Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications
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ItemApplications of phase change materials in concrete for sustainable built environment: a review(ICSECM 2011, 2011)The fast economic development around the globe and high standards of living imposes an ever increasing demand for energy. As a prime consumer of world‟s material and energy resources building and construction industry has a great potential in developing new efficient and environmentally friendly materials to reduce energy consumptions in buildings. Thermal energy storage systems (TES) with Phase change materials (PCM) offer attractive means of improving the thermal mass and the thermal comfort within a building. PCMs are latent heat thermal storage (LHTS) materials with high energy storage density compared to conventional sensible heat storage materials. Concrete incorporating PCM improves the thermal mass of the building which reduces the space conditioning energy consumption and extreme temperature fluctuations within the building. The heat capacity and high density of concrete coupled with latent heat storage of PCM provides a novel energy saving concepts for sustainable built environment. Microencapsulation is a latest and advanced technology for incorporation of PCM in to concrete which creates finely dispersed PCMs with high surface area for greater amount of heat transfer. This paper reviews available literature on Phase change materials in concrete, its application and numerical modelling of composite concrete. However most of the existing TES systems have been explored with wallboards and plaster materials and comparatively a few researches have been done on TES systems using cementitious materials. Thus, there is a need for comprehensive experimental and analytical investigations on PCM applications with cementitious materials as the most widely used construction materials in buildings.
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ItemApplication of nanomaterials in the sustainable built environment(University of Moratuwa, 2010)Nanotechnology is widely regarded as one of the twenty-first century’s key technologies, and its economic importance is sharply on the rise. In the construction industry, nanomaterials has potentials that are already usable today, especially the functional characteristics such as increased tensile strength, self-cleaning capacity, fire resistance, and additives based on nano materials make common materials lighter, more permeable, and more resistant to wear. Nanomaterial are also considered extremely useful for roofs and facades in the built environment. They also expand design possibilities for interior and exterior rooms and spaces. Nano–insulating materials open up new possibilities for ecologically oriented sustainable infrastructure development. It has been demonstrated that nanotechnology has invented products with many unique characteristics which could significantly provide solutions current construction issues and may change the requirement and organization of construction process. This paper examines and documents applicable nanotechnology based products that can improve the sustainable development and overall competitiveness of the construction industry.
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ItemApplication of nano insulation materials in the sustainable built environment(University of Moratuwa, 2010)Nanotechnology is widely being used in the built environment for its advantages in many improved engineering properties of the nano materials. Nano insulating materials open up new possibilities for ecologically oriented sustainable infrastructure development. The most widely used nano material in built environment is for the purpose of insulation to improve the energy efficiency namely in the buildings and dwellings. Nanotechnology has now provided an effective and affordable means to increase energy efficiency in pre-existing buildings as well as new construction by increasing thermal resistance. The major advantage of nano insulation materials is its benefit of translucent coatings which increase the thermal envelope of a building without reducing the square footage. The intrinsic property of nano insulating material is it can be applied to windows to reduce heat transfer from solar radiation due it its thermal resistant property and the translucent property allows diffusing of day light. The nano insulating material has significant advantage in reducing the operational energy aspects of buildings due to its valuable insulating properties. This paper examines applicable nanotechnology based products that can improve the sustainable development and overall competitiveness of the building industry. The areas of applying nano insulating material in building industry will be mainly focused on the building envelope. The paper also examines the potential advantages of using nanotechnology based insulating material in reducing the life cycle energy, reduction of material usage and enhancing the useable life span. The paper also investigates the operational energy by simulation methodology and compares the reduction of operational energy consumption.
