Pipeline backfill reimagined to provide in-line corrosion protection. This project aims to innovate new resistive pipeline backfill materials, associated construction methods and numerical techniques to minimise corrosion at network level, considering interference effects among adjacent pipelines. In contrast to only providing mechanical support, this project will envision backfill for in-line corrosion protection by elucidating its role in pipeline corrosion. The expected outcomes are very effe ....Pipeline backfill reimagined to provide in-line corrosion protection. This project aims to innovate new resistive pipeline backfill materials, associated construction methods and numerical techniques to minimise corrosion at network level, considering interference effects among adjacent pipelines. In contrast to only providing mechanical support, this project will envision backfill for in-line corrosion protection by elucidating its role in pipeline corrosion. The expected outcomes are very effective and low-cost approach and tools to provide in-line protection, in contrast to other protection methods that are expensive and not always possible. The project will bring significant economic benefits by addressing corrosion-induced pipe failures for urban centres, where underground space is heavily congested.
Read moreRead less
Large-scale geotechnical analysis of new and aged pipeline infrastructure. This project aims to develop novel computational methods for predicting failure rates in geographically distributed pipeline networks affected by ground movements, one of the main triggers of bursts and leakages in buried pipe infrastructure. The project will be based on a blend of experimental work and development of simulation tools to quantify the coupled effects of pipe deterioration, poor backfilling and ground movem ....Large-scale geotechnical analysis of new and aged pipeline infrastructure. This project aims to develop novel computational methods for predicting failure rates in geographically distributed pipeline networks affected by ground movements, one of the main triggers of bursts and leakages in buried pipe infrastructure. The project will be based on a blend of experimental work and development of simulation tools to quantify the coupled effects of pipe deterioration, poor backfilling and ground movements in aged and new pipelines. The results will feed towards the formulation of a framework for the large-scale stress analysis of segmented and continuous pipes, capable of using as input high-resolution geospatial observations and predictions of ground movements.Read moreRead less
Unsaturated soil-structure interaction with emphasis on buried pipelines. Buried pipeline networks is the most common mode of transporting and distributing water, oil and gas resources and pipeline failures may have a major socioeconomic and environmental impact. The goal is to develop a framework for describing the mechanisms underlying soil-pipe interaction, aiming to reduce the failure risk of pipes affected by geohazards. The project aims to model the response of pipelines in the laboratory, ....Unsaturated soil-structure interaction with emphasis on buried pipelines. Buried pipeline networks is the most common mode of transporting and distributing water, oil and gas resources and pipeline failures may have a major socioeconomic and environmental impact. The goal is to develop a framework for describing the mechanisms underlying soil-pipe interaction, aiming to reduce the failure risk of pipes affected by geohazards. The project aims to model the response of pipelines in the laboratory, using a new custom-built apparatus. Experimental results are expected to provide insight for developing a theoretical model to quantify the effect of soil moisture on pipe integrity, and propose design formulas. A general framework is intended to be developed for handling various unsaturated soil-structure interaction problems in geotechnical engineering.Read moreRead less
Behavioural responses to transport congestion: peak spreading and the more efficient usage of transport infrastructure. Transport networks in cities such as Sydney are at or near capacity. It is no longer socially, environmentally or financially sustainable to continue supplying additional transport infrastructure to meet increased demand. An alternative is to make better use of existing infrastructure by spreading demand more evenly across the day. This project will test behavioural responses t ....Behavioural responses to transport congestion: peak spreading and the more efficient usage of transport infrastructure. Transport networks in cities such as Sydney are at or near capacity. It is no longer socially, environmentally or financially sustainable to continue supplying additional transport infrastructure to meet increased demand. An alternative is to make better use of existing infrastructure by spreading demand more evenly across the day. This project will test behavioural responses to increased congestion and quantify the phenomenon of peak spreading. It will assess economic costs and benefits of using congestion as a signal to encourage more efficient network usage, and examine other tools (e.g. time-based transport pricing) to encourage more efficient use of transport infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Multidimensional evaluation of the overall benefits of voluntary travel behaviour change programs. Voluntary Travel Behaviour Programs (VTBC) offer considerable promise for the management of traffic congestion and reduction in greenhouse gas and air quality emissions from road transport. Research to date has identified two outstanding issues: (1) measurement and evaluation of actual behaviour change and (2) identification of the full benefits and impacts of VTBC. Empirical studies indicate that ....Multidimensional evaluation of the overall benefits of voluntary travel behaviour change programs. Voluntary Travel Behaviour Programs (VTBC) offer considerable promise for the management of traffic congestion and reduction in greenhouse gas and air quality emissions from road transport. Research to date has identified two outstanding issues: (1) measurement and evaluation of actual behaviour change and (2) identification of the full benefits and impacts of VTBC. Empirical studies indicate that many of the benefits fall outside the transport area, including a wide range of socio-economic benefits to individuals and the community. This project will develop a survey tool for assessing benefits and impacts of VTBC within a properly designed and tested evaluation framework.Read moreRead less
