Funding on the line: public transport financing and property value capture. This project aims to develop property value capture schemes that would provide alternative funding for public transport infrastructure. It plans to model the timing and spatial patterns of property value uplift from recent investments in rail, busways and ferries in Queensland and New South Wales. It then intends to conduct a survey of Australian stakeholders and discrete choice modelling to determine willingness-to-pay. ....Funding on the line: public transport financing and property value capture. This project aims to develop property value capture schemes that would provide alternative funding for public transport infrastructure. It plans to model the timing and spatial patterns of property value uplift from recent investments in rail, busways and ferries in Queensland and New South Wales. It then intends to conduct a survey of Australian stakeholders and discrete choice modelling to determine willingness-to-pay. This data is then expected to be used to develop an institutionally, legally and politically feasible scheme for implementation in Australia, focused on cases including extension to the Gold Coast light rail network.Read moreRead less
Business location decisions. This project aims to develop a forecasting model system for economic planning that integrates business (re-) location and co-location choices. Improved transport infrastructure connects places and can influence the location of businesses. This project will use forecasting models to quantify the drivers of firm location decisions linked to an integrated strategic transport and land use modelling system. This project expects to provide guidance for transport investment ....Business location decisions. This project aims to develop a forecasting model system for economic planning that integrates business (re-) location and co-location choices. Improved transport infrastructure connects places and can influence the location of businesses. This project will use forecasting models to quantify the drivers of firm location decisions linked to an integrated strategic transport and land use modelling system. This project expects to provide guidance for transport investment that brings gains in productivity to industry and the economy and wellbeing to individuals and society.Read moreRead less
New paradigms for urban public transport planning in Australia: assessing the capacity of institutions and infrastructure. Current urban transport policies cannot be sustained in the face of climate change, peak oil and economic instability: dramatic increases in public transport use will require new standards of service delivery. This project will use international experience to shape new approaches to planning public transport in our largest cities.
The Role of Energy Absorbing Rubber Grid on Ballast Track Performance. Breakage and excessive displacement of ballast lead to instability and regular maintenance of railways. The project aims to study the fundamental mechanics of ballast aggregates interacting with the apertures of recycled-Rubber Energy Absorbing Grids (REAG). The role of REAG on enhanced track performance by damping the cyclic wheel loading and impact will be quantified via rigorous mathematical methods complementing a compute ....The Role of Energy Absorbing Rubber Grid on Ballast Track Performance. Breakage and excessive displacement of ballast lead to instability and regular maintenance of railways. The project aims to study the fundamental mechanics of ballast aggregates interacting with the apertures of recycled-Rubber Energy Absorbing Grids (REAG). The role of REAG on enhanced track performance by damping the cyclic wheel loading and impact will be quantified via rigorous mathematical methods complementing a computer-based numerical model and validated by laboratory & field data. When placed within the rail substructure REAG will enable reduced ballast movement and breakage while attenuating noise/vibration. The research outputs will facilitate improved rail track design enabling enhanced longevity and reduced cost of maintenance.Read moreRead less
The role of vegetation and associated root suction and reinforcement on the stabilisation of transport corridors and sloping ground. The project will promote the concept of green corridors and green hills for stabilising unstable soils through optimum root reinforcement and suction. The improved load capacity, control of unacceptable soil movement and slope stabilisation will provide an efficient platform for sustainable development of transport and building infrastructure.
Plastic deformation and failure of high strength rail steels in heavy haul transportation of mineral products. The Australian Government has made infrastructure, including rail, as a national priority for investment to meet the freight transport demand. This project focuses on the deformation and failure of rail in heavy haul lines to transport ores in the mining industry. The outcomes will be applied to ensure the structural integrity of rail infrastructure.
Exploring the effects and maximising the benefits of the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project. Is light rail the ‘solution’ to Australia’s urban transport problems, or an expensive folly? Such questions will be explored in this project that focuses on the Gold Coast Rapid Transit project and comparative examples overseas. The project will include surveys of public transport users, transport modelling and an innovative trial of behaviour changed programs.
Containment and Reduction of Rework in Transport Mega Projects. Mega transport projects (>$1 billion) are poorly managed during their construction with significant cost and schedule overruns and benefit shortfalls regularly being experienced. Having to perform rework has been identified as a major factor that contributes to these unintended consequences. As there has been limited research that has empirically examined rework causation, an inability to develop effective rework containment and red ....Containment and Reduction of Rework in Transport Mega Projects. Mega transport projects (>$1 billion) are poorly managed during their construction with significant cost and schedule overruns and benefit shortfalls regularly being experienced. Having to perform rework has been identified as a major factor that contributes to these unintended consequences. As there has been limited research that has empirically examined rework causation, an inability to develop effective rework containment and reduction strategies prevails. This research aims to develop a theoretical model that can be used to develop robust containment and reduction strategies to mitigate the adverse economic, productivity and safety consequences that materialize from performing rework during the construction of mega transport projects.Read moreRead less
Development of a new rail maintenance technology by using laser cladding. With the continuously increasing demand for higher production, and hence increased haulage rates and reduced track access for maintenance purposes, the development and application of new cost effective manufacture and repair rails maintenance strategies play a more important role in ensuring the structural integrity of rail infrastructure. This project aims to systematically investigate the laser cladding materials and par ....Development of a new rail maintenance technology by using laser cladding. With the continuously increasing demand for higher production, and hence increased haulage rates and reduced track access for maintenance purposes, the development and application of new cost effective manufacture and repair rails maintenance strategies play a more important role in ensuring the structural integrity of rail infrastructure. This project aims to systematically investigate the laser cladding materials and parameters to enhance the wear and fatigue performance of a series of high strength rail steels used in heavy haul railway lines. The outcomes of this project intend to be applied directly to the rail industry track producers and operators of high axle load rail systems to develop and improve their rail maintenance strategies.Read moreRead less
Development of laser cladding technology to maintain rails in tram networks. This project aims to develop a new cost-effective maintenance technique by applying laser cladding to enhance the characteristics of new rails and track components and repair damaged ones, so as to ensure their structural integrity and improve the performance of rail infrastructure. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of railway maintenance using the innovative and interdisciplinary laser claddin ....Development of laser cladding technology to maintain rails in tram networks. This project aims to develop a new cost-effective maintenance technique by applying laser cladding to enhance the characteristics of new rails and track components and repair damaged ones, so as to ensure their structural integrity and improve the performance of rail infrastructure. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the area of railway maintenance using the innovative and interdisciplinary laser cladding technology. Expected outcomes of this project are crucial for manufacturers and operators of railway networks to develop and improve their railway maintenance strategies. This should provide significant benefits, such as extending lives of rails and special track components, and reducing wheel squeal and flanging noise.Read moreRead less