Interaction of Local and Distortional Buckling in Thin-Walled High Strength Steel Sections. Recent research at the University of Sydney has shown that the local and distortional buckling modes in thin-walled high strength steel sections may have adverse interaction. Cold-Formed steel sections of this type are used in residential construction, ceiling systems, partitioning systems in offices and other light gauge applications. The project will develop mathematical models of the interaction beha ....Interaction of Local and Distortional Buckling in Thin-Walled High Strength Steel Sections. Recent research at the University of Sydney has shown that the local and distortional buckling modes in thin-walled high strength steel sections may have adverse interaction. Cold-Formed steel sections of this type are used in residential construction, ceiling systems, partitioning systems in offices and other light gauge applications. The project will develop mathematical models of the interaction behaviour of sections of this type for a wide range of section geometries. A major outcome will be design methods which accurately quantify the interaction behaviour based on the models. Testing will be undertaken to support the theoretical developments and to calibrate the design models.Read moreRead less
Multi-Scale Model-Based Simulation of Glass Fragmentation under Blast Loading. It is estimated that most injuries from bomb blasts can be attributed to airborne sharp glass fragments. The proposed project will help us gain better understanding of glass failure mechanism under impact/blast loading. The results from the proposed project are expected to help in developing more effective blast-resistant transparency, ensuring the reliability and quality of buildings and facilities, mitigating injury ....Multi-Scale Model-Based Simulation of Glass Fragmentation under Blast Loading. It is estimated that most injuries from bomb blasts can be attributed to airborne sharp glass fragments. The proposed project will help us gain better understanding of glass failure mechanism under impact/blast loading. The results from the proposed project are expected to help in developing more effective blast-resistant transparency, ensuring the reliability and quality of buildings and facilities, mitigating injury or death due to flying glass fragments, and eventually enhancing public safety and security.Read moreRead less
Reliability and full-range analysis of joints in steel frameworks. The project has two main components, namely to establish a mechanics-based nonlinear model for representing joints in structural analyses, and a reliability framework at system level that considers randomness in the strength and behaviour of both members and joints. As its main aim, the project aims to pave the way for introducing computer-based direct design of steel frames in the structural engineering community, thus obviating ....Reliability and full-range analysis of joints in steel frameworks. The project has two main components, namely to establish a mechanics-based nonlinear model for representing joints in structural analyses, and a reliability framework at system level that considers randomness in the strength and behaviour of both members and joints. As its main aim, the project aims to pave the way for introducing computer-based direct design of steel frames in the structural engineering community, thus obviating the need for checking member and joint strengths to a structural standard. The direct design approach is more accurate, economical and faster than current design practice, provides more uniform structural system reliability, and encourages innovation in structural and architectural forms.Read moreRead less
System reliability-based criteria for designing steel structures by advanced analysis. The aim of the project is to develop a new system-based criterion for designing steel structures using advanced analysis methods. The outcome of the research will help industry to design safer and more economic steel structures, thus enabling the profession to stay competitive in the national and international marketplace.
The role of low-energy excited states in solar-energy capture. This project aims to determine the nature and role of the lowest-energy excited states in most natural photosynthetic reaction centres and light-harvesting complexes. The lowest-energy states of bacterial reaction centres are critical to function and are used as a paradigm in artificial organic solar-energy capture, but for most photosystems their nature remains unknown. The project aims to answer the critical question of why they do ....The role of low-energy excited states in solar-energy capture. This project aims to determine the nature and role of the lowest-energy excited states in most natural photosynthetic reaction centres and light-harvesting complexes. The lowest-energy states of bacterial reaction centres are critical to function and are used as a paradigm in artificial organic solar-energy capture, but for most photosystems their nature remains unknown. The project aims to answer the critical question of why they do not actually prevent function. It is expected that both the outcomes obtained and techniques developed will be directly relevant to solar-energy device design. The project will apply five existing, complimentary and purposely built spectrometers as well as quantum electronic and nuclear simulation techniques to identify and characterise three key systems.Read moreRead less
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
Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commerci ....Thin Films of Oxide Ceramics. Aluminium oxide films are used extensively in the Australian industries of Protective & Decorative Coatings (examples include door-knobs and cutting-tools). The industry will be offered a remarkably simple process for preparation of high quality films. In the microelectronic industry, the uses of aluminium oxide films as a dielectric alternative to silicon dioxide has just started to emerge world - wide and this new process would make a dramatic impact with commercial benefits for Australia. Read moreRead less
Risk Assessment and Mitigation of Blast Damage to Structural Systems. The cost of providing blast-resistant protective measures to potentially hundreds or thousands of existing buildings is immense and beyond the resources of government and society. The decision-making framework proposed herein provides a means to allocate funds to those buildings shown to have high risk of damage in the event of bomb blast. This will enable existing risks to be quantified and compared in a rational and consiste ....Risk Assessment and Mitigation of Blast Damage to Structural Systems. The cost of providing blast-resistant protective measures to potentially hundreds or thousands of existing buildings is immense and beyond the resources of government and society. The decision-making framework proposed herein provides a means to allocate funds to those buildings shown to have high risk of damage in the event of bomb blast. This will enable existing risks to be quantified and compared in a rational and consistent manner, thus ensuring that risk mitigation is maximised given expenditure of limited resources. Public safety will be governed by the extent and effectiveness of building protective measures. Lives will be saved, likelihood and extent of injury reduced and social and economic disruption minimised.Read moreRead less
Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for geometric effects and physical instability. The accurate safety assessment of structures is a fundamental requirement for their safe and cost effective design and management. In this respect, understanding the implications of geometric effects and physical instability on the failure behaviour of structures is a vital and challenging one. This project aims at achieving this by developing innovative approaches in which the classical, so-called, limit and s ....Limit and shakedown analyses allowing for geometric effects and physical instability. The accurate safety assessment of structures is a fundamental requirement for their safe and cost effective design and management. In this respect, understanding the implications of geometric effects and physical instability on the failure behaviour of structures is a vital and challenging one. This project aims at achieving this by developing innovative approaches in which the classical, so-called, limit and shakedown, analyses are extended to incorporate these effects. The project will result in a significant advance in Australia's capability for enhanced diagnosis of its aging infrastructure and potentially also, through this newly developed computational ability, for the rapid transition of new materials to emerging technologies.Read moreRead less
Utilising the benefits of high performance steels (HPS) and infill materials for critical infrastructure protection (CIP) against extreme loads. This project will provide an improved understanding of the behaviour of structural elements subjected to impact and blast loads. The structural engineering community will benefit from the state of the art knowledge whilst the general community will benefit from the increased safety of critical infrastructure which will provide greater security against ....Utilising the benefits of high performance steels (HPS) and infill materials for critical infrastructure protection (CIP) against extreme loads. This project will provide an improved understanding of the behaviour of structural elements subjected to impact and blast loads. The structural engineering community will benefit from the state of the art knowledge whilst the general community will benefit from the increased safety of critical infrastructure which will provide greater security against physical and financial losses. This project extends on work conducted by the first Chief and Partner Investigator in a completed ARC Discovery Project. It is also directly related to research being carried out by the Second Chief Investigator as part of the ARC, Research Network for a Secure Australia.Read moreRead less