Dissertations / Theses on the topic 'Engineering Australia'
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1
Murphy, T. A. "The Snowy Mountains Engineering Corporation as an instrument of Australian foreign policy." Thesis, Canberra, ACT : The Australian National University, 1985. http://hdl.handle.net/1885/130322.
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Australia's foreign policy may be drafted in Canberra, but it is
implemented in the jungles of Java and the bazaars of Dar-es-Salaam,
as well as in the offices and boardrooms in Washington, London or Bonn.
The aim of this sub-thesis is to examine the role of the Snowy
Mountains Engineering Corporation (SMEC) as an instrumentality for the
practical implementation of Australia's foreign policy, particularly in
relation to developing countries, and more specifically in the AsiaPacific
Region. Towards this end a comparison and contrast will be
made of two SMEC overseas projects. As well as covering some specific
details, it is hoped that these two case studies will present SMEC's
overseas operations in microcosm.
2
Burroughs, Gary Leslie. "The response to environmental economic drivers by civil engineering contractors in South Australia." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envb972.pdf.
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Bibliography: leaves 91-93. Examines the response of two civil engineering construction contractors in South Australia to environmental economic conditions and market requirements using primarily an action research methodology whilst the researcher was engaged as the environmental manager at both corporations.
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Van, Ruth Peter John. "Overpressure in the Cooper and Carnarvon Basins, Australia /." Title page, abstract and table of contents only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phv275.pdf.
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Risely, Melissa. "The politics of precaution : an eco-political investigation of agricultural gene technology policy in Australia, 1992-2000." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2003. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phr5953.pdf.
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Kremor, Andrew George. "Engineering geological factors affecting slope stability in soft brown coal deposits : a South Australian example /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 1992. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phk898.pdf.
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Bancroft, Wesley J. "Environmental response to burrowing seabird colonies : a study in ecosystem engineering." University of Western Australia. School of Animal Biology, 2004. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2005.0064.
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[Truncated abstract] Ecosystem engineers are organisms that physically modify habitat in a manner that modulate resource flows and species within ecosystems. Ecosystem engineering is distinct from classical interactions (competition, predation, parasitism and mutualism) in that it does not involve direct trophic exchange between organisms. The term ‘ecosystem engineer’ is a recently adopted one, and we are just beginning to investigate the occurrence and impact of engineers in ecosystems. My thesis explores the ecosystem engineering actions of Wedge-tailed Shearwaters, Puffinus pacificus, in a Mediterranean island, heathland ecosystem. I have approached this by (1) describing and quantifying the physical impact of these engineers, and (2) describing and quantifying the effects that these actions have on three major ecosystem components: the soil, the vascular plants, and the vertebrate fauna. Wedge-tailed Shearwaters are procellariid seabirds that excavate nesting burrows on offshore islands. The birds are colonial nesters, and on Rottnest Island, 17 km off the mainland coast of south-western Western Australia, their colonies have expanded considerably in recent decades. The expansion fits the trend observed in other tropicalorigin seabirds that breed in south-western Australia. In the last ten years, two new colonies have appeared (in a total of six) and the number of burrows on the island has almost doubled, to 11 745 ± 1320SE. In the same period the area occupied by the birds has increased by almost half ...
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Palmer, Stuart Rohan, and mikewood@deakin edu au. "An evaluation of Australian undergraduate engineering management education for flexible delivery." Deakin University. School of Engineering and Technology, 2001. http://tux.lib.deakin.edu.au./adt-VDU/public/adt-VDU20050815.112159.
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This thesis examines issues in Australian undergraduate engineering management studies in the context of flexible learning delivery. It is proposed that, within an Australian context:
a) the management skills and competencies required by graduate engineers can be determined and classified on a rational basis, permitting an educational focus on those elements most appropriate for graduates; and
b) on-line and other computer-based technologies are a practical and effective method for the support of undergraduate engineering management studies.
The doctoral project incorporates:
an examination of the nature of engineering management;
a review of the relevant literature establishing the importance of management studies in undergraduate engineering courses;
a review of historical and recent developments in Australian undergraduate engineering management studies;
an investigation of the management skills and competencies required by graduate engineers - based on original research;
an examination of flexible delivery of engineering education - based on professional practice experience; and
an evaluation of case studies of flexible delivery of engineering management education - based on original research and professional practice experience.
A framework of ranked classified management skills is developed. Broadly, the ranking framework is generic professional skills, followed by general management skills and technical discipline specific management skills, followed by other professional discipline skills and theoretical skills. This framework provides a rational basis for design of undergraduate engineering management studies. This is supplemented by consideration of the management skills required for the future of engineering practice.
It is concluded that undergraduate engineering management education is well suited to delivery and support by on-line and computer-based technology. Recent developments in improved access to the Internet, software systems for on-line collaboration and changes in copyright legislation to create a broad-based right to communication via on-line media have contributed to the facilitation of on-line delivery of teaching and learning. It is noted that though many on-line infrastructure issues have been satisfactorily resolved, higher level issues will emerge as being crucial, including the academic staff development and reward for operating in an online teaching environment and the financial sustainability of on-line development and delivery of courses.
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Kanjookaran, Noble Paul. "Identification and analysis of risks faced by Indian student community in Australia." Thesis, KTH, Tillämpad maskinteknik (KTH Södertälje), 2017. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-215951.
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Batmunkh, Narantuya. "Engineering characteristics of construction waste for Western Australian road and highway materials." Thesis, Curtin University, 2011. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/1839.
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This study examines the use of concrete waste by-products as a new source of road construction material in Western Australia (WA). The amount of construction waste in Western Australia increases annually, whilst natural rock aggregate is in shortage.This research focuses on whether recycled concrete, derived from various sources such as by-products from the processes of manufacturing ready-mixed concrete and waste from construction and demolition (C&D), is a viable option for use as a base and sub-base course material in road building in WA.A series of laboratory tests were conducted to determine the physical, engineering and performance properties of selected research materials to evaluate their respective potential utilisation. The results demonstrate that the concrete waste materials selected from the companies: Holcim Ltd, All Earth, Capital Demolition and C&D Recycling are suitable for use as base and sub-base layers of flexible pavement in Western Australia.
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Hashtroudi, Hanie. "Using agricultural wastes to treat lead-contaminated water in Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2018. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/2086.
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Aqueous solutions are becoming increasingly contaminated in all parts of the world (2015). Heavy metals are toxic contaminants that are mainly distributed in urban stormwater run-off and industrial wastewaters as a result of some mining operations, electronic assembly planting, battery manufacturing, and etching operations (Kadirvelu et al. 2001). Pb (II) is a heavy metal that causes significant damage in the human body. Drinking lead-contaminated water even at low concentrations may cause lifethreatening conditions such as cancer, kidney damage, brain damage, and liver problems (El-Said 2010). Therefore, it is necessary to remove lead from aqueous solutions.
Several conventional physical, chemical, and biological systems have been used to eliminate Pb (II) ions from contaminated aqueous solutions, including membrane filtration (Song et al. 2011), electrolysis (Deng et al. 2010), chemical precipitation (Cort 2005), magnetic base methods (Ma et al. 2017), water filtration (Gohari et al. 2013, Magni et al. 2015), and adsorption techniques (Pehlivan et al. 2009). However, the cost of some of the cited techniques is prohibitively high, while others cannot remove low Pb (II) ion concentrations efficiently (Babel and Kurniawan 2003, Volesky and Holan 1995). Although adsorption is a reasonable process for removing dissolved lead from contaminated water, the cost of using conventional media (e.g. activated carbon and resin) make it cost inhibitive for the treatment of large quantities of wastewater (Cutillas-Barreiro et al. 2016, Demirbas 2008). It also takes a long time in some cases to achieve adsorption equilibrium (Czinkota et al. 2002).
In recent decades, interest in the use of cost-effective adsorbents to reduce the expense of water treatment processes has intensified. Attention has been focused on natural agricultural waste materials such as seeds (Gilbert et al. 2011), fruit peel (Mallampati et al. 2015), nut shells (Taşar et al. 2014) , crop residues (El-Said 2010), and fruit shells (Zein et al. 2010) as low-cost and environmentally friendly adsorbents which are highly efficient and generally available in large quantities (Ibrahim et al. 2010).
Against this backdrop, many agricultural residues are being produced every day, and they need to be managed. Using agricultural wastes to treat contaminated water is a low-cost and effective approach that deal with waste management and water treatment at the same time. This project describes an economically viable and practical way to utilize crop residues as adsorbents to remove toxic Pb (II) ions from lead-contaminated water. These agricultural waste adsorbents have a number of advantages; they are cheap and biodegradable, they have a porous surface, and are able to eliminate Pb (II) ions from contaminated water quickly and effectively.
Therefore, in this research two Western Australian crop residues were used as adsorbents to eliminate lead ions from aqueous solutions. The study was carried out in four phases: the first phase involved the selection and preparation of different local Western Australian agricultural wastes. Lupin straw and canola stalk were collected from local farms and studied for their efficiency as two low-cost natural adsorbents that can remove dissolved Pb2+ ions from synthetic wastewater.
