ARC Discovery Projects
Bio-Inspired Novel Vibration Isolators Incorporating Triple-Functionality
ARC Project ID: DP250100362
Funding commencement year: 2025
ARC funding: $539,114
TRC member: Professor Jianchun Li
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Discovery Projects
Project summary: This project aims to develop bio-inspired novel vibration isolators by innovative integration of quasi-zero stiffness structures with magnetorheological elastomer driven by vibration energy. The project creates a new concept of transforming harmful vibration energy to mitigate vibration itself and expects to generate new design methodologies in vibration isolation. Expected outcomes include new vibration isolation knowledge, and a three-function based framework leveraging bio-inspired mechanisms for self-adaptive and self-powering abilities. Success of the project provides significant benefits to many systems in aerospace, defence and manufacturing engineering, where vibration protections are essential for safety, operation and economy.
Real-time Bridge Performance Evaluation Based on Crowdsourcing and Learning
ARC Project ID: DP230100806
Funding commencement year: 2023
ARC funding: $399,589
TRC members: Professor Jianchun Li and Professor Yang Wang
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Discovery Projects
Project summary: This project aims to develop a novel strategy utilizing the real-time measurements from moving vehicles and bridges for evaluating the safety and operational performance of bridges based on transfer learning and vehicle-bridge interaction model. This is the first essential study on integrating the bridge-moving load models with transfer learning to extract common knowledge from simulation experiments to support the assessment of damaged status in practice. The project will provide an engineer-friendly low cost monitoring system for its deployment, management and maintenance of existing transport infrastructure. The innovative techniques developed enable the safe operation and reliable evaluation and maintenance of transport infrastructure.
The Role of Energy Absorbing Rubber Grid on Ballast Track Performance
ARC Project ID: DP220102862
Funding commencement year: 2022
ARC funding: $582,536
TRC members: Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna, Dr Trung Ngo and Dr Yujie Qi
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Discovery Projects
Project summary: The project aims to study the fundamental mechanics of ballast aggregates interacting with the apertures of recycled-Rubber Energy Absorbing Grids (REAG). The role of REAG on enhanced track performance by damping the cyclic wheel loading and impact will be quantified via rigorous mathematical methods complementing a computer-based numerical model and validated by laboratory & field data. When placed within the rail substructure REAG will enable reduced ballast movement and breakage while attenuating noise/vibration. The research outputs will facilitate improved rail track design enabling enhanced longevity and reduced cost of maintenance.
Assessment of Dynamic Pile Driving Using Machine Learning
Funding:
2023: $151,740
2024: $137,446
2025: $123,167
Project members: Professor Hadi Khabbaz, Professor Behzad Fatahi and Dr Dee Wu
Funding or partner organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)
Project summary: This project aims at developing new technology to determine ground properties and foundation capacity in real-time during pile installation by adopting rigorous numerical simulation, laboratory experiments and artificial intelligence-based computational model. Although impact driving is used commonly to install piles on site, there is no technology currently available to interpret collected data accurately and in real-time to provide live feedback and optimise construction processes. This research will provide new machine learning model to assess the ground and foundation characteristics during construction, and will increase certainty in infrastructure investment in Australia particularly for costly transport assets and infrastructure.
Response of Vertical Drains in Soft Subgrade under Cyclic Rail Loading
Funding:
2023: $190,000
2024: $200,000
2025: $179,000
Project members: Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna and Professor Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn
Funding or partner organisation: Australian Research Council (ARC Discovery Projects)
Project summary: Soft formations (subgrade) can become unstable when subjected to heavy and repeated (cyclic) train loading. This project aims to investigate the cause and mechanisms of undrained instability of soft subgrade soil beneath rail embankments, and to assess the effectiveness of prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs) in stabilising such soils. The role of PVDs to enhance track performance will be quantified via rigorous mathematical techniques complementing a computer-based numerical model, which can be validated by laboratory and field data. It will deliver tangible outcomes for accurately predicting the long-term settlements in soft foundations over prolonged train loading while extending the life span of modern railroad infrastructure.
ARC Linkage Projects
Use of Recycled Materials to Reduce Track Degradation Due to Impact Loads
ARC Project ID: LP240200700
Project period: 2025–2028
ARC funding: $762,527
TRC members: Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna, Professor Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn, Dr Trung Ngo and Dr Di Wu
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Linkage Projects
Project summary: This project aims to study the benefits of an energy-absorbing layer of ballast mixed with recycled rubber granules together with sleepers made from recycled plastic and glass fibres. The enhanced track performance with reduced ballast breakage and vibration will be quantified based on large-scale laboratory testing and field trials, and simulated by innovative computer/digital modelling. The tangible outcomes will ensure more sustainable track design with improved safety, stability, and longevity, as well as significant reduction in the cost of maintenance and repairs.
