Structural Engineering
Structures Laboratory
Click here to go to the Structural Engineering Laboratory website.
Research Activities
Research activities in structural engineering are analytical, numerical and experimental in nature and are directed at investigations into:
- Rehabilitation and retrofitting of timber, steel and concrete structural members using advanced composite jacketing techniques
- Strength of concrete-filled steel tubular beams and columns
- Bending, buckling and dynamic behaviour of fibre-reinforced composite plates
- Non-destructive characterization of flaws in composite structures
- Time-invariant and time-variant reliability analysis of structural elements and systems
- Reliability assessment of existing structures subject to deterioration
- Analysis and assessment of concrete bridges
- Soil-pile/structure interaction
- Computer modeling of structural behaviour of houses
- See Cyclone Testing Station web site for wind engineering related topics.
Research Facilities
Structural engineering research group has access to latest microcomputers and high performance central computing facilities of JCU. Experimental and testing work are carried out in well established and well equipped structural, concrete and material testing laboratories.
Structures Laboratory
The structures laboratory is designed to provide facilities for testing structural components and assemblies under applied load. One of the main features of the laboratory is the reaction floor consisting of a 1.2m thick prestressed concrete slab to which the testing rigs can be attached. The floor is designed to allow structural assemblies ranging in size up to 25m prestressed concrete bridge girders to be tested to failure. The laboratory is equipped with an assortment of manual and servo-controlled jacks ranging in capacity up to 1000 tonnes, together with associated measuring devices such as load cells and deflection gauges, and loading frames. During the recent years, the major emphasis in the laboratory has been on structural testing in relation to resistance to cyclonic wind loads for which a number of special purpose testing rigs have been developed.
Here are views of the Structures Laboratory and a typical Loading Frame.
Materials Testing Laboratory
The materials testing laboratory houses the major items of equipment used for determining the mechanical properties of building materials - concrete, steel, aluminium, timber, composite materials, etc. The laboratory occupies a floor area of 130 m2 and is located adjacent to the structures laboratory. The major items of equipment include :
- M.T.S. universal servo-controlled testing machine - 1 MN capacity
- Avery universal testing machine - 500 kN capacity, 5 ranges
- Avery compression testing machine - 1800 kN capacity, 3 ranges
- Avery universal impact tester - 300 J capacity, 2 ranges
- Izod impact testor - 120 lbf/ft capacity
- Instron universal servo-controlled testing machine - 100 kN capacity
- Instron testing machine - 10 kN capacity
Concrete Laboratory
The concrete laboratory is equipped for moderate - scale manufacture and testing of concrete specimens. The facilities provided by the concrete laboratory are complemented by materials testing laboratory for some of the tests on concrete and constituent materials.
The standard equipment accessories include the range of apparatuses for determining physical and chemical properties of cement and aggregate, mixers varying in capacity up to 0.085 m3, and a selection of moulds and casting equipment complying with relevant Australian Standards.
While the primary function of the concrete laboratory has been to support teaching of concrete technology, facilities for experimental research related to durability aspects of reinforced concrete in tropical environment are available. The curing and simulated environmental conditions, such as in a typical marine zone, are available respectively in the form of : fog room; and controlled temperature-humidity cabinet, salt water tanks and controlled industrial oven.
Advanced Engineering Analysis Packages
Structural engineering research group has access to advanced finite element software packages (Abaqus, Ansys, Strand6) and finite difference packages (Flac3D).
Further information:
Click here to go to the Structural Engineering Laboratory website.
Govinda Pandey
Telephone: (07) 4781 4984
Facsimile: (07) 4781 6788
Email: govinda.pandey@jcu.edu.au
Vinh Dao
Telephone: (07) 4781 5381
Facsimile: (07) 4781 6788
Email: vinh.dao@jcu.edu.au
James Cook University
Townsville Q 4811
Australia