Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictio ....Computational fracture analysis of structures and materials. This project aims to develop a computer simulation technique to address the safety of engineering structures. A novel numerical framework based on the scaled boundary finite element method will be developed to model the fracture process critical to assessing structural integrity. The expected outcomes of this project include an innovative technology for numerical simulation and improved capabilities to generate high-fidelity predictions of structural safety at minimum human efforts. The fully automatic and robust numerical tool developed in this project will help engineers and government authorities to perform safe and cost-effective design and management of engineering structures that are vital to modern economies.Read moreRead less
Non-differentiable Energy Minimisation For Modelling Fractured Porous Media. This project is aimed at advancing theoretical, computational and experimental bases for the fracturing of geomaterials, and providing scientists and engineers with much needed predictive tools for quantitative assessment of the responses. By incorporating previously neglected aspects such as energy minimisation, advanced constitutive modelling, and non-planar interacting fracture growth, confidence in the design and pl ....Non-differentiable Energy Minimisation For Modelling Fractured Porous Media. This project is aimed at advancing theoretical, computational and experimental bases for the fracturing of geomaterials, and providing scientists and engineers with much needed predictive tools for quantitative assessment of the responses. By incorporating previously neglected aspects such as energy minimisation, advanced constitutive modelling, and non-planar interacting fracture growth, confidence in the design and planning of engineering processes in fractured porous media will be increased to the point that costly over/under designs are avoided. Through the use of the tools developed, it will be possible to detect weaknesses in the design, assess the impact and implement effective measures to improve performance.Read moreRead less
Modelling creep and time-dependency in unsaturated soils. This project aims to present the most complete and rigorous modelling framework for creep and time-dependent behaviour of unsaturated soils in infrastructure. The project will address previously neglected aspects of soil behaviour, such as gradual changes in physical properties with time and strain-rate dependency. The project is expected to enable better predictions of infrastructure performance, improve confidence in design, and avoid u ....Modelling creep and time-dependency in unsaturated soils. This project aims to present the most complete and rigorous modelling framework for creep and time-dependent behaviour of unsaturated soils in infrastructure. The project will address previously neglected aspects of soil behaviour, such as gradual changes in physical properties with time and strain-rate dependency. The project is expected to enable better predictions of infrastructure performance, improve confidence in design, and avoid unwarranted over-design and the considerable cost this imposes. The project will provide a fully validated predictive computational modelling tool for quantitative assessment of long-term performance and stability of infrastructure such as dams, embankments, tunnels, slopes, buildings and foundations.Read moreRead less
Robustness-oriented and serviceable design of innovative modular buildings. This project aims to unlock the full potential of prefabricated modular buildings through innovative framing solutions in combination with new evaluation methods to enhance serviceability and improve safety under extreme events. Advanced 3D hybrid testing and analysis will be used to create new knowledge on the complex system-level dynamic behaviour of modular buildings. The expected outcome of this project will lead to ....Robustness-oriented and serviceable design of innovative modular buildings. This project aims to unlock the full potential of prefabricated modular buildings through innovative framing solutions in combination with new evaluation methods to enhance serviceability and improve safety under extreme events. Advanced 3D hybrid testing and analysis will be used to create new knowledge on the complex system-level dynamic behaviour of modular buildings. The expected outcome of this project will lead to safe, affordable, and environmentally sustainabe modular building construction. The project will provide significant benefits to designers, manufacturers and regulators to improve the resilience of the building stock and to support greater design and manufacturing innovations.Read moreRead less
Assessing Water Supply Security in a Nonstationary Environment. About 25% of the global population currently has inadequate access to safe and secure water. This number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050 due to increased populations and reduced river flows. While a visible water crisis (such as the one in Cape Town in 2018) can culminate in the funding of new water supply infrastructure, a planned push for infrastructure augmentation often stalls due to contradictory projections of how much wate ....Assessing Water Supply Security in a Nonstationary Environment. About 25% of the global population currently has inadequate access to safe and secure water. This number is expected to rise to 50% by 2050 due to increased populations and reduced river flows. While a visible water crisis (such as the one in Cape Town in 2018) can culminate in the funding of new water supply infrastructure, a planned push for infrastructure augmentation often stalls due to contradictory projections of how much water will be available in the future. To address this, a novel alternative for assessing water security is proposed. Our approach assesses change using historical information on river flow and water demand, adapting these to form projections that exhibit greater reliability than currently existing alternatives.Read moreRead less
