The potential role of transit-oriented development in Australian cities: a critical assessment using a suburban rail corridor. Sustainability in urban development and a reduction in our dependence on the private car for mobility are key concerns in Australia and elsewhere. The results of this research will inform and lead world's best practice in the evaluation and adoption of sustainable transport solutions, especially those related to investment in urban public transport systems, and hence pro ....The potential role of transit-oriented development in Australian cities: a critical assessment using a suburban rail corridor. Sustainability in urban development and a reduction in our dependence on the private car for mobility are key concerns in Australia and elsewhere. The results of this research will inform and lead world's best practice in the evaluation and adoption of sustainable transport solutions, especially those related to investment in urban public transport systems, and hence provide options for planners and developers to minimise the impacts of developments on the environment. The benefits from the project will be in improved planning and design principles and planning tools for transit-oriented urban developments in both inner and outer suburbs in Australian cities.Read moreRead less
Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution model ....Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. Advancing water pollution emissions modelling in cities of the future. This project aims to advance stormwater pollution modelling and enhance its link with urban development. Management of stormwater pollution by industry often results in inadequate strategies and, crucially, sub-optimal financial investments. Since this is unlikely to improve in light of urban growth and climate change, addressing decade-old pollution modelling knowledge gaps and the lack of a multidisciplinary approach to stormwater pollution management is urgent. The anticipated outcome is a modelling tool which industry can use to manage stormwater pollution in changing cities through smarter and economic technology and policy.Read moreRead less
Optimal scheduling of urban bulk water systems under uncertainty. This project will develop a new optimisation framework for planning and operation of urban bulk water systems that incorporates flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Population growth in major Australian cities, coupled with a potentially drying climate, is putting pressure on existing water supply. To avoid the risk of overinvesting and losing future flexibility, water utilities have to develop plans for the future, a t ....Optimal scheduling of urban bulk water systems under uncertainty. This project will develop a new optimisation framework for planning and operation of urban bulk water systems that incorporates flexibility to adapt to changing circumstances. Population growth in major Australian cities, coupled with a potentially drying climate, is putting pressure on existing water supply. To avoid the risk of overinvesting and losing future flexibility, water utilities have to develop plans for the future, a task made difficult by uncertainty about future climate and demand. The framework is intended to explicitly deal with uncertainty about future demand and climate change, to ensure that solutions can cope with plausible but unexpected futures. The project will apply this framework to the bulk water supply for Sydney.Read moreRead less
Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact w ....Mitigating the risk of cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater ponds. Cyanobacterial blooms in wastewater treatment plants impact on effluent quality and the utility of recycled water, posing a significant risk to the economy, the environment and public health. To understand the causes of cyanobacterial blooms in pond-based wastewater treatment plants and the risk they pose, this project will use the latest molecular techniques to examine how the microbial communities within these systems interact with each other and their surrounding environment to form blooms and produce toxins and other harmful metabolites. Such knowledge will inform risk assessment and provide strategies for the mitigation of future bloom events, improving the security of our increasingly valuable recycled water resources.Read moreRead less
Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation tec ....Activating lazy stormwater wetlands through real time monitoring & control. Constructed stormwater wetlands are the last line of defence preventing pollution of urban waterways, but wetlands often fail, with their passive operation unable to adapt to the highly variable climate and hydrology they experience. This project aims to use advances in real-time control technology to turn these lazy wetlands into active wetland systems, optimising their performance. It aims to deliver new-generation technologies to enhance water quality treatment, enhance urban water security and guarantee environmental flows to maintain healthy waterways. Working in partnership with waterway managers and water retailers, this project strives to deliver a nationally and globally relevant technology to change how we manage water in cities.Read moreRead less
Sources, sinks and processes of faecal contamination in urban estuaries: a case study of the lower Yarra River estuary. The Yarra River estuary is highly contaminated with faecal pollution, reducing the useability of Melbourne’s most iconic feature. This project will provide the necessary understanding to help mitigate faecal sources, with the ultimate aim of reducing the risks to users of this estuary.
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.
Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of ....Seismic analysis of cracking and deformations in concrete gravity dams. This project aims to establish a rational predictive capability for the responses of concrete gravity dams subject to extreme design earthquakes. This will include the development of innovative numerical methods for effective modelling of crack propagation and closure, large slips on crack faces and weak interfaces, dam-reservoir interaction, dam-foundation interaction and automatic mesh generation. The expected outcomes of the project will be a significantly improved prediction tool. It is also anticipated that the project will result in improvements in dam and public safety, and more efficient use of funds for dam safety upgrades and management.Read moreRead less
Traffic microsimulation of ITS implementations in CBD road networks. This research project will investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies in an Australian Central Business District (CBD) environment. It is often assumed that road networks and especially high activity areas such as CBDs can benefit significantly from ITS implementations. Traditionally ITS impacts have been difficult to quantify due to difficulties in isolating network ....Traffic microsimulation of ITS implementations in CBD road networks. This research project will investigate the advantages and disadvantages of using Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) technologies in an Australian Central Business District (CBD) environment. It is often assumed that road networks and especially high activity areas such as CBDs can benefit significantly from ITS implementations. Traditionally ITS impacts have been difficult to quantify due to difficulties in isolating network effects and limitations with traditional traffic models. The project will overcome this difficulty by using a current state of the art traffic microsimulation model in order to test various ITS scenarios in a duplicate of a real world CBD.Read moreRead less
Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. This project aims to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Trees are vital to urban environmental sustainability, but local government, house-owners, engineers and the building industry are concerned about building damage and settlement from tree root ....Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. Sustainable planting of trees in suburban environments on shrinkable clays. This project aims to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Trees are vital to urban environmental sustainability, but local government, house-owners, engineers and the building industry are concerned about building damage and settlement from tree root drying. If tree water needs and patterns of moisture extraction were predictable, house footings could be designed reliably. This research will provide such understanding through field experiments on suburban sites with trees, investigating damaged structures and numerical modelling. An anticipated outcome of this research is to develop a rational and reliable model to reduce the risk of damage to structures and increase tree plantings in suburban environments. Guidelines for both footing designers and local government.Read moreRead less