Rethinking walking infrastructure: AI-assisted footpath network modelling. The project aims to develop new macroscopic and network wide transport modelling and optimisation methodologies specific to walking suitable for large scale footpath network planning applications. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted tool for automated generation of footpath network attributes, and a set of equilibrium and non-equilibrium seeking walking route choice mode ....Rethinking walking infrastructure: AI-assisted footpath network modelling. The project aims to develop new macroscopic and network wide transport modelling and optimisation methodologies specific to walking suitable for large scale footpath network planning applications. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel Artificial Intelligence (AI) assisted tool for automated generation of footpath network attributes, and a set of equilibrium and non-equilibrium seeking walking route choice models driven by real-world individual walking trajectory data. This project will deliver a step-change in transport planning for walking infrastructure that will lead to increased active transport and improved urban infrastructure planning, thereby resulting in significant gains in population and environmental health.Read moreRead less
A modelling framework for designing more sustainable urban freight systems. How to improve the sustainability of goods movement in cities is a major challenge for society. City logistics involves numerous stakeholders, including carriers that are small and independent and have difficulty achieving high levels of efficiency. This project aims to develop an integrated modelling framework to facilitate the exploration of novel urban logistics initiatives that are more connected, collaborative, and ....A modelling framework for designing more sustainable urban freight systems. How to improve the sustainability of goods movement in cities is a major challenge for society. City logistics involves numerous stakeholders, including carriers that are small and independent and have difficulty achieving high levels of efficiency. This project aims to develop an integrated modelling framework to facilitate the exploration of novel urban logistics initiatives that are more connected, collaborative, and open. The framework combines agent-based simulation, optimization, artificial intelligence and digital twin technologies to design and evaluate new schemes for improving the efficiency, reliability, and sustainability of urban logistics systems, which will alleviate congestion and the need for new road infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Response of Vertical Drains in Soft Subgrade under Cyclic Rail Loading. Soft formations (subgrade) can become unstable when subjected to heavy and repeated (cyclic) train loading. This project aims to investigate the cause and mechanisms of undrained instability of soft subgrade soil beneath rail embankments, and to assess the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in stabilising such soils. The role of PVDs to enhance track performance will be quantified via rigorous mathematical ....Response of Vertical Drains in Soft Subgrade under Cyclic Rail Loading. Soft formations (subgrade) can become unstable when subjected to heavy and repeated (cyclic) train loading. This project aims to investigate the cause and mechanisms of undrained instability of soft subgrade soil beneath rail embankments, and to assess the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in stabilising such soils. The role of PVDs to enhance track performance will be quantified via rigorous mathematical techniques complementing a computer-based numerical model, which can be validated by laboratory and field data. It will deliver tangible outcomes for accurately predicting the long-term settlements in soft foundations over prolonged train loading while extending the life span of modern railroad infrastructure.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
Sustainable mobility: city-wide exposure modelling to advance bicycling. This project aims to develop a world-leading platform for city-wide modelling of cycling exposure. This project will provide unparalleled insights into cycling exposure by combining multiple cycling data sources through the use of advanced spatial statistical and machine learning techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel inventory of cycling infrastructure, a cycling route choice modelling system and rob ....Sustainable mobility: city-wide exposure modelling to advance bicycling. This project aims to develop a world-leading platform for city-wide modelling of cycling exposure. This project will provide unparalleled insights into cycling exposure by combining multiple cycling data sources through the use of advanced spatial statistical and machine learning techniques. The expected outcomes of this project are a novel inventory of cycling infrastructure, a cycling route choice modelling system and robust predictions of cycling volumes on individual streets. This project will deliver a step change in cycling that will lead to increased cycling participation, enhanced safety, and improved infrastructure planning, thereby resulting in substantial gains in population and environmental health.Read moreRead less
