Understanding the performance of cold-formed steel frame wall systems in fires to design for superior fire resistance. This project will develop new light gauge steel frame (LSF) wall systems with superior fire resistance rating and associated design rules to enable innovative and safe applications of these wall systems in various building applications. This will enable expansion of the worldwide market for LSF wall systems by the industry partner.
Development of Fibre Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products. The construction industry is one of the world's largest consumers of raw materials and it is widely accepted that current material usage trends are unsustainable. Development of new more efficient construction materials is paramount to overcoming this. This novel research will use advanced high strength glass and carbon fibres and polymer resins to improve the structural behaviour, versatility and economic viability of a natio ....Development of Fibre Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete Products. The construction industry is one of the world's largest consumers of raw materials and it is widely accepted that current material usage trends are unsustainable. Development of new more efficient construction materials is paramount to overcoming this. This novel research will use advanced high strength glass and carbon fibres and polymer resins to improve the structural behaviour, versatility and economic viability of a nationally significant construction material known as Autoclaved Aerated Concrete. The material technologies developed by this research will lead to more efficient material use, a more sustainable materials solution and the potential to export the technology worldwide.Read moreRead less
Design tools for optimising data centre layout to minimise energy usage. Data centres are major consumers of energy worldwide, mainly through the need to cool the equipment. It has become imperative to develop the science for reducing this consumption. Rising computing demand, increasing power density, and increasing infrastructure and energy costs are major issue for data centres around the world. Our research will provide a powerful alternative to conventional thermal management techniques for ....Design tools for optimising data centre layout to minimise energy usage. Data centres are major consumers of energy worldwide, mainly through the need to cool the equipment. It has become imperative to develop the science for reducing this consumption. Rising computing demand, increasing power density, and increasing infrastructure and energy costs are major issue for data centres around the world. Our research will provide a powerful alternative to conventional thermal management techniques for cooling high-density heat loads in mixed-density environments. We will address the key issue of energy minimisation through a detailed flow analyses by the use of numerical simulations and optimisation algorithms.Read moreRead less
Condition Monitoring of Aircraft Propulsion for Automated Diagnostics. The integrity of the steering system is crucial for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles. This project aims at developing a new condition monitoring system able to diagnose steering faults earlier, provide a root-cause-analysis of malfunctions, and estimate associated failure risks in the future. The outcomes of this project will be a better understanding of steering faults and their effect on autonomous driving, timely ....Condition Monitoring of Aircraft Propulsion for Automated Diagnostics. The integrity of the steering system is crucial for the safe operation of autonomous vehicles. This project aims at developing a new condition monitoring system able to diagnose steering faults earlier, provide a root-cause-analysis of malfunctions, and estimate associated failure risks in the future. The outcomes of this project will be a better understanding of steering faults and their effect on autonomous driving, timely diagnostics and prognostics and innovative proactive control measures that mitigate their impact on autonomous driving quality and safety. The expected benefits for the automotive industry and end-users include increased safety and reliability of steering systems, and higher confidence in autonomous driving.Read moreRead less
Condition-Based Maintenance Optimisation for Queensland’s Railways. Rail maintainers currently use time-based (scheduled) approaches to balance the costs and benefits of inspections and maintenance. Changing to condition-based maintenance has the potential to reduce costs and improve track condition. This project aims to enable this approach for rail by developing: 1) new track degradation prediction techniques combining Big Data and engineering knowledge; 2) new on-board sensing capabilities fo ....Condition-Based Maintenance Optimisation for Queensland’s Railways. Rail maintainers currently use time-based (scheduled) approaches to balance the costs and benefits of inspections and maintenance. Changing to condition-based maintenance has the potential to reduce costs and improve track condition. This project aims to enable this approach for rail by developing: 1) new track degradation prediction techniques combining Big Data and engineering knowledge; 2) new on-board sensing capabilities for frequent, low-cost track monitoring; 3) novel inspection and maintenance optimisation methods to efficiently allocate resources. The knowledge generated by this project is expected to decrease maintenance costs, safety risk, and track closures and therefore enhance the affordability and reliability of rail travel.Read moreRead less
Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of ....Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of the project will be a significantly improved prediction tool. It is also anticipated that the project will result in improvements in dam and public safety, and more efficient use of funds for dam safety upgrades and management.Read moreRead less
Optimization of internal pressure for designing industrial buildings. The project seeks to understand the internal pressure in a building during windstorms, to improve safety and performance. The internal pressure in a building is dependent on its volume and flexibility and the sizes of openings in the building envelope, and is a critical loading parameter in building design. Windstorm damage investigations have shown that incorrect internal pressures are frequently used in building design, lead ....Optimization of internal pressure for designing industrial buildings. The project seeks to understand the internal pressure in a building during windstorms, to improve safety and performance. The internal pressure in a building is dependent on its volume and flexibility and the sizes of openings in the building envelope, and is a critical loading parameter in building design. Windstorm damage investigations have shown that incorrect internal pressures are frequently used in building design, leading to damage. This project aims to study the internal pressures generated in buildings with a range of volumes and openings in the envelope. A combination of model-scale and full-scale tests and theoretical analysis are planned to determine critical parameters for highly turbulent air-flow though openings. Results will inform the revision of design data in codes and of guidelines for consistent, optimal design of buildings.Read moreRead less
Optimal transitional surface for a new continuous press forming process. This project addresses the National Research Priority - Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries through smart information use. This project aims to gain fundamental scientific understanding of a manufacturing process with the aim of developing a tool that will enhance existing manufacturing processes and controls from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. Th ....Optimal transitional surface for a new continuous press forming process. This project addresses the National Research Priority - Frontier Technologies for Building and Transforming Australian Industries through smart information use. This project aims to gain fundamental scientific understanding of a manufacturing process with the aim of developing a tool that will enhance existing manufacturing processes and controls from an 'art of expertise' to a scientific understanding and improvement. This manufacturing area represents a niche market for Australian manufacturing and the development of a product that enhances productivity and reduces costs has the potential to elevate Australian manufacturers in the export market and create economic benefit for Australia.Read moreRead less
Effect of cane sugar juice composition on scaling rate and scale composition in sugar mills. The Australia sugar industry produces 1100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, abating ~1.1 M tonnes of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gases. This can be increased if the juice evaporation performance, which largely determines the energy efficiency of the sugar factory, can be improved through reduced fouling of evaporators. This project will investigate the effect of juice composition on fouling of sug ....Effect of cane sugar juice composition on scaling rate and scale composition in sugar mills. The Australia sugar industry produces 1100 GWh of renewable electricity annually, abating ~1.1 M tonnes of CO2-equivalent of greenhouse gases. This can be increased if the juice evaporation performance, which largely determines the energy efficiency of the sugar factory, can be improved through reduced fouling of evaporators. This project will investigate the effect of juice composition on fouling of sugar factory evaporators so that a model to predict scale type and scale propensity can be developed. This will enable the development of better scale control strategies, resulting in reduced energy usage and reduced usage of the hazardous and polluting chemicals required to remove scale.Read moreRead less
The lost ocean of eastern Australia and its critical metals endowment. This project aims to unravel the tectonic origin and economic potential of ultramafic rocks (rocks which host elevated concentrations of nickel, cobalt, chromium, and platinum-group elements). Such rocks are outcropping in eastern Australia along a contorted ~1500 km long belt that may record relics of an ancient ocean. Through detailed mapping and cutting-edge analytical techniques, the project is expected to fill a crucial ....The lost ocean of eastern Australia and its critical metals endowment. This project aims to unravel the tectonic origin and economic potential of ultramafic rocks (rocks which host elevated concentrations of nickel, cobalt, chromium, and platinum-group elements). Such rocks are outcropping in eastern Australia along a contorted ~1500 km long belt that may record relics of an ancient ocean. Through detailed mapping and cutting-edge analytical techniques, the project is expected to fill a crucial knowledge gap in Australian tectonics, while providing information on ore mineralisation. The expected outcomes, including new tectonic models unveiling the scale, geometry, and economic potential of the ultramafic bodies, could benefit critical mineral exploration, carbon storage solutions, and geoecology conservation.Read moreRead less