Coupled service and ultimate behaviour of high strength composite columns. This project aims to improve the coupled service and strength load behaviour of high strength composite columns used in building and bridge infrastructure. Taller and longer buildings and bridges need efficient and safe material. Australian Standards for concrete and steel now allow higher strength materials of 100 and 690 MPa. This project will consider coupled service and strength load issues incorporating time-dependen ....Coupled service and ultimate behaviour of high strength composite columns. This project aims to improve the coupled service and strength load behaviour of high strength composite columns used in building and bridge infrastructure. Taller and longer buildings and bridges need efficient and safe material. Australian Standards for concrete and steel now allow higher strength materials of 100 and 690 MPa. This project will consider coupled service and strength load issues incorporating time-dependent effects and ductility, and extend the range of concrete and steel strengths to 150 and 960 MPa for world-class heavy infrastructure. This project is expected to improve the safety and economy of tall buildings, bridges and large infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE140100053
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$400,000.00
Summary
State-of-the-Art Facility for Non-destructive Testing of Concrete Infrastructure (N-DETECT). State-of-the-art facility for non-destructive testing of concrete infrastructure: There are many recent examples around the world where ageing concrete infrastructure has led to catastrophic failures with loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure. Non destructive testing (NDT) gives a reliable method to provide an accurate assessment of the condition of a structure. However NDT requires an underst ....State-of-the-Art Facility for Non-destructive Testing of Concrete Infrastructure (N-DETECT). State-of-the-art facility for non-destructive testing of concrete infrastructure: There are many recent examples around the world where ageing concrete infrastructure has led to catastrophic failures with loss of life and severe damage to infrastructure. Non destructive testing (NDT) gives a reliable method to provide an accurate assessment of the condition of a structure. However NDT requires an understanding of the various methods available, and their capabilities and limitations, through systematic research projects. Very little research has been done in Australia and overseas in this area due to lack of facilities. This state-of-the-art testing equipment will provide Australian institutions with a cutting edge facility with portable equipment for NDT related research.Read moreRead less
Development of Steel Fibre Reinforced Concrete (SFRC) material with spiral-shaped fibres. This project will develop new spiral-shaped steel fibres to be added in concrete to improve its strength, toughness, crack bridging, deformation and impact resistance capacities. It will create better concrete material for wide applications in construction to resist extreme loading conditions such as explosions and high-speed impacts.
Progressive collapse resistance of reinforced concrete framed structures with membrane action. The past ten years, or so, has seen increasing emphasis on extreme event scenarios such as blast, impact and earthquake and more regular and intense cyclonic wind events. This study investigates the reserve of strength in reinforced concrete framed structures to withstand such forces.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE150101703
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Computational framework for fracture in concrete structures. Fracture in concrete is a critical issue for serviceability and minimising the risk of structural collapse. The project aims to develop a technology for the robust and detailed prediction of how concrete structures behave during fracture. The scientific framework will build on a novel theory for 3D fracture and a new computational approach for tackling the highly non-linear behaviour of damage propagation. These advances aim to produce ....Computational framework for fracture in concrete structures. Fracture in concrete is a critical issue for serviceability and minimising the risk of structural collapse. The project aims to develop a technology for the robust and detailed prediction of how concrete structures behave during fracture. The scientific framework will build on a novel theory for 3D fracture and a new computational approach for tackling the highly non-linear behaviour of damage propagation. These advances aim to produce a platform for designers to create and test new designs and technologies for current and new materials. The project aims to produce outcomes that will advantage Australian companies in the international market for large construction projects, where competition is intense and innovation is an important part of increasing market share.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE170100165
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$360,000.00
Summary
Stopping post-tensioned anchorage zone concrete failures. This project aims to design post-tensioning anchorage zones for early age concrete. Post-tensioning of concrete is a common construction method in Australia and worldwide. Despite careful material selection, many unexplained catastrophic failures happen at anchorage zones. Current empirical models in the standard design guidelines are outdated and inadequate, because they are based on the properties of hardened concrete. A more reliable d ....Stopping post-tensioned anchorage zone concrete failures. This project aims to design post-tensioning anchorage zones for early age concrete. Post-tensioning of concrete is a common construction method in Australia and worldwide. Despite careful material selection, many unexplained catastrophic failures happen at anchorage zones. Current empirical models in the standard design guidelines are outdated and inadequate, because they are based on the properties of hardened concrete. A more reliable design approach is expected to benefit the construction and consulting industries, encourage the adoption of high-performance and sustainable materials, improve community safety, and reduce the environmental effect.Read moreRead less