In the second phase, experiments were carried out to understand the equilibria of Pb (II) adsorption onto adsorbents. The effect of various environmental conditions such as contact time, pH, initial adsorbent dosage and adsorbate concentration were investigated.
The presence of different functional groups, chemical compositions, and the surface characteristics of the adsorbents were analysed in the third phase using energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) devices. In the final phase, the obtained experimental data were validated using different isotherm models developed by Langmuir, Freundlich, Harkins-Jura, Redlich- Peterson and Halsey to describe the adsorption process based on the homogeneity of the surfaces of the adsorbents. Pseudo-first-order, pseudo-second-order, intra-particle diffusion, Elovich, and fractional power kinetic models were utilized to investigate the dynamic mechanism of lead adsorption onto adsorbents over time.
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Ward, Stephen James Safety Science Faculty of Science UNSW. "Designers and users: a survey of user research methods employed by Australian industrial designers." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Safety Science, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/26206.
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Designers of mass produced products require knowledge about anticipated users of their designs in order to make reasonable predictions about how users will interact with a product and how that product will satisfy users??? needs. However, there is little reported study of how industrial designers get the information they need about users, or to what extent they adapt and use information available from fields of study such as ergonomics or market research. Study in this area is important, in order to have a knowledge base that will support development of methods and data sources that may help designers and others bring a better understanding of users into the product design process. In this study, group interviews and a questionnaire were used to ask industrial designers how and where they get information about users, and about their perceptions of the role and value of user research in design. The group discussions involved a total of 45 participants from nine companies in Sydney. A questionnaire that followed was completed by 35 respondents representing at least 15 different design consultancy companies throughout Australia. Results showed that the designers surveyed used many of the methods promoted in the literature of ergonomics, design and market research, but often in a cut-down form. For example, there was widespread use of work colleagues and family members as test subjects. Designers used quantitative information where it was applicable but often sought qualitative information that would provide insights or enable them to develop empathic understanding of the users. Time and cost constraints limited the extent to which designers could engage in user research activity but there was general agreement that user research was a necessary part of design and that in the future designers will require a stronger capability in user research. Further research could focus on the evaluation of user research methods used in design and the potential for further collaboration between designers and other specialists in this area.
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Hathaway, Paul Terence. "An assessment of sediment behaviour and properties on Gold Coast beaches, Queensland, Australia." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 1997. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36013/1/36013_Hathaway_1997.pdf.
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The movement of sediment in the nearshore zone is of particular interest along
many densely populated sandy coastlines throughout the world. The city of the
Gold Coast in southeast Queensland, Australia, is such a location. With residential
and apartment buildings built close to the shoreline, it has a history of property
threatening erosive events which make knowledge of the transport of the sandy
sediment that lines its beaches a prime concern. Between 1880 and 1910, training
walls were constructed at the mouth of the Tweed River. They were extended in the
early 1960's. This construction has interrupted the supply of sediment to the Gold
Coast from its updrift (southern) border. The resultant reduction in sediment supply
has severely depleted the protective barrier formed by offshore shoals, increasing
the volume of sediment required from the nearshore reserves in times of high
energy wave conditions such as those experienced in storms and cyclones.
Analysis centered on a suite of samples collected in 1972, and later sieved by Gold
Coast City Council soils laboratory staff The samples were collected on five shore
normal lines, distributed along the Gold Coast shoreline. Seven boreholes were
sampled along each of these lines in water depths ranging from 6 - 30 m. Each
borehole was drilled to 4.5 m into the sea bed, samples being collected in 0.75 m
sections. This drilling program gave the 210 samples used in this thesis.
Several researchers have indicated a limiting water depth for the nearshore active
zone of about 12-15 m for sediment in this region. Results from this analysis
indicate that this depth is indeed important in the distribution of sediment in this
region. However it appears to be better described as a boundary between two
energy systems. The sediment distribution in the onshore and offshore directions
are determined at this boundary.
Findings show that at this boundary the sediment shows the following properties:
• Percent fines which is
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Seethamraju, Ravi C. M., of Western Sydney Nepean University, and Faculty of Commerce. "Transition of engineers into management roles : an exploratory study in Australia." THESIS_FCOM_XXX_Seethamraju_R.xml, 1997. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/679.
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A significant number of engineers move into management positions, their numbers increasing with their length of service. However, engineers are not considered to be effective managers and are generally considered inadequate in soft skills. Given the centrality of engineers and management, understanding this transition is essential in order to develop strategies for managing. This research is an exploratory field-based study of the transition of professional engineers into management roles (engineer-managers) in Australia, from the perspective of the individual engineer. The study investigates the attitudes of engineers towards such areas as engineering education, towards managerial transition, status, organizational support systems, and strategies for managing transition, and examines their influence on the process of transition. Importantly, this research examines the influence of factors such as job nature, management qualifications, age, employing organizations, and other variables on their attitudes, and studies the differences between various subgroups of engineers. This research is based on the results of a case study and a questionnaire survey. An important outcome of this research is the focus on the process of engineering education. This research concludes that different emphases in the process of teaching and learning would contribute, in the long run, to engineers developing soft skills, and so make their transition into management easier. The study found that electrical engineers are more proactive than civil or mechanical engineers and that it is necessary to develop different strategies for different groups of engineers. The study observed that the higher the status of professional engineers within an organization, the greater was the likelihood of success. Supporting the anecdotal evidence from the case study, it is noted that the more engineers there are in management positions, the better the perception of senior management about their capabilities. This study found that management education for engineers has a strong influence, both in terms of their acquiring managerial skills as well as enhancing their status within their organization. Experiential learning, though, is the most common method by which engineers acquire managerial skills. The study also found that this is the least-managed strategy in Australian organizations; learning is left entirely to the individual. For engineers to be able to take advantage of experiential learning, better management is necessaryDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Lindqvist, Michael, and Marie Nilsson. "Australia as a market for Swedish small andmedium sized biotechnology companies." Thesis, KTH, Industriell ekonomi och organisation (Inst.), 2011. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-33652.
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En liten andel av de svenska små och medelstora bioteknikföretagen finns representerade på den australiensiska bioteknikmarknaden. En enkätundersökning, utförd bland 96 svenska bioteknikföretag, visar att kunskapen och intresset för marknaden är relativt låg. Den främsta anledningen till detta är det geografiska avståndet och bristen på resurser för att undersöka nya marknader. Eftersom de flesta bioteknikföretag erbjuder nischade produkter med en liten inhemsk marknad är det nödvändigt att undersöka alla möjliga marknader och att en marknad inte ignoreras endast på grund av dess geografiska avstånd. Denna rapport belyser den australiensiska bioteknikmarknaden och analysera dess potential för svenska små och medelstora bioteknikföretag genom att marknadens attraktivitet och strategiska betydelse utreds. För detta ändamål studeras ett antal faktorer som exempelvis marknadens storlek, tillväxt, stödjande organisationer, kluster, konkurrenssituation och barriärer som hindrar inträde. För att svara på vilka möjligheter samt begränsningar som finns vid etablering av någon form av verksamhet i Australien har ett teoretiskt ramverk valts ut, ett flertal intervjuer med svenska och australiensiska myndigheter, rådgivare och företag genomförts och lokala influenser har studerats på plats i Australien. Flera viktiga aspekter, rön om potentiella möjligheter, samt begränsningar för svenska bioteknikföretag diskuteras och presenteras i denna rapport.Few Swedish biotechnology SMEs are currently represented in the Australian market. A survey of 96 Swedish biotechnology companies demonstrated that both their knowledge of the market and their interest in establishing a business in the country are low. The main reasons for this are the geographic distance of the market and the lack of resources to examine new markets. Since most biotechnology companies offer niche products to a small domestic market, all possible markets should be considered and none should be excluded based singularly on geographic distance. This paper analyses the potential of the Australian biotechnology market for Swedish small- and medium-sized biotechnology companies, and aims to give a foundation which Swedish companies can utilize when considering entering the Australian market. The market attractiveness and its strategic importance for Swedish biotechnology companies are evaluated and presented in this thesis. A number of factors such as market size and growth, supporting organizations, research base, clusters, competitive situation and entry barriers are examined. Consequently the problem is defined as: “What potential opportunities and limitations exist in the Australian biotechnology market for Swedish small- and medium-sized biotech companies?” Literature has been reviewed in depth, numerous on-site interviews have been carried out with Swedish biotech companies as well as Swedish and Australian officials and advisors, and local influences have been studied. The conclusions identify several key aspects, potential areas of interest and some limitations for Swedish biotechnology companies, which are discussed and presented in this paper.
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Clare, Steven S., University of Western Sydney, of Science Technology and Environment College, and of Science Food and Horticulture School. "Optimising the antioxidant content of red wine." THESIS_CSTE_SFH_Clare_S.xml, 2004. http://handle.uws.edu.au:8081/1959.7/569.
