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Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100119
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Unlocking the changing strength of fine-grained soils in numerical analyses. This project aims to numerically simulate strain-softening-hardening in fine-grained soils. Fine-grained soils soften during deformation and harden as excess pore pressures dissipate. Models exist that allow strain-softening and hardening in finite element simulations, but suffer from mesh-dependency. Regularisation methods can alleviate mesh-dependency, but an appropriate characteristic length for the regularisation is ....Unlocking the changing strength of fine-grained soils in numerical analyses. This project aims to numerically simulate strain-softening-hardening in fine-grained soils. Fine-grained soils soften during deformation and harden as excess pore pressures dissipate. Models exist that allow strain-softening and hardening in finite element simulations, but suffer from mesh-dependency. Regularisation methods can alleviate mesh-dependency, but an appropriate characteristic length for the regularisation is needed and difficult to determine. This project will use image-based soil deformation measurement and aspects of the finite element method to determine appropriate regularisation techniques, characteristic lengths and constitutive relations. Reliably modelling strain-softening and hardening in finite element simulations is expected to reduce uncertainty in design and make civil infrastructure cheaper.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100328
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$350,000.00
Summary
Innovating earthmoving mechanics for next-generation infrastructure. The objective of this project is to develop rigorous, mechanics-based models for ploughing and cutting processes in soils, which lie at the heart of earthmoving operations occurring on an enormous scale within Australia and worldwide. This project intends to integrate state-of-the-art physical modelling with the development of innovative techniques for numerical modelling to elucidate and predict the full unsteady progression o ....Innovating earthmoving mechanics for next-generation infrastructure. The objective of this project is to develop rigorous, mechanics-based models for ploughing and cutting processes in soils, which lie at the heart of earthmoving operations occurring on an enormous scale within Australia and worldwide. This project intends to integrate state-of-the-art physical modelling with the development of innovative techniques for numerical modelling to elucidate and predict the full unsteady progression of forces and deformations in both two-dimensional and three-dimensional processes. This project aims to help to increase the productivity, efficiency, and overall cost-effectiveness of earthmoving operations by advancing the scientific understanding of how soils are moved and shaped.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100903
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$394,020.00
Summary
Advanced numerical and physical modelling of dynamically penetrating anchors for deep water oil and gas developments. Dynamically penetrating anchors (DPAs) are a recent and promising mooring concept for deep water oil and gas developments. Yet, the application of dynamically penetrating anchors remains limited due to a lack of understanding of their performance during dynamic installation and monotonic pull-out and because there are no robust models to simulate these processes. This project wil ....Advanced numerical and physical modelling of dynamically penetrating anchors for deep water oil and gas developments. Dynamically penetrating anchors (DPAs) are a recent and promising mooring concept for deep water oil and gas developments. Yet, the application of dynamically penetrating anchors remains limited due to a lack of understanding of their performance during dynamic installation and monotonic pull-out and because there are no robust models to simulate these processes. This project will advance numerical and physical models of dynamically penetrating anchors impacting the seafloor and embedding into the sediment, and rotating to align with the mooring line upon pull-out. This will lead to accurate predictions for both installation and operation. Robustness will be ensured by accounting for the actual failure mechanisms, high strain rates, potential anchor diving and characteristics of calcareous silt.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE220100763
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$403,300.00
Summary
Multiscale modelling of fluid–particle transport in porous media. The aim is to use a multiscale approach to rigorously model fluid–particle transport in porous media – a fundamental process in many engineering problems. With advanced parallel-computing tools, a microscale model is developed to incorporate interacting grains, water, and particles. The model and innovative upscaling methods will transform our understanding of mechanisms, and allow development of predictive models for particle tra ....Multiscale modelling of fluid–particle transport in porous media. The aim is to use a multiscale approach to rigorously model fluid–particle transport in porous media – a fundamental process in many engineering problems. With advanced parallel-computing tools, a microscale model is developed to incorporate interacting grains, water, and particles. The model and innovative upscaling methods will transform our understanding of mechanisms, and allow development of predictive models for particle transport in both steady and unsteady porous flows. The fundamental knowledge and new-generation numerical models will support technological advances to directly benefit rail and road construction and their maintenance, fuel and renewable-energy extraction, coastal soil and water protection, and bushfire control.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE240100817
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$458,460.00
Summary
