Major Research Areas
Engineering Construction and Management
CONSTRUCTION TECHNOLOGY
J O'Brien, M Marosszeky, G Nawar
Research is underway into the efficiency of materials handling systems, formwork and falsework systems, the performance of construction machines and processes, the development of construction robots and the development of automated metrology systems for field data capture. The Group is working with industry in the emerging areas of micro-tunnelling technology and in the exploitation of new construction materials and CAD/CAM technology.
PROCESS MANAGEMENT
D Carmichael, M Marosszeky, S Faniran, S Davis
Process management involves the development of new and better ways of process and systems modelling and undertaking research to better understand system robustness and construction risks. Current research projects are developing management tools in the areas of safety, quality and production planning and control as well as performance measurement in the process management area. The scope of this research covers the entire construction and property supply chain.
INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY IN CONSTRUCTION
S Davis, S Faniran, J O'Brien, M Marosszeky
Research is being conducted to analyse the strategic impact of IT on the processes of the sector and the development of new techniques that offer improvements in construction efficiency and risk management. Key issues include improved inter-organisational collaboration within the supply chain via the web, the creation of accurate real time information for improved decision making and the power of 3D visualisation and object oriented technology to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of information flows and participation in the sector's processes.
MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS
D Carmichael, S Faniran, S Davis
The Group is undertaking research into artificial intelligence planning systems as well as in the virtual reality and space-time domain modelling of construction operations. This work covers the future electronically extended firm, e-procurement, flexible automation systems and computer integrated construction as well as concurrent engineering practices and the management of fast-tracked operations. Theoretical models are validated through major joint projects with industry.
Geotechnical Engineering
N Khalili, K Douglas, G Swarbrick, C Song, R Fell, S Valliappan
The major research projects currently undertaken are: contaminant transport in fractured porous media using finite element method; constitutive modelling of unsaturated soils subject to static and cyclic loading; cracking of embankment dams and the implications for internal erosion and piping; pre- and post-failure deformation of natural and constructed slopes; risk assessment of dams and slopes; modelling the breakdown of organic material in waste landfills; generation and dissipation of heat and migration of contaminants from landfills.
In addition to the above funded projects, the other principal areas of research are transport of contaminants in unsaturated soils; thermo-hydro-mechanical coupling in unsaturated soils; laboratory and field tests measuring flow in unsaturated soil covers over landfills; laboratory tests for determination of rock mass strength, and reliability methods for rock slope stability; non-linear seismic analysis of gravity dams based on damage mechanics concept; scaled boundary finite-element method; dynamic soil-structure interaction.
Structural Engineering
CONCRETE STRUCTURES
I Gilbert, S Foster, M Attard, M Bradford, N Gowripalan
This is an area in which the School has a history of intense and successful research. Professor Gilbert was awarded an ARC Australian Professorial Fellowship in 2005. Areas of concentration include: the prediction of deflections and cracking of floor systems; shrinkage cracking in restrained members; time-dependent behaviour of reinforced and prestressed concrete elements; design of disturbed regions and strut and tie modelling; ductility of concrete members reinforced with low-ductility steel and FRP; analysis and design of structures and structural elements using high strength concrete; behaviour and application of ultra-high strength Reactive Powder Concrete; and strengthening and retrofitting of concrete structures using FRPs.
STEEL STRUCTURES
M Bradford, F Tin-Loi, M Attard, Z Vrcelj
In 2004, Professor Bradford was awarded and ARC Federation Fellowship to work on the behaviour of steel structures subjected to fire. Work in this area has focussed on the buckling of thin-walled members, which includes the elastic and inelastic buckling of plates using advanced numerical techniques such as the complex finite strip method. Research on the large-scale elastoplastic analysis of space trusses under large displacements is also a developing interest.
