Performance of waste stabilisation ponds: controlling factors, novel performance indicators, and risk assessment. As the world population increases, maintaining robust, cost-effective and environmentally safe wastewater treatment systems is of vital importance. This project will enhance the ability to design, operate and manage Australia's extensive wastewater infrastructure for safer and more sustainable water resources in Australia and the world.
Accelerating Consolidation and Closure of Mine Tailings Storage Facilities. All mining operations involve the production of waste. Many regard such waste (tailings) and their environmentally acceptable storage as constituting the largest waste problem on Earth because of the enormous damage and loss-of-life that have resulted from failures of tailings storage facilities. This project focuses on a dewatering technology, electro-osmosis (EO), which has yet to be fully operationalised, for improvin ....Accelerating Consolidation and Closure of Mine Tailings Storage Facilities. All mining operations involve the production of waste. Many regard such waste (tailings) and their environmentally acceptable storage as constituting the largest waste problem on Earth because of the enormous damage and loss-of-life that have resulted from failures of tailings storage facilities. This project focuses on a dewatering technology, electro-osmosis (EO), which has yet to be fully operationalised, for improving the strength, stability and settlement characteristics of the tailings. Sophisticated testing will be undertaken at three scales (lab, meso and, most importantly, field), as well as the development of generic numerical models, to create practical guidelines to facilitate the implementation of EO in mines around the world.Read moreRead less
Use of rammed earth in Aboriginal communities of Australia. An exhaustive set of engineering and construction guidelines for rammed earth will be elaborated in order to produce affordable, safe and cost-effective houses in Aboriginal areas of Australia. The outcome of this project is the production of a 'Proposal Form for Standards Development' for rammed earth to be submitted to Standards Australia.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170101502
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for road infrastructure. This project aims to develop an assessment model to accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions that roads generate over their life cycle. The project will integrate recent methodological developments and practical advances from road construction and maintenance into its proposed assessment model. The expected outcome will be an assessment model and mapping tool which will visualise emissions levels and better map these e ....Life cycle assessment of greenhouse gas emissions for road infrastructure. This project aims to develop an assessment model to accurately measure greenhouse gas emissions that roads generate over their life cycle. The project will integrate recent methodological developments and practical advances from road construction and maintenance into its proposed assessment model. The expected outcome will be an assessment model and mapping tool which will visualise emissions levels and better map these emissions into the cost-benefit analysis of roads. This will make greenhouse gas reduction more effective and cheaper, and make the Australian infrastructure sector more competitive.Read moreRead less
Containment and reduction of rework in offshore oil and gas projects. This research will ensure that hydrocarbon projects are delivered successfully, on time and budget, safely to specified quality and with minimal environment impact. The successful delivery of such projects is thwarted by rework made during the design process. Strategies to reduce rework from occurring in the future will be developed.
Modelling and testing corroding reinforced concrete structures. The project aims to develop models and methods to enable the early detection of active steel corrosion. Most of Australia’s critical infrastructure is located on or near the coast in high saline conditions and is exposed to a high risk of reinforcing steel corrosion. Our ability to design and monitor such structures is crucial. The first part of the project aims to develop an innovative finite element model to improve the prediction ....Modelling and testing corroding reinforced concrete structures. The project aims to develop models and methods to enable the early detection of active steel corrosion. Most of Australia’s critical infrastructure is located on or near the coast in high saline conditions and is exposed to a high risk of reinforcing steel corrosion. Our ability to design and monitor such structures is crucial. The first part of the project aims to develop an innovative finite element model to improve the prediction of both active steel reinforcement corrosion and the time to concrete cracking in a chloride environment. It then plans to develop a non-destructive method, combining ultrasonic waves-based technology and acoustic emission, to detect active steel corrosion before any damage is visible on the structure.Read moreRead less
On-line monitoring of cyanobacteria to predict coagulant doses and powdered activated carbon application in water treatment. Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, can impact water quality by releasing toxins that can be harmful to human health and imparting unpleasant taste and odours to the water. This project will support the water industry in managing these risks by providing a rapid, on-line tool to assist in their removal during water treatment.
Industrial Transformation Research Hubs - Grant ID: IH180100010
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$4,918,357.00
Summary
ARC Research Hub for Smart Next Generation Transport Pavements. The ARC Research Hub for Smart Next Generation Transport Pavements aims to make road, airport and dockyard pavements smart, low cost, long-lasting, safe, green and adaptable to future transport demands. Australia’s road network, upon which the nation depends for its economic and social prosperity, is at risk due to increases in passenger and freight load degradation of the road network, and material and expertise scarcity. The Hub w ....ARC Research Hub for Smart Next Generation Transport Pavements. The ARC Research Hub for Smart Next Generation Transport Pavements aims to make road, airport and dockyard pavements smart, low cost, long-lasting, safe, green and adaptable to future transport demands. Australia’s road network, upon which the nation depends for its economic and social prosperity, is at risk due to increases in passenger and freight load degradation of the road network, and material and expertise scarcity. The Hub will deliver new materials and modelling, smart construction, and rehabilitation systems required for future demands, while enhancing road safety and reducing environmental impact.
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Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE160100206
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$800,000.00
Summary
National Rock, Concrete and Advanced Composite Testing Capability. National rock, concrete and advanced composite testing capability:
The aim of the project is to develop a national hybrid biaxial/true triaxial load testing facility to serve the needs of geotechnical, structural, mining and materials researchers and engineers for sophisticated testing. It would address the need for leading edge testing and analysis of the deformation and strength of rock, concrete, and thin plates comprising me ....National Rock, Concrete and Advanced Composite Testing Capability. National rock, concrete and advanced composite testing capability:
The aim of the project is to develop a national hybrid biaxial/true triaxial load testing facility to serve the needs of geotechnical, structural, mining and materials researchers and engineers for sophisticated testing. It would address the need for leading edge testing and analysis of the deformation and strength of rock, concrete, and thin plates comprising metals, composites and polymers, under a wide range of loading conditions. The facility would accommodate cubic specimens up to 300 millimetres and be able to apply 10 megapascals of stress in up to three orthogonal directions. State-of-the-art monitoring equipment is designed to assess the degree of damage caused by testing, simulating damage induced by blasting, cutting, static loading and/or impact.Read moreRead less
Evaluating potential static liquefaction of tailings to prevent failures. This project aims to reduce risk in the mining industry from failing mine tailings by producing a methodology for predicting the susceptibility of these tailings to static liquefaction. The impact of a mine tailing failure is catastrophic to the downstream community. The project brings together a number of industry partners committed to assisting with verification and adoption of characterisation and designed tools develop ....Evaluating potential static liquefaction of tailings to prevent failures. This project aims to reduce risk in the mining industry from failing mine tailings by producing a methodology for predicting the susceptibility of these tailings to static liquefaction. The impact of a mine tailing failure is catastrophic to the downstream community. The project brings together a number of industry partners committed to assisting with verification and adoption of characterisation and designed tools development in this project. This proposal will integrate results from laboratory element, centrifuge and calibration chamber tests with numerical modelling and in-situ tests to produce a methodology for predicting the susceptibility to static liquefaction.Read moreRead less