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
Characterisation of granular base and sub-base pavement materials under cyclic loading. Pavement construction is a high cost item in road construction. Until very recently, pavements were designed based on empirical rules and restrictive material prescriptions. With the introduction of rational mechanistic pavement design methodology, it has become necessary to reliably characterise the behaviour of road foundation materials under cyclic loading. This project is focused on the characterisati ....Characterisation of granular base and sub-base pavement materials under cyclic loading. Pavement construction is a high cost item in road construction. Until very recently, pavements were designed based on empirical rules and restrictive material prescriptions. With the introduction of rational mechanistic pavement design methodology, it has become necessary to reliably characterise the behaviour of road foundation materials under cyclic loading. This project is focused on the characterisation of unbound granular base and sub-base materials. Since these are geo-materials, geotechnical concepts such as the influence of stress path will be used. This project will lead to better roads at lower cost, and significant leap in know-how in pavement design and material specification.Read moreRead less
NUMERICAL MODELLING OF LOCAL SCOUR BELOW OFFSHORE PIPELINES. This research will develop a numerical model for time-dependent local scour below offshore pipelines subject to steady currents and waves. No such model is currently available in the offshore oil and gas industry and the research community. Instead, design engineers have to use simple empirical formulae to estimate the scour potential in complex environmental conditions. This may result in unsafe or over conservative designs. Therefore ....NUMERICAL MODELLING OF LOCAL SCOUR BELOW OFFSHORE PIPELINES. This research will develop a numerical model for time-dependent local scour below offshore pipelines subject to steady currents and waves. No such model is currently available in the offshore oil and gas industry and the research community. Instead, design engineers have to use simple empirical formulae to estimate the scour potential in complex environmental conditions. This may result in unsafe or over conservative designs. Therefore the model developed in this project will have direct impact on the stability design of offshore pipelines. The design will be safer and more reliable, and improved design may lead to a reduced cost.Read moreRead less
Cracking of Embankment Dams Under Normal Operating, and Flood Conditions, and the Implications for Internal Erosion and Piping Failure. Internal erosion and piping causes half of embankment dam failures and accidents. Historically about two percent of dams have been affected. The most common cause of initiation of erosion is in cracks or by hydraulic fracture in low stress zones. This project will develop methods for predicting the opening width and depth of desiccation and stress induced cra ....Cracking of Embankment Dams Under Normal Operating, and Flood Conditions, and the Implications for Internal Erosion and Piping Failure. Internal erosion and piping causes half of embankment dam failures and accidents. Historically about two percent of dams have been affected. The most common cause of initiation of erosion is in cracks or by hydraulic fracture in low stress zones. This project will develop methods for predicting the opening width and depth of desiccation and stress induced cracking in the dam crest, and for assessing whether the cracks will close before erosion begins as the reservoir water rises, or whether erosion will self limit or continue.Read moreRead less
On-Bottom Stability of Large Diameter Submarine Pipelines. Offshore oil and gas extraction contributes approximately $17 billion annually to Australian economy. As the extraction activities increase, the length of pipelines being installed in Australian waters increases exponentially. The typical cost of a large diameter pipeline on the North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia is approximately $4.5 million/km. On-bottom stabilisation measures account for approximately 30% of the total cost. It is exp ....On-Bottom Stability of Large Diameter Submarine Pipelines. Offshore oil and gas extraction contributes approximately $17 billion annually to Australian economy. As the extraction activities increase, the length of pipelines being installed in Australian waters increases exponentially. The typical cost of a large diameter pipeline on the North West Shelf (NWS) of Australia is approximately $4.5 million/km. On-bottom stabilisation measures account for approximately 30% of the total cost. It is expected that the outcomes of this project will enable significant cost savings for the new projects currently being developed such as Pluto, Browse, Sunrise and Greater Gorgon, and will provide the scientific evidence that will underpin the life extension reviews of existing trunklines.Read moreRead less
Skin friction control using engineering and biological surface coatings. The development of techniques to reduce skin friction in water conveying assets will increase renewable energy production from existing hydro-electric plant and improve the energy efficiency of water conveying utilities. There is also potential for application to marine biofouling problems and reducing fuel usage by shipping. Passive (non-chemical) and biological control methods to reduce fouling and friction will be sought ....Skin friction control using engineering and biological surface coatings. The development of techniques to reduce skin friction in water conveying assets will increase renewable energy production from existing hydro-electric plant and improve the energy efficiency of water conveying utilities. There is also potential for application to marine biofouling problems and reducing fuel usage by shipping. Passive (non-chemical) and biological control methods to reduce fouling and friction will be sought to minimise environmental impact and maintain potable water quality. This multidisciplinary project combining engineering, photogrammetry and biological sciences will provide valuable training for the project team members and develop a pool of skilled personnel available to Australian industries.Read moreRead less
Improvement of water conveying efficiency in hydroelectric power generation systems by optimising pipe friction losses. The growth of bacterial and algal slimes on the surface of water conveying system significantly reduces the net electricity generation from Tasmania's hydroelectric system.
