Fatigue Strengthening of Metallic Bridges using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer System. A large number of metallic structures such as bridges, offshore platforms and large mining equipment are aging. Retrofitting such structures is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Using an advanced material, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), to strengthen metallic structures is very promising. This project aims to develop reliable CFRP strengthening systems for aging metallic bridges. I ....Fatigue Strengthening of Metallic Bridges using Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer System. A large number of metallic structures such as bridges, offshore platforms and large mining equipment are aging. Retrofitting such structures is becoming increasingly important in the 21st century. Using an advanced material, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Polymer (CFRP), to strengthen metallic structures is very promising. This project aims to develop reliable CFRP strengthening systems for aging metallic bridges. It aims to make a breakthrough in understanding of the fatigue crack propagation in CFRP-metal composite system under combined loading. It intends also to produce practical guidelines for engineers to strengthen aging metallic bridges.Read moreRead less
Load-displacement and consolidation behaviour of soft soils stabilised by stone columns for transport infrastructure. The project outcomes will guarantee better understanding of the benefits of stone columns for stabilising soft soil foundations through numerical and experimental processes. The enhanced load-carrying capacity and mitigation of excessive soil movements will contribute to sustainable development of transport infrastructure.
Cyclic behaviour of unstable soils stabilised by lignosulfonate with special reference to rapid transport infrastructure. The project will pioneer the use of the paper industry by-product, lignosulphonate, to stabilise unstable soils in rural and regional Australia. The prevention of unacceptable erosion, settlement and mass movement of these soils will enable efficient operation of high speed rail and busy highways that are vital for agriculture and mineral industries.
Performance of granular matrix under heavy haul cyclic loading. Performance of granular matrix under heavy haul cyclic loading. This project aims to enhance the longevity of roads and tracks based on improved geotechnical design. The demand for safe and durable roads and railways to accommodate faster and heavier traffic has increased steadily in the past decade. This project will research the performance of compacted granular waste (coalwash & flyash) under cyclic loads, particularly relevant t ....Performance of granular matrix under heavy haul cyclic loading. Performance of granular matrix under heavy haul cyclic loading. This project aims to enhance the longevity of roads and tracks based on improved geotechnical design. The demand for safe and durable roads and railways to accommodate faster and heavier traffic has increased steadily in the past decade. This project will research the performance of compacted granular waste (coalwash & flyash) under cyclic loads, particularly relevant to heavy haul industry, from a geomechanics perspective. It will use geotechnical laboratory testing and field monitoring to develop a computational model, incorporating the relevant strength and deformation properties at varied load frequencies. The anticipated outcome is sustainable, more resilient transport infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE160101137
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$373,536.00
Summary
The whole is greater than its parts: Improving rail safety through teamwork. This project seeks to develop a train driving risk model that includes human factors, to enable rail organisations to better identify and mitigate safety risks. Train driving is a cognitively demanding task in which errors can quickly lead to catastrophic consequences. Signals passed at danger (SPADs) occur when a train goes past a red light. Despite significant investment in better signalling and communications infrast ....The whole is greater than its parts: Improving rail safety through teamwork. This project seeks to develop a train driving risk model that includes human factors, to enable rail organisations to better identify and mitigate safety risks. Train driving is a cognitively demanding task in which errors can quickly lead to catastrophic consequences. Signals passed at danger (SPADs) occur when a train goes past a red light. Despite significant investment in better signalling and communications infrastructure, SPAD rates remain unacceptably high and are projected to rise. SPAD risk is currently managed with a retrospective approach that fails to consider non-technical human factors such as time pressure, workload and team communications. By including non-technical dimensions, this project seeks to develop a comprehensive model to explain and prevent SPADs.Read moreRead less
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
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE130100028
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$300,000.00
Summary
A national facility for in situ testing of soft soils. A mobile in situ testing laboratory will permit the investigation of devices for measuring geotechnical conditions on soft and swampy sites which are often being encountered on key infrastructure projects. The new facility will improve the modelling and testing of soft soils and ensure the safe and economic development of Australian infrastructure.
Hybrid Pile-Drain System to Stabilise Railways Built on Soft Soils. Australian coastal soils often pose significant challenges in the design and construction of railways. The project aims to develop a novel hybrid system of pipe piles & prefabricated vertical drains installed to prevent soft foundation soil (subgrade) from excessive yielding under prolonged cyclic loading by heavy-haul trains. Using large-scale physical model simulations and field trials supported by numerical analysis of soil-p ....Hybrid Pile-Drain System to Stabilise Railways Built on Soft Soils. Australian coastal soils often pose significant challenges in the design and construction of railways. The project aims to develop a novel hybrid system of pipe piles & prefabricated vertical drains installed to prevent soft foundation soil (subgrade) from excessive yielding under prolonged cyclic loading by heavy-haul trains. Using large-scale physical model simulations and field trials supported by numerical analysis of soil-pile-drain interaction mechanisms, this innovative concept will be examined to establish a user-friendly design methodology. For rail operators, the outcomes will generate substantially reduced maintenance costs, while extending the longevity of track infrastructure to ensure faster and heavier trains of the future. Read moreRead less
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
ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering. To pioneer new scientific approaches for geotechnical design of Australia's energy and transport infrastructure. Australia will spend over $250 billion during the next five years on the provision of physical infrastructure for energy and transport, which is the critical importance to the nation's future prosperity. The Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering will develop new computational and experimental approaches to un ....ARC Centre of Excellence for Geotechnical Science and Engineering. To pioneer new scientific approaches for geotechnical design of Australia's energy and transport infrastructure. Australia will spend over $250 billion during the next five years on the provision of physical infrastructure for energy and transport, which is the critical importance to the nation's future prosperity. The Centre for Geotechnical Science and Engineering will develop new computational and experimental approaches to underpin the geotechnical design of this infrastructure and provide a national focus for geotechnical research. New scientific approaches and software for designing cheaper and safer infrastructure in the energy and transport sectors.Read moreRead less