Preventing extreme granular wear of geotechnical machinery. This project will investigate the mechanisms controlling the mechanical wear that is incurred while handling geomaterials such as sand, ore, coal and fragmented rock. The overarching aim is to help forecast and mitigate extreme wear conditions by analysing the microscopic forces that granular materials produce when in contact with moving metallic surfaces. The intended outcomes include a thorough understanding of these interfacial inter ....Preventing extreme granular wear of geotechnical machinery. This project will investigate the mechanisms controlling the mechanical wear that is incurred while handling geomaterials such as sand, ore, coal and fragmented rock. The overarching aim is to help forecast and mitigate extreme wear conditions by analysing the microscopic forces that granular materials produce when in contact with moving metallic surfaces. The intended outcomes include a thorough understanding of these interfacial interactions and an experimentally validated theory predicting wear rates for a range of materials and handling processes. The expected benefit of this project is to enhance the productivity and reliability of the mining and construction sectors by reducing wear-related machinery failures.Read moreRead less
Pile foundations in unsaturated soils: a mechanistic framework. This project will develop a mechanistic approach to pile foundation design in variably saturated soils through integrated expertise in the fields of unsaturated soil mechanics, material nonlinearity, numerical modelling, limit analysis and experimental investigation. It will achieve a rigorous understanding of pile behaviour in unsaturated
soils subjected to monotonic loading through a comprehensive program of scaled laboratory test ....Pile foundations in unsaturated soils: a mechanistic framework. This project will develop a mechanistic approach to pile foundation design in variably saturated soils through integrated expertise in the fields of unsaturated soil mechanics, material nonlinearity, numerical modelling, limit analysis and experimental investigation. It will achieve a rigorous understanding of pile behaviour in unsaturated
soils subjected to monotonic loading through a comprehensive program of scaled laboratory testing, numerical and theoretical analyses. The models, theories, mechanics and predictive tools arising from this research will have direct and immediate impact on the planning, design, construction and management of many types of infrastructure involving pile foundations in industrial and residential developments.Read moreRead less
Physics-informed hydrodynamic model for clay across scales. This project aims to develop a predictive model for the macroscopic behaviour of clay by combining direct observations of microscopic and mesoscopic mechanisms with rigorous physical principles. The project expects to track clay aggregates as they expand or shrink under variable loads and moistures using novel X-ray and optical methods. A key anticipated result is the development of a robust hydrodynamic model for clay that rationalises ....Physics-informed hydrodynamic model for clay across scales. This project aims to develop a predictive model for the macroscopic behaviour of clay by combining direct observations of microscopic and mesoscopic mechanisms with rigorous physical principles. The project expects to track clay aggregates as they expand or shrink under variable loads and moistures using novel X-ray and optical methods. A key anticipated result is the development of a robust hydrodynamic model for clay that rationalises the observed phenomena. Expected outcomes include the accurate predictions of clay dynamics, either fast during landslides or slow under drying and wetting. As much of Australia experiences droughts and floods, this project should benefit the longevity and safety of critical infrastructure situated on clay.Read moreRead less
Experiment-numerical-virtual Generative Design for Nondeterministic Impacts. This project will establish an advanced nondeterministic design methodology to uncover the optimised material properties and 3D printed metastructural capacity in real-time against impact loading. It will develop a rigorous framework that integrates numerical simulation, experiment, and machine learning-based virtual modelling to tackle practical challenges in design and manufacture of impact-proof materials and structu ....Experiment-numerical-virtual Generative Design for Nondeterministic Impacts. This project will establish an advanced nondeterministic design methodology to uncover the optimised material properties and 3D printed metastructural capacity in real-time against impact loading. It will develop a rigorous framework that integrates numerical simulation, experiment, and machine learning-based virtual modelling to tackle practical challenges in design and manufacture of impact-proof materials and structures with intrinsic uncertainties. The generative design-calibration system unifying experimental-numerical-virtual processes will largely reduce the need for repetitive large-scale experimental tests. This project benefits civil, aerospace, automotive, and defence with competitive advantage through technological innovation.Read moreRead less
Gas Explosion Resistance of Non-Cement Based High Performance Concrete. This project aims to study gas explosion resistance of non-cement-based ultra-high performance concrete after fire hazards. Fuel gases such as natural gas and hydrogen are becoming increasingly more popular in Australia. Due to their wide flammability range, there is considerable concern about the potential fire and explosion hazard. Until now, there is limited knowledge on this topic and conventional concrete has been prove ....Gas Explosion Resistance of Non-Cement Based High Performance Concrete. This project aims to study gas explosion resistance of non-cement-based ultra-high performance concrete after fire hazards. Fuel gases such as natural gas and hydrogen are becoming increasingly more popular in Australia. Due to their wide flammability range, there is considerable concern about the potential fire and explosion hazard. Until now, there is limited knowledge on this topic and conventional concrete has been proved incapable of handling this multi-hazard scenario. The expected outcomes of this project include a detailed knowledge of multi-hazard scenario and a safety design with the non-cement-based ultra-high performance concrete. Successful delivery of this project ensures structural safety in Australia and wider community.Read moreRead less