Interaction of Local and Distortional Buckling in Thin-Walled High Strength Steel Sections. Recent research at the University of Sydney has shown that the local and distortional buckling modes in thin-walled high strength steel sections may have adverse interaction. Cold-Formed steel sections of this type are used in residential construction, ceiling systems, partitioning systems in offices and other light gauge applications. The project will develop mathematical models of the interaction beha ....Interaction of Local and Distortional Buckling in Thin-Walled High Strength Steel Sections. Recent research at the University of Sydney has shown that the local and distortional buckling modes in thin-walled high strength steel sections may have adverse interaction. Cold-Formed steel sections of this type are used in residential construction, ceiling systems, partitioning systems in offices and other light gauge applications. The project will develop mathematical models of the interaction behaviour of sections of this type for a wide range of section geometries. A major outcome will be design methods which accurately quantify the interaction behaviour based on the models. Testing will be undertaken to support the theoretical developments and to calibrate the design models.Read moreRead less
Multi-Scale Model-Based Simulation of Glass Fragmentation under Blast Loading. It is estimated that most injuries from bomb blasts can be attributed to airborne sharp glass fragments. The proposed project will help us gain better understanding of glass failure mechanism under impact/blast loading. The results from the proposed project are expected to help in developing more effective blast-resistant transparency, ensuring the reliability and quality of buildings and facilities, mitigating injury ....Multi-Scale Model-Based Simulation of Glass Fragmentation under Blast Loading. It is estimated that most injuries from bomb blasts can be attributed to airborne sharp glass fragments. The proposed project will help us gain better understanding of glass failure mechanism under impact/blast loading. The results from the proposed project are expected to help in developing more effective blast-resistant transparency, ensuring the reliability and quality of buildings and facilities, mitigating injury or death due to flying glass fragments, and eventually enhancing public safety and security.Read moreRead less
Reliability and full-range analysis of joints in steel frameworks. The project has two main components, namely to establish a mechanics-based nonlinear model for representing joints in structural analyses, and a reliability framework at system level that considers randomness in the strength and behaviour of both members and joints. As its main aim, the project aims to pave the way for introducing computer-based direct design of steel frames in the structural engineering community, thus obviating ....Reliability and full-range analysis of joints in steel frameworks. The project has two main components, namely to establish a mechanics-based nonlinear model for representing joints in structural analyses, and a reliability framework at system level that considers randomness in the strength and behaviour of both members and joints. As its main aim, the project aims to pave the way for introducing computer-based direct design of steel frames in the structural engineering community, thus obviating the need for checking member and joint strengths to a structural standard. The direct design approach is more accurate, economical and faster than current design practice, provides more uniform structural system reliability, and encourages innovation in structural and architectural forms.Read moreRead less
System reliability-based criteria for designing steel structures by advanced analysis. The aim of the project is to develop a new system-based criterion for designing steel structures using advanced analysis methods. The outcome of the research will help industry to design safer and more economic steel structures, thus enabling the profession to stay competitive in the national and international marketplace.
