Electronic and Optical Properties of Doped Titanium Dioxide. Titanium dioxide, is widely used as a white pigment, owing to its high refractive index, second, only after diamond. Yellowing of rutile pigment particles, observed on prolonged exposure to sunlight, is a serious problem that pigment manufacturers would like to overcome. It is proposed that aluminium-doping of rutile limits this discolouration by altering the electronic structure of the rutile particles. This project seeks to identify ....Electronic and Optical Properties of Doped Titanium Dioxide. Titanium dioxide, is widely used as a white pigment, owing to its high refractive index, second, only after diamond. Yellowing of rutile pigment particles, observed on prolonged exposure to sunlight, is a serious problem that pigment manufacturers would like to overcome. It is proposed that aluminium-doping of rutile limits this discolouration by altering the electronic structure of the rutile particles. This project seeks to identify the specific electronic cause of the yellowing process, the nature of the Al defect,it's effect on the electronic structure of rutile, and the electronic perturbations that may occur when other dopants are used.Read moreRead less
PROBABILISTIC BRIDGE STRUCTURE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY PREDICTION. Bridge failures have occasionally been reported around the world. Condition assessment of bridges is vital to maintain their safety. It is difficult to assess quantitatively the deterioration and damage using traditional methods. Vibration-based methods are very sensitive to noise in vibration measurement and error in finite element modelling. This project will study the effects of measurement noises and f ....PROBABILISTIC BRIDGE STRUCTURE CONDITION ASSESSMENT AND LOAD CARRYING CAPACITY PREDICTION. Bridge failures have occasionally been reported around the world. Condition assessment of bridges is vital to maintain their safety. It is difficult to assess quantitatively the deterioration and damage using traditional methods. Vibration-based methods are very sensitive to noise in vibration measurement and error in finite element modelling. This project will study the effects of measurement noises and finite element model errors on bridge condition assessment, and develop improved techniques for predicting load carrying capacities of bridges. The technique developed will be applied to Main Roads WA bridges, will also be applicable to the assessment of other types of structures.Read moreRead less
Better Batteries via Controlling the Properties of Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide. Physical properties of electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) such as crystal structure, morphology and electrochemical characteristics determine its usefulness in alkaline batteries. However, the relationship between these parameters is not well understood. This APAI project will attempt to address these shortcomings in the current understanding of the production process by focussing on the relationships between fu ....Better Batteries via Controlling the Properties of Electrolytic Manganese Dioxide. Physical properties of electrolytic manganese dioxide (EMD) such as crystal structure, morphology and electrochemical characteristics determine its usefulness in alkaline batteries. However, the relationship between these parameters is not well understood. This APAI project will attempt to address these shortcomings in the current understanding of the production process by focussing on the relationships between fundamental physical, chemical and electrochemical properties of EMD. The results will be of benefit in optimising the process and ensuring that EMD with superior performance can be consistently produced.Read moreRead less
Integrating Stress and Strain Data from the North West Shelf, Australia: Implications for Hydrocarbon Seal Integrity. Many exploration wells in the Australian North West Shelf encounter residual columns from which hydrocarbons have leaked due to fault reactivation. Recently there has been a significant increase in our knowledge of contemporary stress (from data such as borehole breakouts)
and strain (from fault reactivation styles) on the North West Shelf.
This project will integrate informati ....Integrating Stress and Strain Data from the North West Shelf, Australia: Implications for Hydrocarbon Seal Integrity. Many exploration wells in the Australian North West Shelf encounter residual columns from which hydrocarbons have leaked due to fault reactivation. Recently there has been a significant increase in our knowledge of contemporary stress (from data such as borehole breakouts)
and strain (from fault reactivation styles) on the North West Shelf.
