High-strength formwork systems. The project will lead to new formwork systems which are safer, stronger and quicker to erect. The systems will rely on scientific investigations to minimise the risk of structural collapse and associated cost to community. The systems are innovative and combine advanced technology to produce a superior product with strong export potential and capacity to raise the level of efficiency in the national market. The project will also develop advanced analysis and desig ....High-strength formwork systems. The project will lead to new formwork systems which are safer, stronger and quicker to erect. The systems will rely on scientific investigations to minimise the risk of structural collapse and associated cost to community. The systems are innovative and combine advanced technology to produce a superior product with strong export potential and capacity to raise the level of efficiency in the national market. The project will also develop advanced analysis and design methods for formwork systems which can be applied more generally to advance Australian engineers' position as world leaders in innovative structural design.Read moreRead less
Behaviour and innovative design of drive-in steel storage racks. Drive-in steel storage racks offer the most space-effective solution to storage needs. They have become increasingly sought after as population growth concentrates in the main Australian metropolitan areas, which is pushing up the cost of land and storage. However, the high failure rate of drive-in racking systems is costly to society, as they cause disruptions to our production and supply cycles, and lead to increased costs to Aus ....Behaviour and innovative design of drive-in steel storage racks. Drive-in steel storage racks offer the most space-effective solution to storage needs. They have become increasingly sought after as population growth concentrates in the main Australian metropolitan areas, which is pushing up the cost of land and storage. However, the high failure rate of drive-in racking systems is costly to society, as they cause disruptions to our production and supply cycles, and lead to increased costs to Australian industry and the consumer of the final product. There are great national benefits to be gained from developing innovative drive-in storage systems which have minimum risk of structural failure. Such systems will also enhance the international competitiveness of the Australian rack manufacturing industry.Read moreRead less
Displacement-based assessment of the seismic resistance of unreinforced masonry buildings. Earthquakes have caused over $1,000 billion of damage and more than 100,000 deaths in the last decade. This devastation occurred mainly in unreinforced brick masonry (URM) buildings which constitute the bulk of the domestic building stock in low seismicity regions, including Australia. These buildings were designed to resist forces, not the displacements, caused by earthquake ground shaking. This projec ....Displacement-based assessment of the seismic resistance of unreinforced masonry buildings. Earthquakes have caused over $1,000 billion of damage and more than 100,000 deaths in the last decade. This devastation occurred mainly in unreinforced brick masonry (URM) buildings which constitute the bulk of the domestic building stock in low seismicity regions, including Australia. These buildings were designed to resist forces, not the displacements, caused by earthquake ground shaking. This project will develop a new displacement-based method for assessing the earthquake resistance of URM buildings. Research outcomes will be in the form of improved analytical methods for the design of new buildings and the seismic assessment and retrofit of existing buildings.Read moreRead less
Structural Systems with Hollow Flange Sections in Cold-Formed Steel. Palmer Tube Mills have created a new range of hollow flange sections in cold-formed steel manufactured with the unique dual resistance welding process for use in the construction industry. The new sections combine the properties of hot-rolled open sections and cold-formed sections to create more structurally efficient sections. These new sections experience some unique and specific failure modes that are not considered in cur ....Structural Systems with Hollow Flange Sections in Cold-Formed Steel. Palmer Tube Mills have created a new range of hollow flange sections in cold-formed steel manufactured with the unique dual resistance welding process for use in the construction industry. The new sections combine the properties of hot-rolled open sections and cold-formed sections to create more structurally efficient sections. These new sections experience some unique and specific failure modes that are not considered in current design standards. This project will investigate these failure modes to devise efficient and safe guidelines for their structural design. The project will also develop new structural systems to utilise the unique properties of these sections.Read moreRead less
Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our ....Engineering models for inland atmospheric corrosion of steel infrastructure considering microbiological and environmental influences. Some 2-3% of Gross Domestic Product is estimated to be lost every year to corrosion and by measures to counteract it. Of this a significant proportion relates to steel infrastructure, which includes buildings, bridges, transmission towers, ships, offshore and coastal structures, tanks and pipelines. Better understanding and modelling of corrosion will improve our capability for assessing the long-term safety and serviceability of infrastructure. It may also be useful in improving the composition of steel to resist rusting and in the formulation of protective coatings. This project will contribute to better understanding of the likely involvement of bacteria in the longer-term corrosion of steel exposed to various inland environments.Read moreRead less
