Development of design guidelines for recycled plastic material and structural components. It is estimated that by 2010 over 1.2 million tonnes of plastic will be used annually by Australians of which only 3% is currently recycled. Preliminary testing of recycled plastic products has demonstrated their potential usefulness in structural engineering applications. However, the lack of guidelines suitable for advanced applications of recycled plastic is limiting the growth of this technology. This p ....Development of design guidelines for recycled plastic material and structural components. It is estimated that by 2010 over 1.2 million tonnes of plastic will be used annually by Australians of which only 3% is currently recycled. Preliminary testing of recycled plastic products has demonstrated their potential usefulness in structural engineering applications. However, the lack of guidelines suitable for advanced applications of recycled plastic is limiting the growth of this technology. This project aims to develop a set of rational guidelines for the testing, analysis and design of recycled plastic material and structural components that will enable the continued expansion of this technology, significantly reducing waste plastic.Read moreRead less
Cost-effective integrated engineering and "community partnerships" solution to a latent water policy issue: private dam management and flood safety. Project aims to further develop an engineering model for cost-effective innovative flood safety design/review for private dams in Southeastern Australia and integrate this with community impact assessment. Together, this is a "community partnerships" solution to a significant water policy vacuum on private dam safety and flood policy. Expected outco ....Cost-effective integrated engineering and "community partnerships" solution to a latent water policy issue: private dam management and flood safety. Project aims to further develop an engineering model for cost-effective innovative flood safety design/review for private dams in Southeastern Australia and integrate this with community impact assessment. Together, this is a "community partnerships" solution to a significant water policy vacuum on private dam safety and flood policy. Expected outcomes: improved risk transparency for dam owners and State Government, minimising costs of failures, ie. loss of life, damage to public and private infrastructure and environment; giving owners an affordable and effective design/review procedure to better manage their dams, providing data on community responses and water law reform proposals consonant with international best-practice.Read moreRead less
Development of a new technique to improve very soft soils using geogrid wrapped stone columns. Many large Australian infrastructure projects will be developed in regions with inherently poor soil conditions. Port developments, for instance, are by their nature located in river estuaries which are characterised by deep deposits of soft alluvial soils. Many highway projects also traverse low-lying ground or coastal regions with soft soil conditions. This project will develop a novel technique to ....Development of a new technique to improve very soft soils using geogrid wrapped stone columns. Many large Australian infrastructure projects will be developed in regions with inherently poor soil conditions. Port developments, for instance, are by their nature located in river estuaries which are characterised by deep deposits of soft alluvial soils. Many highway projects also traverse low-lying ground or coastal regions with soft soil conditions. This project will develop a novel technique to improve the engineering characteristics of very soft soils (shear strength lower than 15 kPa) by using geogrid wrapped stone columns. The effectiveness of this technique will be investigated in both small scale laboratory tests and field trials.Read moreRead less
Permeable Pavements with Concrete Surface Layers- Experimental and Theoretical Basis for Analysis and Design. Permeable pavements constitute unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support green, sustainable growth. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous pavements are instrumental in recharging groundwater, reducing stormwater runoff and preventing pollutants from entering the Australian river systems and sea-shores. Other advanta ....Permeable Pavements with Concrete Surface Layers- Experimental and Theoretical Basis for Analysis and Design. Permeable pavements constitute unique and effective means to address important environmental issues and support green, sustainable growth. By capturing stormwater and allowing it to seep into the ground, porous pavements are instrumental in recharging groundwater, reducing stormwater runoff and preventing pollutants from entering the Australian river systems and sea-shores. Other advantages for Australian communities that are associated with the construction of permeable pavement arise from their properties such as acoustic and thermal insulation due to the high void content of the material. Thus, permeable pavements improve on the living conditions in urban areas by reducing noise levels and preventing urban heat island effects.Read moreRead less
SCANEM : A Scanning and Inspection Method for Urban Pipeline Systems. Water and sewage utilities are crucial factors limiting economic growth and urban amenity. However many of these facilities are subject to corrosion, fracture and collapse and new strategies are now required to provide a sound basis for systematic remediation and replacement. Suitable strategies involving a structural audit and statistical analysis have been proposed by CSIRO and Tyco Water. However new geophysical inspection ....SCANEM : A Scanning and Inspection Method for Urban Pipeline Systems. Water and sewage utilities are crucial factors limiting economic growth and urban amenity. However many of these facilities are subject to corrosion, fracture and collapse and new strategies are now required to provide a sound basis for systematic remediation and replacement. Suitable strategies involving a structural audit and statistical analysis have been proposed by CSIRO and Tyco Water. However new geophysical inspection methods are now required to provide the key physical parameters relating to pipeline condition. Hopefully the EM inspection tool resulting from this project will provide the industrial partners with a unique capacity to satisfy a major global market.Read moreRead less
Turbulence and energy dissipation in stepped spillways and urban drainage systems. The economical sustainability of Australia's water resources relies upon an efficient use of its structures. Present water resources are diminishing because of poor engineering design. This issue is critical in both rural and urban Australia. The economical expansions of existing water supplies can be achieved by refurbishing reservoirs, water supply networks and urban water systems. The expertise derived from the ....Turbulence and energy dissipation in stepped spillways and urban drainage systems. The economical sustainability of Australia's water resources relies upon an efficient use of its structures. Present water resources are diminishing because of poor engineering design. This issue is critical in both rural and urban Australia. The economical expansions of existing water supplies can be achieved by refurbishing reservoirs, water supply networks and urban water systems. The expertise derived from the project will spearhead applications in a range of industries dealing with civil and environmental systems.Read moreRead less
Cracking of Embankment Dams Under Normal Operating, and Flood Conditions, and the Implications for Internal Erosion and Piping Failure. Internal erosion and piping causes half of embankment dam failures and accidents. Historically about two percent of dams have been affected. The most common cause of initiation of erosion is in cracks or by hydraulic fracture in low stress zones. This project will develop methods for predicting the opening width and depth of desiccation and stress induced cra ....Cracking of Embankment Dams Under Normal Operating, and Flood Conditions, and the Implications for Internal Erosion and Piping Failure. Internal erosion and piping causes half of embankment dam failures and accidents. Historically about two percent of dams have been affected. The most common cause of initiation of erosion is in cracks or by hydraulic fracture in low stress zones. This project will develop methods for predicting the opening width and depth of desiccation and stress induced cracking in the dam crest, and for assessing whether the cracks will close before erosion begins as the reservoir water rises, or whether erosion will self limit or continue.Read moreRead less