Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many r ....Integrity prediction of ground precision surfaces. This project aims to establish a new approach to enable a reliable and accurate prediction of precision surface grinding. Precision grinding is often the final step in the manufacturing chains for a broad range of metal, ceramic, optical glass and semiconductor components, which must have ultra-high surface integrity and accurate dimensions. To date, the surface integrity of a ground component cannot be predicted due to the involvement of many random factors and variables in a precision surface grinding process, resulting in high failure rates and processes requiring repeated surface measurements. The novel approach for surface integrity prediction developed by this project will make a vital step forward in advancing the discipline of precision surfacing, establish a new knowledge base and bring about significant technological impacts to the manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
An integral approach enabling the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. Free-form microlens arrays are of central importance to the advancement of science and frontier technologies such as electronics, optics, telecommunication, biotechnology, medical surgery, energy generation, agriculture, resource exploration, environment protection and security. Using an integral approach coupling processing-microstructure-property modelling, multi-scale mechanics and damage-free mould development. Th ....An integral approach enabling the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. Free-form microlens arrays are of central importance to the advancement of science and frontier technologies such as electronics, optics, telecommunication, biotechnology, medical surgery, energy generation, agriculture, resource exploration, environment protection and security. Using an integral approach coupling processing-microstructure-property modelling, multi-scale mechanics and damage-free mould development. This research project will establish novel theories and technologies for the defect-free manufacture of microlens arrays. The research outcomes will lay the foundation for defect-free fabrication of a wide class of high-integrity systems.Read moreRead less
Developing and modelling an additive process for three-dimensional micro-fabrication. This project aims to develop new scientific knowledge to govern the optimum design and use of a three-dimensional fabrication technology for the precision manufacturing of micro-structures. It will also gain a fundamental understanding of the fabrication process and develop new models for predicting and optimizing the process performance. The intended outcomes will increase Australia's international research st ....Developing and modelling an additive process for three-dimensional micro-fabrication. This project aims to develop new scientific knowledge to govern the optimum design and use of a three-dimensional fabrication technology for the precision manufacturing of micro-structures. It will also gain a fundamental understanding of the fabrication process and develop new models for predicting and optimizing the process performance. The intended outcomes will increase Australia's international research standing in precision and nano/micro manufacturing, while the new technology developed will fill a process gap in fabricating micro-structures and enable industry to quickly respond to market demand at commercially viable cost, particularly for small batch and customized products, and in dental, medical and electronics applications.Read moreRead less
The effect of tunelling on existing rock bolts. As more underground facilities such as rail, road, sewerage and service tunnels are constructed in our major cities, more and more frequently new tunnels have to cross over or run alongside existing tunnels. As the roofs of tunnels are generally supported by rock bolts and lined with shotcrete, the support system can be damaged by the rock movements caused by the excavation of the new tunnel. Little research has been carried out on this problem, an ....The effect of tunelling on existing rock bolts. As more underground facilities such as rail, road, sewerage and service tunnels are constructed in our major cities, more and more frequently new tunnels have to cross over or run alongside existing tunnels. As the roofs of tunnels are generally supported by rock bolts and lined with shotcrete, the support system can be damaged by the rock movements caused by the excavation of the new tunnel. Little research has been carried out on this problem, and so often expensive deviations have to be made to tunnels to avoid going near existing ones. The proposed research will provide numerical tools to allow prediction of loads induced into rock bolts by nearby tunnels, leading to more economical and safer tunnel design.
