Project 3.2 Fact Sheet (385.90 Kb)

Undertaken in collaboration with the Capability and Optimisation Program run by the Australian Cooperative Research Centre for Infrastructure and Engineering Asset Management (CIEAM), this project will improve the management of constructed assets throughout their working life by providing improved information about physical performance as measured against as designed performance. This will support a move from as scheduled maintenance to as required maintenance.

Additionally, due to financial constraints, infrastructure is being expected to perform at levels and for durations that often exceed original design goals. The question then becomes what effect on expected lifetime and maintenance schedule will the changes in usage have?

The information gathered and the results of the data analysis also need to be presented in ways that are easy to understand and add maximum value to decision making.

Many constructed assets (bridges, roads, buildings) are monitored in some way to ensure their continued operation within required performance parameters. The key questions for the asset owners are How does the asset perform against requirements? and How can I maximise the benefits gained from this data? Asset owners who are considering the installation of sensors need to ask themselves What information do I need to make best use of the asset? and What sensor system will provide me with this information?

The technical questions that will be addressed in this research project are, for selected asset types:

1. How do we assess performance and durability?
2. What data and algorithms are necessary?
3. What sensors placed where will provide this data?
4. How do we display the base and calculated information in the most understandable and useful manner?
5. Are there other value-adding opportunities from the same data?

Project Outcomes

The project will examine bridges and buildings in the first instance, with the opportunity to extend the project outcomes to other types of infrastructure in the future.

For bridges, the results will be:

• A model of structural performance over time for two types of bridge, considering issues such as aging and creep;
• Instantaneous data gathered from a number of bridges measuring number and load of traffic axles, and the structural behaviour under these loads;
• Data for the long term structural behaviour of the bridges; and
• Proof-of-concept software that displays the information in an easily interpreted manner.

For buildings the results will be:

• Models of the performance of buildings for both energy and environmental performance;
• Data on the energy and environmental performance of a number of buildings across Australia;
• Comparison of actual versus designed performance;
• Identification of possible reasons for variance between actual and designed performance; and
• Proof-of-concept software that displays the information in an easily interpretable manner.

Project Leader:

Professor Robin Drogemuller

BArch  BAppSc(Maths&Comp)
P: +61 7 3138 6965
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