The aim of this project is to develop an optimal maintenance strategy to control this growth which will balance maintenance downtime against the potential increase in electricity production. The growth resp ....Improvement of water conveying efficiency in hydroelectric power generation systems by optimising pipe friction losses. The growth of bacterial and algal slimes on the surface of water conveying system significantly reduces the net electricity generation from Tasmania's hydroelectric system.
The aim of this project is to develop an optimal maintenance strategy to control this growth which will balance maintenance downtime against the potential increase in electricity production. The growth response to cleaning techniques and surface coatings will be investigated.
The potential for increased power production from this renewable energy source will have considerable economic benefit for Tasmania.Read moreRead less
The Prediction and Analysis of Complex Morphology in Coastal Environments. Coastal features, incorporating river, tide and wave induced flows and associated sediment transport, represent highly complex systems. At present it is impossible to analyse anything but the simplest forms, yet it is often necessary to determine their overall properties and behaviour in engineering analysis and design. The aim of the project is to develop and verify a modelling approach using the concept of entropy and a ....The Prediction and Analysis of Complex Morphology in Coastal Environments. Coastal features, incorporating river, tide and wave induced flows and associated sediment transport, represent highly complex systems. At present it is impossible to analyse anything but the simplest forms, yet it is often necessary to determine their overall properties and behaviour in engineering analysis and design. The aim of the project is to develop and verify a modelling approach using the concept of entropy and an efficient optimisation algorithm to allow key properties of complex coastal systems to be determined. The proposal represents an innovative approach to the coastal modelling problem that would overcome significant limitations of current morphological models.Read moreRead less
Design Rationale for Gated Canal Estates. This project will provide new knowledge on how to design gated canal estates to maximise their water quality and avoid events leading to the development of poor, and even harmful, water quality. It will document this new knowledge as Engineering Design Guidelines, which can be implemented to minimise adverse water quality impacts. A User Manual will also be developed to document the application of water quality decision support systems for use in designi ....Design Rationale for Gated Canal Estates. This project will provide new knowledge on how to design gated canal estates to maximise their water quality and avoid events leading to the development of poor, and even harmful, water quality. It will document this new knowledge as Engineering Design Guidelines, which can be implemented to minimise adverse water quality impacts. A User Manual will also be developed to document the application of water quality decision support systems for use in designing canal estates. This project will foster technology transfer from the research environment to the private and public sectors, also enabling a student to complete a PhD program.Read moreRead less
Blended calcium-magnesium binders for improved and more sustainable building materials. The project will explore the potential of new blended calcium-magnesium cements to significantly improve the sustainability and properties of concrete produced with Portland cement (PC). Concrete based on PC contributes to around 10% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide. PC Concrete has many weaknesses such as rapid deterioration when exposed to aggressive environments, delayed reactions and early age crack ....Blended calcium-magnesium binders for improved and more sustainable building materials. The project will explore the potential of new blended calcium-magnesium cements to significantly improve the sustainability and properties of concrete produced with Portland cement (PC). Concrete based on PC contributes to around 10% of global anthropogenic carbon dioxide. PC Concrete has many weaknesses such as rapid deterioration when exposed to aggressive environments, delayed reactions and early age cracking caused by shrinkage. The proposed research will investigate ways of using the new binder system to overcome these weaknesses and to reduce carbon dioxide emission. The expected outcome will be a proven technology for manufacturing new building materials that are environmentally more sustainable and with enhanced properties.Read moreRead less