Helium droplets: a nanoscale laboratory for studying intermolecular bonding and chemical reactivity. This type of research requires a rather complicated apparatus capable of creating a stream of helium droplets, embedding molecules and interrogating their properties using laser spectroscopy. The apparatus built in Sydney is the only one capable of this in Australia and using this new apparatus we will create many novel, bizarre and intriguing aggregates of molecules and atoms. The project involv ....Helium droplets: a nanoscale laboratory for studying intermolecular bonding and chemical reactivity. This type of research requires a rather complicated apparatus capable of creating a stream of helium droplets, embedding molecules and interrogating their properties using laser spectroscopy. The apparatus built in Sydney is the only one capable of this in Australia and using this new apparatus we will create many novel, bizarre and intriguing aggregates of molecules and atoms. The project involves cutting-edge scientific methods and will shift the boundaries of can-do science in the laser laboratory at the University of Sydney and in Australia in general.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
Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commerci ....Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commercial benefits for Australia. Read moreRead less
Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for limited ductility. The integrity assessment of structures by direct methods, founded on limit and shakedown concepts, provides vital information about their failure loads. This project aims at overcoming a severe shortcoming of such approaches by incorporating the effects of limited ductility into the analyses. Novel formulations and efficient algorithms will be developed. These tools will be used to provide a better understanding of the implications of ....Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for limited ductility. The integrity assessment of structures by direct methods, founded on limit and shakedown concepts, provides vital information about their failure loads. This project aims at overcoming a severe shortcoming of such approaches by incorporating the effects of limited ductility into the analyses. Novel formulations and efficient algorithms will be developed. These tools will be used to provide a better understanding of the implications of limited ductility, vital to a proper safety assessment of limited ductility structures under complex loadings. Such a capability is important in infrastructure design as well as in such strategic areas as the aeronautical technologies.Read moreRead less
Molecular Framework Materials: Nanoporosity and Anomalous Thermal Expansion. The design and construction of advanced nanomaterials represents both a key area of fundamental research and a critical step in the push towards smarter and more efficient high-level technologies. Here we explore the strategic assembly of molecular materials that have entirely new and highly useful properties, namely, nanoporosity and anomalous thermal expansion. This innovative work will lead to important fundamental ....Molecular Framework Materials: Nanoporosity and Anomalous Thermal Expansion. The design and construction of advanced nanomaterials represents both a key area of fundamental research and a critical step in the push towards smarter and more efficient high-level technologies. Here we explore the strategic assembly of molecular materials that have entirely new and highly useful properties, namely, nanoporosity and anomalous thermal expansion. This innovative work will lead to important fundamental advances in nanoscience and will forge deep understandings of how materials properties relate to nanoscale structure. These advances will spur a wide range of important new technologies, with application of the materials in molecular separations and sensing, clean energy storage, electronics and photonics.Read moreRead less
Advanced Molecular Nanomaterials. The design and construction of advanced nanomaterials is a key step in the push towards smarter and more efficient high-level technologies. Here we mount a major research program into the strategic assembly of molecular nanomaterials that have entirely new and highly useful properties. This innovative work will lead to important fundamental advances in nanoscience and will forge deep understandings of how materials properties relate to nanoscale structure. Th ....Advanced Molecular Nanomaterials. The design and construction of advanced nanomaterials is a key step in the push towards smarter and more efficient high-level technologies. Here we mount a major research program into the strategic assembly of molecular nanomaterials that have entirely new and highly useful properties. This innovative work will lead to important fundamental advances in nanoscience and will forge deep understandings of how materials properties relate to nanoscale structure. These advances will spur a wide range of important new technologies, with application of the materials in electronics, photonics, molecular sensing, drug synthesis and purification, clean energy and the controlled release of agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals.Read moreRead less
Thin-walled Structures Subjected to Impact and Blast Loading. Terrorist attacks have cost Australians much human grief and billions of dollars. Containing the consequences of a blast or impact is crucial to survival and restricting damage to critical civilian/defence infrastructure. Thin-walled structures are used extensively in such infrastructure. There is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour when subjected to impulse and blast loads. The investigators will establish the most economical m ....Thin-walled Structures Subjected to Impact and Blast Loading. Terrorist attacks have cost Australians much human grief and billions of dollars. Containing the consequences of a blast or impact is crucial to survival and restricting damage to critical civilian/defence infrastructure. Thin-walled structures are used extensively in such infrastructure. There is a lack of knowledge about their behaviour when subjected to impulse and blast loads. The investigators will establish the most economical means of designing passive blast protection into thin-walled structures and hence, Australia's critical infrastructure. This knowledge will be transferred into design standards and Australia's limited defence resources.Read moreRead less
Scaled boundary finite-element shakedown approach for the safety assessment of cracked elastoplastic structures under cyclic loading. Many structures in Australia have passed or are approaching their design life. One of the most common happening in an ageing structure is the appearance of cracks. The safety of a cracked structure is a major concern to general public and government authority if no reliable safety evaluation can be performed. In this research project, an advanced numerical tool wi ....Scaled boundary finite-element shakedown approach for the safety assessment of cracked elastoplastic structures under cyclic loading. Many structures in Australia have passed or are approaching their design life. One of the most common happening in an ageing structure is the appearance of cracks. The safety of a cracked structure is a major concern to general public and government authority if no reliable safety evaluation can be performed. In this research project, an advanced numerical tool will be developed to predict the stability of cracks and thus the safety of a cracked structure. Such a tool, which does not yet exist, will help engineers and government authorities in deciding on the necessity and type of rehabilitation, retirement or replacement of a cracked structure. Read moreRead less
Non-deterministic fracture analysis of structures by extending the scaled boundary finite-element method. A very large part of Australia's dam, bridge and building infrastructure is ageing and experiencing cracking and deteriorations in material properties caused by progressive deterioration of concrete and corrosion of steel. This research addresses the practical and challenging problems of cracked structures with uncertainties in their properties and crack sizes. The advanced numerical tool de ....Non-deterministic fracture analysis of structures by extending the scaled boundary finite-element method. A very large part of Australia's dam, bridge and building infrastructure is ageing and experiencing cracking and deteriorations in material properties caused by progressive deterioration of concrete and corrosion of steel. This research addresses the practical and challenging problems of cracked structures with uncertainties in their properties and crack sizes. The advanced numerical tool developed as an outcome of this project will enable engineers to evaluate the reliability of structures under various scenarios of cracking, variation in material properties, rehabilitation and loading. The acquired knowledge will lead to more rational decisions in safe and cost-effective management of our ageing infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our ....Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our capability for assessing the long-term safety and serviceability of infrastructure. It may also be useful in improving the composition of steel to resist rusting and in the formulation of protective coatings. This project will contribute to better understanding of the likely involvement of bacteria in the longer-term corrosion of steel exposed to various inland environments.Read moreRead less