Impact of rolling dynamic compaction. The project will lead to improved understanding and greater use of rolling dynamic compaction (RDC). RDC is a relatively new compaction technique that can be used to improve soft and derelict ground prior to the construction of roads, railways, subdivisions and structures. This project will also lead to greatly reduced ground improvement costs.
Investigation of chemical clogging in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) installed for remediating groundwater from acid sulphate soils. Soil acidity is a major geo-environmental problem in coastal Australia, whereby acidified groundwater pollutes estuaries with catastrophic consequences on local aquaculture (e.g. fish, oyster and prawn farming) and agricultural industries. The project aims to optimise the design and performance of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) utilising waste materials suc ....Investigation of chemical clogging in a permeable reactive barrier (PRB) installed for remediating groundwater from acid sulphate soils. Soil acidity is a major geo-environmental problem in coastal Australia, whereby acidified groundwater pollutes estuaries with catastrophic consequences on local aquaculture (e.g. fish, oyster and prawn farming) and agricultural industries. The project aims to optimise the design and performance of permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) utilising waste materials such as recycled concrete and oyster shells for neutralising groundwater acidity prior to discharge to waterways. The main research includes the study of potential clogging and fouling of these PRB materials due to chemical reactions and to develop a predictive tool for long-term PRB performance as a means of ground acidity alleviation.Read moreRead less
The Development of a Model for Confined Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Stormwater Filtration/Infiltration Systems for Australian Conditions. There is an increasing strain on scarce Australian water supplies and this requires effective water cycle management and protection of water resources as a whole. The proposed research aims to develop a model for the effective management of stormwater runoff through the investigation of confined filtration and infiltration devices in four separate loca ....The Development of a Model for Confined Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) Stormwater Filtration/Infiltration Systems for Australian Conditions. There is an increasing strain on scarce Australian water supplies and this requires effective water cycle management and protection of water resources as a whole. The proposed research aims to develop a model for the effective management of stormwater runoff through the investigation of confined filtration and infiltration devices in four separate locations. These confined systems will minimise the impacts of pollutant concentrations on native soils and groundwater. A model will be developed to predict required native soil permeabilities and residence times for adequate tertiary treatment in a variety of Australian conditions for non-potable reuse of runoff and/or groundwater recharge.Read moreRead less
Sustainable Technology for Removal of Trace Contaminants in Rural Water Supplies. Provision of safe drinking water treatment using sustainable technology which can be applied in rural locations and emergency situations is the main aim of this project. A hybrid membrane process will be combined with solar energy for the removal of pathogens and trace pollutants such as uranium, fluoride, arsenic, boron and nitrates. The technology will be designed for remote community situations and hence be robu ....Sustainable Technology for Removal of Trace Contaminants in Rural Water Supplies. Provision of safe drinking water treatment using sustainable technology which can be applied in rural locations and emergency situations is the main aim of this project. A hybrid membrane process will be combined with solar energy for the removal of pathogens and trace pollutants such as uranium, fluoride, arsenic, boron and nitrates. The technology will be designed for remote community situations and hence be robust and low in maintenance. Using solar energy is a challenge for trace contaminant removal as the operating conditions vary with the power fluctuations, which presents a substantially different situation to grid power connection.Read moreRead less
Understanding the role of vegetation in nitrogen removal by biofiltration. Many of Australia's bays and waterways are threatened by eutrophication due to excess nitrogen loads, particularly from urban stormwater. Biofiltration systems are a widely used (Melbourne Water alone has a programme of constructing 10000 systems in partnership with municipalities over the next 5 years) and potentially effective treatment, but their nitrogen removal is highly dependent on the type of vegetation used. Th ....Understanding the role of vegetation in nitrogen removal by biofiltration. Many of Australia's bays and waterways are threatened by eutrophication due to excess nitrogen loads, particularly from urban stormwater. Biofiltration systems are a widely used (Melbourne Water alone has a programme of constructing 10000 systems in partnership with municipalities over the next 5 years) and potentially effective treatment, but their nitrogen removal is highly dependent on the type of vegetation used. This project will improve the understanding of the role of vegetation in nitrogen retention by stormwater biofilters, and will thus provide important guidance on plant selection and design for biofiltration.Read moreRead less