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The aim of the study presented in this thesis was to assess the impact of manipulations to red winemaking unit operations on the concentration of cis- and trans-resveratrol and resveratrol glucoside isomers in the resultant wines. An existing sensitive reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography 'RP-HPLC' method was optimised to detect these compounds in wine, which permitted excellent peak resolution. The influence of four fermentative yeast strains belonging to the Saccharomyces cerevisiae species on the content of these compounds in Vitis Vinifera L. cv. Shiraz grape musts during alcoholic fermentation was assessed.The influence of malo-lactic fermentation 'MLF' in Shiraz wine was assessed using three different commercial strains. The kinetics of extraction during extended maceration was studied over a period of 21 days.The effect of various pomace contacting maceration methods on the level of cis- and trans-resveratrol and resveratrol glucoside isomers was investigated in Vitus Vinifera L. cv. Cabernet Sauvignon grape musts during alcoholic fermentation. The fate of resveratrol and piceid isomers in fortified red wine(port) was studied during the first six months of maturation in either glass or new oak vessels. The primary wine was derived from Shiraz concentrate. The various tests are discussed in detail and results givenDoctor of Philosophy (PhD)
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Docker, Benjamin Brougham. "Biotechnical engineering on alluvial riverbanks of southeastern Australia: A quantified model of the earth-reinforcing properties of some native riparian trees." University of Sydney, 2004. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1688.
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Doctor of Philosophy(PhD)It is generally accepted that tree roots can reinforce soil and improve the stability of vegetated slopes. Tree root reinforcement is also recognised in riverbanks although the contribution that the roots make to bank stability has rarely been assessed due to the reluctance of geomorphologists to examine riverbank stability by geomechanical methods that allow for the inclusion of quantified biotechnical parameters. This study investigates the interaction between alluvial soil and the roots of four southeastern Australian riparian trees. It quantifies the amount and distribution of root reinforcement present beneath typically vegetated riverbanks of the upper Nepean River, New South Wales, and examines the effect of the reinforcement on the stability of these banks. The ability of a tree to reinforce the soil is limited by the spatial distribution of its root system and the strength that the roots impart to the soil during shear. These two parameters were determined for the following four species of native riparian tree: Casuarina glauca, Eucalyptus amplifolia, Eucalyptus elata, and Acacia floribunda. The four species all exhibit a progressive reduction in the quantity of root material both with increasing depth and with increasing lateral distance from the tree stem. In the vertical direction there are two distinct zones that can be described. The first occurs from between 0 and approximately 15 % of the maximum vertical depth and consists of approximately 80 % of the total root material quantity. In this zone the root system consists of both vertical and lateral roots, the size and density of which varies between species. The second zone occurs below approximately 15 % of the maximum vertical depth and consists primarily of vertical roots. The quantity of root material in this zone decreases exponentially with depth due to the taper of individual roots. The earth reinforcement potential in terms of both geometric extent and the quantity of root material expressed as the Root Area Ratio (RAR) varies significantly from species to species. E. elata exhibited the highest values of RAR in soil zones beneath it while E. amplifolia reinforced a greater volume of soil than any of the other species examined. The increased shear resistance (Sr) of alluvial soil containing roots was measured by direct in-situ shear tests on soil blocks beneath a plantation. For three of the species (C. glauca, E. amplifolia, E. elata) Sr increased with increasing RAR measured at the shear plane, in a similar linear relationship. The shear resistance provided by A. floribunda roots also increased with increasing RAR at the shear plane but at a much greater rate than for the other three species. This is attributable to A. floribunda’s greater root tensile strength and therefore pull-out resistance, as well as its smaller root diameters at comparative RARs which resulted in a greater proportion of roots reaching full tensile strength within the confines of the test. Tree roots fail progressively in this system. Therefore determining the increased shear strength from the sum of the pull-out or tensile strengths of all individual roots and Waldron’s (1977) and Wu et al’s (1979) simple root model, would result in substantial over estimates of the overall strength of the soil-root system. The average difference between Sr calculated in this manner and that measured from direct in-situ shear tests is 10.9 kPa for C. glauca, 19.0 kPa for E. amplifolia, 19.3 kPa for E. elata, and 8.8 kPa for A. floribunda. A riverbank stability analysis incorporating the root reinforcement effect was conducted using a predictive model of the spatial distribution of root reinforcement beneath riparian trees within the study area. The model is based on measurements of juveniles and observations of the rooting habits of mature trees. It indicates that while the presence of vegetation on riverbank profiles has the potential to increase stability by up to 105 %, the relative increase depends heavily on the actual vegetation type, density, and location on the bank profile. Of the species examined in this study the greatest potential for improved riverbank stability is provided by E. amplifolia, followed by E. elata, A. floribunda, and C. glauca. The presence of trees on banks of the Nepean River has the potential to raise the critical factor of safety (FoS) from a value that is very unstable (0.85) to significantly above 1.00 even when the banks are completely saturated and subject to rapid draw-down. It is likely then that the period of intense bank instability observed within this environment between 1947 and 1992 would not have taken place had the riparian vegetation not been cleared prior to the onset of wetter climatic conditions. Typical ‘present-day’ profiles are critically to marginally stable. The introduction of vegetation could improve stability by raising the FoS up to 1.68 however the selection of revegetation species is crucial. With the placement of a large growing Eucalypt at a suitable spacing (around 3-5 m) the choice of smaller understorey trees and shrubs is less important. The effect of riparian vegetation on bank stability has important implications for channel morphological change. This study quantifies the mechanical earth reinforcing effect of some native riparian trees, thus allowing for improved deterministic assessment of historical channel change and an improved basis for future riverine management.
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Docker, Benjamin Brougham. "Biotechnical engineering on alluvial riverbanks of southeastern Australia a quantified model of the earth-reinforcing properties of some native riparian trees /." Connect to full text, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2123/1688.
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Thesis (Ph. D.)--School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science, University of Sydney, 2004.Degree awarded 2004; thesis submitted 2003. Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy to the School of Geosciences, Faculty of Science. Title from title screen (viewed 13 January 2009). Includes bibliographical references. Also available in print form.
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Fowle, Kenneth. "The use of computer graphics and visualisation (from reconstruction to training) for the resource sector of Western Australia." Thesis, University of Nottingham, 2003. http://eprints.nottingham.ac.uk/10044/.
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The minerals and energy sector can rightly be classified as comprising an extremely hazardous working environment in which numerous situations exist for accidents and incidents involving personnel and equipment to occur. Accidents are often explained by what are referred to as 'human factor'. The often used explanation, 'technical-failure', gives the impression that technology lives a life of its own without human intervention. However, technical failure often occurs because of human errors in construction, installation, maintenance or operation. It is the person who triggers the risks who is made morally (and sometime legally) responsible. When an operator makes a mistake (an active error) he or she is personally blamed. When a designer or constructor makes a mistake, or when cheap or inferior equipment is bought, or when maintenance is faulty, the responsibility is depersonalised and it becomes a 'technology' fault (Sunderstrom-Frisk, 1998). This research examines ways of using expert information using computer graphics and visualisation to produce visual applications that demonstrate and explain, but also have the added ability to teach the user or viewer, with the intent to assess their competency. Today's technology provides educators, students, professional bodies and the general public access to large amounts of information in a visual form. We repackage technical literature and data as movies and videos for audiences to view, instead of reading the information. Understanding may be achieved rapidly instead of taking days, weeks or months. From a visual presentation the viewers absorb information, which is easy to retain. The reconstructions discussed in this research concern the minerals and energy sector of Western Australia. They not only show what went wrong but can also be customised to demonstrate how to prevent an accident/incident. The benefits of this to industry is primarily: the ability to reuse the reconstruction instead of closing down a production line that cost the company and industry many thousands of dollars, and no lives are exposed to hazardous environments while examining the reconstruction for investigation or training purposes.
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Leamon, Gregory Robert Petroleum Engineering Faculty of Engineering UNSW. "Petroleum well costs." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Petroleum Engineering, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/30599.
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This is the first academic study of well costs and drilling times for Australia???s petroleum producing basins, both onshore and offshore. I analyse a substantial database of well times and costs sourced from government databases, industry and over 400 recent well completion reports. Three well phases are studied - Pre-Spud, Drilling and Completion. Relationships between well cost factors are considered, including phase time, phase cost, daily cost, rig day rate, well depth, basin, rig type, water depth, well direction, well objective (e.g. exploration), and type of completion (P&A or producer). Times and costs are analysed using scatter plots, frequency distributions, correlation and regression analyses. Drilling times are analysed for the period 1980 to 2004. Well time and variability in well time tend to increase exponentially with well depth. Technical Limits are defined for both onshore and offshore drilling times to indicate best performance. Well costs are analysed for the period 1996 to 2004. Well costs were relatively stable for this period. Long term increases in daily costs were offset to some extent by reductions in drilling times. Onshore regions studied include the Cooper/Eromanga, Surat/Bowen, Otway and Perth Basins. Offshore regions studied include the Carnarvon Basin shallow and deepwater, the Timor Sea and Victorian Basins. Correlations between regional well cost and well depth are usually high. Well costs are estimated based on well location, well depth, daily costs and type of completion. In 2003, the cost of exploration wells in Australia ranged from A$100,000 for shallow coal seam gas wells in the Surat/Bowen Basins to over A$50 million for the deepwater well Gnarlyknots-1 in the Great Australian Bight. Future well costs are expected to be substantially higher for some regions. This study proposes methods to index historical daily costs to future rig day rates as a means for estimating future well costs. Regional well cost models are particularly useful for the economic evaluation of CO2 storage sites which will require substantial numbers of petroleum-type wells.
