Reinforced crumbed rubber concrete for residential construction. Reinforced crumbed rubber concrete for residential construction. This project aims to use crumb rubber from used tyres to replace natural sand aggregate in concrete used in housing construction. Globally, very few of the millions of tyres discarded annually are recycled, while natural sand used in concrete is being depleted. This project intends to provide the tyre industry with a viable market for end of life tyres, and the premix ....Reinforced crumbed rubber concrete for residential construction. Reinforced crumbed rubber concrete for residential construction. This project aims to use crumb rubber from used tyres to replace natural sand aggregate in concrete used in housing construction. Globally, very few of the millions of tyres discarded annually are recycled, while natural sand used in concrete is being depleted. This project intends to provide the tyre industry with a viable market for end of life tyres, and the premix concrete industry with a “green” product for the residential construction market. Expected benefits include the increased use of a waste resource (used tyres), reduced use of a scarce natural resource (sand), and the development of an economic but green alternative concrete option for residential builders and owners.Read moreRead less
Development of controllable and durable green concretes through the understanding of feedstock chemistry and geopolymerisation mechanism. This project will develop key knowledge and technologies towards in geopolymer applications, evolving the current polluted cement/concrete industry into a much greener industry with up to 80 per cent lower carbon emissions. Successful completion of this project will keep Australia at the leading frontier of green technology and green industry.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160100289
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$375,000.00
Summary
Structural design and distributed fabrication of folded sandwich structures. This project intends to develop a new type of modular structural form that retains the streamlined construction of existing prefabricated systems, but can be rapidly fabricated in non-specialist and low-cost manufacturing plants. ‘Folded sandwich structures’ are part of the emerging field of origami-inspired engineering design. This project intends to conduct numerical, experimental and theoretical structural analysis a ....Structural design and distributed fabrication of folded sandwich structures. This project intends to develop a new type of modular structural form that retains the streamlined construction of existing prefabricated systems, but can be rapidly fabricated in non-specialist and low-cost manufacturing plants. ‘Folded sandwich structures’ are part of the emerging field of origami-inspired engineering design. This project intends to conduct numerical, experimental and theoretical structural analysis and optimisation on plate and shell building components. Such a system would enable the establishment of a distributed local manufacturing network, for example to provide the short-term infrastructure needs of regions affected by natural disaster.Read moreRead less
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH200100010
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$5,000,000.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy. This project aims to create new knowledge to reduce waste going to landfills and transform reclaimed waste into new materials for use in construction and other manufacturing sectors. It integrates multisector input and multidisciplinary academic research to address ten challenging waste streams. Expected outcomes are smart materials, socio-technical change, accelerated t ....ARC Research Hub for Transformation of Reclaimed Waste Resources to Engineered Materials and Solutions for a Circular Economy. This project aims to create new knowledge to reduce waste going to landfills and transform reclaimed waste into new materials for use in construction and other manufacturing sectors. It integrates multisector input and multidisciplinary academic research to address ten challenging waste streams. Expected outcomes are smart materials, socio-technical change, accelerated testing methods, predictive modeling, circular life cycle costing and a trusted evidence base. Outcomes will lead to commercial benefits as well as jobs and a significant contribution to addressing the pressing environmental impacts of waste production, management, and re-use.Read moreRead less
Development of Viable Geopolymer. This project aims to improve the manufacture of geopolymer. Geopolymer (‘green cement’) is produced by alkali activation of fly ash and is a sustainable, low carbon dioxide alternative to conventional cement. Evaluation of raw materials and ensuring reliable performance are critical issues in geopolymer manufacture. The project aims to understand the geopolymerisation process and the behaviour of fly ash and activator in the process. It plans to establish a reac ....Development of Viable Geopolymer. This project aims to improve the manufacture of geopolymer. Geopolymer (‘green cement’) is produced by alkali activation of fly ash and is a sustainable, low carbon dioxide alternative to conventional cement. Evaluation of raw materials and ensuring reliable performance are critical issues in geopolymer manufacture. The project aims to understand the geopolymerisation process and the behaviour of fly ash and activator in the process. It plans to establish a reactivity index to quantitatively evaluate fly ash and match it with activator to achieve efficient activation with predictable properties. The project is expected to result in a scientific tool to assess fly ash suitability and a method to design and produce viable geopolymers.Read moreRead less
