Seismic performance of concrete beam-slab-column systems constructed with a re-useable sheet metal formwork system. When designing for earthquake induced loading it is very important to know the ductility and any other inherent deficiencies in structural systems under lateral deflections. The main purpose of this application is to investigate the seismic performance of an efficient beam-slab-column system constructed with a re-useable sheet metal formwork system, Corcon, which is becoming popula ....Seismic performance of concrete beam-slab-column systems constructed with a re-useable sheet metal formwork system. When designing for earthquake induced loading it is very important to know the ductility and any other inherent deficiencies in structural systems under lateral deflections. The main purpose of this application is to investigate the seismic performance of an efficient beam-slab-column system constructed with a re-useable sheet metal formwork system, Corcon, which is becoming popular in Australia and overseas. The proposed research will ultimately lead to revised design guidelines for these systems, suitable for local and overseas practice where different levels of seismicity occur.
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Behaviour of anchors in post-tensioned high-strength concrete slabs. Recently High-strength concrete(HSC) was introduced to minimise the time required for stressing the tendons in post-tensioned construction(PC), which is the preferred construction method for long span slabs in Australia and overseas. Although HSC is an obvious choice for this application, many failures have been observed in the live and dead end anchors of PC slabs and there is in fact very little understanding of relationships ....Behaviour of anchors in post-tensioned high-strength concrete slabs. Recently High-strength concrete(HSC) was introduced to minimise the time required for stressing the tendons in post-tensioned construction(PC), which is the preferred construction method for long span slabs in Australia and overseas. Although HSC is an obvious choice for this application, many failures have been observed in the live and dead end anchors of PC slabs and there is in fact very little understanding of relationships between specified concrete properties and performance. Through a systematic experimental and theoretical study, the behaviour of anchor regions of these slabs, including the reasons for failure will be investigated.Read moreRead less
Failure Mechanisms of Roof Cladding under Fluctuating Wind Loads. Wind damage to low-rise buildings cause disruption to communities and result in economic losses. Improvements to the most vulnerable part (i.e. roof) will therefore have national benefits and associated economic benefits. Currently, roofing systems used in cyclonic areas are evaluated to DABM in the Northern Territory and to TR440 elsewhere, requiring the same product be tested under two different (and unsatisfactory) specificat ....Failure Mechanisms of Roof Cladding under Fluctuating Wind Loads. Wind damage to low-rise buildings cause disruption to communities and result in economic losses. Improvements to the most vulnerable part (i.e. roof) will therefore have national benefits and associated economic benefits. Currently, roofing systems used in cyclonic areas are evaluated to DABM in the Northern Territory and to TR440 elsewhere, requiring the same product be tested under two different (and unsatisfactory) specifications. This is due to the limited understanding of wind-induced fatigue of cladding. This project will provide the framework for understanding and minimizing cladding fatigue. A realistic single test will also reduce cost and result in better design systems.Read moreRead less
Sustainability and innovation in outer-suburban housing developments. This project will investigate the sustainability outcomes that are possible in outer suburban project homes using current building and design technologies, and the barriers to the uptake of these technologies more broadly in outer suburban project home developments. The outcomes will include a critically needed decision support tool to help the industry to meet regulatory requirements for more sustainable housing. The project ....Sustainability and innovation in outer-suburban housing developments. This project will investigate the sustainability outcomes that are possible in outer suburban project homes using current building and design technologies, and the barriers to the uptake of these technologies more broadly in outer suburban project home developments. The outcomes will include a critically needed decision support tool to help the industry to meet regulatory requirements for more sustainable housing. The project is strongly supported by a consortium of industry partners including the Urban and Regional Land Corporation, Metricon Homes, Building Commission, Origin Energy, City West Water, Melbourne Water, Sustainable Energy Authority of Victoria and Hassell Architects.