Displacement-based earthquake design of unreinforced masonry walls in two-way bending. Current design of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings for earthquake loading is based on checking that the strength of walls and connections exceeds the earthquake-induced inertia forces. Conservative estimates of wall bending strength are used to account for the wide variability in the quality of masonry construction. This project proposes to develop a new "displacement-based" design methodology for URM wa ....Displacement-based earthquake design of unreinforced masonry walls in two-way bending. Current design of unreinforced masonry (URM) buildings for earthquake loading is based on checking that the strength of walls and connections exceeds the earthquake-induced inertia forces. Conservative estimates of wall bending strength are used to account for the wide variability in the quality of masonry construction. This project proposes to develop a new "displacement-based" design methodology for URM walls which is less conservative and more direct, reliable and easier to apply the the force-based method. Hence, this method offers substantical cost savings over current techniques for the assessment of the seismic vulnerability of URM walls in buildings.Read moreRead less
Development of innovative fibre reinforced polymer plating techniques to retrofit existing reinforced concrete structures. The demand for retrofitting reinforced concrete structures in Australia is estimated at $500 million per annum. However, with improved understanding of emerging retrofitting techniques the cost of retrofitting may be reduced. The innovative retrofitting techniques investigated in this project will address the shortcomings of existing techniques with particular emphasis on th ....Development of innovative fibre reinforced polymer plating techniques to retrofit existing reinforced concrete structures. The demand for retrofitting reinforced concrete structures in Australia is estimated at $500 million per annum. However, with improved understanding of emerging retrofitting techniques the cost of retrofitting may be reduced. The innovative retrofitting techniques investigated in this project will address the shortcomings of existing techniques with particular emphasis on the ductility of the system which is a particularly important characteristic when retrofitting for earthquake or explosive loads. It also reinforces Australia's high international standing in developing innovative retrofitting alternatives using advanced materials in this rapidly developing area.Read moreRead less
Retrofitting unreinforced masonry walls with fibre reinforced polymer strips. An efficient technique for increasing the safety of existing masonry structures under earthquake (and other) loading will be developed. This is essential to the safe continued use of existing infrastructure (avoid replacement = economic benefit). This new technique addresses many shortcomings in existing alternatives (increased performance, reduced cost). This research is particularly important in Australia where unrei ....Retrofitting unreinforced masonry walls with fibre reinforced polymer strips. An efficient technique for increasing the safety of existing masonry structures under earthquake (and other) loading will be developed. This is essential to the safe continued use of existing infrastructure (avoid replacement = economic benefit). This new technique addresses many shortcomings in existing alternatives (increased performance, reduced cost). This research is particularly important in Australia where unreinforced masonry accounts for most domestic construction, much light commercial infrastructure, as well as many heritage and post-disaster buildings. It also reinforces Australia's high international standing in developing innovative retrofitting alternatives using advanced materials in this rapidly developing area. Read moreRead less
Advanced analysis methods for locally unstable steel structures. The project will provide structural design and consulting engineers with advanced analysis tools which will help the profession to maintain its eminent position as a leader in the field, known for creating innovative solutions to complex structural engineering projects. The availability of advanced analysis tools will promote research and innovation by Australian producers of cold-formed and thin-walled steel construction products, ....Advanced analysis methods for locally unstable steel structures. The project will provide structural design and consulting engineers with advanced analysis tools which will help the profession to maintain its eminent position as a leader in the field, known for creating innovative solutions to complex structural engineering projects. The availability of advanced analysis tools will promote research and innovation by Australian producers of cold-formed and thin-walled steel construction products, such as BlueScope Steel, and will encourage innovation in industry which will translate to enhanced export opportunities. The end consumer will benefit from the superior structural products which will eventuate from the innovation stimulated by the analysis methods devised from this project.Read moreRead less
Shallow foundation solutions for offshore oil and gas facilities. This research will develop reliable predictions of limit loads for offshore skirted shallow foundations to replace current industry design guidelines that are excessively conservative. This project has direct application to the design of the range of established skirted shallow foundation systems for offshore structures as well as new concept hybrid production platforms and liquefied natural gas terminals designed to be buoyant af ....Shallow foundation solutions for offshore oil and gas facilities. This research will develop reliable predictions of limit loads for offshore skirted shallow foundations to replace current industry design guidelines that are excessively conservative. This project has direct application to the design of the range of established skirted shallow foundation systems for offshore structures as well as new concept hybrid production platforms and liquefied natural gas terminals designed to be buoyant after offloading, thus imparting a sustained uplift on the foundation. The direct economic benefit of this research would be in the region of $3-5M per project. Continued development of Australia's offshore resources will provide jobs for many Australians and sustain an essential market of the Australian economy.Read moreRead less