Development of ultra-high performance concrete columns against blasts. This project aims to develop cost-effective formulae for ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) material with superior strength, ductility and durability to replace conventional concrete in critical infrastructures. In recent years, increasing threat from terrorism activities highlights the need to develop advanced building materials to protect against disastrous blasts; UHPFRC is an ideal option in structu ....Development of ultra-high performance concrete columns against blasts. This project aims to develop cost-effective formulae for ultra-high performance fibre reinforced concrete (UHPFRC) material with superior strength, ductility and durability to replace conventional concrete in critical infrastructures. In recent years, increasing threat from terrorism activities highlights the need to develop advanced building materials to protect against disastrous blasts; UHPFRC is an ideal option in structural protective design. This project plans to develop a mixed design approach for cost-effective UHPFRC material. It also plans to conduct blast tests and numerical investigations study blast resistance of UHPFRC columns and to develop analytical approaches and design methods for the application of such columns in critical infrastructure.Read moreRead less
Fire engineering of prefabricated structural systems of modular buildings. With the speed and cost benefits, modular construction is considered a game-changing solution in response to pandemics and natural disasters, and tackling the affordable housing crisis on a large scale. However, its uptake has been hindered due to recent fire incidents of modular buildings. This project aims to develop novel fire experiments and advanced modelling techniques to evaluate the fire performance of modular bui ....Fire engineering of prefabricated structural systems of modular buildings. With the speed and cost benefits, modular construction is considered a game-changing solution in response to pandemics and natural disasters, and tackling the affordable housing crisis on a large scale. However, its uptake has been hindered due to recent fire incidents of modular buildings. This project aims to develop novel fire experiments and advanced modelling techniques to evaluate the fire performance of modular buildings. Computational tools and fire safety design guidelines will also be developed to enable modular buildings to be built safer and more economically. This project will promote the widespread adoption of modular buildings to benefit end-users and the wider society, especially the housing sector and low-income households.Read moreRead less
Discovery Early Career Researcher Award - Grant ID: DE140101555
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$395,220.00
Summary
Probing interaction between cement and nanoparticles at micro/nano scale. With the advancement of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been used as fillers to reinforce ordinary Portland cement. The characterisation of the cement nanocomposites at micro/nano scales remains challenging. With support from the world class collaborating team, this project aims to investigate the interaction between cement and nanomaterials at micro/nano scales subjected to static, dynamic and bombardment loadings usin ....Probing interaction between cement and nanoparticles at micro/nano scale. With the advancement of nanotechnology, nanomaterials have been used as fillers to reinforce ordinary Portland cement. The characterisation of the cement nanocomposites at micro/nano scales remains challenging. With support from the world class collaborating team, this project aims to investigate the interaction between cement and nanomaterials at micro/nano scales subjected to static, dynamic and bombardment loadings using cutting-edge techniques including focused ion beam, atomic force microscopy and atomistic modelling. The outcome will revolutionise the design of high performance cement nanocomposites as the next generation construction materials to reduce carbon dioxide emissions and promote sustainability. Read moreRead less
Development of next generation fire-resistant composite columns. This project aims to develop a new generation of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns free from reinforcement by using fly ash-based fire-resistant concrete. In Australia, existing CFST columns use a large amount of internal reinforcement to maintain the structural integrity under fire attack. Through the generation of CFST columns with superior fire resistance rating and associated design rules to enable innovative and saf ....Development of next generation fire-resistant composite columns. This project aims to develop a new generation of concrete-filled steel tubular (CFST) columns free from reinforcement by using fly ash-based fire-resistant concrete. In Australia, existing CFST columns use a large amount of internal reinforcement to maintain the structural integrity under fire attack. Through the generation of CFST columns with superior fire resistance rating and associated design rules to enable innovative and safe applications of these columns in the construction of resilient and sustainable infrastructure, the project will enable expansion of the domestic and worldwide market for Australian producers of geo-polymer concrete and fly ash aggregates.Read moreRead less