Earthquake protection of masonry buildings using fibre reinforced polymer strengthening. The importance of this research is highlighted, both nationally and internationally, by the work of the insurance industry which reported that the economic risk posed by a moderate earthquake in any of the capital cities in Australia is of the order of billions of dollars (Blong, 1993). For example, a 'design magnitude' earthquake in Sydney is predicted to cause, just in domestic construction, over $10 bill ....Earthquake protection of masonry buildings using fibre reinforced polymer strengthening. The importance of this research is highlighted, both nationally and internationally, by the work of the insurance industry which reported that the economic risk posed by a moderate earthquake in any of the capital cities in Australia is of the order of billions of dollars (Blong, 1993). For example, a 'design magnitude' earthquake in Sydney is predicted to cause, just in domestic construction, over $10 billion damage and more than 5000 deaths. Most of this damage would be associated with unreinforced masonry construction such as low-rise apartment buildings. The damage bill for the entire built environment (with business interruption costs) could easily be an order of magnitude greater.Read moreRead less
Blast resistance of flexural ultra-high performance concrete members. Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has high material strengths, high material deformation and high toughness, making it an ideal material for resisting blast effects. Since there are great differences between the mechanical properties of UHPC and conventional concrete, traditional guidelines need to be significantly adapted to accommodate UHPC. This project will facilitate the development of design procedures for reinforce ....Blast resistance of flexural ultra-high performance concrete members. Ultra high performance concrete (UHPC) has high material strengths, high material deformation and high toughness, making it an ideal material for resisting blast effects. Since there are great differences between the mechanical properties of UHPC and conventional concrete, traditional guidelines need to be significantly adapted to accommodate UHPC. This project will facilitate the development of design procedures for reinforced UHPC members. It will enable design engineers to take advantage of the desirable properties of UHPC for anti-terrorism. The application of this project will lead to saving lives, reducing the extent of injury and minimizing social and economic disruption.Read moreRead less
Fibre reinforced polymer retrofitting of reinforced concrete flexural members. A cost-effective and durable technique for retrofitting reinforced concrete beams and slabs is to adhesively bond new advanced fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to their surfaces. The potential plating market in Australia for bridges is $350 million, however, the technique can also be applied to strengthening other structures such as buildings. Tests have shown that FRP plates or sheets can debond prematurely, ....Fibre reinforced polymer retrofitting of reinforced concrete flexural members. A cost-effective and durable technique for retrofitting reinforced concrete beams and slabs is to adhesively bond new advanced fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to their surfaces. The potential plating market in Australia for bridges is $350 million, however, the technique can also be applied to strengthening other structures such as buildings. Tests have shown that FRP plates or sheets can debond prematurely, which at present severely limits the application. The aim of this research project is to quantify the debonding mechanisms, strengths and ductilities of adhesively bonded FRP plated beams to provide design rules that can be used in practice.Read moreRead less
Development of sophisticated structural design guidelines for the new building product known as Rapidwall. Rapidwall is an Australian made new composite building product made from formulated gypsum plaster and glass-fibre. This is a high-tech building product that has huge potential to be developed into a dominant building material in the future. It is economic, labor effective, eco-friendly, structural sound and fire, thermal resistant and has many advantages over the existing building material ....Development of sophisticated structural design guidelines for the new building product known as Rapidwall. Rapidwall is an Australian made new composite building product made from formulated gypsum plaster and glass-fibre. This is a high-tech building product that has huge potential to be developed into a dominant building material in the future. It is economic, labor effective, eco-friendly, structural sound and fire, thermal resistant and has many advantages over the existing building materials, such as concrete, steel and masonry. The lack of a technical design guidelines has fundamentally obstructed it from expanding its market share both in Australia and overseas. This proposal aims at developing a structural design manual for the new product.Read moreRead less
Special Research Initiatives - Grant ID: SR0354894
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$10,000.00
Summary
Innovative risk analysis, assessment, rehabilitation and strengthening of aging critical civil infrastructure. Much essential civil engineering infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, dams, pipelines and pavements was commissioned many decades ago, and sustaining the integrity of this infrastructure in developed nations as it ages is now considered to be a major challenge to the engineering and scientific community. Australia is not spared by the ramifications of its aging civil assets, and ....Innovative risk analysis, assessment, rehabilitation and strengthening of aging critical civil infrastructure. Much essential civil engineering infrastructure such as bridges, buildings, dams, pipelines and pavements was commissioned many decades ago, and sustaining the integrity of this infrastructure in developed nations as it ages is now considered to be a major challenge to the engineering and scientific community. Australia is not spared by the ramifications of its aging civil assets, and identification and rectification procedures that are often ad-hoc now represent a sizeable proportion of the GDP. This Research Network draws together the leading Australian research groups in engineering and applied mechanics in a coordinated program to address this most important cost to the community.Read moreRead less