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The Ageing of Aquarius: Designing new housing solutions for Australia's baby-boomers. The economically most powerful demographic group in Australian society is the relatively wealthy baby-boomer cohort as it enters a period of unprecedented and extended retirement activity. This period will create unique housing demands and require new insights into the nature of dwelling provision and preferences for this group. The housing industry is historically hampered by an inability to innovate and prov ....The Ageing of Aquarius: Designing new housing solutions for Australia's baby-boomers. The economically most powerful demographic group in Australian society is the relatively wealthy baby-boomer cohort as it enters a period of unprecedented and extended retirement activity. This period will create unique housing demands and require new insights into the nature of dwelling provision and preferences for this group. The housing industry is historically hampered by an inability to innovate and provide these types of solutions. This research will establish design-based methodologies and practices that would enable industry to discern and provide for the future housing needs of this group, and contribute to the development of innovation in the industry generally.Read moreRead less
The role of location on the effectiveness of smoke alarms. Smoke alarms in buildings are required by the Building Code of Australia (BCA), but the current requirements are less than optimal. This project will provide the basis for optimisation of smoke alarms and the number, interconnection and positioning of smoke alarms in residential buildings. This is expected to lead to reductions in fire fatalities, injuries and property loss.
Optimisation of Building Structures Considering Wind Loading. Wind loading is a dominant factor that should be carefully considered and resourcefully exploited in the design of building structures. The ever-taller buildings proposed around the world have presented a major challenge and opportunity in the pursuit of new techniques and materials. The proposed research will improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Australian building design industry by establishing a cutting-edge compute ....Optimisation of Building Structures Considering Wind Loading. Wind loading is a dominant factor that should be carefully considered and resourcefully exploited in the design of building structures. The ever-taller buildings proposed around the world have presented a major challenge and opportunity in the pursuit of new techniques and materials. The proposed research will improve the competitiveness and productivity of the Australian building design industry by establishing a cutting-edge computer-automated design tool for creating innovative building systems that can resist wind loading effectively and efficiently. The developed technology will result in significant enhancement of the performance and safety of buildings, and substantial reduction of construction materials and costs.Read moreRead less
Investigate control of in-situ termite and decay protection and control using microwave technologies. Australia has a very substantial investment in timber structures for example 11,000 km of timber bridges, railway sleepers, power poles and dwellings. Timber losses each year due to fungal, termite and other insect degradation, is very significant. The use of organochlorine compounds for ground poisoning and remedial treatment has been discontinued due to environmental, health and safety concern ....Investigate control of in-situ termite and decay protection and control using microwave technologies. Australia has a very substantial investment in timber structures for example 11,000 km of timber bridges, railway sleepers, power poles and dwellings. Timber losses each year due to fungal, termite and other insect degradation, is very significant. The use of organochlorine compounds for ground poisoning and remedial treatment has been discontinued due to environmental, health and safety concerns. Less toxic chemicals are less effective, require more regular inspection and don't address fundamental concerns associated with environment issues. This project will provide the community a cheap automated alarm system indicating when remedial treatment is required and a non-chemical technology for sterilising infected structures.Read moreRead less
Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The r ....Reducing fire deaths - a new approach to smoke alarms. Disturbingly, those most at risk of dying in residential fires are also least likely to awaken to the current smoke alarm signal, now mandatory in Australian residences. This project will develop a new alarm (using Gibsonian, naturalistic sounds and/or a voice signal) and compare its waking efficacy with the current smoke alarm. Testing will involve three vulnerable groups; sleep deprived young adults, children and alcohol intoxicated. The research is innovative with important implications for community public safety, the national and international smoke alarm industry, performance based models of building safety and our theoretical understanding of cognitive processing during sleep.Read moreRead less
Waking up to a fire - optimising the smoke alarm signal. On any one night a significant proportion of the population is at risk of sleeping through the current smoke alarm in a fire emergency. Significant risk factors for not awakening include being a child, sleep deprivation, being a heavy sleeper, use of sleeping tablets, alcohol intoxication, and being aged over 60. Yet research suggests that a different alarm signal will awaken these groups more effectively at a lower volume. This innovati ....Waking up to a fire - optimising the smoke alarm signal. On any one night a significant proportion of the population is at risk of sleeping through the current smoke alarm in a fire emergency. Significant risk factors for not awakening include being a child, sleep deprivation, being a heavy sleeper, use of sleeping tablets, alcohol intoxication, and being aged over 60. Yet research suggests that a different alarm signal will awaken these groups more effectively at a lower volume. This innovative project will determine the best signal, with important implications for community public safety, fire safety engineers, the smoke alarm industry and our theoretical understanding of cognitive processing during sleep.Read moreRead less