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Sundström, Linn. "Investigating the impact of the Millennium Drought on catchment water balance : A study of four catchments in Victoria, Australia." Thesis, KTH, Hållbar utveckling, miljövetenskap och teknik, 2018. http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:kth:diva-231134.
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Southeast Australia have between 1997-2009 experienced a severe drought, referred to as the Millennium Drought. During these years the region experienced a 11.4% decline in mean annual rainfall, an unprecedented decrease in runoff and a decline in soil moisture and groundwater storage. The drought officially ended in 2010 when one of the strongest La Nina-events on record occurred. However, it is still unknown how the behaviour of the catchments changed during the drought and if this change persists in the years following the drought. Changes in catchment behaviour and fluxes are commonly determined using a catchment water balance, where the change in groundwater storage is assumed to be neglectable when studying longer periods of time. However, studies have showed that this assumption might be inaccurate for catchments that experience a climatic disturbance such as a severe drought. This study investigates if including the change in groundwater storage by using spatial groundwater head data can improve the catchment water balance. This was done by assuming that specific yields are unknown and to be determined in a calibration. An unknown scalar applied to the evapotranspiration was used to try to account for the uncertainties in the known fluxes and was also to be determined in the calibration. Two different calibration schemes were considered: one assuming no delay in groundwater head response to climate and one accounting for the delay. The fluxes were determined for the period before, during and after the drought. The results were analysed to determine if the catchments showed a change in behaviour during and after the drought. The results showed that when not accounting for the delayed response of the groundwater head, at least one of the specific yields in the catchments became infinitely small. Including the delayed groundwater head response did improve one of the catchments significantly by producing plausible specific yields for all geological units. A conclusion of this is that including the change in groundwater storage could improve the water balance. However, for it to do so a thorough analysis of the groundwater and subsurface needs to be conducted. Further, the water balance error was the third biggest flux after rainfall and actual evapotranspiration suggesting that the evapotranspiration scalar reduced the actual evapotranspiration too much. All fluxes did decrease during the drought, by how much differed between the catchments and the water balance components. Two of the catchments showed a change in behaviour during the drought that persisted in the years following the drought. The most likely fluxes to have caused this were the change in runoff and groundwater storage. The other two catchments showed a smaller change in behaviour during the drought and an indication that it was on its way back to the same state as before the drought. The likely fluxes to have caused the small change in behaviour was runoff and actual evapotranspiration.Under åren 1997–2009 minskade den genomsnittliga årliga nederbörden över sydöstra Australien med 11.4% och den genomsnittliga årliga avrinningen var lägre än någonsin tidigare samtidigt som grundvattennivåerna sjönk. Denna torka brukar kallas the Millennium Drought och är den svåraste torkan i Australien i modern tid. Torkan tog officiellt slut 2010 då ett av de mest kraftfulla La Niña-fenomenen inträffade vilket bidrog till att april 2010 till mars 2012 var de blötaste två åren i australiensk historia. Trots att flera studier har gjorts kring torkan så är det ännu inte klarlagts hur avrinningsområdena i området påverkades och om de fortfarande är påverkade när torkan officiellt är över. Flödena inom ett avrinningsområde bestäms vanligtvis genom en vattenbalans. Då vattenbalansen över ett avrinningsområde studeras under en längre tid antas ofta att förändringarna i grundvattenmagasinen går att bortse från då grundvattennivån ofta återgår till samma stadie efter ett antal år. Nyare studier har dock visat att detta inte alltid är fallet vid exempelvis en svår torka och att det vid dessa fall inte är korrekt att anta att förändringen i grundvattenmagasinen är försumbar. I denna studie har en vattenbalans gjorts för fyra avrinningsområden i delstaten Victoria i Australien. Syftet har varit att avgöra om vattenbalansen kan förbättras om förändringen i grundvattenmagasinen inkluderas. Detta har gjorts genom att använda nyligen framtagen data för grundvattennivån i delstaten och antagit att den dränerbara porositeten är en okänd variabel. För att justera för osäkerheterna kring the kända flödena har en okänd faktor för evapotranspirationen inkluderats. De okända variablerna bestämdes i en kalibrering. Kalibreringen genomfördes för två olika kalibreringsscheman och för tre olika tidsperioder. Det ena kalibreringsschemat antog att grundvattnet direkt reagerade på effektiv nederbörd minus avrinning, medan den andra kalibreringsschemat tog hänsyn till en försenad reaktion. Kalibreringen gjordes för tidsperioderna innan, under och efter torkan. Resultaten visade att när ingen hänsyn togs till en eventuellt försenad reaktion av grundvatten så går värdet för dränerbar porositet i minst en geologisk enhet mot noll medan det andra värdet är rimligt. När hänsyn togs till en försenad reaktion av grundvattnet, fick fler avrinningsområde rimliga värden för dränerbar porositet för hela området. Slutsatsen som kan dras kring detta är att vattenbalansen kan förbättras om förändringen i grundvattenmagasinen inkluderas. Detta kräver dock en djupgående analys av grundvattnet och geologin i avrinningsområdet. Hur mycket flödena förändrades under och efter torkan varierar mellan avrinningsområdena och flödena, gemensamt var dock att alla flöden minskade under torkan. Två av avrinningsområdena påvisade en förändring i beteendet under torkan och de år som följde. Det är mest troligt att förändringarna i avrinning och grundvattenmagasinen har påverkat detta. De övriga två avrinningsområdena påvisade även de en förändring under torkan, om än mindre än för de föregående. Denna förändring ser även ut att vara på tillbakagående och att avrinningsområdet inom en snar framtid skulle kunna ha samma tillstånd som innan torkan. De mest troliga flödena som har påverkat dessa avrinningsområden är förändringar i avrinning och den faktisk evapotranspirationen.
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Mahony, Luke T. School of Mining UNSW. "Development of a laboratory facility for testing shear performance of installed rock reinforcement elements." Awarded by:University of New South Wales. School of Mining, 2006. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/25700.
Full textAbstract:
Rock reinforcing elements provide a significant proportion of their ground control capability through offering resistance to shear movement of adjacent rock masses or blocks. This potential shear movement may take the form of sliding on horizontal bedding planes leading to strata bending; or block displacement along other geological structures such as joints or similar discontinuities. Much has been reported about this type of behaviour of rock bolts and other tendons, in theoretical concepts. However, there is a shortage of quality data available on the exact nature of this mechanism for shear resistance, and the role played by parameters such as pre-tensioning. A clearer understanding of the nature and significance of this type of behaviour has major implications for rock reinforcing materials and installation design. This thesis, which was supported by the Australian Coal Research Program (ACARP) describes the design, construction and commissioning of a laboratory testing facility at the School of Mining Engineering, University of New South Wales (UNSW), Australia and a subsequent testing program. The single failure plane design adopted in the test rig has been successful in allowing shear loading to be directly applied to fully installed rockbolts. Rockbolts were installed into an offset concrete rockmass, which consisted of two separate concrete samples that created a smooth shear plane surface. The reinforced samples were subjected to an applied shear load and critical parameters such as load and shear displacement were recorded. Influencing parameters such as concrete strength and applied pre-tension were altered and recorded to determine their effects on the overall shear performance of the sample. The failure mode of the rockbolts was also examined. The results indicate that a relative stronger rockmass material caused the rockbolt to fail within a lower shear displacement compared to a relatively weaker material. Also, a pre-tensioned rockbolt tended to resist shear displacement at least initially, until high shear loads developed. This phenomena is beneficial to ground support as less movement would tend to maintain integral strength of the rockmass. The use of strain-gauged rockbolts indicated as would be expected that the shear loading arrangement induced a compressive axial loading that tended to dissipate with distance from the shear surface.
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Thompson, Dean (Dean Barrie) 1974. "Dynamic reconfiguration under real-time constraints." Monash University, School of Computer Science and Software Engineering, 2002. http://arrow.monash.edu.au/hdl/1959.1/7991.
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Palamure, Shanuka Dilhani. "Energy efficiency and carbon dioxide emissions across different scales of iron ore mining operations in Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2016. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1936.