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Time-dependent dynamic, creep and shrinkage response of curved structural members. This project concerns curved structural members, such as bridge beams, that are subjected to dynamic excitation and to concrete shrinkage and creep. Hitherto, unified formulations for the structural behaviour of these members have not been properly developed. The proposal seeks to build on a previous ARC DP of the investigator that produces significant results for static loading, by developing a sophisticated meth ....Time-dependent dynamic, creep and shrinkage response of curved structural members. This project concerns curved structural members, such as bridge beams, that are subjected to dynamic excitation and to concrete shrinkage and creep. Hitherto, unified formulations for the structural behaviour of these members have not been properly developed. The proposal seeks to build on a previous ARC DP of the investigator that produces significant results for static loading, by developing a sophisticated methodology to handle non-static dynamic loading and for shrinkage and creep. It will develop advanced mathematical tools to enable the safe and efficient design of a multiplicity of structures that is of benefit to on and offshore Australian technology.Read moreRead less
Mathematical and mechanical modeling of nano particulate flow. Nano particulates are the basis for many new technologies, including coatings in the electronics industry, composite materials and medical and pharmaceutical applications. Worldwide industrial competition is increasingly determined by our capacity to handle such highly cohesive materials, and to exploit their novel physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. Devising handling mechanisms and understanding nano particulate flows ....Mathematical and mechanical modeling of nano particulate flow. Nano particulates are the basis for many new technologies, including coatings in the electronics industry, composite materials and medical and pharmaceutical applications. Worldwide industrial competition is increasingly determined by our capacity to handle such highly cohesive materials, and to exploit their novel physical, chemical and mechanical characteristics. Devising handling mechanisms and understanding nano particulate flows depends on formulating accurate mathematical models which reflect the correct underlying physics. This APF proposal will utilise advanced continuum mechanics to develop the correct underlying conceptual ideas to resolve fundamental nanomechanical particulate flows, which will lead to the next generation of engineering tools.
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Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictio ....Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictions of structural safety at minimum human efforts. The fully automatic and robust numerical tool developed in this project will help engineers and government authorities to perform safe and cost-effective design and management of engineering structures that are vital to modern economies.Read moreRead less
Unified nondeterministic dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. This project aims to develop a high-performance tool for the dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. The assessment of structures that exhibit softening, either at constitutive level or structural level, is essential for design and rehabilitation purposes, especially when the inevitable uncertainties in the system parameters need to be accounted for. This project aims to develop an advanced and unified framewo ....Unified nondeterministic dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. This project aims to develop a high-performance tool for the dynamic safety assessment of softening structures. The assessment of structures that exhibit softening, either at constitutive level or structural level, is essential for design and rehabilitation purposes, especially when the inevitable uncertainties in the system parameters need to be accounted for. This project aims to develop an advanced and unified framework that can model both stochastic and nonstochastic processes for these purposes. An advanced mixed finite element model underpins this framework, and both formulation and solution algorithms are based on mathematical programming formalism. The developed computational tool would be able to perform pure stochastic, pure nonstochastic, hybrid uncertain analyses and dynamic reliability assessment of structures.Read moreRead less
Three-dimensional contact and fracture analysis for safety assessment of structures. This project aims to address the safety assessment of engineering structures considering interfaces and cracks, which are nearly always the weakest parts of a structure system. Novel numerical approaches to model the contact of interfaces and crack faces and to simulate crack propagation under variable loads will be established based on the scaled boundary polytope elements and mathematical programming. It is an ....Three-dimensional contact and fracture analysis for safety assessment of structures. This project aims to address the safety assessment of engineering structures considering interfaces and cracks, which are nearly always the weakest parts of a structure system. Novel numerical approaches to model the contact of interfaces and crack faces and to simulate crack propagation under variable loads will be established based on the scaled boundary polytope elements and mathematical programming. It is anticipated that the developed numerical simulation tool will be robust and fully automatic. The intended outcome of this project is an innovative technology for numerical simulation and a rational predictive tool useful for cost-effective and timely planning, design and management of engineering structures.Read moreRead less
Stochastic geometrically nonlinear elasto-plastic buckling and behaviour of curved grid-like structures. It is vital to assess the safety of large spatially curved-complex structures for design and rehabilitation purposes when the inevitable uncertainties in structural parameters and loads are addressed. This project aims to develop an advanced stochastic framework for three-dimensional nonlinear elasto-plastic behaviour and buckling analysis of curved grid-like structures. A rational and powerf ....Stochastic geometrically nonlinear elasto-plastic buckling and behaviour of curved grid-like structures. It is vital to assess the safety of large spatially curved-complex structures for design and rehabilitation purposes when the inevitable uncertainties in structural parameters and loads are addressed. This project aims to develop an advanced stochastic framework for three-dimensional nonlinear elasto-plastic behaviour and buckling analysis of curved grid-like structures. A rational and powerful stochastic nonlinear elasto-plastic finite element model will be proposed to account for the random high-order geometric nonlinearity and material elasto-plasticity. Novel formulations and effective algorithms will also be devised for stochastic nonlinear analytical analysis. An efficient tool will be developed for reliability assessment of the class of structures.Read moreRead less