Ductile FRP retrofit of concrete frames subject to static and earthquake loading. Australia needs to spend at least $500 million annually on the repair and upgrading of concrete structures alone just to maintain our existing civil infrastructure. Furthermore, it has been estimated that more than 500 deaths and $10 billion damage will be caused by a moderate earthquake in Sydney or Melbourne. Most of this damage will be due to the collapse of buildings. This research will develop a new form of ....Ductile FRP retrofit of concrete frames subject to static and earthquake loading. Australia needs to spend at least $500 million annually on the repair and upgrading of concrete structures alone just to maintain our existing civil infrastructure. Furthermore, it has been estimated that more than 500 deaths and $10 billion damage will be caused by a moderate earthquake in Sydney or Melbourne. Most of this damage will be due to the collapse of buildings. This research will develop a new form of ductile plating that will reduce the cost of retrofitting concrete bridges and buildings. This project will also help train two PhD students and one Research Associate and further enhance the existing collaboration between Australia and Italy.Read moreRead less
Development of design guidelines for recycled plastic material and structural components. It is estimated that by 2010 over 1.2 million tonnes of plastic will be used annually by Australians of which only 3% is currently recycled. Preliminary testing of recycled plastic products has demonstrated their potential usefulness in structural engineering applications. However, the lack of guidelines suitable for advanced applications of recycled plastic is limiting the growth of this technology. This p ....Development of design guidelines for recycled plastic material and structural components. It is estimated that by 2010 over 1.2 million tonnes of plastic will be used annually by Australians of which only 3% is currently recycled. Preliminary testing of recycled plastic products has demonstrated their potential usefulness in structural engineering applications. However, the lack of guidelines suitable for advanced applications of recycled plastic is limiting the growth of this technology. This project aims to develop a set of rational guidelines for the testing, analysis and design of recycled plastic material and structural components that will enable the continued expansion of this technology, significantly reducing waste plastic.Read moreRead less
Development of innovative fibre reinforced polymer plating techniques to retrofit existing reinforced concrete structures. The demand for retrofitting reinforced concrete structures in Australia is estimated at $500 million per annum. However, with improved understanding of emerging retrofitting techniques the cost of retrofitting may be reduced. The innovative retrofitting techniques investigated in this project will address the shortcomings of existing techniques with particular emphasis on th ....Development of innovative fibre reinforced polymer plating techniques to retrofit existing reinforced concrete structures. The demand for retrofitting reinforced concrete structures in Australia is estimated at $500 million per annum. However, with improved understanding of emerging retrofitting techniques the cost of retrofitting may be reduced. The innovative retrofitting techniques investigated in this project will address the shortcomings of existing techniques with particular emphasis on the ductility of the system which is a particularly important characteristic when retrofitting for earthquake or explosive loads. It also reinforces Australia's high international standing in developing innovative retrofitting alternatives using advanced materials in this rapidly developing area.Read moreRead less
A unified reinforced concrete model for flexure and shear. The catastrophic Minnesota River Bridge collapse in the USA in 2007 highlighted the importance of accurately assessing, maintaining, upgrading and prolonging the design life of our aging infrastructure. The problem, which is just as severe in Australia, is further exacerbated by increasing man-made (terrorist) hazards and natural hazards such as earthquake, tsunami, flood and bushfire. Reinforced concrete and composite steel-concrete st ....A unified reinforced concrete model for flexure and shear. The catastrophic Minnesota River Bridge collapse in the USA in 2007 highlighted the importance of accurately assessing, maintaining, upgrading and prolonging the design life of our aging infrastructure. The problem, which is just as severe in Australia, is further exacerbated by increasing man-made (terrorist) hazards and natural hazards such as earthquake, tsunami, flood and bushfire. Reinforced concrete and composite steel-concrete structures comprise a very large part of Australia's bridge and building infrastructure. This project will provide a safe and more economical tool for engineers to both extend the working-life of existing infrastructure and design new infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Retrofitting unreinforced masonry walls with fibre reinforced polymer strips. An efficient technique for increasing the safety of existing masonry structures under earthquake (and other) loading will be developed. This is essential to the safe continued use of existing infrastructure (avoid replacement = economic benefit). This new technique addresses many shortcomings in existing alternatives (increased performance, reduced cost). This research is particularly important in Australia where unrei ....Retrofitting unreinforced masonry walls with fibre reinforced polymer strips. An efficient technique for increasing the safety of existing masonry structures under earthquake (and other) loading will be developed. This is essential to the safe continued use of existing infrastructure (avoid replacement = economic benefit). This new technique addresses many shortcomings in existing alternatives (increased performance, reduced cost). This research is particularly important in Australia where unreinforced masonry accounts for most domestic construction, much light commercial infrastructure, as well as many heritage and post-disaster buildings. It also reinforces Australia's high international standing in developing innovative retrofitting alternatives using advanced materials in this rapidly developing area. Read moreRead less