The Airport Metropolis: Managing the Interfaces. The project aims to develop coordinated and equitable decision-making to ensure that airport-urban development balances economic, social and environmental issues and produces a sustainable regional (and national) competitive advantage that is both secure and resilient. The project will develop modelling technologies for the innovative management of data to ensure efficient and resilient infrastructure coordination. The outputs will enable an open ....The Airport Metropolis: Managing the Interfaces. The project aims to develop coordinated and equitable decision-making to ensure that airport-urban development balances economic, social and environmental issues and produces a sustainable regional (and national) competitive advantage that is both secure and resilient. The project will develop modelling technologies for the innovative management of data to ensure efficient and resilient infrastructure coordination. The outputs will enable an open planning process whereby all stakeholders are able to provide informed input into decision-making. Strategic decision-making, based on increased certainty about future airport and regional planning and development will improve conditions for growth in a range of industries.Read moreRead less
Development of Fibre Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products. The construction industry is one of the world's largest consumers of raw materials and it is widely accepted that current material usage trends are unsustainable. Development of new more efficient construction materials is paramount to overcoming this. This novel research will use advanced high strength glass and carbon fibres and polymer resins to improve the structural behaviour, versatility and economic viability of a natio ....Development of Fibre Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products. The construction industry is one of the world's largest consumers of raw materials and it is widely accepted that current material usage trends are unsustainable. Development of new more efficient construction materials is paramount to overcoming this. This novel research will use advanced high strength glass and carbon fibres and polymer resins to improve the structural behaviour, versatility and economic viability of a nationally significant construction material known as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. The material technologies developed by this research will lead to more efficient material use, a more sustainable materials solution and the potential to export the technology worldwide.Read moreRead less
Barriers for cost - effective rock fall hazard mitigation. Rock fall barriers are used throughout Australia to protect its extensive road and rail networks. These networks are vital links in the nation's infrastructure and underpin its economic prosperity and development. There are thousands of cuttings on Australia' transport networks, many of which have the potential to be affected by rock falls. These events can take lives and severely disrupt the performance of our transport infrastructure. ....Barriers for cost - effective rock fall hazard mitigation. Rock fall barriers are used throughout Australia to protect its extensive road and rail networks. These networks are vital links in the nation's infrastructure and underpin its economic prosperity and development. There are thousands of cuttings on Australia' transport networks, many of which have the potential to be affected by rock falls. These events can take lives and severely disrupt the performance of our transport infrastructure. This project will develop new cost-effective methods for designing against rock fall events using a combination of advanced testing and computer modelling.Read moreRead less
A Re-evaluation of the Safety and Reliability Indices for Reinforced Concrete Structures. The use of concrete in Australian building structures exceeds 13 million tonnes per year and its impact on the environment is considerable. With 5% of total CO2 emissions coming from cement production, one of the main components of concrete, it is imperative that Australian standards produce efficient design solutions. Preliminary modelling shows that a minimum 5% efficiency gain is possible through a re-ev ....A Re-evaluation of the Safety and Reliability Indices for Reinforced Concrete Structures. The use of concrete in Australian building structures exceeds 13 million tonnes per year and its impact on the environment is considerable. With 5% of total CO2 emissions coming from cement production, one of the main components of concrete, it is imperative that Australian standards produce efficient design solutions. Preliminary modelling shows that a minimum 5% efficiency gain is possible through a re-evaluation of reliability indices with contemporary construction practices and materials, giving an immediate 180,000 tonne per annum reduction in carbon emissions. Added to this are savings through reduced transport and reduced water, sand and aggregate consumption, the potential saving on the environment, and economy, are considerable.Read moreRead less
Sustainable usage of dredged clay materials as land reclamation fills. Millions of cubic metres of dredged materials are removed from river and sea beds every year in dredging projects. It is common to dump a significant portion of the dredged spoils into the sea which can result in serious environmental problems such as deterioration of water quality, damage to aquatic habitats, disruption of ecosystems and dispersion of fine clay particles in seawater. The proposed use of dredged clays as land ....Sustainable usage of dredged clay materials as land reclamation fills. Millions of cubic metres of dredged materials are removed from river and sea beds every year in dredging projects. It is common to dump a significant portion of the dredged spoils into the sea which can result in serious environmental problems such as deterioration of water quality, damage to aquatic habitats, disruption of ecosystems and dispersion of fine clay particles in seawater. The proposed use of dredged clays as land reclamation fill will lead to a substantial reduction in or even eliminate the need for dumping dredged clays into offshore dumping locations. The stabilized dredged clays have great potential if their geotechnical characteristics are adequately understood.Read moreRead less