Risk Assessment and Mitigation of Blast Damage to Structural Systems. The cost of providing blast-resistant protective measures to potentially hundreds or thousands of existing buildings is immense and beyond the resources of government and society. The decision-making framework proposed herein provides a means to allocate funds to those buildings shown to have high risk of damage in the event of bomb blast. This will enable existing risks to be quantified and compared in a rational and consiste ....Risk Assessment and Mitigation of Blast Damage to Structural Systems. The cost of providing blast-resistant protective measures to potentially hundreds or thousands of existing buildings is immense and beyond the resources of government and society. The decision-making framework proposed herein provides a means to allocate funds to those buildings shown to have high risk of damage in the event of bomb blast. This will enable existing risks to be quantified and compared in a rational and consistent manner, thus ensuring that risk mitigation is maximised given expenditure of limited resources. Public safety will be governed by the extent and effectiveness of building protective measures. Lives will be saved, likelihood and extent of injury reduced and social and economic disruption minimised.Read moreRead less
Fibre reinforced polymer retrofitting of reinforced concrete flexural members. A cost-effective and durable technique for retrofitting reinforced concrete beams and slabs is to adhesively bond new advanced fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to their surfaces. The potential plating market in Australia for bridges is $350 million, however, the technique can also be applied to strengthening other structures such as buildings. Tests have shown that FRP plates or sheets can debond prematurely, ....Fibre reinforced polymer retrofitting of reinforced concrete flexural members. A cost-effective and durable technique for retrofitting reinforced concrete beams and slabs is to adhesively bond new advanced fibre reinforced polymer (FRP) composites to their surfaces. The potential plating market in Australia for bridges is $350 million, however, the technique can also be applied to strengthening other structures such as buildings. Tests have shown that FRP plates or sheets can debond prematurely, which at present severely limits the application. The aim of this research project is to quantify the debonding mechanisms, strengths and ductilities of adhesively bonded FRP plated beams to provide design rules that can be used in practice.Read moreRead less
Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for geometric effects and physical instability. The accurate safety assessment of structures is a fundamental requirement for their safe and cost effective design and management. In this respect, understanding the implications of geometric effects and physical instability on the failure behaviour of structures is a vital and challenging one. This project aims at achieving this by developing innovative approaches in which the classical, so-called, limit and s ....Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for geometric effects and physical instability. The accurate safety assessment of structures is a fundamental requirement for their safe and cost effective design and management. In this respect, understanding the implications of geometric effects and physical instability on the failure behaviour of structures is a vital and challenging one. This project aims at achieving this by developing innovative approaches in which the classical, so-called, limit and shakedown, analyses are extended to incorporate these effects. The project will result in a significant advance in Australia's capability for enhanced diagnosis of its aging infrastructure and potentially also, through this newly developed computational ability, for the rapid transition of new materials to emerging technologies.Read moreRead less
Utilising the benefits of high performance steels (HPS) and infill materials for critical infrastructure protection (CIP) against extreme loads. This project will provide an improved understanding of the behaviour of structural elements subjected to impact and blast loads. The structural engineering community will benefit from the state of the art knowledge whilst the general community will benefit from the increased safety of critical infrastructure which will provide greater security against ....Utilising the benefits of high performance steels (HPS) and infill materials for critical infrastructure protection (CIP) against extreme loads. This project will provide an improved understanding of the behaviour of structural elements subjected to impact and blast loads. The structural engineering community will benefit from the state of the art knowledge whilst the general community will benefit from the increased safety of critical infrastructure which will provide greater security against physical and financial losses. This project extends on work conducted by the first Chief and Partner Investigator in a completed ARC Discovery Project. It is also directly related to research being carried out by the Second Chief Investigator as part of the ARC, Research Network for a Secure Australia.Read moreRead less
Rapid structural condition assessment using adaptive model updating. The proposed project has potential to significantly enhance the accuracy with which the condition (and hence load bearing capacity) of existing infrastructure can be determined. By providing a technique of model updating that can be applied effectively in real time, location of damage will be able to be determined accurately. Economic benefits will be reaped, both through saving infrastructure from demolition where the conditio ....Rapid structural condition assessment using adaptive model updating. The proposed project has potential to significantly enhance the accuracy with which the condition (and hence load bearing capacity) of existing infrastructure can be determined. By providing a technique of model updating that can be applied effectively in real time, location of damage will be able to be determined accurately. Economic benefits will be reaped, both through saving infrastructure from demolition where the condition is found to be adequate, and by replacing or repairing inadequate structures before costly failure occurs. This is particularly important as much of Australia's infrastructure is aging, and unnecessary periodic replacement of infrastructure is not sustainable.Read moreRead less
Efficient reinforced concrete design using linear elastic finite element analysis. It is expected that this project will bring about changes in the design practice for reinforced concrete structures, particularly those of complex geometry, which will enhance the competitiveness of the Australian design community. Through reduction of the overuse of concrete often present in current conservative design procedures for such structures, the project will lead to a reduction in the impact of reinforce ....Efficient reinforced concrete design using linear elastic finite element analysis. It is expected that this project will bring about changes in the design practice for reinforced concrete structures, particularly those of complex geometry, which will enhance the competitiveness of the Australian design community. Through reduction of the overuse of concrete often present in current conservative design procedures for such structures, the project will lead to a reduction in the impact of reinforced concrete construction on the environment and contribute to sustainable engineering practise.Read moreRead less