Full textAbstract:
During the last two decades, Western Australian iron ore mining industry experienced an exponential production growth arising from increased global demand for steel. The upturn in the iron ore price and considerably lower production cost encouraged extensive mining and consequently high-grade ore reserves were gradually depleted. Despite the energy-intensive nature of mining, high profitability motivated the mining companies to extract marginal-grade deposits with additional processing requirements, which increased energy consumption and ultimately increased the cost of iron ore production. This thesis sought to identify the energy efficiencies of open-cut iron ore mining operations, in terms of scale of operation as well as within individual mining processes, so that energy consumption could be reduced, and sustainability enhanced.
Efficiency indices were used to determine energy efficiency across different scales of operation. Overall energy consumption (per unit of processed ore) was directly related to the scale of operation, where large-scale mining operations are more energy efficient compared to medium and small scales requiring the lowest amount of energy to process a unit of ore. This suggests that an economy of scale based on energy efficiency can be observed in iron ore mining operations. Small-scale mining operations recorded the highest energy consumption to process a unit of ore, indicating the lowest energy efficiency among the three different scales of operation. However, the composite energy indicator indicated that the energy efficiency of a particular mining operation is also influenced by the geological and physical parameters of individual factors including the waste-ore ratio, grade of ore, average haulage distance and production capacity. The results of the regression analysis confirmed that it is the combined effect of all the aforementioned parameters that has a pronounced effect on the amount of energy consumed to process a unit of ore.
Energy consumption per unit of processed ore at different process stages revealed that the loading and hauling phase is the most energy intensive process stage in an iron ore mining operation regardless of the scale at which it is operating. The milling and stockpiling phase was the second highest energy consuming process stage, while the drilling and blasting phase was the subsequent energy demanding process stage in iron ore mining operations. Small-scale operations recorded a higher energy consumption in loading and hauling than the medium-scale operations, suggesting that the equipment with high load capacities and energy efficient technologies such as overland conveyor belts, and advanced technologies including autonomous haulage trucks resulted lower energy consumption in medium scale mining operations. However, the energy consumed to mill and stockpile a unit of ore in medium-scale operations was high compared to the small-scale operations, suggesting that the energy consumption in milling and stockpiling is mainly influenced by the properties of the mill feed, such as moisture content. Further, the amount of processing needed to achieve sufficient final product quality can also influence energy consumption.
Findings from this study support the idea that an economy of scale can be observed across iron ore mining operations in Western Australia based on energy efficiency. The study also provided essential baseline information for future studies on the variations in energy efficiency across different iron ore mining operational scales in Western Australia.
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Bennetts, Helen. "Environmental issues and house design in Australia : images from theory and practice /." Title page, contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09PH/09phb472.pdf.
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Ahooghalandari, Matin. "Water resource options for sustainable development in the Pilbara region of Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2015. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1747.
Full textAbstract:
Water resources management in the Pilbara region of Western Australia is vital to industry, economy and the environment. This dissertation has aimed to develop a comprehensive hydrological and hydrogeological assessment of water resources in the Yandi mine area located in the Weeli Wolli Creek catchment in the Pilbara. Water resources in this area have become increasingly vulnerable due to growing demand. Climate conditions, geology and hydrogeology, streamflow and the groundwater system of the study area were assessed. Lumped, data-driven and numerical models were employed to develop an understanding of the available surface water and groundwater resources.
Three equations were derived showing the rainfall-runoff relationship within Weeli Wolli Creek catchment and subsequent modelling was undertaken for more hydrology system evaluation. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) and IHACRES models were used to simulate the Marillana Creek streamflow discharge, upstream of Yandi. The results suggested that ANN models perform better for a complex catchment hydrological system, compared to IHACRES model.
A VISUAL MODFLOW model was used to investigate the groundwater system and its trend in the Yandi area. The model helped to understand the groundwater responses to future development with various pumping strategies and climate conditions. The scenario analysis assisted identification of zones vulnerable to a significant decline in groundwater level in response to dewatering. The analysis indicated that the maximum water level drawdown of 25m occurred in the aquifer from maximum annual pumping of 23GL. With respect to groundwater yield in particular, abstraction has a more direct impact on the groundwater system compared to climate change.
The recharge into the groundwater was estimated from the fluctuations of groundwater level, groundwater modelling and water balance method. The estimated recharge from these methods was comparable and consistent within 3 to 5% of rainfall. This suggests that direct rainfall infiltration is less, compared to localised infiltration. Two new equations, applicable to Australian conditions, were developed to estimate potential evapotranspiration (ET0). These equations form a part of the water balance equation for groundwater recharge estimation. An artificial intelligent model, based on the Honey-Bee Mating Optimization algorithm (HBMO), was introduced to calibrate the new ET0 equations. The newly developed equations had better performances than available popular equations.
The results of this study showed that the water resources in Yandi are considerably affected by progressing activities and their associated water requirements. A combination of multiple water assessments and modellings suggested that it is feasible to predict future access to surface water as a function of its influencing factors such as climate condition and mining activities. Scenario analysis in groundwater assessment suggested possible alternative future dewatering strategies in the Yandi mine area. The possible groundwater level recovery time is estimated to be one hundred years, which indicates this resource may not be a reliable option in future. Hydrological water balance analysis also indicated that the available surface water volume would decrease to half upon cease of discharge due to closure of mines in the study area, which is controversial condition for future water management.
This research can lead to the implementation of a sustainable water resources plan, and development of appropriate strategies.
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Fulton, Neale Leslie Aerospace & Mechanical Engineering Australian Defence Force Academy UNSW. "Regional airspace design: a structured systems engineering approach." Awarded by:University of New South Wales - Australian Defence Force Academy. School of Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering, 2002. http://handle.unsw.edu.au/1959.4/38722.
Full textAbstract:
There has been almost fifteen years of political controversy surrounding changes to the rules and procedures by which aircraft conduct their flight within regional Australia. Decisions based on a predominately heuristic (rule of thumb) approach to design have had many adverse consequences for the integrity of the proximity warning function. A sound mathematical model is required to establish this function on a mature engineering foundation. To achieve this, the proximity warning function has been investigated as a hybrid-system. This approach recognises the dual nature of the design: that aircraft dynamics give rise to continuous mathematical models while the communication protocols controlling proximity require discrete mathematical approaches. The blending of each aspect has yielded a deeper insight into the operational limitations and failure modes of this function. The presentation of the thesis follows a design thread through the function. It begins with a description of existing standards and implementations. Risk models are then developed. The pilot interface is recognised as a primary design constraint. Mathematical models are then developed to describe the topology of flow, proximity dynamics, and the scheduling constraints associated with visual, voice, and data-link communications required by the proximity warning function. These analyses show that many aspects of design can be bounded by analytical formulae that bring new robustness to the design and resolve some of the misconceptions arising from the often inaccurate perceptions of present airspace operations. Failure modes, unaccounted for in existing designs are found to actually aggravate failure in the very situations in which the airspace design should be robust and should act to prevent collisions. In particular, there are divergences of performance between the demands required by the system design and the ability of the pilot to deliver such performances. In some cases, these failures may be traced to policy decisions such as service between Instrument Flight Rule and Visual Flight Rule category aircraft. On the basis of the conclusions of this research, a formal engineering review of the proximity warning function is required to assure the containment of the likelihood of mid-air collision for all future operations.
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Larwood, Andrew John. "Cleaner production : promoting and achieving it in the South Australian foundry industry." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envl336.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves 123-130. The literature search and the findings from the investigation have been used to provide recommendations for a sector specific cooperative approach using regulation, self-regulation, voluntary agreements, economic incentatives and educational/information strategies to promote and acheive cleaner production in the South Australian foundry industry.
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Conway, Vivienne. "Website accessibility in Australia and the national transition strategy: Outcomes and findings." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2014. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1405.
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In the most recent statistics, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics in 2012, it was reported that slightly under one in five people stated they had a disability. A further twenty-one percent of the population (4.7 million people) reported that they had a long-term health condition that did not restrict their everyday activities. This total group of people who suffer either a disability or a long-term health condition numbers 8.9 million people, or over thirty-nine percent of the Australian population. Of the people reporting a disability, 3.7 million or eighty-eight percent of that group experienced limitations in the activities of self-care, mobility or communication, or were restricted in their education or employment. (W3C, 2013c)
In 2010, the Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO) reported that an estimated one in five Australians or 3.95 million people experienced long term impairment. Of this figure, 2.6 million, or roughly fifteen percent of the population, of people with long term impairments are under the age of 65. At that time it was stated that eighty-six percent report that they experience a core limitation, which involves their mobility or communication and may restrict either their schooling or employment. (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2010; Begbie, 2010) According to these figures, it would appear that the number of people with disabilities that restrict their daily lives has grown in line with population growth.
In June 2010,the Australian Government released the Web Accessibility National Transition Strategy (NTS) (Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), 2010a). This document outlines the plan for the adoption and implementation of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Version 2.0 (W3C, 2008d). This plan provides a strategy for all government websites to conform to WCAG 2.0 Priority Level A by December 2012 and Australian Government sites to WCAG 2.0 Priority Level AA by December 2014.