Fibre-Reinforced Timber for Novel Hybrid Folded Thin-Walled Structures. This project proposes novel manufacture and analysis methods for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid sections. FRP composites have gained wide acceptance within the civil engineering community. All-FRP systems typically use thin-walled profiles based on steel sections, but existing manufacturing technologies are unable to optimise material usage. Hybrid systems combine FRP with traditional materials for optimum structural ....Fibre-Reinforced Timber for Novel Hybrid Folded Thin-Walled Structures. This project proposes novel manufacture and analysis methods for fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) hybrid sections. FRP composites have gained wide acceptance within the civil engineering community. All-FRP systems typically use thin-walled profiles based on steel sections, but existing manufacturing technologies are unable to optimise material usage. Hybrid systems combine FRP with traditional materials for optimum structural performance and so are often more economical than all-FRP systems. This project aims to develop an effective way to analyse, manufacture, and design FRP-based hybrid thin-walled structural members and optimise performance against buckling failure modes. The technology developed in this project would support the development of advanced low-cost FRP structural systems.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101070
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$345,124.00
Summary
Enhanced durability of geopolymers through phase engineering. This project aims to research geopolymer phases, their formation thermodynamics and formation kinetics and stability. Alkali-activated (geopolymer) binders and concretes are low-carbon dioxide alternatives to Portland cements and concretes, and ensuring their durability will enable the implementation of this greenhouse-friendly technology in industry. This project will develop a phase engineering approach to help industry manufacture ....Enhanced durability of geopolymers through phase engineering. This project aims to research geopolymer phases, their formation thermodynamics and formation kinetics and stability. Alkali-activated (geopolymer) binders and concretes are low-carbon dioxide alternatives to Portland cements and concretes, and ensuring their durability will enable the implementation of this greenhouse-friendly technology in industry. This project will develop a phase engineering approach to help industry manufacture high-durability green concrete, create a billion-dollar business, and provide safe and reliable construction products.Read moreRead less
Progressive collapse resistance of concrete flat plate structures. This project aims to systematically and thoroughly investigate the progressive collapse mechanisms and resistance capacity of concrete flat plate structures. They represent one of the most common construction systems used worldwide in modern days, yet their progressive collapse mechanisms require attention and limited collapse prevention design guidelines are available. The outcomes are expected to broaden and deepen the existing ....Progressive collapse resistance of concrete flat plate structures. This project aims to systematically and thoroughly investigate the progressive collapse mechanisms and resistance capacity of concrete flat plate structures. They represent one of the most common construction systems used worldwide in modern days, yet their progressive collapse mechanisms require attention and limited collapse prevention design guidelines are available. The outcomes are expected to broaden and deepen the existing theoretical framework and knowledge base, prevent injury and loss of life in both new and existing buildings. This is expected ultimately to contribute to the establishment of a set of collapse-resistant design guidelines for further development of relevant Australian and international standards.Read moreRead less
Erosion processes in soils across scales. This project aims to develop a monitoring tool for predicting the evolution of internal erosion in dams based on innovative electromagnetic observation methods. Internal erosion is an insidious process occurring in the obscurity of the soil’s pore system until its consequences become visible and threaten the stability of the dams. These water retaining structures are vital for the future water and energy supply for our society and their failure can be ca ....Erosion processes in soils across scales. This project aims to develop a monitoring tool for predicting the evolution of internal erosion in dams based on innovative electromagnetic observation methods. Internal erosion is an insidious process occurring in the obscurity of the soil’s pore system until its consequences become visible and threaten the stability of the dams. These water retaining structures are vital for the future water and energy supply for our society and their failure can be catastrophic. By establishing an improved understanding of internal erosion as a sequence of processes on various scales, from the onset of erosion until the failure of the structure, this project will place Australia at the forefront of dam safety assessment.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