Creating resilient and sustainable transport infrastructure through innovative, energy-efficient ground engineering and bio-based technologies that integrate the circular economy.
Theme leaders
About the program
This program addresses the urgent need to decarbonise transport infrastructure with ever increasing public demand, while enhancing resilience against climate change through strategic planning, design and construction.
The program aims to develop innovative, sustainable and low-carbon engineering solutions through eco-friendly materials, energy-efficient ground improvement techniques, and nature-based bioengineering approaches.
By integrating geotechnical engineering, circular economy principles, and performance-based design, the program seeks to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve infrastructure durability, minimise construction and maintenance costs, and enhance ecosystem services. The program will deliver significant environmental, economic, and societal benefits while strengthening Australia's leadership in sustainable infrastructure innovation.
Research focus areas
- Using recycled materials or marginal materials (e.g. recycled rubber and plastics, demolished construction materials, crushed glass, mining by-products) for sustainable roads, railways, airport runways, port reclamation etc.;
- Developing energy-efficient infrastructure such as energy-absorbing foundations using recycled rubber-integrated systems and high-damping materials like biopolymer-treated soils;
- Incorporating nature-based processes into geotechnical solutions to optimise energy cost of infrastructure, for example, integrating geothermal energy into piles, walls and tunnels to reduce greenhouse gas emission while enhancing adaptability of infrastructure to climate change;
- Integrating biotic materials including organic catalysts, and bioengineering techniques such as biopolymers, biodegradable PVDs, MDPI and native vegetation to stabilise weak soils, and mitigate natural hazards (e.g. landslides) and alleviating environmental degradation;
- Applying multidisciplinary research to develop sustainable and cost-effective solutions, for example, coupling physics and bio-chemical engineering to treat contaminated subsurface water sources.