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ItemInternet of Things for Structural Health Monitoring(CRC Press, 2016-05)The Internet revolution led to the interconnection between people at an unprecedented scale and pace. The ability of the sensor networks to send data over the Internet further enhanced the scope and usage of the sensor networks. The Internet uses unique address to identify the devices connected to the network. Structural Health Monitoring (SHM) implies monitoring of the state of the structures through sensor networks in an online mode and are pertinent to aircraft and buildings. SHM can be further divided into two categories: global health monitoring and local health monitoring. Continuous online SHM would be an ideal solution. SHM is performed by using acoustic sensors, ultrasonic sensors, strain gauges, optical fibers, and so on. Video cameras can also be used for SHM. SHM can be achieved in real-time and rich analytics. With the advent of smart sensors—sensors with programmable microprocessors, memory, and processing—has reduced load of central data processing, communication overhead while proving continuous SHM status.
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ItemPerformance of multi-storey prefabricated modular buildings with infill concrete walls subjected to earthquake loads(Concrete Institute of Australia (CIA), 2017-09-14)Prefabricated modules are increasingly becoming popular in the construction industry as they result in achieving cost efficient buildings in a very short time. This increasing demand for modular construction has expanded to multi-storey applications where the effect of lateral loads, such as earthquake loads, becomes critical. However, there is a shortage of detailed engineering research into the performance of modular structural systems subjected to earthquake loads. This paper evaluates a modified corner supported modular structural system that uses infill concrete walls to enhance its lateral stiffness. The performance of the overall structural system against earthquake loads and the contribution of modules containing infill concrete walls to the overall lateral load resisting system is discussed in this paper.
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ItemDevelopment and performance evaluation of large-scale auxetic protective systems for localised impulsive loads(Multi-Science Publishing, 2019-09-01)Cellular core structures with a negative Poisson’s ratio, also known as auxetic core structures, are gaining attention due to their unique performance in sandwich panel systems for protecting critical infrastructures and military vehicles that are at high risk of blast and impact loads due to accidental and deliberate events. To help develop a high-performance protective system, this article outlines the performance evaluation of five different auxetic cell configurations based on a quantitative/qualitative review of an experimental load–deformation relationship of three-dimensional-printed auxetic panels from nylon plastics and the overall performance evaluation of metallic re-entrant honeycomb core sandwich panels as one type of lightweight protective system under static and dynamic loads via experimental testing and numerical simulations. The re-entrant honeycomb design displayed the most consistent auxetic behaviour. Quasi-static compression and drop hammer impact tests were performed using the proposed full-scale sandwich panel design with two different configurations as a protective system for concrete wall structures in combination with plastic face plates. The effect of the internal angle of the re-entrant honeycomb design and the effect of the core material under static and dynamic loads were evaluated using full-scale sandwich panels. Furthermore, two separate materials – acrylonitrile butadiene styrene and low-density polyethylene – were used as face plates, and the low-density polyethylene was effective for lightweight and smooth load transferring and distribution into the auxetic core. Auxetic panel deformation under static and dynamic load was examined using a normal speed camera and high-speed video recording data and all auxetic panels indicated excellent systematic crushing behaviour with drawing materials into the load path to effectively resist the impact load. Numerical simulations were performed using LS-DYNA and indicated good agreement with the experimental results. Finally, protective systems utilising sandwich panels with a re-entrant honeycomb core indicated strong potential for the development of high-performance lightweight impact-resistant protective systems.
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ItemEffective use of offsite manufacturing for public infrastructure projects in Australia(ICE Publishing, 2019)Prefabrication and offsite manufacturing have featured in various forms in an in-situ based construction industry for many decades. Scarcity of both human and material resources is challenging the future of traditional construction practices. Due to its many benefits such as speed of project delivery, minimum work on site, minimised construction waste and higher quality assurance, offsite manufacturing is gradually evolving into an essential technology in the construction industry. As a result of re-cent government initiatives, Australia is seeing a considerable increase in the use of offsite manufacturing and prefabricated modular technologies in delivering public infrastructure projects such as schools, healthcare facilities, and public transport facilities. Such projects are ably supported by academic research collaborating with the industry to ensure that the outcomes keep improving to achieve the highest quality and functionality. This paper discusses how multidisciplinary research addresses issues such as structural performance, construction technology, design for manufacturing and assembly and indoor environ-mental quality for the delivery of such public infrastructure projects. These projects have set an example in how offsite manufacturing supported by academic research can be beneficial for effectively delivering the greater good to the society.
