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
Low viscosity, high ionic conductivity ionic liquids for lithium metal batteries. Current consumer electronic devices rely on lithium-ion batteries to provide a high energy density power source. There are growing safety concerns about the electrolytes in these devices after recent incidents involving fires in mobile phones. Recent advances in ionic liquids (ILs) have seen the development of new electrolytes for such devices, with enhanced physical properties that offer major safety advantages. H ....Low viscosity, high ionic conductivity ionic liquids for lithium metal batteries. Current consumer electronic devices rely on lithium-ion batteries to provide a high energy density power source. There are growing safety concerns about the electrolytes in these devices after recent incidents involving fires in mobile phones. Recent advances in ionic liquids (ILs) have seen the development of new electrolytes for such devices, with enhanced physical properties that offer major safety advantages. However, the viscosity of these materials currently limit their capabilities. New IL materials to be developed in this project will pave the way for the development of safer devices and new sustainable energy industries in 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
Blast Damage and Fragmentation Prediction for Occupants and Structure Protection. Protecting infrastructures against blast loads from terrorist bombing or accidental explosion is a challenge. Researchers have been working on developing a numerical model, but the progress is slow owing to difficulties in modelling nonlinear and high strain rate damage process. Most blast effect assessment is based on empirical relations from blast tests. These have been demonstrated not necessarily yielding accur ....Blast Damage and Fragmentation Prediction for Occupants and Structure Protection. Protecting infrastructures against blast loads from terrorist bombing or accidental explosion is a challenge. Researchers have been working on developing a numerical model, but the progress is slow owing to difficulties in modelling nonlinear and high strain rate damage process. Most blast effect assessment is based on empirical relations from blast tests. These have been demonstrated not necessarily yielding accurate prediction owing to variations of structural properties from the test model. A reliable numerical model is therefore important. It will result in big savings from blast tests, and better prediction of blast effects for structure and occupant protection. It will have applications in civil, mining and defence engineering. Read moreRead less
NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC REPONSE AND DAMAGE OF FRAME STRUCTURES TO EXPLOSIVE LOADS. Understanding structural response to explosive loads is essential to protect critical infrastructure against terrorist bombing or industrial explosions. Current practice in analysis and design of structures to withstand explosive loads uses either empirical methods or a simplified structure model. In many cases, engineers need to know the structure response in more detail in order to protect the structure an ....NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF DYNAMIC REPONSE AND DAMAGE OF FRAME STRUCTURES TO EXPLOSIVE LOADS. Understanding structural response to explosive loads is essential to protect critical infrastructure against terrorist bombing or industrial explosions. Current practice in analysis and design of structures to withstand explosive loads uses either empirical methods or a simplified structure model. In many cases, engineers need to know the structure response in more detail in order to protect the structure and plan evacuation procedures. This project will study the response and damage mechanism of structures to explosive loads, and develop a numerical model to predict structural response and damage. It will have immediate and wide-ranging applications in defence, construction and mining engineering.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
PROBABILISTIC BRIDGE STRUCTURE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY PREDICTION. Bridge failures have occasionally been reported around the world. Condition assessment of bridges is vital to maintain their safety. It is difficult to assess quantitatively the deterioration and damage using traditional methods. Vibration-based methods are very sensitive to noise in vibration measurement and error in finite element modelling. This project will study the effects of measurement noises and f ....PROBABILISTIC BRIDGE STRUCTURE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY PREDICTION. Bridge failures have occasionally been reported around the world. Condition assessment of bridges is vital to maintain their safety. It is difficult to assess quantitatively the deterioration and damage using traditional methods. Vibration-based methods are very sensitive to noise in vibration measurement and error in finite element modelling. This project will study the effects of measurement noises and finite element model errors on bridge condition assessment, and develop improved techniques for predicting load carrying capacities of bridges. The technique developed will be applied to Main Roads WA bridges, will also be applicable to the assessment of other types of structures.Read moreRead less
Experimental and numerical study of dynamic properties of concrete and fibre reinforced concrete materials. Recent disastrous examples of life and economy loss due to terrorist action or accident explosion include Bali bombing and Western Australia gas explosion. Reliable prediction of structure response to blast and impact loads is essential for life and economy protection against such loads. This project will perform laboratory tests and numerical simulations to study the construction material ....Experimental and numerical study of dynamic properties of concrete and fibre reinforced concrete materials. Recent disastrous examples of life and economy loss due to terrorist action or accident explosion include Bali bombing and Western Australia gas explosion. Reliable prediction of structure response to blast and impact loads is essential for life and economy protection against such loads. This project will perform laboratory tests and numerical simulations to study the construction material properties under dynamic loading conditions, and develop numerical models for accurate predictions of structure response to blast loads. The project contributes to the integrated effort for a secure Australia. It will result in enormous savings from conducting blast tests and will have applications in civil, mining and defence engineering.Read moreRead less