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
Turning pile foundations into sources of renewable energy: addressing remaining geotechnical challenges. Heat exchanger pile foundations are increasingly used for space heating and cooling of buildings to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions and increase their energy efficiency. This project will remove the uncertainty of their geotechnical design and will provide a springboard for the use of other buried geostructures for energy harvesting.
Variational multiscale modelling of granular materials. Granular materials play an important role in a wide-range of problems related to physical infrastructure. These include landslides and similar catastrophic events often leading to loss of life and property. This project will aim to develop new methods for adequate simulation of granular flows to allow formulation of efficient risk mitigation strategies.
Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will ....Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will include complex full-scale laboratory tests and advanced computer modelling to verify the performance against expected cyclic loading. New design approaches will be developed for this emerging foundation system, enabling more widespread adoption of this technology in the building and construction industry.Read moreRead less
Development of deep soil mixing technology utilising industrial by-products. This project will investigate the sustainable use of industrial wastes in ground improvement works using deep soil mixing. Currently, ground improvement projects use large amounts of highly carbon intensive materials. This project aims to develop low carbon alternatives by using geopolymers, which are a mixture of industrial waste by-products such as fly ash and slag with alkali activators. This project will explore the ....Development of deep soil mixing technology utilising industrial by-products. This project will investigate the sustainable use of industrial wastes in ground improvement works using deep soil mixing. Currently, ground improvement projects use large amounts of highly carbon intensive materials. This project aims to develop low carbon alternatives by using geopolymers, which are a mixture of industrial waste by-products such as fly ash and slag with alkali activators. This project will explore the consolidation effects and stress–strain responses of soft soil improved with geopolymers under static and dynamic loading. The main expected outcome of the project is an innovative ground improvement technique using geopolymers as an alternative green binder.Read moreRead less
INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANISM CAUSING SHRINKAGE STRAINS IN CONCRETES MADE WITH SLAG BLENDED CEMENTS. Slag, an industrial by-product, can partially substitute portland cement. High slag contents produce highly durable concretes and help reduce the CO2 emissions due to cement manufacture. Major problem of high slag content is often the high shrinkages resulting in the concrete. This project will systematically study all the factors affect the shrinkage behaviour in slag-blended cement concrete ....INVESTIGATION OF THE MECHANISM CAUSING SHRINKAGE STRAINS IN CONCRETES MADE WITH SLAG BLENDED CEMENTS. Slag, an industrial by-product, can partially substitute portland cement. High slag contents produce highly durable concretes and help reduce the CO2 emissions due to cement manufacture. Major problem of high slag content is often the high shrinkages resulting in the concrete. This project will systematically study all the factors affect the shrinkage behaviour in slag-blended cement concretes including the appropriateness of the standard shrinkage measurement method. The other aim is to develop a micro-mechanical model to understand the fundamental mechanism involved. This model will also lead to a better understanding of the mechanisms involved in shrinkage in all concretes.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Training Centres - Grant ID: IC170100006
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$3,937,625.00
Summary
ARC Training Centre for Advanced Technologies in Rail Track Infrastructure. The ARC Training Centre for Advanced Technologies in Rail Track Infrastructure aims to transform Australia’s rail construction and maintenance technologies through specialist training of industry-focused researchers. Generation of new knowledge and close collaboration with companies within the rail supply chain will result in enhanced rail capacity and supply chain efficiency across the rail network. This will include in ....ARC Training Centre for Advanced Technologies in Rail Track Infrastructure. The ARC Training Centre for Advanced Technologies in Rail Track Infrastructure aims to transform Australia’s rail construction and maintenance technologies through specialist training of industry-focused researchers. Generation of new knowledge and close collaboration with companies within the rail supply chain will result in enhanced rail capacity and supply chain efficiency across the rail network. This will include increased axle loads and higher speeds, greater safety margins, reduced construction and maintenance costs, and a body of competent railway professionals in the nation’s work force.Read moreRead less
Soil dynamics at extreme deformations. This project aims to conduct a fundamental study of a challenging class of geotechnical problems in which soil undergoes large strains and rapid deformations. The main goal of this project is to discover the fundamental principles governing soil behaviour at large and fast deformation rates. The expected outcomes are an innovative testing device for site investigation purposes, and robust solution and computational procedures for analysing a wide range of p ....Soil dynamics at extreme deformations. This project aims to conduct a fundamental study of a challenging class of geotechnical problems in which soil undergoes large strains and rapid deformations. The main goal of this project is to discover the fundamental principles governing soil behaviour at large and fast deformation rates. The expected outcomes are an innovative testing device for site investigation purposes, and robust solution and computational procedures for analysing a wide range of problems in soil dynamics. This should benefit government and engineers by providing safer and more cost-effective strategies for the design, construction, and maintenance of Australia's infrastructure.Read moreRead less
High Strength Steel Protection Bollards. Terrorist attacks cost Australians much human grief and millions of dollars. Prevention of an attack is paramount. Passive road bollards are commonly used to stop a vehicle approaching and/or entering security sensitive infrastructure. Thin-walled tubes are used to manufacture such bollards. However there is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour, and in particular high strength alloy steel bollards, when subjected to impact loads. The investigators wi ....High Strength Steel Protection Bollards. Terrorist attacks cost Australians much human grief and millions of dollars. Prevention of an attack is paramount. Passive road bollards are commonly used to stop a vehicle approaching and/or entering security sensitive infrastructure. Thin-walled tubes are used to manufacture such bollards. However there is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour, and in particular high strength alloy steel bollards, when subjected to impact loads. The investigators will apply their extensive knowledge in thin-walled tubular structures to establish the most economical means of designing high strength bollards. This knowledge will be transferred into design standards and Australia's limited defence resources.Read moreRead less
Design and Construction Error Mitigation in Infrastructure Projects. Human errors committed during the design and construction process of infrastructure projects increase costs by as much as 25 per cent. The costs associated with such errors would be significantly higher in the event of an engineering failure and loss of life. This research will develop a model that can be used to mitigate errors and improve the performance and safety of infrastructure projects. A reduction in errors will reduce ....Design and Construction Error Mitigation in Infrastructure Projects. Human errors committed during the design and construction process of infrastructure projects increase costs by as much as 25 per cent. The costs associated with such errors would be significantly higher in the event of an engineering failure and loss of life. This research will develop a model that can be used to mitigate errors and improve the performance and safety of infrastructure projects. A reduction in errors will reduce the financial burden placed on taxpayers for cost overruns experienced as well as improve the profitability of organisations. This will lead to greater investment, and contribution to gross domestic product.Read moreRead less