Paving the way to greener roads and healthier waterways. Waste tyre permeable pavement is emerging as an effective stormwater surge mitigation solution. Yet, its behaviour under traffic loads and varied environmental conditions are not fully understood which undermines industry confidence in this technology. This project aims to advance the engineering of waste tyre permeable pavements by creating new knowledge on their mechanical and hydrological performance. The project will develop design gui ....Paving the way to greener roads and healthier waterways. Waste tyre permeable pavement is emerging as an effective stormwater surge mitigation solution. Yet, its behaviour under traffic loads and varied environmental conditions are not fully understood which undermines industry confidence in this technology. This project aims to advance the engineering of waste tyre permeable pavements by creating new knowledge on their mechanical and hydrological performance. The project will develop design guidelines, identify the governing mechanisms and develop a performance prediction framework based on laboratory and field tests, and advanced numerical modelling. The mechanisms of performance from micro to macro level will be identified, generating knowledge for industry to support widespread uptake.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140100108
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$325,650.00
Summary
Fundamental aspects of vertical and horizontal consolidation in a multi-layered soil system. Land reclamation is a multi-billion dollar industry that is most often carried out in coastal regions by reclaiming seabed foundations of marine clay using dredged waste. This project will develop an analytical framework for predicting the rate of settlements in the resulting multi-layer system which will incorporate a variety of factors known to directly influence the rate of consolidation. After valida ....Fundamental aspects of vertical and horizontal consolidation in a multi-layered soil system. Land reclamation is a multi-billion dollar industry that is most often carried out in coastal regions by reclaiming seabed foundations of marine clay using dredged waste. This project will develop an analytical framework for predicting the rate of settlements in the resulting multi-layer system which will incorporate a variety of factors known to directly influence the rate of consolidation. After validation using experimental data and numerical simulations, the proposed analytical model can be used to mimic soil behaviour more closely than traditional models, thereby leading to more realistic settlement predictions.Read moreRead less
A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural netw ....A novel physical-digital approach for the assessing a large critical asset. This project aims to deliver an artificial intelligence-enabled decision-making tool to maintain and manage the floating covers of vast lagoons that treat raw sewage. The cover harvests the biogas released from the anaerobic digestion of sewage for electric power generation that exceeds the plant’s requirement. The approach involves an innovative thermographic technique and exploits transfer learning to adapt neural networks trained on lab-scale and synthetic data to field implementation. The outcome is a machine learning framework to optimise biogas harvesting and renewable energy generation, and to avoid structural failure, that is capable of continuous improvement to take into account improved data and/or modelling capabilities.Read moreRead less
Disassembly Automation of End-of-Life Electric Vehicle Batteries. This project aims to develop an automated disassembly solution for End-of-Life (EOL) Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries, which is flexible and modular to handle the uncertainties associated with model changes, condition of the EOL battery packs as well as the projected volume growth. The outcome of this project will lead to a better separation of EV battery components and materials. This will allow recycling of EOL EV batteries with ....Disassembly Automation of End-of-Life Electric Vehicle Batteries. This project aims to develop an automated disassembly solution for End-of-Life (EOL) Electric Vehicle (EV) batteries, which is flexible and modular to handle the uncertainties associated with model changes, condition of the EOL battery packs as well as the projected volume growth. The outcome of this project will lead to a better separation of EV battery components and materials. This will allow recycling of EOL EV batteries with a higher material recovery efficiency and a lower cost due to the significantly reduced labor cost; hence substantially reduce the environmental footprint associated with EOL treatment of these batteries.Read moreRead less
Long-term chemically induced crumbling of unsaturated brittle geomaterials. This project will investigate the crumbling of geomaterials such as soil and rock by analysing the microscopic mechanisms controlling their deterioration in acidic water. The project will help predict weathering processes using an experimentally validated theory and innovative pore-scale numerical simulations. Expected outcomes include a detailed knowledge of the multi-scale interactions between brittle geomaterials and ....Long-term chemically induced crumbling of unsaturated brittle geomaterials. This project will investigate the crumbling of geomaterials such as soil and rock by analysing the microscopic mechanisms controlling their deterioration in acidic water. The project will help predict weathering processes using an experimentally validated theory and innovative pore-scale numerical simulations. Expected outcomes include a detailed knowledge of the multi-scale interactions between brittle geomaterials and acidic water, leading to accurate forecasts of the long-term response of large-scale geotechnical structures. This project should provide significant benefits by improving soil management for mining remediation, increasing carbon dioxide storage efficiency, and preventing the deterioration of tailings dams.Read moreRead less
