Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex ....Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex than current micropile theory; this project will research the mechanism of load transfer from micropiles to the soil and soil response.Read moreRead less
Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. This project aims to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Trees are vital to urban environmental sustainability, but local government, house-owners, engineers and the building industry are concerned about building damage and settlement from tree root ....Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. This project aims to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Trees are vital to urban environmental sustainability, but local government, house-owners, engineers and the building industry are concerned about building damage and settlement from tree root drying. If tree water needs and patterns of moisture extraction were predictable, house footings could be designed reliably. This research will provide such understanding through field experiments on suburban sites with trees, investigating damaged structures and numerical modelling. An anticipated outcome of this research is to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Guidelines for both footing designers and local government.Read moreRead less
Rational lateral-bracing design for steel-framed domestic structures. For the 150,000 new Australian houses built annually to remain safe, despite expected increases in structural loading due to climate change, rational design approaches are desperately needed. This project will provide the industry with the necessary tools to develop optimised and innovative solutions to brace houses for extreme events and yet maintain affordability.
Fire resistance of complex light gauge steel framed wall systems. This project aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of high-strength Light gauge Steel Framed (LSF) wall systems when exposed to fire, and develop a generic model for predicting fire resistance levels of all LSF wall systems. Plasterboard-lined LSF walls are increasingly used as cost-effective load-bearing walls in low and mid-rise buildings worldwide. This has required new wall designs with complex steel stud wa ....Fire resistance of complex light gauge steel framed wall systems. This project aims to investigate the thermal and structural behaviour of high-strength Light gauge Steel Framed (LSF) wall systems when exposed to fire, and develop a generic model for predicting fire resistance levels of all LSF wall systems. Plasterboard-lined LSF walls are increasingly used as cost-effective load-bearing walls in low and mid-rise buildings worldwide. This has required new wall designs with complex steel stud wall configurations, but their fire resistance is not understood. This project will provide validated fire resistance data and fire design methods for a proposed national Fire Design Handbook and steel design codes, enabling more widespread, safer use of these walls. This will benefit the Australian steel industry, the construction industry and the community.
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Seismic performance of precast concrete buildings for lower seismic regions. This project aims to develop a displacement-based method of assessing precast concrete buildings in regions of lower seismicity for risk of collapse and seismic performance. The project will investigate the system behaviour and vulnerability of buildings laterally supported by precast concrete geometric walls, which are currently poorly understood but dominate Australian construction. The modelling produced is expected ....Seismic performance of precast concrete buildings for lower seismic regions. This project aims to develop a displacement-based method of assessing precast concrete buildings in regions of lower seismicity for risk of collapse and seismic performance. The project will investigate the system behaviour and vulnerability of buildings laterally supported by precast concrete geometric walls, which are currently poorly understood but dominate Australian construction. The modelling produced is expected to allow such buildings to be simply checked for seismic compliance using displacement principles, rather than the more complex force based methods with direct benefits for building costs and community safety.Read moreRead less
Development of efficient, robust and architecturally-flexible structural systems using innovative blind-bolted connections. The aim of the proposed project is to develop structural systems that have sufficient stiffness, strength, and ductility to withstand code-specified loads and that will be competitive in the marketplace. The development of demonstrable cost-effective structural systems is essential if these types of systems are to be widely adopted in practice, thus allowing Australian manu ....Development of efficient, robust and architecturally-flexible structural systems using innovative blind-bolted connections. The aim of the proposed project is to develop structural systems that have sufficient stiffness, strength, and ductility to withstand code-specified loads and that will be competitive in the marketplace. The development of demonstrable cost-effective structural systems is essential if these types of systems are to be widely adopted in practice, thus allowing Australian manufacturers of blind bolts and steel tubes to achieve a greater market share.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC150100023
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing. ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing. This training centre aims to unlock the potential for growth of Australia’s prefabricated building industry by creating a sustainable training ecosystem including both industry and universities. It seeks to enable the next generation of engineers and architects to apply advanced manufacturing principles to prefabricated modular buildings. This emerging ....ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing. ARC Training Centre for Advanced Manufacturing of Prefabricated Housing. This training centre aims to unlock the potential for growth of Australia’s prefabricated building industry by creating a sustainable training ecosystem including both industry and universities. It seeks to enable the next generation of engineers and architects to apply advanced manufacturing principles to prefabricated modular buildings. This emerging highly trained workforce, driven by the needs of the customer, should identify innovations in the use of advanced materials, designs for manufacturing, and assembly. The centre aims to secure a competitive advantage for Australia in the global value chain leading to local employment growth and increased exports of prefabricated products and services.Read moreRead less
Minimisation of damage to residential structures due to ground movement. In Australia some 150,000 new houses are built every year with a total value of approximately $40 billion; making it one of the most significant industries affecting consumers and industries. With a quadrupling of the cost of building new houses in the last 20 years, an increase in the levels of expectations of owners, a high rate of reported damage in new and existing houses, and predications of worsening conditions under ....Minimisation of damage to residential structures due to ground movement. In Australia some 150,000 new houses are built every year with a total value of approximately $40 billion; making it one of the most significant industries affecting consumers and industries. With a quadrupling of the cost of building new houses in the last 20 years, an increase in the levels of expectations of owners, a high rate of reported damage in new and existing houses, and predications of worsening conditions under climate change scenarios; there is an urgent need to evaluate the causes of damage. The outcomes from this project will assist in minimising damage to houses from ground movement and in adopting new performance-based design methods for new homes to better match owner expectations. This will lead to cost effective and innovative solutions to meet adverse conditions.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100217
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,000.00
Summary
Facade fire failures in buildings: a robust nanocomposite solution. This project aims to develop an innovative fire resistant composite façade system which is also strong, lightweight, thermally efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The project expects to develop new knowledge in areas of fire safety and advanced manufacturing of a nanocomposite facade utilising advanced computational fluid dynamics simulations to model the external flame spread. The outcomes will provide impro ....Facade fire failures in buildings: a robust nanocomposite solution. This project aims to develop an innovative fire resistant composite façade system which is also strong, lightweight, thermally efficient, environmentally friendly and cost-effective. The project expects to develop new knowledge in areas of fire safety and advanced manufacturing of a nanocomposite facade utilising advanced computational fluid dynamics simulations to model the external flame spread. The outcomes will provide improved insight into the mechanism of external fire spread and development of the façade system which is safe, resilient and fire resistant. This work will be useful for building owners, construction authorities and researchers to tackle the global issues of combustible façades and provide better fire design strategies to protect occupants.Read moreRead less