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
Fundamental theoretical investigation of the chemomechanical properties of clays. Australia faces significant environmental challenges, one of the most important being soil degradation. The aim of this project is to develop new and state-of-the art mathematical models describing the behaviour of clays in soils. This proposal addresses five fundamental problems in clay soil behaviour that have so far remained unanswered. The primary outcomes of this project will be new theoretical insights into t ....Fundamental theoretical investigation of the chemomechanical properties of clays. Australia faces significant environmental challenges, one of the most important being soil degradation. The aim of this project is to develop new and state-of-the art mathematical models describing the behaviour of clays in soils. This proposal addresses five fundamental problems in clay soil behaviour that have so far remained unanswered. The primary outcomes of this project will be new theoretical insights into the chemomechanical properties of clay soils, so providing the understanding required to intelligently engineer and manage our natural and built environments.Read moreRead less
Modelling of shrinkage crack development in porous media. Australia has interesting land formations comprising various reactive soils and rock. The formation of cracking patterns due to material shrinkage during either drying or cooling has a significant influence on their origin and subsequent behaviour. The shrinkage cracks significantly affect the performance of buildings, roads and buried pipelines. The possibility of their formation is important in many engineering designs, ranging from ....Modelling of shrinkage crack development in porous media. Australia has interesting land formations comprising various reactive soils and rock. The formation of cracking patterns due to material shrinkage during either drying or cooling has a significant influence on their origin and subsequent behaviour. The shrinkage cracks significantly affect the performance of buildings, roads and buried pipelines. The possibility of their formation is important in many engineering designs, ranging from few millimetres thick material film to hundreds of metres long clay barriers used in hazardous waste landfills. Despite their wide-spread significance, quantitative methods to predict the crack formation and interpretation are not yet available, and this project will provide a solution to this problem. Read moreRead less
The Physicochemical Properties of Complex Silicate Melts - Application of a New Quasichemical Model to Surface Tension Prediction. Most chemical reactions occur at surfaces or interfaces. The contact area and ease in which fluids spread or cover surfaces depends critically on the surface tension or surface energy of the fluid.
In the processing of metals and advanced ceramic materials the behaviour of molten oxides can greatly influence the rates of reactions, the quality of the interfaces bet ....The Physicochemical Properties of Complex Silicate Melts - Application of a New Quasichemical Model to Surface Tension Prediction. Most chemical reactions occur at surfaces or interfaces. The contact area and ease in which fluids spread or cover surfaces depends critically on the surface tension or surface energy of the fluid.
In the processing of metals and advanced ceramic materials the behaviour of molten oxides can greatly influence the rates of reactions, the quality of the interfaces between phases and therefore mechanical and other key properties of advanced materials produced.
This project provides a means of predicting the surface tensions of molten oxides, making it possible to design, control and improve metal and material manufacturing processes.Read moreRead less
Fundamentals of an Innovative Technology for Solar Silicon Production. Australia is a world leader in research in photovoltaic technology for solar energy. However, Australia does not produce solar grade silicon. The proposed project will develop a novel frontier technology which will cut the solar silicon production cost by 50%. This will enhance Australia's capacity to power a world-class photovoltaic industry of the future and build on Australia's strengths in research and innovation. Applica ....Fundamentals of an Innovative Technology for Solar Silicon Production. Australia is a world leader in research in photovoltaic technology for solar energy. However, Australia does not produce solar grade silicon. The proposed project will develop a novel frontier technology which will cut the solar silicon production cost by 50%. This will enhance Australia's capacity to power a world-class photovoltaic industry of the future and build on Australia's strengths in research and innovation. Application of the technology will contribute to achieving national target of 6.74 GW photovoltaic solar power capacity by 2020; this will reduce 9.32 million tonnes/year of CO2 emission (the Australian photovoltaic industry roadmap) and contribute to an environmentally sustainable Australia.Read moreRead less
Fundamental Studies of the Packing of Cohesive Particles. Particle/powder technology is of paramount importance to Australia in view of its heavy dependence on the handling and processing of raw materials. Particle packing is here a most basic operation. This project will examine the underpinning physics of the packing of cohesive particles and develop novel generic theories and mathematical models for solving packing problems. Its outcomes can lead to better process or product control, a decrea ....Fundamental Studies of the Packing of Cohesive Particles. Particle/powder technology is of paramount importance to Australia in view of its heavy dependence on the handling and processing of raw materials. Particle packing is here a most basic operation. This project will examine the underpinning physics of the packing of cohesive particles and develop novel generic theories and mathematical models for solving packing problems. Its outcomes can lead to better process or product control, a decrease in energy consumption and an improvement in productivity in many processes/operations in mineral/material and relevant industries, which, together with the research training offered, will help strengthen and maintain Australia's leading position in particulate science and technology.Read moreRead less
Catastrophic Rock and Concrete Brittle Failures. Brittle rocks and concrete under extreme stresses fracture spontaneously and without pre-warning. In deep mining and tunnelling this causes fatalities, injuries and serious damage. Based on recent advances by the CIs in understanding the effect of biaxial loading and the free surface on catastrophic fracture propagation, the project aims to develop a new paradigm of monitoring, prediction and prevention of dangerous skin rock burst-type failures. ....Catastrophic Rock and Concrete Brittle Failures. Brittle rocks and concrete under extreme stresses fracture spontaneously and without pre-warning. In deep mining and tunnelling this causes fatalities, injuries and serious damage. Based on recent advances by the CIs in understanding the effect of biaxial loading and the free surface on catastrophic fracture propagation, the project aims to develop a new paradigm of monitoring, prediction and prevention of dangerous skin rock burst-type failures. A unique experimental methodology, measurements and analytical and numerical models will be employed to provide a better understanding of the fundamental processes in rock fracturing. This will lead to safer and more cost-effective deep rock engineering designs.Read moreRead less