Predicting internal erosion in dams using real-time coupled experiments. Internal erosion causes nearly half of embankment dam failures globally. This project aims to develop a mechanics-based understanding of internal erosion to overcome the limitations of existing empirical approaches that do not capture the underlying physics. By innovatively coupling computational and physical experiments in real-time, this project expects to generate new insights that identify the factors leading to the ini ....Predicting internal erosion in dams using real-time coupled experiments. Internal erosion causes nearly half of embankment dam failures globally. This project aims to develop a mechanics-based understanding of internal erosion to overcome the limitations of existing empirical approaches that do not capture the underlying physics. By innovatively coupling computational and physical experiments in real-time, this project expects to generate new insights that identify the factors leading to the initiation and continuation of internal erosion. The expected outcome of this project is a probabilistic framework able to predict the internal erosion process. This should significantly enhance and inform the design of erosion control measures and provide a holistic risk assessment for embankment dams.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101293
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$426,717.00
Summary
Dynamic Fracturing and Energy Release Mechanisms in Heterogeneous Materials. The prediction of fracturing behaviour in geomaterials (i.e. rock, soil and concrete) under dynamic/impact loads is essential in dealing with a wide range of engineering problems including excavation and mining, blasting and fragmentation, earthquake engineering, impact cratering, and protective structure design However, current knowledge and modelling capabilities of these applications remains empirically based. This p ....Dynamic Fracturing and Energy Release Mechanisms in Heterogeneous Materials. The prediction of fracturing behaviour in geomaterials (i.e. rock, soil and concrete) under dynamic/impact loads is essential in dealing with a wide range of engineering problems including excavation and mining, blasting and fragmentation, earthquake engineering, impact cratering, and protective structure design However, current knowledge and modelling capabilities of these applications remains empirically based. This project aims to investigate fundamental issues governing the dynamic fracturing of geomaterials and apply this knowledge to advance the understanding and modelling capacity of dynamic fractures in geomaterials.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE200101116
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$378,616.00
Summary
Bringing granular mechanics to prevent fluid-driven soil erosion problems. This project aims to investigate the erosive behaviour of soils by exploring the interaction between evolving topography and overland water flow. It expects to generate new knowledge about the dominant granular mechanisms under different flow conditions using innovative high-speed X-ray imaging and detailed numerical simulations. Anticipated outcomes include a simple mathematical framework that takes these important facto ....Bringing granular mechanics to prevent fluid-driven soil erosion problems. This project aims to investigate the erosive behaviour of soils by exploring the interaction between evolving topography and overland water flow. It expects to generate new knowledge about the dominant granular mechanisms under different flow conditions using innovative high-speed X-ray imaging and detailed numerical simulations. Anticipated outcomes include a simple mathematical framework that takes these important factors into account, which will bridge geomechanics and fluid mechanics to provide valuable insight into long-term erosion and deposition rates. This should provide significant benefit by enhancing our ability to predict, and therefore prevent, intense soil loss or problematic build-up of sediment.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130100457
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,945.00
Summary
Dynamic fracturing in shale rock through coupled continuum-discontinuum modelling. The research includes modelling the grain level fracturing of shale rock under dynamic loads. The outputs will have a direct impact on the development and optimisation of rock drilling and rock cutting technologies and will improve the operational efficiencies in which rock excavations are conducted.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE180101441
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$322,446.00
Summary
A new approach for characterising soils based on electric parameters. This project aims to develop a predictive methodology based on electromagnetic sensors to quantify soil state variables that influence hydraulic and mechanical processes. These processes affect the safety of man-made and natural geo-structures such as dams or embankments. Conventional monitoring methods are outdated and unreliable, reducing our capability of detecting threats to these structures. The outcomes of the project wi ....A new approach for characterising soils based on electric parameters. This project aims to develop a predictive methodology based on electromagnetic sensors to quantify soil state variables that influence hydraulic and mechanical processes. These processes affect the safety of man-made and natural geo-structures such as dams or embankments. Conventional monitoring methods are outdated and unreliable, reducing our capability of detecting threats to these structures. The outcomes of the project will improve protection of major geo-structures, trigger novel applications in civil engineering and foster the development of patentable sensors and data analysis methodology.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE130101639
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,832.00
Summary
Heat flow in granular media under extreme loading conditions. Heat flow in granular media is critical in geoscience and engineering, from shear heating in earthquake faults to failures of granular heat exchangers. These problems involve complex conditions which this project will quantify in relation to the emerging phenomena of grain plasticity and melting and thermal pressurisation.