Stable on-demand optimization for workforce and fleet logistics management. This project aims to conceive, develop and deploy innovative methodologies for stable on-demand workforce management and fleet logistics based on advanced decision-support systems. The outcome of this project will provide a new cloud-based real-time Optimisation Software-as-a-Service (OSaaS) platform that allows businesses to improve their productivity while reducing operating costs and their environmental footprint. Thi ....Stable on-demand optimization for workforce and fleet logistics management. This project aims to conceive, develop and deploy innovative methodologies for stable on-demand workforce management and fleet logistics based on advanced decision-support systems. The outcome of this project will provide a new cloud-based real-time Optimisation Software-as-a-Service (OSaaS) platform that allows businesses to improve their productivity while reducing operating costs and their environmental footprint. This is expected to support the manufacturing, retail, delivery and mobile fleets industries.Read moreRead less
Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicl ....Safety in the Heavy Vehicle Industry: A Collaborative Response. The management and regulation of heavy vehicles, particularly in relation to safety, is recognised as an urgent issue at all levels of government across Australia. In the absence of research that identifies the key determinants of heavy vehicle crashes, countermeasures will continue to be based on anecdote. The proposed study will determine the role key risk factors, namely scheduling and sleep-related factors, play in heavy vehicle crashes and will identify cost-effective strategies to reduce the growing economic burden associated with these crashes.Read moreRead less
Rail Safety And Reliability: A Human Factors/Ergonomics Approach. Recent rail crashes have focussed rail operators and the public on issues of rail safety and reliabilty. The project is a major initiative that will assist the development of safer and more reliable rail operations through the application of human factors and ergonomics methods to the design of train control and management devices and systems.
Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-po ....Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. Economically efficient green logistics through cyber physical systems. This project aims to realize green logistics by researching how to run diesel-powered heavy-duty milk trucks economically and efficiently on liquefied natural gas (LNG) and demonstrating to logistics companies that LNG conversion will reduce operating costs and emissions. Transportation systems account for 18% of Australia's carbon emissions, and diesel-powered logistics vehicles are a major contributor. However, converting these trucks to LNG requires strong evidence to convince logistics companies of the benefits of shifting to green logistics. An increase in logistics productivity is expected to increase Australia’s gross domestic product by $2 billion, while this research should also provide vital data on sustainability issues and LNG conversions.Read moreRead less
Deterioration of structural integrity of ageing ships and marine platforms. Deterioration of structural integrity of ageing ships and marine platforms. This project will research the deterioration of structural integrity and remaining life of marine assets such as ships and offshore energy facilities, by integrating structural response analysis methods with aged-structure assessment techniques. Maritime assets exposed to ocean conditions suffer from time dependent phenomena, which reduce structu ....Deterioration of structural integrity of ageing ships and marine platforms. Deterioration of structural integrity of ageing ships and marine platforms. This project will research the deterioration of structural integrity and remaining life of marine assets such as ships and offshore energy facilities, by integrating structural response analysis methods with aged-structure assessment techniques. Maritime assets exposed to ocean conditions suffer from time dependent phenomena, which reduce structural capability, affect safety and could have catastrophic environmental and economic consequences. Making assets available and affordably safe is a problem for operators. The key to prolonging asset life is in understanding the interrelationships over time between the asset’s structural condition and its use. Anticipated outcomes are superior safety, expected lifetime and economic benefits of maritime assets.Read moreRead less
Ship response under corrosion, fatigue and complex sea-state environments. This project will improve understanding of the gradual deterioration of ships and maritime structures subject to metal corrosion, fatigue and extreme sea-state conditions. Increasingly such understanding is necessary for optimal asset management decisions. These include the potential economic, personnel and other risks involved for ship owners and operators, including the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The project will use ....Ship response under corrosion, fatigue and complex sea-state environments. This project will improve understanding of the gradual deterioration of ships and maritime structures subject to metal corrosion, fatigue and extreme sea-state conditions. Increasingly such understanding is necessary for optimal asset management decisions. These include the potential economic, personnel and other risks involved for ship owners and operators, including the Royal Australian Navy (RAN). The project will use numerical simulation. It will tackle the Fluid-Structure Interaction problem of ships in waves by integrating Finite Element structural response analysis with cutting-edge Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics methods. The outcomes will provide new insight into remaining asset life and for exploring optimal maintenance strategiesRead moreRead less
