ARC Future Fellowship success for world first recycled concrete project
Professor Vivian Tam, from the School of Engineering, Design and Built Environment, was awarded $1,109,924 for the project, ‘Het-Crete: High-Grade Chemical-Treated Heterogeneous Recycled Concrete’. The research is set to address the grand challenges of CO2 emissions and landfill reduction within the construction industry.
Professor Tam and her team are set to become world leaders in recycled concrete research. In doing so they address one of many sustainability and resilience challenges of the 21st century. Their work reiterates Western Sydney University’s commitment to tackling society’s grand challenges and gives further impetus to the vital race to net zero.
New ARC Research Hub will develop solutions to the ongoing fire crisis in Australia
Professor Bijan Samali, from the School of Engineering Design and Built Environment, is the chief investigator for the recent grant A recent grant of $4.9 million has been awarded to the ARC Research Hub for Fire Resilience Infrastructure, Assets and Safety Advancements (FRIASA) to improve fire safety in Australia.
A whooping $1.1 trillion was lost to property damage in the petrochemical and refinery industries between 2016 and 2017 alone. The
catastrophic bushfires that plagued the nation between 2019 and 2020 caused an estimated damage of $110 billion, burned 19 million hectares, destroyed 3,094 homes, and killed an estimated 1.2 billion animals.
Published on the 02 August 2022
ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment and Facilities Project to build National Facility for Physical Fire Simulation
In December 2021, Western Sydney University researchers, Professors
Zhong Tao, Sarah Zhang and
Bijan Samali, were awarded over $1.2 million in funding after securing a prestigious and highly competitive ARC Linkage Infrastructure, Equipment, and Facilities Grant. This LIEF proposal aims to establish a ground-breaking national facility for physical fire simulation (NFPFS) that will extend and upgrade existing research capacity in Australia to become world-leading. The facility will open new research possibilities and collaborations on the fire resistance of structures and infrastructure, from individual components (e.g. columns, beams) to structural assemblies (e.g. joints, frames). The NFPFS will unite researchers in their endeavours to conduct high-quality research in fire-related disciplines from all Australian mainland states; enhance collaboration with industries and government agencies; and provide research, training and education for this critically important area to the country.
Dr Maria Rashidi has recently published an article in
Infrastructure Magazine regarding her work with Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). Bridge inspection using drones is an exciting area of research that combines the advances in drone technology with maintaining the safety and reliability of infrastructure that is crucial to the Australian economy.
