Behaviour of ultra-high strength double-skin composite tubular construction. Ultra-high strength (UHS) steel tubes are currently used mainly in the vehicle industry due to their high strength and light weight. This project aims to enable the building of more resilient and sustainable infrastructure by utilising these UHS steel tubes in double-skin composite tubular construction. To date there has been little work to understand the effects of fire, earthquake and impact related incidents on these ....Behaviour of ultra-high strength double-skin composite tubular construction. Ultra-high strength (UHS) steel tubes are currently used mainly in the vehicle industry due to their high strength and light weight. This project aims to enable the building of more resilient and sustainable infrastructure by utilising these UHS steel tubes in double-skin composite tubular construction. To date there has been little work to understand the effects of fire, earthquake and impact related incidents on these structures. This project aims to access unique testing facilities for full size impact and fire testing and the state-of-the-art hybrid testing simulation. It is expected to increase the competitiveness of the Australian manufacturing industry by overcoming the bottleneck in the manufacture of steel sections.Read moreRead less
Composite tubular construction subject to impact and blast loading. This project will advance the knowledge of composite tubular members and connections under impact and blast loading. It will provide confident design methodology against impact and blast loading for buildings designated as prominent targets or items of critical infrastructure, to save lives and reduce losses.
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100138
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$235,000.00
Summary
National Drop Weight Impact Testing Facility. National drop weight impact testing facility:
The national drop weight impact testing facility aims to enable dynamic tests on geo- and construction materials and systems. This facility aims to provide state-of-the-art technology to observe the real-time behaviour of elements and sub-assemblies under combined quasi-static and impact loading. Understanding material behaviour under dynamic loading is essential in dealing with many engineering problems ....National Drop Weight Impact Testing Facility. National drop weight impact testing facility:
The national drop weight impact testing facility aims to enable dynamic tests on geo- and construction materials and systems. This facility aims to provide state-of-the-art technology to observe the real-time behaviour of elements and sub-assemblies under combined quasi-static and impact loading. Understanding material behaviour under dynamic loading is essential in dealing with many engineering problems. The facility may advance understanding of the fundamental behaviour of critical infrastructure exposed to impact loading and will foster innovations in design and construction. Applications may include improvement of the structural safety of infrastructure including railway networks, tunnels and bridges, and also the development of cost-effective and environmentally friendly building and construction materials. Read moreRead less
Control of cracking caused by early-age contraction of concrete. An extensive program of laboratory testing will be undertaken to quantify the extent of cracking in concrete walls and slabs due to early-age cooling and shrinkage of concrete. Analytical models for quantifying restraint in walls and slabs will be developed, as will methods for the prediction and control of crack widths and crack spacings.
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
An innovative light weight composite panel system for high speed modular construction. This project aims to develop an innovative composite panel system using aerated geopolymer and a thin high strength steel casing. The new panel system aims to have a number of significant enhancements compared to traditional panels in terms of load resistance, much lower carbon footprint and life-cycle costs. It aims to offer desirable properties, such as being light-weight, easy to construct, economical, recy ....An innovative light weight composite panel system for high speed modular construction. This project aims to develop an innovative composite panel system using aerated geopolymer and a thin high strength steel casing. The new panel system aims to have a number of significant enhancements compared to traditional panels in terms of load resistance, much lower carbon footprint and life-cycle costs. It aims to offer desirable properties, such as being light-weight, easy to construct, economical, recyclable and reusable. A significant gap in knowledge exists in the material and system behaviour of the aerated geopolymer and its fire performance. It is intended that a comprehensive research program will be carried out to address those challenges and to provide design guidelines to rapidly progress these technologies in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE120101913
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Free-forming and function-integrated composite structures for future green building construction. The free expression of structure in space is a constant pursuit for architects while being a complex task for engineers. Fibre-reinforced polymer sandwiches provide an ideal way to address this challenge. This project aims to develop a novel free-forming system using such elements and explore their thermal-energy-light multifunctional integration.
Structural assembly for remote housing using fibre reinforced composites. This project aims to address construction challenges in remote housing by off-site manufacturing and on-site assembly using fibre reinforced composites and digital made-to-measure approach. Its goal is to generate interdisciplinary knowledge and practical technologies for reliable, affordable and durable housing in remote harsh environments. Intended results include innovative connections and systems with valuable understa ....Structural assembly for remote housing using fibre reinforced composites. This project aims to address construction challenges in remote housing by off-site manufacturing and on-site assembly using fibre reinforced composites and digital made-to-measure approach. Its goal is to generate interdisciplinary knowledge and practical technologies for reliable, affordable and durable housing in remote harsh environments. Intended results include innovative connections and systems with valuable understanding of their performances under various loading scenarios and accurate digital visualization for remote construction. The outcomes expect to unlock remote development, enhance our competitive strengths for manufacturing and construction industries, and further offer new solutions in post-disaster recovery applications.Read moreRead less
Retrofitted brick masonry buildings - are they reliable over the long term? The aim of this project is to investigate the long-term reliability of a new earthquake strengthening technique for brick buildings. The technique involves the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strips as reinforcement for brick walls and has been shown to give substantial instantaneous strength increases. However, no research has been undertaken to ensure that the improved strength is sustained over the remaining lif ....Retrofitted brick masonry buildings - are they reliable over the long term? The aim of this project is to investigate the long-term reliability of a new earthquake strengthening technique for brick buildings. The technique involves the use of fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) strips as reinforcement for brick walls and has been shown to give substantial instantaneous strength increases. However, no research has been undertaken to ensure that the improved strength is sustained over the remaining life of the building. The only related research involves reinforced concrete which suggests that a reduction of at least 33 per cent could be expected. Hence, this project will quantify the long-term strength of FRP reinforced brickwork to enable engineers to safely apply this new cost-effective retrofit technique.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE190100646
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$408,000.00
Summary
Active rheology control of fresh concrete using responsive additives. This project aims to investigate innovative techniques for Active Rheology Control (ARC) of concretes using responsive additives interacting with externally applied electromagnetic or temperature signals. ARC is a new concept which will revolutionise concrete pumping by overcoming limitations such as frequent pipe blockages. ARC will also be useful to solve the major barrier faced by 3D concrete printing (3DCP) from becoming a ....Active rheology control of fresh concrete using responsive additives. This project aims to investigate innovative techniques for Active Rheology Control (ARC) of concretes using responsive additives interacting with externally applied electromagnetic or temperature signals. ARC is a new concept which will revolutionise concrete pumping by overcoming limitations such as frequent pipe blockages. ARC will also be useful to solve the major barrier faced by 3D concrete printing (3DCP) from becoming a practical way of construction. 3DCP is an emerging idea for construction but a major barrier is that concrete needs to flow during pumping and extrusion but become stiff soon after placement. This project will explore ARC for achieving the “flow-on-demand” desired by both concrete pumping and 3DCP applications.Read moreRead less