COMPOSITE STRUCTURES
M Bradford, I Gilbert, Z Vrcelj
Recent and on-going research topics include: the time-dependent behaviour of composite steel concrete beams under sustained service loads; the stability of beams in hogging moment regions; the behaviour of concrete-filled tubular steel sections; the behaviour of reinforced concrete beams using profiled steel sheeting as permanent formwork for both the sides and soffit of the beam; the development of procedures for repair and rehabilitation of plated concrete members; and the behaviour of composite structures curved in both plan and elevation.
CONCRETE TECHNOLOGY
N Gowripalan, M Attard, I Gilbert, S Foster
Research in the field of concrete technology is very active in the areas of High Performance Concrete (HPC), Reactive Powder Concrete (RPC), durability and corrosion, fibre reinforced concrete (FRC) and fibre reinforced plastic (FRP) reinforcement. Interests include experimental investigations of corrosion of steel reinforcement and repair techniques using FRP sheets; use of fibres (steel, carbon and polypropylene) in HPC and RPC; early age properties of shotcrete; use of FRP tendons for prestressed concrete; bond and durability of FRP reinforcement; and new developments in very high strength concrete.
STRUCTURAL MECHANICS
F Tin-Loi, M Attard, M Bradford
This group applies analytical and computational techniques to various fundamental, yet mechanically and practically motivated, problems in the board area of stability and non-linear material behaviour. Particular aspects of stability research include eigenmode calculations with Lagrange multipliers, bracing systems and chaos. Research on quasibrittle fracture is of continuing interest and an area of focus is the development of robust methods for capturing the multiplicity of solutions caused by constitutive softening. The identification of key softening parameters as a mathematical program with equilibrium constraints is of a recent area of interest.
Transport Engineering
P Hidas, U Vandebona
Some on-going projects include: multi-attribute and multi criteria decision making techniques in transport systems and planning; variations in urban land use and travel behaviour occurring over time; road based transport planning; traffic demand associated with various transport modes; modal interchange facilities; analytical modelling related to network algorithms and development of a multimodal micro simulation model for urban transport systems (ARTEMiS); transport characteristics and requirements of Para transit systems; interactions between pedestrian movements and traffic operations; air quality modelling; predictive modelling of intersection noise and road surface noise; and decision making criteria in the planning and implementation of airport-CBD rail links, and the economic impacts of airport development.
Water and Environmental Engineering
SURFACE WATER HYDROLOGY AND WATER RESOURCES
JE Ball, A Sharma, I Cordery, TG Chapman
Flood and drought estimation; climate change; reservoir design; catchment runoff and water quality management; parameter estimation for catchment models; urban hydrology and water quality; information technology in surface water resources; interaction between surface and groundwater environments.
GROUNDWATER RESOURCES AND MANAGEMENT
I Acworth, I Turner, JE Ball, TG Chapman
Groundwater hydrology; contaminated groundwater remediation; remote sensing using geophysical techniques; dry land salinity; interaction between the ground water system and surface water and coastal systems; hydraulics of shallow groundwater.
WATER QUALITY AND MANAGEMENT
N Ashbolt, D Waite, R Stuetz, I Acworth
Contaminant transformation, transport and fate; chemistry and microbiology of natural and contaminated waters; ecological and health risk assessment; water quality regulations and systems; dry land salinity studies; investigation of salt and groundwater dynamics in thick swelling clay sequences; impact of land management on coastal water quality; odours and air quality.
ENVIRONMENTAL FLUID MECHANICS
B Cathers, R Cox, J Ball, W Peirson
Design of hydraulic structures; computational hydraulics; water and contaminant motion in river, stream and estuarine systems; design and development of water quality treatment structures; wetland processes influencing water quantity and quality; sediment motion in riverine and coastal environments; water and contaminant movement in stratified fluids; numerical modelling of the transport, transformation and fate of contaminants.