In Australia, the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) is responsible for administering the Disability Discrimination Act of 1992 (DDA) (Australian Government, 2013a) In order to assist organisations in complying with the DDA, the AHRC has produced the World Wide Web Access: Disability Discrimination Act Advisory Notes Version 4.0 (Advisory Notes). (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2010). These Advisory Notes reinforce the NTS, but also advise all non-government website holders to ensure their websites are compliant to WCAG 2.0 (W3C, 2008d). New non-government websites must adhere to WCAG 2.0 AA, and existing website owners have until December 31, 2013 to comply with this same level. (Australian Human Rights Commission, 2010)
Australians have clearly embraced using the Web as their preferred method of dealing with the various levels of government. It is estimated that there are over 4600 registered domains in the gov.au space, with more than 4.2 million documents. Australians enter the federal government web space through ‘www.australia.gov.au’ which has led the transition to WCAG 2.0 by declaring their site compliant to WCAG 2.0 AA, with some elements complying with the AAA level. (Australian Government Information Management Office (AGIMO), 2009).
The purpose of this research was to determine whether such a mandated approach by way of a federal government strategy would accomplish the goal of achieving compliance with WCAG 2.0. In order to accomplish this research goal, a selection of websites from government websites was assessed on a regular basis to observe their accessibility changes during the period of the NTS. In addition, this study included websites from non-government sites in order to observe their accessibility changes and also to compare these results with the government website results. The websites were selected in a targeted sample approach in an attempt to choose websites that would enable comparison of the accessibility results. For instance, the same category of websites from each state was selected including the state library, health, disability services, job search, emergency services and business development. Federal government websites were chosen to reflect these same categories plus additional websites with which it was considered Australians had the most contact, including but not limited to broadcasting, tax, health, and information services. The not-for-profit websites chosen represented those considered most well-known, while those selected for the government-affiliated category included a university from each state plus two utilities. The corporate website category included representatives from large corporations such as banks, airlines, mining companies and major shopping as well as representatives selected from organisations such as telecommunications, travel, public transportation, telecommunications and multimedia. In the local government category, the capital city and next largest city in terms of population was chosen from each state. The selection of websites was done in consultation with academic supervisors, members of the W3C as well as in consultation with staff at the Australian Government Information Management Office.
Barriers in achieving compliance with WCAG 2.0 and critical success factors for those organisations which achieved the greatest level of compliance were identified both through the evaluation data and also through the surveys conducted throughout the research. The lack of a unified methodology for testing the websites for accessibility was highlighted as an area which needs to be addressed if the Government is to be able to conduct checks on agencies to monitor their progress toward achieving compliance with these accepted standards.
The results of this research demonstrate that very few organisations succeeded in meeting even Level A of WCAG by the deadline of December 31, 2012. It is clear however that the government websites achieved greater compliance scores than non-government. In particular, the federal government websites both started as the most accessible and retained that position to the end of the data collection period.
While very few websites in this research were successful in achieving compliance with WCAG 2.0 to even Level A, the NTS was successful in the raising of awareness of the issues and requirements of website accessibility, particularly for government agencies. Conversely, this means that the gap between the accessibility of government and non-government websites has widened which is clearly demonstrated by the results of this research.
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Haldane, Mandy Jaye. "Assessing the impacts of multi-combination vehicles on traffic operation." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2002. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/36180/1/36180_Haldane_2002.pdf.
Full textAbstract:
The Australian road freight industry is moving towards improved efficiency and
competitiveness through the use of larger and more innovative multi-combination
vehicles (MCVs). However, this move has brought about concern over the interaction of
these new vehicles with the environment, existing infrastructure and other road users.
The aim of this research project was to assess the impacts of MCVs on traffic operation
and safety. This was undertaken by initially reviewing cunent literature on MCVs. It
was recognised that the Australian heavy vehicle fleet had modernised since a number of
performance levels were established and the review highlighted the need for greater
research to obtain current data and either develop new performance levels or validate
previous research.
This study selected four characteristics for analysis: passenger car equivalence (PCE),
clearance time, acceleration, and tracking ability on a straight path. These
characteristics were considered to be the most influential on the interaction between
MCVs and other road users. Vehicle operational data was collected between April and
August 2001, for each characteristic, via a series of three in-field test programs located
on controlled road sections in Queensland: south of Charters Towers; west of
Toowoomba; and at the Mount Cotton Training Centre, south-east of Brisbane.
All tested MCVs recorded a PCE greater than 2 for a through-movement on a flat grade
with no adjacent traffic lanes. It was determined that assuming a constant PCE does not
account for the variation in values attained for different MCV types. Under
circumstances where MCV volumes are significant, it would be more accurate to
establish the average PCE value of each relevant movement at the intersection based on
PCEs across the traffic spectrum and using the values provided in Table 5.4. Further
testing is needed to establish PCE values on grades, turning movements, non-standard
lane widths, and for vehicles such as Double Road Trains, AB-Triples and AAB-Quads. The intersection clearance time characteristics proposed by NRTC (2001) were found to
be conservative for the MCV s tested. To cover a greater range of operating conditions,
clearance time requirements for a MCV on a particular grade may be derived from the
trajectory curves provided in Figures 6.3 to 6.6. Further in-field testing should be
undertaken to obtain additional trajectory curves for MCVs with lower powered engines.
Speed curves were developed (Figures 6.9 to 6.12) which may be used with the above
trajectory curves to derive vehicle speeds at specific distances, on particular grades.
This would enable assessors to determine the minimum entry lane length required to
allow a MCV to attain adequate speed to merge into moving traffic, and also indicate
whether an overtaking lane is required on a steep ascending grade. Further testing
should be undertaken to establish speed curves over a higher speed and distance range .
. Queensland Department of Main Roads (1998b) recommended an average acceleration
rate for use in sight distance calculations. This was found from testing to be generally
conservative for a B-Double, although too high for all the other MCVs tested. The
trajectory curves provided in Figures 6.15 to 6.18 were developed to examine the
variation in acceleration as test vehicles depart from rest. These may be used to
determine average acceleration rates, over specific distances and on particular grades.
Alternatively, sight distance requirements may be determined from equation (6.9), using
clearance times established from equation (6.5) or Figures 6.3 to 6.6.
Data on tracking ability of MCVs on a straight path was collected. It is recommended
that further work be conducted to analyse the data, determine lane width requirements,
and variations in tracking ability between separate trailers. The findings should be
compared with Prem et al. (2000) and NRTC (2001) values. Further work is also
required to identify which factors most influence lateral displacement of the rear trailer.
It is expected that the research findings will be used to inform development of
Queensland Department of Main Roads' Route Assessment Guidelines and potentially
those of other authorities.
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Liang, Jonathan Zhongyuan. "Seismic risk analysis of Perth metropolitan area." University of Western Australia. School of Civil and Resource Engineering, 2009. http://theses.library.uwa.edu.au/adt-WU2009.0142.
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[Truncated abstract] Perth is the capital city of Western Australia (WA) and the home of more than three quarters of the population in the state. It is located in the southwest WA (SWWA), a low to moderate seismic region but the seismically most active region in Australia. The 1968 ML6.9 Meckering earthquake, which was about 130 km from the Perth Metropolitan Area (PMA), caused only minor to moderate damage in PMA. With the rapid increase in population in PMA, compared to 1968, many new structures including some high-rise buildings have been constructed in PMA. Moreover, increased seismic activities and a few strong ground motions have been recorded in the SWWA. Therefore it is necessary to evaluate the seismic risk of PMA under the current conditions. This thesis presents results from a comprehensive study of seismic risk of PMA. This includes development of ground motion attenuation relations, ground motion time history simulation, site characterization and response analysis, and structural response analysis. As only a very limited number of earthquake strong ground motion records are available in SWWA, it is difficult to derive a reliable and unbiased strong ground motion attenuation model based on these data. To overcome this, in this study a combined approach is used to simulate ground motions. First, the stochastic approach is used to simulate ground motion time histories at various epicentral distances from small earthquake events. Then, the Green's function method, with the stochastically simulated time histories as input, is used to generate large event ground motion time histories. Comparing the Fourier spectra of the simulated motions with the recorded motions of a ML6.2 event in Cadoux in June 1979 and a ML5.5 event in Meckering in January 1990, provides good evidence in support of this method. This approach is then used to simulate a series of ground motion time histories from earthquakes of varying magnitudes and distances. ... The responses of three typical Perth structures, namely a masonry house, a middle-rise reinforced concrete frame structure, and a high-rise building of reinforced concrete frame with core wall on various soil sites subjected to the predicted earthquake ground motions of different return periods are calculated. Numerical results indicate that the one-storey unreinforced masonry wall (UMW) building is unlikely to be damaged when subjected to the 475-year return period earthquake ground motion. However, it will suffer slight damage during the 2475-return period earthquake ground motion at some sites. The six-storey RC frame with masonry infill wall is also safe under the 475-year return period ground motion. However, the infill masonry wall will suffer severe damage under the 2475-year return period earthquake ground motion at some sites. The 34-storey RC frame with core wall will not experience any damage to the 475-year return period ground motion. The building will, however, suffer light to moderate damage during the 2475-year return period ground motion, but it might not be life threatening.