Using visual science to reduce the dangers of night driving. This project aims to develop novel tests of visual function relevant to the modern night driving environment. Night driving is challenging for all drivers and has been linked to poor visibility under low light conditions. This project will characterise the visual challenges of the modern night driving environment, develop visual tests that incorporate the dynamic light levels typical of night-time roads and assess the association of th ....Using visual science to reduce the dangers of night driving. This project aims to develop novel tests of visual function relevant to the modern night driving environment. Night driving is challenging for all drivers and has been linked to poor visibility under low light conditions. This project will characterise the visual challenges of the modern night driving environment, develop visual tests that incorporate the dynamic light levels typical of night-time roads and assess the association of these tests with night driving performance. The outcomes will contribute new knowledge regarding dynamic visual processing and the ageing visual system and will inform vision testing, potential interventions to improve visual function for night driving and reduce the dangers of night driving.Read moreRead less
Structural Fuses for Safer and More Economical Bridge Construction. This project aims to develop a novel structural system leading to more economical concrete bridge construction by utilising a customised structural fuse. A significant margin of safety is required in structural design to account for accidental over-loading and to reduce the risk of structural collapse. Such a margin leads to more material usage. Incorporation of a fuse into the structure that is triggered upon over-loading will ....Structural Fuses for Safer and More Economical Bridge Construction. This project aims to develop a novel structural system leading to more economical concrete bridge construction by utilising a customised structural fuse. A significant margin of safety is required in structural design to account for accidental over-loading and to reduce the risk of structural collapse. Such a margin leads to more material usage. Incorporation of a fuse into the structure that is triggered upon over-loading will cause a safer failure mode and prohibit further increase of loading, both of which result in a reduced structure without undermining safety. The project is expected to advance structural theory, and also provide significant benefits to the construction industry via cost reduction and more eco-friendly constructions.Read moreRead less
Characterisation and Prevention of Vibration-Induced Drowsiness in Drivers. The present CIs have demonstrated that vibrational frequencies of 4-7 Hz entrain brainwaves associated with the onset of sleep. Our unpublished pilot data show that higher vibrational frequencies can restore alertness. Thus future vehicle design could dampen 3-8Hz vibrations while higher frequency vibrations could counteract drowsiness or stimulate alertness. This project aims to: i) develop novel equivalent drowsiness c ....Characterisation and Prevention of Vibration-Induced Drowsiness in Drivers. The present CIs have demonstrated that vibrational frequencies of 4-7 Hz entrain brainwaves associated with the onset of sleep. Our unpublished pilot data show that higher vibrational frequencies can restore alertness. Thus future vehicle design could dampen 3-8Hz vibrations while higher frequency vibrations could counteract drowsiness or stimulate alertness. This project aims to: i) develop novel equivalent drowsiness contours for the effects of physical vibration on driver drowsiness that will form the basis of a new industry standard for transportation safety; ii) develop an innovative vibration regime to improve alertness. This research will reduce transportation injuries and deaths by enabling the design of safer transport vehicles.Read moreRead less
Context-aware verification and validation framework for autonomous driving. This project aims to enhance the reliability and safety of emerging self-driving vehicles, through a framework that supports the validation and verification of autonomous driving systems. This project expects to generate new knowledge in areas of software engineering, intelligent transport, and machine learning, using a multi-disciplinary research combining expertise from various fields. Expected outcomes of this project ....Context-aware verification and validation framework for autonomous driving. This project aims to enhance the reliability and safety of emerging self-driving vehicles, through a framework that supports the validation and verification of autonomous driving systems. This project expects to generate new knowledge in areas of software engineering, intelligent transport, and machine learning, using a multi-disciplinary research combining expertise from various fields. Expected outcomes of this project are a family of new context-aware techniques to verify and validate complex behaviours in autonomous driving. This should provide significant benefits, such as safe autonomous driving systems and the improved journey experience and security for road users.Read moreRead less
Personalised public transport. This project aims to address urban congestion by utilising people’s travel plans to coordinate journeys. The project expects to generate new knowledge in scalable optimisation, based on innovative modelling of urban transport, and tested on historical data from Melbourne. The expected outcomes of the project are an active transport database and optimised mode choice and routing system, with predicted reductions in congestion based on simulation of its use. This pro ....Personalised public transport. This project aims to address urban congestion by utilising people’s travel plans to coordinate journeys. The project expects to generate new knowledge in scalable optimisation, based on innovative modelling of urban transport, and tested on historical data from Melbourne. The expected outcomes of the project are an active transport database and optimised mode choice and routing system, with predicted reductions in congestion based on simulation of its use. This project aims to design an urban trip advisory system that could be followed by automated vehicles as well as human drivers, to reduce the financial and environmental cost of current urban congestion.Read moreRead less