Could porous pavements be a part of the urban water solution? With water demand in Australia approaching, and sometimes exceeding, limits of sustainability, there is a pressing need to find alternative water sources. At the same time, urban stormwater pollution remains a major environmental threat. These problems are particularly difficult in urban areas, due to space constraints. This project will test and refine porous pavement technology, which could help solve the 'urban water problem'. R ....Could porous pavements be a part of the urban water solution? With water demand in Australia approaching, and sometimes exceeding, limits of sustainability, there is a pressing need to find alternative water sources. At the same time, urban stormwater pollution remains a major environmental threat. These problems are particularly difficult in urban areas, due to space constraints. This project will test and refine porous pavement technology, which could help solve the 'urban water problem'. Replacing impervious areas with porous pavements will allow urban stormwater to be treated and harvested for re-use. Waterways will be protected from pollution, and the vast quantity of urban stormwater generated (similar to the total reticulated water supplied in Australia) can be harvested to sustain cities.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE210101155
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$425,952.00
Summary
From stormwater to potable water via Water Sensitive Urban Design? The project aims to develop a framework that contains viable procedures to quantify, control and monitor the health risks associated with stormwater harvesting using Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) systems (i.e., natural-based solutions). It expects to address the concerns about the safety of stormwater harvesting via WSUD for all end-uses. It will generate new knowledge regarding the real time control and monitoring of WSUD, ....From stormwater to potable water via Water Sensitive Urban Design? The project aims to develop a framework that contains viable procedures to quantify, control and monitor the health risks associated with stormwater harvesting using Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) systems (i.e., natural-based solutions). It expects to address the concerns about the safety of stormwater harvesting via WSUD for all end-uses. It will generate new knowledge regarding the real time control and monitoring of WSUD, thus truly advancing the WUSD technology as emerging urban green infrastructure for reliable stormwater harvesting. Expected outcomes include next generation of WSUDs implemented with real time control techniques, as well as a suite of easy-to-measure surrogate parameters for real time water quality monitoring.Read moreRead less
Next generation bioplastics: Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics from organic waste. Production of next generation bioplastics by using waste as a resource supports an environmentally sustainable Australia and provides wide-ranging commercial opportunities for Australian businesses. Fundamental research in this field will provide a platform for creation of an Australian Centre of Excellence in PHA bioplastics, which will play an integral role in progressing research on sustainab ....Next generation bioplastics: Production of polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) bioplastics from organic waste. Production of next generation bioplastics by using waste as a resource supports an environmentally sustainable Australia and provides wide-ranging commercial opportunities for Australian businesses. Fundamental research in this field will provide a platform for creation of an Australian Centre of Excellence in PHA bioplastics, which will play an integral role in progressing research on sustainable materials development. The project will provide training and PhD education in environmental biotechnology, and direct commercial benefits to Australia by the development of significant Intellectual Property and linkage between an Australian University and leading players in environment technology commercialisation.Read moreRead less
Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the ....Optimising dissolved air flotation (DAF) for algae removal by bubble modification in drinking water and advanced wastewater systems. Algal blooms in potable water reservoirs and advanced wastewater treatment lagoons can impact the performance and economic viability of water treatment processes resulting in taste and odour episodes and the risk of algal toxins as well as causing further limitation to already stressed water resources in Australia. This project aims to develop an adaptation of the dissolved air flotation process that is already used for algae treatment that will provide a more robust, economic and sustainable barrier to algal cells in accordance with the Australian Drinking and Recycled Water Guidelines.Read moreRead less
A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural netw ....A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural networks trained on lab-scale and synthetic data to field implementation. The outcome is a machine learning framework to optimise biogas harvesting and renewable energy generation, and to avoid structural failure, that is capable of continuous improvement to take into account improved data and/or modelling capabilities.Read moreRead less