Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods ....Lightly Loaded Energy Farm Foundations in Cracked Desiccated Soil. This project aims are to understand the effects of seasonal changes in moisture on piles in clayey soils that develop desiccation cracks during dry times of the year. The project is significant because the economics of energy farms requires low cost foundations for their viability, but current methods of foundation design require long piles to overcome uncertainties in capacity and serviceability when soil shrinks in dry periods and swells in wetter periods. The main outcome of the project will be recommendations for the design of lightly loaded pile foundations in soils that shrink and swell significantly. The benefits will be the reduced risk and cost associated with the geotechnical aspects of foundation design.Read moreRead less
Hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns incorporating composite materials. The project aims to investigate the behaviour of and design hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns, a form of column. These columns allow the use of small circular high-strength steel tubes, readily available in the market, to suit the specific needs of construction projects of various scales. In the column, a durable outer tube made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites protects steel tubes, and their high yield stre ....Hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns incorporating composite materials. The project aims to investigate the behaviour of and design hybrid multiple-tube concrete columns, a form of column. These columns allow the use of small circular high-strength steel tubes, readily available in the market, to suit the specific needs of construction projects of various scales. In the column, a durable outer tube made of fibre-reinforced polymer (FRP) composites protects steel tubes, and their high yield stress can be fully exploited through section configuration. The new column is expected to enable wider, safer and more economical use of FRP and high-strength steel, and meet demands for resilient civil infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced a ....Cluster hardening of metastable steel alloys produced by thin strip casting. The goal of this project is to generate sufficient knowledge to apply strip casting to a wider range of steel grades and reduce the global energy cost of steel sheet production. Over 1 billion tonnes of steel is produced every year. Direct strip casting is an emerging green technology that reduces the energy required to process liquid steel into thin sheet product by up to 90 per cent. This study plans to use advanced atomic-scale characterisation techniques such as atom probe tomography and high-resolution electron microscopy to understand the non-equilibrium microstructures that develop as a result of the extremely rapid cooling rates experienced during strip casting.Read moreRead less