Safety and robustness of tall timber buildings under extreme dynamic events. This project aims to develop innovative and robust structural connections in tall mass timber buildings by characterising their mechanical behaviour under dynamic loads induced by extreme events like earthquakes or progressive collapse. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the safe, economic, and efficient design of mass timber buildings. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced robustness design ....Safety and robustness of tall timber buildings under extreme dynamic events. This project aims to develop innovative and robust structural connections in tall mass timber buildings by characterising their mechanical behaviour under dynamic loads induced by extreme events like earthquakes or progressive collapse. This project expects to generate new knowledge in the safe, economic, and efficient design of mass timber buildings. Expected outcomes of this project include enhanced robustness design guidelines for the engineering community. This should lead to significant benefits, such as contributing to uptake of viable low-cost timber housing solutions in response to population growth and contributing to net zero emissions in Australia by 2050, and transition to safer and resilient infrastructure in urban development.Read moreRead less
New Systems for High Rise Steel Structures in Rising Factory Construction. This project will develop new and innovative ways of constructing steel structures using the rising factory concept. The rising factory is a 10 storey enclosure where the final high-rise building is safely constructed within a watertight envelope which rises as the building progresses. The project will perform the necessary research to make possible high-rise steel structural systems consisting of hot-rolled (heavy gauge ....New Systems for High Rise Steel Structures in Rising Factory Construction. This project will develop new and innovative ways of constructing steel structures using the rising factory concept. The rising factory is a 10 storey enclosure where the final high-rise building is safely constructed within a watertight envelope which rises as the building progresses. The project will perform the necessary research to make possible high-rise steel structural systems consisting of hot-rolled (heavy gauge) and cold-formed (light gauge) steel structural members and connections which can be used in the rising factory. The main benefits of the rising factory are the waterproof construction environment and the substantially increased safety as a result of no external cranes.
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Hybrid steel-framed structural systems for mid-rise buildings. The project aims to develop solutions for lightweight structural systems. Hybrid steel structures are those constructed from a mixture of conventional hot-rolled steel sections and tubes combined with lightweight cold-formed steel structural members. There is an increasing need to provide prefabricated structural systems that are highly constructible and modular in mid-rise (5–10 storeys) residential apartment and commercial building ....Hybrid steel-framed structural systems for mid-rise buildings. The project aims to develop solutions for lightweight structural systems. Hybrid steel structures are those constructed from a mixture of conventional hot-rolled steel sections and tubes combined with lightweight cold-formed steel structural members. There is an increasing need to provide prefabricated structural systems that are highly constructible and modular in mid-rise (5–10 storeys) residential apartment and commercial buildings. The major problem in producing efficient hybrid systems is the connections between the hot-rolled framing members and the lightweight cold-formed members. The main aim of the project is to carry out experimental and theoretical research into the hybrid connections. The expected outcomes of the research are more efficient and standardised structural connections and systems.Read moreRead less
Cold-rolled Aluminium Structural Members and Systems. BlueScope Permalite has recently demonstrated that it is possible to produce aluminium structural sections by roll-forming. This presents a faster and less energy consuming method of production than conventional extrusion. Through experiments and numerical simulations, the project aims to develop guidelines for the design of single members and complete structural systems in cold-rolled aluminium. The project intends to quantify the strength e ....Cold-rolled Aluminium Structural Members and Systems. BlueScope Permalite has recently demonstrated that it is possible to produce aluminium structural sections by roll-forming. This presents a faster and less energy consuming method of production than conventional extrusion. Through experiments and numerical simulations, the project aims to develop guidelines for the design of single members and complete structural systems in cold-rolled aluminium. The project intends to quantify the strength enhancements achievable by the cold-rolling process and devise guidelines for determining the strength of cold-rolled aluminium sections and systems, considering the prevalent buckling modes for C- and Z-sections, their interactions and the effect of gradual yielding.Read moreRead less
Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex ....Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. Braced batter micropile group: New design theory and performance framework. This project aims to research the design and performance of innovative biomimetic braced battered micropile group footings. This project will test Surefoot, the new concrete free footing, in the laboratory, in the field, and through numerical and analytical modelling. Surefoot’s mechanisms of action are poorly understood but clearly more complex than current micropile theory; this project will research the mechanism of load transfer from micropiles to the soil and soil response.Read moreRead less
Transforming building environmental design: streamlining environmental decision-making for building designers. The project will significantly reduce national energy demand and greenhouse gas emissions associated with the construction and operation of new and existing buildings. This will help to reduce the potential impacts of climate change on Australians and provides a highly cost-effective solution for mitigating and adapting to climate change.
Achieving structural morphing via functionalising nonlinear buckling. This project aims to develop a general framework to analyse and design functional components of buildings and structures, where they change shapes (morphing) by buckling. Australian buildings consume 20% of the nation’s total energy production on heating and cooling, and projected population increases are likely to increase energy demands. The shape changes are optimised, e.g. to reduce energy consumption by minimising solar r ....Achieving structural morphing via functionalising nonlinear buckling. This project aims to develop a general framework to analyse and design functional components of buildings and structures, where they change shapes (morphing) by buckling. Australian buildings consume 20% of the nation’s total energy production on heating and cooling, and projected population increases are likely to increase energy demands. The shape changes are optimised, e.g. to reduce energy consumption by minimising solar radiation loads or maximising natural air ventilation. The project expects to develop building technology solutions to reduce Australia's energy consumption, and provide domestic and global market opportunities in the high-tech manufacturing sector.Read moreRead less
A novel method to stabilise expansive soils by alkali-activation . This project aims to address durability and sustainability issues with traditional lime-based methods used to stabilize expansive soils by alternatively advancing an alkali-activation approach. It expects to generate new knowledge in using alkali-activation to suppress the swelling potential of expansive soils which have been deleterious to roads, pavements and overlying structures. Expected outcomes of this project include deve ....A novel method to stabilise expansive soils by alkali-activation . This project aims to address durability and sustainability issues with traditional lime-based methods used to stabilize expansive soils by alternatively advancing an alkali-activation approach. It expects to generate new knowledge in using alkali-activation to suppress the swelling potential of expansive soils which have been deleterious to roads, pavements and overlying structures. Expected outcomes of this project include development of a long-term durable treatment with reduced carbon footprint and use of waste materials. This should provide significant benefits commercially and critical insights to overcome expansive soils which cover approximately one-fifth of Australia’s surface area and six out of eight of its largest cities.Read moreRead less
Stage acoustical quality in auditoria: measurement, simulation, prediction and design. This project asks what acoustic qualities make a concert hall stage outstanding for musicians, and how can these qualities be achieved? It involves a collaboration between acoustics researchers in Australia and Korea, with complementary expertise in lab and field studies of auditorium stages.
Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will ....Advancing the Engineering of Minipile Systems to Frontier Applications. This project aims to develop new knowledge on the performance of battered minipile systems used in a wide range of applications from solar panels to traffic signs. Minipiles provide concrete-free foundation systems, yet their behaviour under more complex loading such as wind, is yet to be fully understood. This project will examine the loading conditions experienced during installation and throughout service life. This will include complex full-scale laboratory tests and advanced computer modelling to verify the performance against expected cyclic loading. New design approaches will be developed for this emerging foundation system, enabling more widespread adoption of this technology in the building and construction industry.Read moreRead less