Infrastructure Engineering - Research Publications
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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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ItemUse of fluid structure interaction technique for flash flood impact assessment of structural components(Wiley, 2020-03-01)Prediction of the initial impact force is a major task associated with flood damage assessment of structures subjected to flash flooding especially due to dam break and levee breach. Investigation of failure modes such as overturning and sliding due to soil scouring or erosion is not relevant if the structure first fails by the massive initial dynamic impact. Therefore, a careful assessment of the initial flood impact is critical for the design of structures and during the flood damage assessment process. In most of the past flood damage studies, total flood load acting on the structures was estimated by maximum velocities and water depths obtained from the two‐dimensional hydrodynamic models or the field data. The outcome of these results has shown potential uncertainty in current methods. We present a new approach to calculate the load on structural components impacted by a dam break wave, by modelling the three‐dimensional free surface fluid–structure interaction (FSI) using the incompressible computational fluid dynamics (ICFD) techniques. Two experimental datasets available in the literature are used to validate the results. Finally, we conclude that FSI/IFCD method can be used to accurately determine the initial impact force on structural components subjected to flash floods for flood damage assessment.
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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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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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ItemFire resistance of a prefabricated bushfire bunker using aerated concrete panels(Elsevier, 2018-06-20)Prefabricated lightweight aerated concrete (PLAC) panels provide low thermal conductivity, potentially high stiffness-to-weight ratios, cost-effective material and structural systems and rapid modular construction. These panels can be utilised as floor slabs or external walls for various applications in building construction. The fire performance of the PLAC panel is examined in this work for a particular case, namely a prefabricated emergency bushfire shelter, which is one of the key applications of PLAC panels. Since, bushfires have unique heating curves, standardised tests are not useful and the system needs to be tested in a manner such that the heat flux of an actual bush fire can be reproduced. In this study, the fire performance enhancement of dual-skin bushfire bunkers, which are comprised of lightweight concrete and base metal thickness (BMT) steel, are examined experimentally and validated numerically. The Speedpanel PLAC modular panel explored in this work is a lightweight wall system primarily used for acoustic and thermal insulation purposes. Burning experimental studies of a single panel and dual-skin bunkers are carried out on a full scale. The experimental results are compared with fire safety codes for building materials to identify the key areas for improvements. A fire dynamic numerical model has been developed in this work using the Fire Dynamics Simulator (FDS) to simulate the burning process of PLAC structures. Numerical results of heat production are presented in comparison with experimental observations for validating the computational model. The proposed numerical model is used to predict the fire performance of a dual-skin bushfire bunker, demonstrating the need to have at least two PLAC layers to ensure fire safety compliance.
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ItemTime-efficient post-disaster housing reconstruction with prefabricated modular structures(Open House International Association, 2014-09-01)With many natural disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, bushfires and tsunamis destroying human habitats around the world, post-disaster housing reconstruction has become a critical topic. The current practice of post-disaster recon- struction consists of various approaches that carry affected homeowners from temporary shelters to permanent hous- ing. While temporary shelters may be provided within a matter of days as immediate disaster relief, permanent hous- ing can take years to complete. However, time is critical, as affected communities will need to restore their livelihoods as soon as possible. Prefabricated modular construction has the potential to drastically improve the time taken to pro- vide permanent housing. Due to this time-efficiency, which is an inherent characteristic of modular construction, it can be a desirable strategy for post-disaster housing reconstruction. This paper discusses how prefabricated modular struc- tures can provide a more time-efficient solution by analysing several present-day examples taken from published post- disaster housing reconstruction processes that have been carried out in different parts of the world. It also evaluates how other features of modular construction, such as ease of decommissioning and reusability, can add value to post- disaster reconstruction processes and organisations that contribute to the planning, design and construction stages of the reconstruction process. The suitability of modular construction will also be discussed in the context of the guidelines and best practice guides for post-disaster housing reconstruction published by international organisations. Through this analysis and discussion, it is concluded that prefabricated modular structures are a highly desirable time-efficient solu- tion to post-disaster housing reconstruction.
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ItemA sustainable application of recycled tyre crumbs as insulator in lightweight cellular concrete(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2017-04-15)
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ItemOptimisation and financial analysis of an organic Rankine cycle cooling system driven by facade integrated solar collectors(ELSEVIER SCI LTD, 2017-01-01)The use of a solar cooling system has the potential to reduce the amount of energy required for cooling buildings. One of the most important methods of improving energy efficiency in buildings is by carefully designing building façades. A façade integrated evacuated tube collector (ETC)-organic Rankine cycle (ORC)-vapour compression cycle (VCC) was applied in this study. To optimise the design parameters of ORC, a steady-state semi-empirical model was developed in Engineering Equation Solver (EES). The optimum number of plates in each heat exchanger is obtained by maximising the net present value (NPV) of electricity savings. The financial performance of the optimised system was assessed through a unit cooling cost (UCC) analysis. It was found that the UCC of the optimised facade integrated ETC-ORC-VCC system is $0.24 per kWhr of cooling effect.
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ItemA framework for a microscale flood damage assessment and visualization for a building using BIM–GIS integration(Taylor & Francis, 2016-04-02)
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