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Sheppard, Barbara Dorothea. "Assessing the environmental performance of building developments : the Green Building Tool." Title page, table of contents and abstract only, 2000. http://web4.library.adelaide.edu.au/theses/09ENV/09envs549.pdf.
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Bibliography: p. 119-122. Aims to show how the GB Tool (Green BuildingTool) can be used to access the environmental performance of residential building developments, with a focus on South Australia. Describes the history of, and rationale for, the GB Tool; and its practical implementation. Identifies some theoretical short comings of the GB Tool, as well as some practical difficulties with using it.
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Moffatt, Jennifer J. "Organisational culture and performance in project based organisations operating in the Australian resources and energy sector." Thesis, Queensland University of Technology, 2018. https://eprints.qut.edu.au/121425/1/Jennifer_Moffatt_Thesis.pdf.
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Minerals, metals and energy commodities are far more important to the Australian economy than they are to most other advanced economies. This study investigated the type of culture, and its link to financial performance, in organisations that deliver engineering projects in the resources and energy sector. The research used an existing organisational culture model to assess and describe the values, shared beliefs and management practices of these firms. The main contribution of this research is that it reveals a certain type of culture that exists in a unique organisational type in a notable and unanticipated phase in the Australian economic cycle.
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Siddiqi, Muhammad Junaid. "Remote sensing and GIS techniques for monitoring and predicting land degradation and impacts of engineering solutions in an area." Thesis, Curtin University, 2009. http://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11937/2427.
Full textAbstract:
Salinity, waterlogging and drought are major causes of land degradation and serious threats to sustainable agricultural productivity in the south-west agricultural region of Western Australia (WA). The spectral signatures of pasture plants under drought, waterlogging and nutrient deficiency were examined in a greenhouse study using both a field and an analytical laboratory spectrometer (400 to 2,500 nm wavelength). Drought stress group (RWC, 39.9%) has the highest reflectance of 48.2%, waterlogging group (RWC, 49.7%) with a magnitude of 43.1% reflectance and control group (RWC, 61.5%) has the lowest of 41.9%. The highest separability based on magnitude among control, waterlogging and drought stress groups is located at reflection band at 1,666 nm, 1,818 nm and 2,216 nm and at 1,450 nm absorption bands. Remote sensing and GIS techniques were used to predict risks of soil salinity and waterlogging in the study area. Time-sequenced Landsat TM satellite data and groundwater data were analysed to delineate areas where major changes in soil salinity, waterlogging have taken place before and after engineering interventions of deep drains.The rainfall data analysis of all cities in the south-west of Western Australia indicate that annual rainfall has been decreasing since 1969 for some cities in the region and rainfall is decreasing in some cities since 1975. The winter season rainfall shows a downward trend and summer season rainfall shows an upward trend linked to an increase in the frequency of summer storm events in the south-west, in the Wheatbelt and in the east of Western Australia. The annual rainfall and summer season rainfalls have been increasing in the north of Western Australia and both annual rainfall and summer season rainfalls show an increasing trend. Climate change was studied for northern, eastern, Wheatbelt and south-west of WA and its impacts of on surface runoff, groundwater recharge, and land degradation were studied.Deep open drains were monitored in the two major drainage districts of Narembeen and Dumbleyung in Wheatbelt of Western Australia. The efficacy of drains in mitigating the problems of waterlogging and salinity in the area was studied. Information on monitoring of drains in six coastal districts in Western Australia, from Australia and other countries was collated and a coastal drainage best management practices ‘BMP Toolbox’ has been developed.
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Brooks, David J. "Public street surveillance: A psychometric study on the perceived social risk." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2003. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/114.
Full textAbstract:
Public street surveillance, a domain of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV), has grown enormously and is becoming common place with increasing utilization in society as an all-purpose security tool. Previous authors (Ditton, 1999; Davies, 1998; Horne, 1998; Tomkins, 1998) have raised concern over social, civil and privacy issues, but there has been limited research to quantify these concerns. There are a number of core aspects that could relocate the risk perception and therefore, social support of public street surveillance. This study utilized the psychometric paradigm to quantitatively measure the social risk perception of public street surveillance. The psychometric paradigm is a method that presents risk perception in a two factor representation, being dread risk and familiarity to risk. Four additional control activities and technologies were tested, being radioactive waste, drinking water chlorination, coal mining disease and home swimming pools. Analysis included spatial representation, and multidimensional scaling (MDS) Euclidean and INDSCAL methods. The study utilized a seven point Likert scale, pre and post methodology, and had a target population of N=2106, with a sample of N=135 (alpha=0.7).
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Utakrit, Nattakant. "Security awareness by online banking users in Western Australian of phishing attacks." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2012. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/503.
Full textAbstract:
Phishing involves sending e-mails pretending to be from the legitimate financial institutions to recipients and asking for personal information such as username and password. It also redirects network traffic to malicious sites, deny network traffic to web services, and modify protection mechanisms in the targeted computer systems. Consequences of successful attacks can include identity and financial losses, and unauthorised information disclosure.
The purpose of this study was to investigate the experiences of Western Australian bank users in using online banking. The study considered the relationship between the background of the Western Australian bank users and their experience in using online banking security. The research analysed phishing through case studies that highlighted some of the experiences of phishing attacks and how to deal with the problems. Emphasis was placed on knowledge of phishing and threats and how they were actually implemented, or may be used, in undermining the security of users’ online banking services. The preferences and perspectives of Western Australian bank users about the deployment of online banking security protection and about future online banking services, in order to safeguard themselves against phishing attacks, are presented. The aim was to assist such Australian bank users through exploring potential solutions and making recommendations arising from this study.
Research respondents had positive attitudes towards using online banking. Overall, they were satisfied with the security protection offered by their banks. However, although they believed that they had adequate knowledge of phishing and other online banking threats, their awareness of phishing attacks was not sufficient to protect themselves. Essentially, the respondents who had experienced a phishing attack believed it was due to weak security offered by their banks, rather than understanding that they needed more knowledge about security protection of their personal computers.
Further education is required if users are to become fully aware of the need for security within their personal online banking.
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Chia, Steven Puay Chong. "An investigation into student and teacher perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of information communications technologies to support digital forms of summative performance assessment in the applied information technology and engineering studies courses in Western Australia." Thesis, Edith Cowan University, Research Online, Perth, Western Australia, 2016. https://ro.ecu.edu.au/theses/1806.
Full textAbstract:
This study investigated the connections between teachers’ and students’ perceptions of, and attitudes towards, the use of Information and Communications Technologies (ICT) to support assessment in senior secondary courses in Western Australia, and the feasibility of such support in various forms. This investigation focused on the main characteristics of these perceptions, and attitudes and their relationships with curriculum, pedagogy, assessment and ICT. The findings provide guidelines for educators in using ICT to support summative performance assessment. My study was part of the main research study undertaken by Edith Cowan University (ECU) and the Curriculum Council of Western Australia (CCWA) and will provides significant clarity into the implementation of ICT support for performance assessment employing practices which characterise practical performance in digital forms. It was in the range of teacher and student perceptions and attitudes that this study added knowledge to the practice of digital forms of assessment.
The overall intent was to design, cultivate and implement the best assessment task possible to measure the practical performance of students in Engineering Studies and Applied Information Technology (AIT). Therefore, it was also necessary to evaluate the feasibility of this task and factors that would affect feasibility such as perceptions and attitudes of particpants. To achieve this the study needed to gather data in various forms from a wide variety of sources that would allow triangluation of data analysis. Qualitative data were gathered from a student survey where a set of measurements scales were constructed. Quantitative data were assembled from observation and discussion with teachers before, during and after schools’ visits, from open-ended items in the student survey section and from teacher interview responses. In addition small groups of students were assembled into discussion forums and responses to a series of questions were recorded and analysed.
A number of critical thresholds had been reached to underpin the relevance and importance of research into aspects of the use of ICT to support summative assessment. Firstly the growth in access to, and improvements, in ICT services has enabled this emergent area of digital assessment or e-assessment (JISC, 2006). However, this growth is not sufficient justification for the investigation and implementation of digital forms of assessment. The research is justified when this growth in ICT is combined with the increasing use of ICT to improve pedagogical practices; the employment of ICT to improve productivity in education; and the need to effectively and efficiently assess the practical performance of students in a large number of contexts. It was likely that the development of techniques to represent student performance in digital forms would assist the addressing of these imperatives. Whether these techniques were successful would depend on a number of influences including the attitudes and perceptions of students and teachers.
