Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0775553
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$500,000.00
Summary
The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Focussed Ion Beam Nanofabrication and Milling Facility. The advanced capabilities of the proposed nano-machining scanning electron microscope will facilitate research at the forefront of materials science and engineering. The proposed facility will play a key role in leading applied research across a wide range of areas including materials technology, nanochemistry, corrosion research, geology, sensor development, minerals processing and environmental re ....The Nanoscale Characterisation Centre WA Focussed Ion Beam Nanofabrication and Milling Facility. The advanced capabilities of the proposed nano-machining scanning electron microscope will facilitate research at the forefront of materials science and engineering. The proposed facility will play a key role in leading applied research across a wide range of areas including materials technology, nanochemistry, corrosion research, geology, sensor development, minerals processing and environmental research. The proposed facility to be used by scientific and industrial researchers will deliver applied interdisciplinary research of an international standard and allow Australian industries to remain internationally competitive.Read moreRead less
Anchorage of reinforcement in concrete structures subjected to loading and environmental extremes. The consequences of collapse of a reinforced concrete building are severe both in terms of cost and human lives. When subjected to extreme events, such as earthquake, blast, accidental impact or other overloads, a concrete structure should deform excessively, but not collapse, i.e. it must be robust. Robustness requires that the steel reinforcement is ductile and that it is adequately anchored in t ....Anchorage of reinforcement in concrete structures subjected to loading and environmental extremes. The consequences of collapse of a reinforced concrete building are severe both in terms of cost and human lives. When subjected to extreme events, such as earthquake, blast, accidental impact or other overloads, a concrete structure should deform excessively, but not collapse, i.e. it must be robust. Robustness requires that the steel reinforcement is ductile and that it is adequately anchored in the concrete. When a collapse does occur, it is often due to inadequate anchorage of the steel bars. This project will re-assess the anchorage requirements for reinforcement in concrete structures and provide reliable guidance to the construction industry. The project will lead directly to improvements in the safety and reliability of structures.Read moreRead less
A Re-evaluation of the Safety and Reliability Indices for Reinforced Concrete Structures. The use of concrete in Australian building structures exceeds 13 million tonnes per year and its impact on the environment is considerable. With 5% of total CO2 emissions coming from cement production, one of the main components of concrete, it is imperative that Australian standards produce efficient design solutions. Preliminary modelling shows that a minimum 5% efficiency gain is possible through a re-ev ....A Re-evaluation of the Safety and Reliability Indices for Reinforced Concrete Structures. The use of concrete in Australian building structures exceeds 13 million tonnes per year and its impact on the environment is considerable. With 5% of total CO2 emissions coming from cement production, one of the main components of concrete, it is imperative that Australian standards produce efficient design solutions. Preliminary modelling shows that a minimum 5% efficiency gain is possible through a re-evaluation of reliability indices with contemporary construction practices and materials, giving an immediate 180,000 tonne per annum reduction in carbon emissions. Added to this are savings through reduced transport and reduced water, sand and aggregate consumption, the potential saving on the environment, and economy, are considerable.Read moreRead less
Modelling of Damage Progression and its Effects on the Expected Safety and Satisfactory Performance of Existing Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure. The extent of reinforcement corrosion in existing infrastructure will influence demolish/repair decisions, maintenance strategies and hence the frequency, timing, extent and required level of efficiency and effectiveness of repairs. The project will provide improved evaluation of existing structural systems by considering improved deterioration model ....Modelling of Damage Progression and its Effects on the Expected Safety and Satisfactory Performance of Existing Reinforced Concrete Infrastructure. The extent of reinforcement corrosion in existing infrastructure will influence demolish/repair decisions, maintenance strategies and hence the frequency, timing, extent and required level of efficiency and effectiveness of repairs. The project will provide improved evaluation of existing structural systems by considering improved deterioration modelling and predictions of safety and satisfactory performance. The potential economic benefits of greater precision in infrastructure replacement or repair strategies and of the risks involved are large given that the size of Australia's infrastructure stock is valued at over $400 billion and its maintenance involves considerable costs.Read moreRead less
Strength and Ductility of Steel Fibre Reinforced HSC Columns. Research has identified two problems in the use of HSC in columns; they are early spalling of the concrete cover and ductility. Ductility is an important feature of any structural member as it guards against unforeseen overload and sudden collapse. The provision of steel fibres has the potential to alleviate, if not solve, both problems. However, little research has been undertaken on the use of steel fibres in columns and questions s ....Strength and Ductility of Steel Fibre Reinforced HSC Columns. Research has identified two problems in the use of HSC in columns; they are early spalling of the concrete cover and ductility. Ductility is an important feature of any structural member as it guards against unforeseen overload and sudden collapse. The provision of steel fibres has the potential to alleviate, if not solve, both problems. However, little research has been undertaken on the use of steel fibres in columns and questions such as the quantity of fibres needed to control cover spalling and the degree that fibre reinforcement aids ductility remain largely unexplored. These issues are addressed in this project.Read moreRead less
Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment And Facilities - Grant ID: LE0453915
Funder
Australian Research Council
Funding Amount
$280,917.00
Summary
Furnace to Test Nano-Geopolymers under Extreme Fire Loading. The deleterious effects of extreme fire on structures (e.g. buildings) are significant, whereby structures are designed to ensure that they do not collapse during fire causing human loss. At high temperatures, materials like concrete lose strength and deteriorate. There is a need in Australia for a shared furnace facility between collaborating Institutions to test, share knowledge and expertise, and compare advanced geopolymer materia ....Furnace to Test Nano-Geopolymers under Extreme Fire Loading. The deleterious effects of extreme fire on structures (e.g. buildings) are significant, whereby structures are designed to ensure that they do not collapse during fire causing human loss. At high temperatures, materials like concrete lose strength and deteriorate. There is a need in Australia for a shared furnace facility between collaborating Institutions to test, share knowledge and expertise, and compare advanced geopolymer materials to different types of concrete when exposed to extreme fire and temperature (e.g. hydrocarbon fire). Geopolymers material offer fire resistance potential, but this needs to be quantified and linked to microstructure prior to commercial acceptance.Read moreRead less
Remaining life estimation for existing deteriorating reinforced concrete infrastructure. Structural deterioration affects the safety and performance of infrastructure facilities and so life extension is an area of increasing economic importance. The project will provide improved techniques for making sound assessments of the remaining safe service life of existing deteriorating infrastructure such as jetties, piers, bridges, buildings, etc. The incorporation of on-site inspection and test data w ....Remaining life estimation for existing deteriorating reinforced concrete infrastructure. Structural deterioration affects the safety and performance of infrastructure facilities and so life extension is an area of increasing economic importance. The project will provide improved techniques for making sound assessments of the remaining safe service life of existing deteriorating infrastructure such as jetties, piers, bridges, buildings, etc. The incorporation of on-site inspection and test data will, in many cases, allow for the extension of safe service life beyond what was originally intended by the designers. This will provide substantial economic benefits since as much as 3% of Australia's GDP is lost due to corrosion and other forms of structural deterioration.Read moreRead less
Time-dependent in-service behaviour of composite concrete slabs with profiled steel decking. At present, the in-service behaviour of composite floor slabs is incompletely understood, and structural designers have no reliable means to assess the effects on structural behaviour of shrinkage warping, time-dependent cracking, temperature gradients and the influence of prestress on bond-slip at the concrete-deck interface. This project will, through laboratory testing and theoretical analysis, provid ....Time-dependent in-service behaviour of composite concrete slabs with profiled steel decking. At present, the in-service behaviour of composite floor slabs is incompletely understood, and structural designers have no reliable means to assess the effects on structural behaviour of shrinkage warping, time-dependent cracking, temperature gradients and the influence of prestress on bond-slip at the concrete-deck interface. This project will, through laboratory testing and theoretical analysis, provide the necessary data to develop and calibrate models to simulate structural behaviour and provide rational guidance for design engineers. The project will result in more serviceable and more economical composite floor slabs in Australian buildings, thereby reducing the costs of construction, maintenance and repair.Read moreRead less
Bridge Health Monitoring using an Intelligent System based on Bragg Grating Fibre Optic Sensors. Use of Fibre Optic Sensors for monitoring bridges is an imerging technology. Recent advances in Bragg grating fibre optic sensors make it possible to monitor structural behaviour of over a period of long time. This technology is further being developed by the University of New South Wales. In conjunction with Roads and Traffic Authorities, these sensors will be further developed and used in major bri ....Bridge Health Monitoring using an Intelligent System based on Bragg Grating Fibre Optic Sensors. Use of Fibre Optic Sensors for monitoring bridges is an imerging technology. Recent advances in Bragg grating fibre optic sensors make it possible to monitor structural behaviour of over a period of long time. This technology is further being developed by the University of New South Wales. In conjunction with Roads and Traffic Authorities, these sensors will be further developed and used in major bridges for both remote and contact monitoring techniques. In this project an Intelligent Bridge Monitoring Remote System will be developed an implemented.Read moreRead less
Modelling and Integration of Spatial Time-Dependent Variability in Structural Reliability Analysis. This project deals with some theoretical aspects of the increasingly important practical problem of realistic assessment of the remaining safe and serviceable life of deteriorating infrastructure. It uses cutting-edge techniques in stochastic structural mechanics to model spatial variability due to pitting corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This is then extended to the time dependent dom ....Modelling and Integration of Spatial Time-Dependent Variability in Structural Reliability Analysis. This project deals with some theoretical aspects of the increasingly important practical problem of realistic assessment of the remaining safe and serviceable life of deteriorating infrastructure. It uses cutting-edge techniques in stochastic structural mechanics to model spatial variability due to pitting corrosion in reinforced concrete structures. This is then extended to the time dependent domain to reflect deterioration processes. These are calibrated to experimental data generated in the project. In parallel, a novel technique is developed to incorporate these spatial models in procedures for time dependent structural reliability analysis. The outcomes will enhance engineering risk assessment for infrastructure decision-making.Read moreRead less