This project will integrate information on stress and strain in order to investigate whether the current state-of-stress is consistent with
observed reactivation styles, and thus develop predictive models for
fault reactivation and hydrocarbon leakage based on the distribution of
stress and strain.Read moreRead less
Analysis and design of interlocking brick system against earthquake loading. This project aims to develop optimised interlocking bricks to resist static and earthquake loads. Using conventional bricks in masonry construction requires skilled labour to connect bricks with mortar. Development of interlocking bricks for mortarless connection has been attracting great interest because the easy alignment improves construction efficiency and quality. Interlocking also leads to better mechanical perfor ....Analysis and design of interlocking brick system against earthquake loading. This project aims to develop optimised interlocking bricks to resist static and earthquake loads. Using conventional bricks in masonry construction requires skilled labour to connect bricks with mortar. Development of interlocking bricks for mortarless connection has been attracting great interest because the easy alignment improves construction efficiency and quality. Interlocking also leads to better mechanical performance of the resulting structures. This project will have significant impact on construction technology and the Australian masonry industry, and greatly improve the competitiveness of the Australian construction industry in the international market.Read moreRead less
The neo- and seismo-tectonics of northwestern Australia. Australia's two largest earthquakes occurred in NW Australia (magnitudes 7 and 7.9 in 1941 and 1906). Onshore and offshore geologic evidence indicates other such events in recent geological history. Our present seismic database records no such events. We propose to document the nature, frequency, intensity, distribution and possible causes of seismicity in NW Australia, through deployment of seismograph arrays. We will test the effects ....The neo- and seismo-tectonics of northwestern Australia. Australia's two largest earthquakes occurred in NW Australia (magnitudes 7 and 7.9 in 1941 and 1906). Onshore and offshore geologic evidence indicates other such events in recent geological history. Our present seismic database records no such events. We propose to document the nature, frequency, intensity, distribution and possible causes of seismicity in NW Australia, through deployment of seismograph arrays. We will test the effects of basement reactivation, determine the crustal structure beneath the cratonic mass, examine onshore and offshore faults, determine local and regional stress orientations and investigate implications for petroleum production in the region, and whether natural resource extraction causes local seismicity.Read moreRead less
Numerical and experimental study of pounding damage of adjacent bridge structures to spatially varying earthquake ground motions. Bridge damage in an earthquake prevents rescue personnel and equipment from quick access to the affected area. Repairing or replacing a damaged bridge and the increased commuting time after the earthquake may have a significant impact on the economy and life of the general public. This project will develop techniques for earthquake-resistant bridge design.
Geotechnical and soil-structure interaction properties of soils in Perth CBD. A new underground railway (City Project) will shortly begin construction in Perth CBD. This construction, and its associated high level of monitoring instrumentation, offers a unique opportunity for an extensive and thorough examination of the mechanical properties of Perths soils. The research results emanating from the proposed combination of field monitoring, laboratory investigation and numerical analysis, will gre ....Geotechnical and soil-structure interaction properties of soils in Perth CBD. A new underground railway (City Project) will shortly begin construction in Perth CBD. This construction, and its associated high level of monitoring instrumentation, offers a unique opportunity for an extensive and thorough examination of the mechanical properties of Perths soils. The research results emanating from the proposed combination of field monitoring, laboratory investigation and numerical analysis, will greatly improve the reliability (and hence cost) of future foundation and basement designs in Perth and elsewhere.Read moreRead less
An innovative light weight composite panel system for high speed modular construction. This project aims to develop an innovative composite panel system using aerated geopolymer and a thin high strength steel casing. The new panel system aims to have a number of significant enhancements compared to traditional panels in terms of load resistance, much lower carbon footprint and life-cycle costs. It aims to offer desirable properties, such as being light-weight, easy to construct, economical, recy ....An innovative light weight composite panel system for high speed modular construction. This project aims to develop an innovative composite panel system using aerated geopolymer and a thin high strength steel casing. The new panel system aims to have a number of significant enhancements compared to traditional panels in terms of load resistance, much lower carbon footprint and life-cycle costs. It aims to offer desirable properties, such as being light-weight, easy to construct, economical, recyclable and reusable. A significant gap in knowledge exists in the material and system behaviour of the aerated geopolymer and its fire performance. It is intended that a comprehensive research program will be carried out to address those challenges and to provide design guidelines to rapidly progress these technologies in Australia and overseas.Read moreRead less
Advancing Mineral Exploration Models for Orogenic Gold Deposits. This interdisciplinary project links geochemistry with crustal-scale fluid migration, aiming to improve mineral exploration success for orogenic gold deposits. In doing so, it intends to provide a more holistic view of gold deposit genesis. This project plans to focus on the Victorian goldfields, which have world-class historic gold production, an existing seismic transect, and a geologic setting that will address key problems in g ....Advancing Mineral Exploration Models for Orogenic Gold Deposits. This interdisciplinary project links geochemistry with crustal-scale fluid migration, aiming to improve mineral exploration success for orogenic gold deposits. In doing so, it intends to provide a more holistic view of gold deposit genesis. This project plans to focus on the Victorian goldfields, which have world-class historic gold production, an existing seismic transect, and a geologic setting that will address key problems in gold deposit genesis. A series of modelling techniques will be used to marry structural and geochemical aspects of gold deposit formation at a scale that has not been previously attempted.Read moreRead less