Micromechanic modelling and analysis of the dynamics of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This project aims to develop advanced theories and mathematical models to describe the packing and flow of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This will be achieved through a combined theoretical and experimental program, involving the use of advanced discrete particle simulation and detailed analysis of packing/flow structures, particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions a ....Micromechanic modelling and analysis of the dynamics of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This project aims to develop advanced theories and mathematical models to describe the packing and flow of non-spherical particles coupled with fluid flow. This will be achieved through a combined theoretical and experimental program, involving the use of advanced discrete particle simulation and detailed analysis of packing/flow structures, particle-particle and particle-fluid interactions at a particle scale. Research outcomes including theories, computer models and simulation techniques will be applied to representative industrial operations of importance to Australia's economic and technological future.Read moreRead less
Soft-Rigid Bonded Granular Mixes: Particle Scale Study to Field Predictions. Globally 1.5 Billion and in Australia 56 million tyres reach their end of life with less than 5% recycled. This project aims to create new knowledge and predictive models for the behaviour of bonded soft tyre and rigid rock aggregates through a multi-scale approach from particle scale investigation to large-scale observation and modelling. This will create new knowledge into the behaviour of this unconventional three-p ....Soft-Rigid Bonded Granular Mixes: Particle Scale Study to Field Predictions. Globally 1.5 Billion and in Australia 56 million tyres reach their end of life with less than 5% recycled. This project aims to create new knowledge and predictive models for the behaviour of bonded soft tyre and rigid rock aggregates through a multi-scale approach from particle scale investigation to large-scale observation and modelling. This will create new knowledge into the behaviour of this unconventional three-phase granular mixes; soft, rigid aggregates bonded with polymer binders. The project will provide significant benefits in diverting millions of tyres from landfills and illegal dumps and a more competitive and environmentally sensitive infrastructure industry.Read moreRead less
Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. This project aims to strengthen reclaimed soft soils by controlled desiccation. Soft soil is a significant engineering challenge for many industry sectors in Australia and worldwide. The disposal of dredged soft soil is costly and time-consuming, and failure of soft mine tailings is an environmental catastrophe that can cause loss of life and interrupt mining prod ....Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. Engineering the strength and consolidation of reclaimed soft soil. This project aims to strengthen reclaimed soft soils by controlled desiccation. Soft soil is a significant engineering challenge for many industry sectors in Australia and worldwide. The disposal of dredged soft soil is costly and time-consuming, and failure of soft mine tailings is an environmental catastrophe that can cause loss of life and interrupt mining production. This project will research the underlying processes of material behaviour, by developing new electromagnetic measurement and modelling methods to predict material strengths at the micro and macro scales during desiccation. The new approach is expected to lead to innovative solutions to bearing capacity and settlement problems associated with soft soils.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE110100174
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$800,000.00
Summary
Innovative synchrotron science - program for access to the Australian National Beamline Facility and cutting-edge beamlines at international synchrotrons. Synchrotron science dramatically affects the community through the innovative scientific, engineering and medical research outcomes it produces. This program for access to synchrotron beamlines is aimed at enhancing Australia's high international standing in synchrotron science and will have many flow-on effects in areas such as health and ind ....Innovative synchrotron science - program for access to the Australian National Beamline Facility and cutting-edge beamlines at international synchrotrons. Synchrotron science dramatically affects the community through the innovative scientific, engineering and medical research outcomes it produces. This program for access to synchrotron beamlines is aimed at enhancing Australia's high international standing in synchrotron science and will have many flow-on effects in areas such as health and industry.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100042
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Virtual reality for planning of green urban water infrastructure. This project aims to research the planning-technical-social dynamics of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) infrastructure. WSUD management has become financially and logistically unsustainable due to major urban growth and a rapid uptake in WSUD assets. Solving this problem is, however, complex, as stakeholders have conflicting needs and tacit knowledge that is difficult to quantify. Using emerging virtual reality technology, par ....Virtual reality for planning of green urban water infrastructure. This project aims to research the planning-technical-social dynamics of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) infrastructure. WSUD management has become financially and logistically unsustainable due to major urban growth and a rapid uptake in WSUD assets. Solving this problem is, however, complex, as stakeholders have conflicting needs and tacit knowledge that is difficult to quantify. Using emerging virtual reality technology, participatory planning and operational models, this project intends to improve WSUD modelling science through integrated modelling. The anticipated outcome is more holistic and economically efficient planning of WSUD layouts in future cities. This is expected to address growing concerns about adequately managing these systems and ensure that they deliver intended environmental protection, liveability and public health benefits.Read moreRead less