Maximising diffusion of innovative products on public infrastructure projects: A qualitative management study of open innovation systems. Australia's infrastructure in water, energy, health, education, transport and communication is the platform for our future prosperity and growth. In response to an identified deficit, Australian governments are embarking on major investment programs. Our ability to deliver these programs efficiently and effectively relies heavily on the promotion of innovation ....Maximising diffusion of innovative products on public infrastructure projects: A qualitative management study of open innovation systems. Australia's infrastructure in water, energy, health, education, transport and communication is the platform for our future prosperity and growth. In response to an identified deficit, Australian governments are embarking on major investment programs. Our ability to deliver these programs efficiently and effectively relies heavily on the promotion of innovation in the delivery phase. This study contributes to this major challenge by identifying how diffusion of innovative products can be maximised on infrastructure projects, focusing on knowledge flows within open innovation systems. The study will provide tools to optimise delivery of a world-class and integrated infrastructure network to meet Australia's future social and economic needs.Read moreRead less
Reforming the procurement of construction and financing of Australian infrastructure: Advancing capacity, competition and investment. The project will significantly assist Federal and State governments in delivering value for money in the provision of a substantial infrastructure pipeline. The project will promote the transformation of the domestic construction industry in Australia, in terms of saving unnecessary transaction costs, promoting productivity, advancing training and accessing the wo ....Reforming the procurement of construction and financing of Australian infrastructure: Advancing capacity, competition and investment. The project will significantly assist Federal and State governments in delivering value for money in the provision of a substantial infrastructure pipeline. The project will promote the transformation of the domestic construction industry in Australia, in terms of saving unnecessary transaction costs, promoting productivity, advancing training and accessing the world's best knowledge and skills. In total, the project will help ensure that new infrastructure contributes to Australia's economic growth and counters inflationary pressures. Finally, the transferable knowledge outcomes of this project have potential to capture global attention and promote Australia as a leading nation in the provision of infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Foundation remediation using resin injection. The aim of this research project is to explore the application of injected expanded polyurethane resins as a new option for the re-levelling and stabilisation of deflected foundations on reactive clay soils. It will identify the physical and behavioural characteristics of resin-injected reactive clay foundations, in the context of both shallow and deep injection, and will identify any limitations to the applicability of the approach. Based on detaile ....Foundation remediation using resin injection. The aim of this research project is to explore the application of injected expanded polyurethane resins as a new option for the re-levelling and stabilisation of deflected foundations on reactive clay soils. It will identify the physical and behavioural characteristics of resin-injected reactive clay foundations, in the context of both shallow and deep injection, and will identify any limitations to the applicability of the approach. Based on detailed laboratory and field testing, and advanced numerical modelling, the outcome will be the ability to confidently assess various foundation remediation strategies in reactive clay soils, and provide much needed design guidance to the geotechnical profession and building industry.Read moreRead less
Stabilisation of erodible and dispersive soils with natural wood processing by-products. Lignosulfonate is a by-product of paper and wood processing industry, which is an environmentally friendly organic compound with an immense potential for stabilising erodible and dispersive soils when mixed in small quantities. This project will deliver practical design guidelines and specifications for sustainable performance of road and rail embankments that are treated with lignosulfonates. Utilisation of ....Stabilisation of erodible and dispersive soils with natural wood processing by-products. Lignosulfonate is a by-product of paper and wood processing industry, which is an environmentally friendly organic compound with an immense potential for stabilising erodible and dispersive soils when mixed in small quantities. This project will deliver practical design guidelines and specifications for sustainable performance of road and rail embankments that are treated with lignosulfonates. Utilisation of lignosulfonates in soil stabilisation is not only cost-effective, but also has the benefit of eliminating a waste disposal problem. The proposed project will improve industrial competitiveness and Australia's export earnings through increased commercialisation and technology transfer in the region.Read moreRead less
New design guidelines and simplified analysis methods for geosynthetic reinforced pile-supported embankments. There is a growing demand in Australia for efficient technologies for soft soils due to increasing infrastructure development on marginal land characterized by soft ground. One such technology that is becoming popular is geosynthetic reinforced pile-supported embankment as it requires less land, construction time and maintenance. The outcomes of this research will lead to cost-effective ....New design guidelines and simplified analysis methods for geosynthetic reinforced pile-supported embankments. There is a growing demand in Australia for efficient technologies for soft soils due to increasing infrastructure development on marginal land characterized by soft ground. One such technology that is becoming popular is geosynthetic reinforced pile-supported embankment as it requires less land, construction time and maintenance. The outcomes of this research will lead to cost-effective and reliable infrastructure design of benefit to the many future infrastructure projects, totalling billions of dollars, planned for Australia. This project will therefore contribute significantly to the sustainability of our environment and increase the international competitiveness and export potential of the Australian construction industry.Read moreRead less