Optimising the design and implementation of public transport priority initiatives. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem, growing traffic congestion deteriorating liveability, environmental health & economic performance of the cities where most Australians live. Public transport can address these issues but most is provided by buses which are caught up in traffic congestion. This project improves approaches for traffic priority design to improve the eff ....Optimising the design and implementation of public transport priority initiatives. This project strengthens national approaches to a pervasive Australian problem, growing traffic congestion deteriorating liveability, environmental health & economic performance of the cities where most Australians live. Public transport can address these issues but most is provided by buses which are caught up in traffic congestion. This project improves approaches for traffic priority design to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of on-road public transport. It optimises the design of individual and groups of priority treatments and will generate diagnostic tools to better target priority treatments. Findings will better focus Australia's approach to increasingly challenging transport futures.Read moreRead less
Dynamic vulnerability of urban road networks. Road transport networks are vital to the economic and social health of our society. Poorly performing networks lead to significant costs and adverse environmental and health impacts. This project will develop methods and tools to predict the effects of network failure through incident-related congestion at bottlenecks (e.g. congestion from accidents, vehicle breakdowns, road works, lane blockages and road closures) and to suggest remedial action plan ....Dynamic vulnerability of urban road networks. Road transport networks are vital to the economic and social health of our society. Poorly performing networks lead to significant costs and adverse environmental and health impacts. This project will develop methods and tools to predict the effects of network failure through incident-related congestion at bottlenecks (e.g. congestion from accidents, vehicle breakdowns, road works, lane blockages and road closures) and to suggest remedial action plans in the case of bottleneck formation. Incident related congestion is responsible for more than 50% of the ($9.4B p.a.) cost of congestion in Australia's major cities.Read moreRead less
Methodology for assessing the vulnerability of multimodal transport networks and developing remedial measures to safeguard network performance. When transport networks fail, the effects on people and the economy can be devastating. The consequences for Hobart of the 1975 Tasman Bridge collapse provide a prime example. Failure may also result from extreme weather and natural disasters, traffic congestion and incidents, commercial failure, human error, or malevolence (such as sabotage). This proje ....Methodology for assessing the vulnerability of multimodal transport networks and developing remedial measures to safeguard network performance. When transport networks fail, the effects on people and the economy can be devastating. The consequences for Hobart of the 1975 Tasman Bridge collapse provide a prime example. Failure may also result from extreme weather and natural disasters, traffic congestion and incidents, commercial failure, human error, or malevolence (such as sabotage). This project will develop a methodology for auditing a transport network to identify where infrastructure failure will have the worst consequences for movement of people and goods. The research will provide tools for planners to determine critical network locations, and devise strategies and remedial measures to safeguard network performance.Read moreRead less
The potential role of transit-oriented development in Australian cities: a critical assessment using a suburban rail corridor. Sustainability in urban development and a reduction in our dependence on the private car for mobility are key concerns in Australia and elsewhere. The results of this research will inform and lead world's best practice in the evaluation and adoption of sustainable transport solutions, especially those related to investment in urban public transport systems, and hence pro ....The potential role of transit-oriented development in Australian cities: a critical assessment using a suburban rail corridor. Sustainability in urban development and a reduction in our dependence on the private car for mobility are key concerns in Australia and elsewhere. The results of this research will inform and lead world's best practice in the evaluation and adoption of sustainable transport solutions, especially those related to investment in urban public transport systems, and hence provide options for planners and developers to minimise the impacts of developments on the environment. The benefits from the project will be in improved planning and design principles and planning tools for transit-oriented urban developments in both inner and outer suburbs in Australian cities.Read moreRead less
Assessing the full impacts of high efficiency heavy vehicles in urban traffic networks using new analytical tools. Significant economic benefits result from new innovative heavy vehicles, which are able to carry up to twice the payload of standard semi-trailers. In addition, those vehicles have the potential to reduce overall accidents and evironmental degradation. Those benefits need to be traded-off against the impacts on other road users. This research will improve the operation of such ve ....Assessing the full impacts of high efficiency heavy vehicles in urban traffic networks using new analytical tools. Significant economic benefits result from new innovative heavy vehicles, which are able to carry up to twice the payload of standard semi-trailers. In addition, those vehicles have the potential to reduce overall accidents and evironmental degradation. Those benefits need to be traded-off against the impacts on other road users. This research will improve the operation of such vehicles in regional centres by producing: (1) an assessment methodology to deal with options for network efficiency gains which will capture the full impacts; and (2) a computer modelling tool based on fundamental research to quantify those impacts, in terms of delays and accident rates.Read moreRead less