain and enhance the national capacity to exploit a niche market in the design of novel materials and composites.Read moreRead less
Design of Novel Metamaterials Considering Large Deformation and Plasticity. The project aims to establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological design of novel mechanical metamaterials considering both geometrical and material nonlinearities. This would overcome a formidable bottleneck in practical applications of metamaterials which are mostly based on linear elastic assumptions. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design ....Design of Novel Metamaterials Considering Large Deformation and Plasticity. The project aims to establish an effective and efficient computational framework for the topological design of novel mechanical metamaterials considering both geometrical and material nonlinearities. This would overcome a formidable bottleneck in practical applications of metamaterials which are mostly based on linear elastic assumptions. The expected outcomes will be a new methodology and an advanced engineering design tool that can be used for the development of new classes of metamaterials with exceptional mechanical properties (eg negative compressibility or negative Poisson’s ratio) over a large strain range. Such novel metamaterials would have many important applications, particularly in biomedical and defence industries.Read moreRead less
Optimal Topological Design of 3D Continuum Structures for Crashworthiness. There is a widespread need throughout the Australian transport, defence and construction industries for high performance energy absorption devices. Data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau show that in 2002 there were 1,715 people killed in 1,525 crashes in Australia. The proposed research will develop advanced techniques for improving crashworthiness of vehicles, roadside barriers and other energy absorption devi ....Optimal Topological Design of 3D Continuum Structures for Crashworthiness. There is a widespread need throughout the Australian transport, defence and construction industries for high performance energy absorption devices. Data from the Australian Transport Safety Bureau show that in 2002 there were 1,715 people killed in 1,525 crashes in Australia. The proposed research will develop advanced techniques for improving crashworthiness of vehicles, roadside barriers and other energy absorption devices. This will lead to significant reductions in injury to people and damage to structures caused by impact; and thus substantial savings for the nation from the enormous costs associated with the fatalities, injuries and structural damages. Read moreRead less