HYDRAULICS AND COASTAL ENGINEERING
RJ Cox, JE Ball, W Peirson, B Cathers, I Turner
Water and wastewater systems; flood hydraulics; and floodplain management; stormwater drainage systems; stormwater contamination and treatment devices; pumping stations; dams; spillways; culverts; weirs; levees. Interactions between waves and air; coastal structures; ports and harbours; estuarine processes; coastal processes and sediment transport.
SOLID AND HAZARDOUS WASTE MANAGEMENT
S Moore, S Lundie, N Ashbolt, D Waite
Materials accounting of substances and goods, including use of life cycle analysis, materials flux analysis, ecological footprints and total material requirements of nations; environmental management systems and approaches for corporations and regions; environmental impact assessment methods.
SUSTAINABLE WATER MANAGEMENT, WATER AND WASTEWATER TREATMENT
N Ashbolt, D Waite, R Stuetz, P Bliss
Potable water treatment and distribution; municipal and industrial wastewater treatment plant design; water use minimization and reuse options including membrane use; sustainable water management.
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Description of Laboratory Facilities
Engineering Construction and Management
Expertise is available in the design and field management of construction operations, productivity studies, equipment management, behavioural studies of construction labour, arbitration, contract administration, risk analysis, engineering economics, systems engineering, robotics, safety and demolition techniques. Mobile equipment for on-site studies of noise and vibration and monitoring construction operations, is also available.
Geotechnical Engineering
Research is undertaken to solve a broad range of geotechnical engineering problems, including foundation investigation and design, dam engineering, mine tailings, the stability of soil and rock slopes and risk assessment for dams and slopes. Advanced analytical and numerical studies using finite-element methods are also undertaken in the areas of partially saturated soils, flow in porous and fractured media, soil dynamics, desiccation of tailings, and static and dynamic behaviour of dams. A fully equipped laboratory is available for most standard as well as unsaturated soil tests.
The range of equipment includes ring shear apparatus, large direct shear with low strain rate instrumentation, Bishop-Wesley triaxial apparatus for stress path testing, Rowe consolidometers, lysimeters, computer controlled triaxial testing apparatus for partially saturated soils and rock, and specialized equipment for testing filters in dams, and the erodibility of soils.
Material Engineering
A wide range of mechanical tests can be undertaken in the School's materials, concrete and cement laboratories including tension, compression, shear, bending, hardness, impact and creep tests. State of the art servo-controlled universal testing machines are housed in a modern research and teaching laboratory. The concrete laboratory allows for full measurement of the mechanical and physical properties of cements, mortars and concretes and all manner of specialist advice is available. Research in the area of advanced concrete technology and high performance concrete is being carried out. Expertise and mobile equipment for field trials and in service monitoring of structures is also undertaken.
Structural Engineering
The School undertakes specialised research in structural analysis and design and contains Australia's most successful structural engineering research group (both in terms of research publications and nationally competitive research grants). With internationally known scholars in the areas of reinforced and prestressed concrete structures, steel structures, composite structures, bridge engineering, engineering plasticity, numerical methods, finite element modelling and in the application of computers to solve complex structural problems, the School leads the way in structural engineering research in Australia.
Laboratory facilities include the Heavy Structures Laboratory at the Randwick sub-campus - one of the largest and best-equipped heavy structures testing laboratories in the southern hemisphere. The laboratory contains a large reaction floor and jacking system capable of testing full-scale structures and structural elements, including beams, slabs, columns, load-bearing wall panels, roof units and frames under both static and dynamic loads. Particular expertise exists in the instrumentation of structures for monitoring test information. Facilities are also available for dynamics studies of a wide range of engineering structures subject to dynamic and vibrating loads, such as those caused by earthquakes.
