Workshop: Transport and Geotechnical Engineering Research

A workshop for HDR students, professional and academic researchers to present and discuss their research on various topics.

Transport and Geotechnical Engineering Research 2020

Under the Directorship of Distinguished professor Buddhima Indraratna, the Transport Research Centre (TRC), University of Technology Sydney (UTS) is organising its inaugural Higher Degree Research (HDR) showcase in the field of Transport Infrastructure with special reference to ground engineering on Wednesday, 18 November 2020. 

The workshop will be held at UTS Tech Lab, 32/34 Lord Street, Botany NSW 2019. The option for online participation is also available.

Join us via Zoom

This workshop provides a platform for HDR students, professional and academic researchers to present and discuss their research work on various topics, including:

  1. Track Infrastructure Design and Analysis
  2. R&D efforts on marginal and industry waste materials
  3. Big Data Analytics – applications in Transport Infrastructure
  4. Industry supported Field Trials

See the workshop program

9:30-9:40

Welcome address on behalf of UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT: Professor David McGloin (FEIT Director, Research Programs)

9:40-9:50

Welcome to and Introduction of the UTS Transport Research Centre (TRC)
Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna, Director TRC, UTS

9:50-9:55

Associate Professor Ray Kirby (Director, UTS Tech Lab Operations)
Introduction to Tech Lab and Future Plans

9:55-10:05

Prof Arul Arulrajah (Swinburne University of Technology)
Training of Young Professionals – Tips, Treats and Tricks

10:05-10:25

Invited industry speaker: Dr Richard KELLY (SMEC)
Case studies in roads and embankments

10:25-11:20

Session 1: Track Infrastructure Design and Analysis

  1. Muhammad Babar Sajjad (UTS)
    Railway transition zones: Modelling and design optimization
  2. Ameyu Tucho (UTS)
    Numerical study of dynamic response of railway track under moving train
  3. Chuhao Liu (UTS)
    Theoretical analysis of geogrid-reinforced ballast
  4.  Aruni Abeywickrama Kankanamge (UOW)
    Mitigation of railway subgrade mud pumping using prefabricated vertical drains (PVDs)
  5. Leonardo Andree Crespo Parraga (USyd)
    Chemical degradation induced collapse events on partially saturated 'crunchy' granular media
  6. Waranga Habaraduwa Peellage (UTS)
    Effect of cyclic loading on the stability of bedded or sediment infilled jointed rock with special reference to rail tunnel
  7. Jing Chen (UOW)
    DEM study on the stress-dilatancy behaviour of fouled ballast

11:20-11:40

Q&A

11:40-11:50

Break

11:50-12:40

Session 2: R&D efforts on Marginal materials

  1. Mahdi Naeini (Swinburne Uni. of Tech.)
    Recycled demolition waste, glass and plastic in railway substructure
  2. Hossein Haddad (UTS)
    Characterising landfill properties for construction of transport infrastructure
  3. Chathuri Kulappu Arachchige (UTS)
    Rubber intermixed ballast system
  4. Fatima Mehmood (UTS)
    Use of waste rubber tyres to minimize railway track degradation
  5. Courage   Dzaklo (UTS)
    Cyclic behaviour of compacted clays mixed with Coal Wash
  6. Isabella Novais Silva (UTS)
    Effect of initial shear stress on the undrained behaviour of subgrade soil
  7. Marlisio Oliveira Cecilio Junior (UTS)
    Application of hollow cylinder apparatus for jointed rock beneath track foundation 
  8. Rohan Latimer (USyd)
    Intelligent compaction and earthworks practices.
  9. Amin Miri (QUT)
    Safety of train operation in continuously welded rails on open deck steel bridges

12:40-12:55

Q&A

12:55-14:00

Lunch

14:00-14:20

Invited industry speaker: Dr AHM Kamruzzaman (Zaman, Transport for NSW)

Optimisation of Bridge Approach Embankments and Retaining Wall Foundations Design Using Wet Soil Mixing Ground Treatment

14:20-16:15

Session 3: Concepts of AI and Machine Learning and other topics

  1. Mehrnaz Alibeikloo (UTS)
    Reliability analysis for low embankment strategy considering soft soil creep
  2. Yixuan Zhang (UTS)
    Data driven train service punctuality prediction
  3. Christophe Camille (Western Sydney Uni.)
    Macro-synthetic fibre reinforcement for concrete sleeper applications
  4. Boyu Li (UTS)
    Graph neural networks application on intelligence traffic system
  5.  John Phung (UTS)
    A novel modulated ultrasonic wave for crack detection based PZT sensors
  6. Thuc Nhu Nguyen (UTS)
    Elastic modulus of ASR-affected concrete: An evaluation using Artificial Neural Network
  7. Yue Zhong (Curtin Uni.)
    Structural damage identification based on phasespace trajectories matrix by using deep learning techniques
  8. Ahmad Jafari (UNSW)
    Hydraulic fracturing simulation with special reference to leak-off flow
  9. Mahnoush Gharehdaghikhajehghiasi  (UNSW)
    Fully coupled numerical analysis of strain localization in unsaturated porous media
  10. Yao Lu (UOW)
    A study of spring fastener in the high-speed railway
  11. Jhenifer Therezinha (MEI-Brazil)
    Mechanical behavior of ballast mixture with tire rubber
  12. Ana Luísa Ramos (Uni. of Minho-Portugal)
    Modelling of transition zones

16:15-16:45

Q&A

16:45-17:15

Break

17:15-18:00

Session 4: Panel Discussion, chaired by

Associate Professor Hadi Khabbaz, Deputy Head of Research UTS Faculty of Engineering and IT

  • Panellist presentations:

Professor António Gomes Correia (University of Minho-Portugal)
Closing the gap between HDR output and industry adoption

Professor Rajagopal Karpurapu (Indian Institute of Technology Madras)
Balance between Scientific Advancement and Socio-economic Industry Challenges through applied research

Dr Udeshini Pathirage (Geotechnical Engineering at Golder Associates -Australia)
Importance of HDR training for Modern Day Industry Requirements

Topics to be discussed:

  1. Track Infrastructure Design and Analysis
  2. R&D efforts on Marginal materials
  3. Concepts of AI and Machine Learning and other topics
  4. Industry supported Field Trials
  5. Training of the next generation

18:00-18:10

Closing address by Distinguished Professor Buddhima Indraratna
Back to Events in the Transport Research Centre
Acknowledgement of Country

UTS acknowledges the Gadigal people of the Eora Nation, the Boorooberongal people of the Dharug Nation, the Bidiagal people and the Gamaygal people, upon whose ancestral lands our university stands. We would also like to pay respect to the Elders both past and present, acknowledging them as the traditional custodians of knowledge for these lands.