Hybrid Pile-Drain System to Stabilise Railways Built on Soft Soils
Funding: $477,503
Project members: Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna and Professor Cholachat Rujikiatkamjorn
Funding or partner organisation: SMEC, JK Geotechnics, Purdue University, University of Newcastle Menard
Start year: 2024
Project summary: Australian coastal soils often pose significant challenges in the design and construction of railways. The project aims to develop a novel hybrid system of pipe piles & prefabricated vertical drains installed to prevent soft foundation soil (subgrade) from excessive yielding under prolonged cyclic loading by heavy-haul trains. Using large-scale physical model simulations and field trials supported by numerical analysis of soil-pile-drain interaction mechanisms, this innovative concept will be examined to establish a user-friendly design methodology. For rail operators, the outcomes will generate substantially reduced maintenance costs, while extending the longevity of track infrastructure to ensure faster and heavier trains of the future.
2020 Australia-India Council Grant
Dr Sanjay Nimbalkar and Distinguished Prof Daichao Sheng have been able to secure the funding of $115,500 for the one-year project entitled "Heavy-haul Indian Railway: Towards Safe, Efficient and Sustainable Design" in the 2020 grant round. The total project value is $177,465. See the funding announcement.
This year the Australia-India Council (AIC) received 146 applications, out of which 20 applications were invited to present their proposal to the AIC Board and 11 applications were finally successful in the 2020 grant round. The evaluation process was extensive. Each application was reviewed by the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and its overseas network. The Board of the Australia-India Council made the final determination and they reiterated the importance of the project demonstrating innovation, sustainability, positive economic impacts, and reaching a wide influential audience.
The proposed joint research project will promote exchange and collaboration between UTS and IIT Kharagpur in the field of railway transportation with special emphasis on heavy haul freight which can pave the way to build the bilateral partnership. The successful engagement from academics from UTS and IIT KGP (Professor Sujit Kumar Dash and Professor Subhransu Roy from the Center for Railway Research) would aid in the delivery of high-quality technical knowledge for the design, construction and maintenance of heavy-haul tracks.
Discovery Early Career Researcher Awards (DECRA)
Sustainable Future Railways Built with Recycled Tyres and Mine Waste
ARC Project ID: DE260100339
Project period: 2026–2028
ARC funding: $532,907
TRC member: Dr Yujie Qi
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
Project summary: The project aims to develop a novel energy-absorbing capping layer (a carbon-friendly mix of recycled tyre fibre and coal rejects) for rail foundation. It is expected to alleviate track deterioration & buckling, and ground vibration due to increased axle loads & train speeds, meanwhile reducing natural materials exploitation, being environmental friendly and economically attractive. This project expects to bridge the knowledge gap in fundamental mechanics between traditional geomaterials and waste mix via rigorous analytical formulations amply supported by physical modelling. This should provide significant benefits including robust and sustainable railway of greater longevity, significantly reduced track maintenance and risk of derailment.
Stabilising Soil Foundation with Biopolymer for Enhanced Rail Transport
ARC Project ID: DE230101127
Funding commencement year: 2023
ARC funding: $493,142
TRC member: Dr Thanh Nguyen
Funding organisation: Australian Research Council – Discovery Early Career Researcher Award
Project summary: This project aims to develop a novel cost-effective and eco-friendly method to stabilise soil foundation for faster and heavier rail transport. The scientific knowledge of cyclic behaviour capturing localised and microscale evolutions of railway foundation will be advanced significantly via innovative physical modelling using iconic facilities with state-of-the-art sensors, and sophisticated numerical modelling. The project will yield a natural biopolymer-based solution for mud pumping railways, i.e., a critical issue causing substantial annual maintenance cost and poor transport efficiency in Australia and worldwide. The outcomes will greatly benefit transport infrastructure, mining, agriculture, environment and climate change remediation.
Multiscale modelling of fluid–particle transport in porous media
Dr Xuzhen He has been awarded a prestigious DECRA of $403,300. It is worth mentioning that Xuzhen is also the very first UTS DERCA awarded in 0905 (Civil Engineering).
Project summary: The aim is to use a multiscale approach to rigorously model fluid–particle transport in porous media – a fundamental process in many engineering problems. With advanced parallel-computing tools, a microscale model is developed to incorporate interacting grains, water, and particles. The model and innovative upscaling methods will transform our understanding of mechanisms, and allow development of predictive models for particle transport in both steady and unsteady porous flows. The fundamental knowledge and new-generation numerical models will support technological advances to directly benefit rail and road construction and their maintenance, fuel and renewable-energy extraction, coastal soil and water protection, and bushfire control.