Transport Engineering, Road and Pavement Design
Areas of expertise within the School, include mathematical modelling of land-use and transport interaction, highway planning and geometric design, road aesthetics, travel demand studies, traffic modelling, simulation, analysis and control, road safety studies, motor vehicle accident investigation, environmental impacts of transport, transport economics and parking studies. The Transport Engineering Group within the School undertakes computer modelling of transport problems and has the instrumentation and professional software packages necessary for traffic surveys, analysis and modelling, for road roughness measurement, and for transport noise measurement and analysis. Expert guidance can also be given on the design and evaluation of both road and industrial pavements, field and laboratory based studies of the performance of actual or prototype pavements subjected to traffic loads and for pavement maintenance management.
Laboratories are available for testing bituminous and other pavement materials and equipment includes repeated triaxial loading apparatus, crushing gear and a full-scale road simulator and a quarter-scale test track for accelerated trafficking experiments on flexible pavements. Mobile equipment for the in-situ measurement of surface skidding friction is also available.
Water Engineering
The School specializes in hydraulic and coastal engineering, waste management, surface and ground water hydrology and water resources, water quality management and water and wastewater treatment. Staff expertise is supported by extensive laboratory facilities, which include the internationally recognised Water Research Laboratory at Manly Vale in Sydney, the School's Public Health and Microbiology Laboratories, the facilities of the Centre for Water and Waste Technology, and an extensive network of field installations for monitoring of surface and ground water phenomena.
Both applied and fundamental research projects are being carried out in a wide range of water engineering areas, including coastal, river and estuarine engineering, hydraulic modelling, stratified flow, tidal studies, water and wastewater analysis and treatment, treatment of sewage, pathogens and chemically-noxious and hazardous wastes, hydro-informatics, rainfall forecasting, radar applications for rainfall measurement, flood estimation, catchment simulation for both water quantity and quality, parameter estimation for catchment simulation models, stormwater system design and analysis, effectiveness of surface water and ground water quality treatment options, reservoir design, operation of water resource systems, ground water and drainage studies, life cycle analysis, risk assessment, the movement of pollutants in saturated and unsaturated zones as well as irrigation, drainage and land use studies. Expert advice is also available in these areas. Facilities also exist for hydrological instrumentation and for the calibration of flow measurement devices.
The School is closely associated with the Commonwealth Co-operative Research Centre (CRC) for Waste Management and Pollution Control and CRC for Water Quality and Treatment.
CENTRE FOR WATER AND WASTE TECHNOLOGY
The Centre for Water and Waste Technology is one of the University's cross-Faculty centres located within the School of Civil and Environmental Engineering but created to make use of all related resources at The University of New South Wales. The Centre undertakes high quality applied research in the fields of water and wastewater treatment and waste management. A variety of staff, all supported on externally sourced income, are employed within the Centre for Water and Waste Technology, including professional engineers, specialist research scientists and technical, professional and administrative support staff. The Centre's activities are currently focussed within five programs under the Directorship of Professor David Waite, namely Physicol-Chemical Processes, Solid Waste, Atmospheric Admissions and Odours, Life Cycle Analysis, and Wastewater Treatment and Microbial Risk Assessment.
WATER RESEARCH LABORATORY
The School's Water Research Laboratory (WRL) is a leading international research and consulting laboratory. WRL is located at Manly Vale in Sydney's northern suburbs on 4 ha of land. Academic staff of the School carries out research and supervise postgraduate students at WRL and full-time project staff undertake projects and offer expert advice to industry and government. WRL undertakes research and offers advice to address complicated water engineering problems relating to groundwater, hydrology, river flow and flood plain management, estuarine and ocean hydraulics, sediment transport, stratified flow, pipe flow, major pump installations, hydraulic structures, water distribution, wave and surge predictions, foreshore protection, breakwater design, coastal zone management and environmental studies. For more details visit www.wrl.unsw.edu.au
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Further Information
Postgraduate Research Coordinator
School of Civil & Environmental Engineering
Associate Professor Steve Foster
Phone: +61 2 9385 5055
Fax: +61 2 9385 6139
Email: info@civeng.unsw.edu.au
Website: http://www.civeng.unsw.edu.au