Pedal and motor cycle helmet performance study. Cycling is a form of recreation and transport. Both pedal and motor cyclists are exposed to risks of head and neck injury. These injuries occur in young people and can have substantial health and economic impacts on the individuals and society. It is believed that injury rates can be reduced and an active lifestyle encouraged by improving helmet performance and understanding factors that lead to non-use. As helmet use is mandatory it is importa ....Pedal and motor cycle helmet performance study. Cycling is a form of recreation and transport. Both pedal and motor cyclists are exposed to risks of head and neck injury. These injuries occur in young people and can have substantial health and economic impacts on the individuals and society. It is believed that injury rates can be reduced and an active lifestyle encouraged by improving helmet performance and understanding factors that lead to non-use. As helmet use is mandatory it is important that Australians are provided with optimal helmets. The specification of product standards is also relevant for international trade agreements. Read moreRead less
Promoting active travel and public transport for a post-pandemic world. In many major cities, COVID-19 stimulated the provision of open streets, pop up bike lanes and widened pedestrian access, prompting unprecedented increases cycling and walking. While this type of infrastructure has always been supported by urban planners and designers, the pandemic has served as a vital inflection point, enabling cities to pursue long-term sustainable transport initiatives, including investment in Active Tra ....Promoting active travel and public transport for a post-pandemic world. In many major cities, COVID-19 stimulated the provision of open streets, pop up bike lanes and widened pedestrian access, prompting unprecedented increases cycling and walking. While this type of infrastructure has always been supported by urban planners and designers, the pandemic has served as a vital inflection point, enabling cities to pursue long-term sustainable transport initiatives, including investment in Active Travel (AT). There is an opportunity to promote AT as part of an integrated transport strategy, and to develop tools for the robust evaluation of AT impacts to inform future investment strategies. This proposal will provide our partner organisation Transport for New South Wales (with the knowledge required to achieve this.
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Novel test and design methods for base course reinforced flexible pavements. This project aims to develop the mechanics of geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavements as an urgent need for the Australian pavement industry to build more sustainable and economical roads. Novel laboratory test apparatus and in-situ test programs, and mathematical models will be developed, for the first time, to capture the responses of reinforced base courses in a complete and optimised way to determine the paramete ....Novel test and design methods for base course reinforced flexible pavements. This project aims to develop the mechanics of geosynthetic-reinforced flexible pavements as an urgent need for the Australian pavement industry to build more sustainable and economical roads. Novel laboratory test apparatus and in-situ test programs, and mathematical models will be developed, for the first time, to capture the responses of reinforced base courses in a complete and optimised way to determine the parameters for pavement design and performance evaluation. The outcomes will enable reliable prediction of reinforced pavement behaviour, leading to better-performing geosynthetic products and more resilient pavements, reduced material usage and damage in pavements, and less environmental impact and maintenance cost.Read moreRead less
Beam steering by Huygens metasurfaces for sensing applications. Beam steering by Huygens metasurfaces for sensing applications. This project aims to develop steerable radar systems for navigation sensors and surround monitoring in vehicles, using antennas operating in the millimetre-wave range, which have improved resolution and maintain long sensing distances. The boom in radar sensing technologies used for safety and comfort in cars has stimulated the need for cost-effective directional antenn ....Beam steering by Huygens metasurfaces for sensing applications. Beam steering by Huygens metasurfaces for sensing applications. This project aims to develop steerable radar systems for navigation sensors and surround monitoring in vehicles, using antennas operating in the millimetre-wave range, which have improved resolution and maintain long sensing distances. The boom in radar sensing technologies used for safety and comfort in cars has stimulated the need for cost-effective directional antennas for beam steering in sensing applications. This project will use the recently discovered concept of Huygens metasurfaces, which enable cost-effective devices with low transmission losses and strong tuning of beam-steering angle. The wider availability of such radars is expected to enhance collision prevention systems, adaptive cruise control and ultimately help create self-navigating cars.Read moreRead less