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ItemNo Preview AvailableDuctility Design of Reinforced Very-High Strength Concrete Columns (100–150 MPa) Using Curvature and Energy-Based Ductility Indices(Springer Science and Business Media LLC, 2019-12-01)The paper aims to develop theoretical expressions for the ductility design of very-high strength concrete (VHSC) (> 100 MPa) columns using curvature and a new flexural energy-based ductility approach. Eventually, the study aims to evaluates the feasibility of VHSC columns for different ductility classes, considering the limitation of providing a higher volume of transverse reinforcement due to possible steel congestion in the construction phase. An analytical program based on the experimental stress–strain relationship of confined VHSC, which is validated using experimental programs on VHSC columns, is used to evaluate the ductility of VHSC columns for different parameters such as axial load ratio, confinement pressure, longitudinal steel ratio, yield strength of transverse steel, cover area and compressive strength of concrete. The theoretical curvature ductility and flexural rotation-based energy ductility of 3200 rectangular columns were evaluated using the analytical program. Using curvature ductility and the new flexural rotation-based energy ductility for different parameters, a regression analysis is carried out to develop expressions for the ductility design of VHSC columns up to 150 MPa. Using the new definition of energy-based ductility, a new expression is developed for limited ductility design of VHSC; and it is concluded that the new approach reduces the required amount of steel confinement due to an increase in the energy ductility of VHSC at higher axial load ratios and higher strengths. The studies show that reinforced VHSC can be used for structures with nominal ductility demands.
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ItemThermal performance of concrete with PCMs(University of Moratuwa, 2012-01-01)Development of energy efficient and environmentally friendly materials to reduce energy consumption in buildings is a major concern in today’s building and construction industry. Sustainable development of energy efficient materials in buildings needs to consider not only the mechanical properties such as strength and stiffness of structural materials but also thermal properties which includes heat capacity and thermal insulation. Concrete as most widely used construction material has a great potential to improve its heat storing capacity or thermal mass for their effective usage in buildings. One of the promising solutions is thermal energy storage with Phase change materials (PCM). Concrete incorporating PCM improves the thermal mass of the building which reduces the space conditioning energy consumption and extreme temperature fluctuations within the building. The heat capacity and high density of concrete coupled with latent heat storage of PCM provides a novel energy saving concepts for sustainable built environment. Microencapsulation is a latest and advanced technology for incorporation of PCM in to concrete which creates finely dispersed PCMs with high surface area for greater amount of heat transfer. Moreover PCM absorbs the excess energy during cement hydration and reduces the possibility of formation of cracks within the concrete. This paper reviews available literature on Phase change materials in concrete, its application and discusses finite element modelling of thermal performance of composite concrete.
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ItemInnovative modelling and visualisation platform for sustainable cities - MUtopia(University of Moratuwa, 2012)Now more than half the world’s population lives in towns and cities and this proportion will rise to nearly two thirds by 2030. Many cities worldwide are facing acute challenges, and therefore it is essential that all future developments are carried out on a sustainable footing. Through a web-based platform, MUtopia visualises and demonstrates in a quantifiable manner what impact a planned site development would have by representing best practice in all aspects of sustainable urban living on a relatively large scale. Sites may be new suburbs or rebuilt sections of the city large enough to require systematic planning. The project focuses on the development of an integrated modelling, analysis and visualization tool that helps the government and developers to make informed decisions to achieve such sustainable urban development and implementation. MUtopia integrates the streams of energy, waste, water and transport, based on land use, as well as social and environmental factors so that various planning scenar os or dependencies between factors can be tested. It is an integrated BIM and GIS tool. MUtopia would be an international first in an area of growing interest and need.