When accountability and efficiency are called upon comparisions are often made with non-ICT strategies. These controlled experiment approaches can prove problematic due to ethical and political questions arising with non-ICT groups. The inherent assumptions to computer use in exams contexts are still conducted using pen and paper. In addition their lack of or slow uptake of ICT and the believed that curriculum will remain unchanged despite the introduction of ICT to support. Therefore this study took an ethnographic, rather than experimental approach, but sought to make comparisons between two key stakeholders; teachers and students. In line with the larger study of which this study was a part, data were collected using observation, interview, survey and document analysis. Analysis and interpretation included the application of a feasibility framework and case study comparison. The adoption of the Concerns Based Adoption Model (CBAM) or models based upon CBAM as an instrument to analyse data was employed in the case studies. The feasibility framework comprised four interrelated and complex parameters Manageability, Technical, Functional and Pedgogical dimensions is described in chapter eight of this study.
It was evident from the research data, that students’ and teachers’ positive attutudes towards the computer-based performance exams and their beliefs in the value of ICT for assessment and all these intrinsic factors were fundamental to the feasibility of the implementation of digital forms of assessment in both Engineering Studies and AIT. From research data it was evident the application of ICT increasingly permeates students’ and teachers’ work and life, and their attitudes towards interaction with computer systems was a major factor in the success of digital forms of assessments in practical performance tasks. This was the focus and the background for this study.
This study found that students in both the Engineering studies and AIT case studies attempted the assessment tasks with enthusiasm, however the AIT assessments were perceived a little more positively by students and teachers than the Engineering studies assessment. Assessment tasks worked best where the approach was familiar to students. This occurred for almost all cases in AIT, but not for Engineering although approach was relatively similar there were logisitical constraints in organising time to complete the tasks and in some cases technical in running the software on school workstations or accessing online systems through school networks. In a number of schools changes had to be mads to standard operating systems to allow software to run off USB thumb drives, video to be viewed, Flash applications to run within Internet browsers and sound to be recorded. Overall the study found that the benefits of digital forms of assessment implemented outweighted the constraints for both the Engineering studies and AIT course. In particular students’ and teachers’ responses were overwhelmingly postive due to the practical nature of the work in all assessment tasks. Generally they perferred this form of assessment to paper-based assessments.
This study has added to existing knowledge on the implementing of digital forms of assessment, in particular to both the Engineering Studies and AIT, and in general to secondary senior courses in Western Australian (WA) schools.
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Egan, Victor. "Organisational form at the technical core of Australian engineering design companies." Thesis, Egan, Victor (2003) Organisational form at the technical core of Australian engineering design companies. PhD thesis, Murdoch University, 2003. https://researchrepository.murdoch.edu.au/id/eprint/52360/.
Full textAbstract:
The theory of the high-performance work system (HPWS) is a relatively recent development that is encompassed within the rubric of strategic human resource management (SHRM). The theory suggests that a company can achieve sustained competitive advantage provided HRM practices are employee focused, internally consistent, and dynamically aligned with corporate objectives and strategies. While the theory has been supported by considerable empirical evidence, the present research study identified a number of methodological biases in the HPWS research to date that appeared to contribute to systematic error, and support a generalised theory without recognition of contextually specific assumptions. The present study used a multilevel/ mixed methodology approach to explore HRM practices in five Australian engineering design companies (EDCs). Practical implementation was compared to idealised HRM practices determined a priori to fit the HPWS framework. The research found that implementation of HRM practices was minimal, rather than high-performing, and that human resources at the technical core were not a contributory factor to company performance. This finding would appear to be paradoxical to the opinion of mainstream HRM scholars, who profess human resources as a major asset of any company and a potential source of sustained competitive advantage. Indeed, the findings of this study revealed the major asset as not human resources per se, but rather, the corporate leaders, who were able to leverage substantial sector growth to the benefit of the companies. The research also demonstrated that firm growth and long-term survival can eventuate despite minimal, non-strategic HRM systems. In an external context characterised as hypo-competitive, market buoyancy and the quality of strategic decision-making at the corporate level overwhelm human resources at the technical core in contributory significance to company performance. This finding suggests that the long-held and much vaunted notion of the ‘resource-based view of firm growth’, rather than a generalisable truism, is spurious and context-bound.
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Young, William Arthur. "Risk apportioning in engineering and building contracts in Australia." Thesis, 1993. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/15739/.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis is an investigation of current practice in respect of risk apportioning in engineering and building construction contracts in Australia. The thesis details a study conducted on 50 industry contracts that, through an examination of risk provisions, determined that a high level of risk shifting was being practised in the engineering and building construction industries in Australia. A comparative study on North American experience was also reviewed to gain an understanding of the broad extent of such practice. The thesis also reviews current literature on this topic and provides a brief summary of
literature items found to be particularly relevant to the study undertaken.
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Burrowes, Gunilla. "Gender dynamics in an engineering classroom engineering students' perspectives." Diss., 2001. http://www.newcastle.edu.au/services/library/adt/public/adt-NNCU20021210.142001.
Full text
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Osterrieder, Sylvia K. "Conservation ecology and human disturbance of Australian sea lions (Neophoca cinerea) in Western Australia." Thesis, 2016. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/32297/.
Full textAbstract:
Effective conservation and management are paramount to long-term recovery
of endangered species. Achieving recovery relies on knowledge of
their behaviour and habitats. Neophoca cinerea (Australian sea lion) is an endangered
species endemic to Australia. This study focused on three key questions
aimed at improving its management near Perth (Western Australia): testing
a sea lion identification tool, describing haul-out patterns, and identifying
human disturbance sources. N. cinerea whisker spot patterns as a tool for individual
identification were tested using Chamfer distance-transform. Patterns
contained sufficient information to reliably (99%) identify individuals in populations
of 50, matching 90% correctly when testing known captive animals
photographed at 90°. Off-angle photographs resulted in 48% correct matches.
Resighting in the wild proved unfeasible in this study. However, resights of
four scarred N. cinerea at Carnac and Seal Islands (the main study sites) confirmed
returns and visitations to both islands. To describe haul-out patterns,
generalized additive models were applied to hourly counts between 0800h-
1600h. N. cinerea numbers followed 17-18 month cycles, inversely aligned
with the breeding cycle. During non-breeding seasons, hauled-out numbers
increased throughout the day, and were associated with air temperature and
tide. Research investigating human disturbance indicated that all human activity
types elicited responses, which varied between islands depending upon
stimulus types (vessel types, people), ranges to stimuli, and activities at each
islands. People at close range elicited most elevated responses, including aggression
and retreating. This occurred mainly at Carnac Island since direct
beach access is allowed. Significant rates of lower-level disturbances were
also elicited by vessels within close proximity, including paddlers and those
undertaking noisy activities. Resulting recommendations include further restriction
and enforcement in approach distances allowed. Also, ongoing monitoring
of abundance and behaviour is required for long-term trend estimation.
Because of high variability in haul-out behaviour, surveys undertaken at comparable
times are recommended.
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Risely, Melissa. "The politics of precaution : an eco-political investigation of agricultural gene technology policy in Australia, 1992-2000 / Melissa Risely." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/21968.
Full text
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Filby, Nicole E. "Burrunan dolphin (Tursiops australis) tourism in Port Phillip Bay, Australia: effects, implications and management." Thesis, 2016. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/32312/.
Full textAbstract:
In Port Phillip Bay, Victoria, Australia, the endemic and vulnerable Burrunan
dolphin (Tursiops australis) is the target species of a non-consumptive,
economically important, dolphin-swim industry. This industry commenced in
1986, and southern Port Phillip Bay is now a key eco-tourism destination in
Victoria, with 8 permitted trips daily targeting swimming with Burrunan dolphins.
Although this industry has been in operation for 29 years, understanding of the
occurrence, demographics, habitat use, behaviour and effects of tourism on
Burrunan dolphins is limited. This lack of empirical data is of concern as it has
impeded management of the Port Phillip Bay dolphin-swim industry. To ensure
the sustainability of this industry, it is imperative that sound scientific data be
provided so that management can make informed decisions. This study
assessed the potential effects of the dolphin-swim industry on Burrunan dolphin
behaviour whilst simultaneously assessing the efficacy of different management
strategies.
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Van, Ruth Peter John. "Overpressure in the Cooper and Carnarvon Basins, Australia / Peter John van Ruth." Thesis, 2003. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/22125.
Full textAbstract:
"February 2003"PhD (by publication).
Includes bibliographical references.
vii, 21, [49] leaves : ill. (some col.), maps, photos (some col.) ; 30 cm.
Title page, contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University Library.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Australian School of Petroleum (ASP), 2004
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Mahajan, Mukul M. "Feasibility analysis of polymer electrolyte fuel cells for residential cogeneration applications in Australia." Thesis, 2006. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/17914/.
Full textAbstract:
The objective of the thesis is to identify the technology and determine the
economic feasibility for the implementation of the PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte
Fuel Cell) stacks for Distributed generation in Australia.
The disposition of the thesis starts with an introductory background that highlights
the need for a distributed energy system where Hydrogen acts as the main energy
source. Subsequently a detailed survey of the availability of various types of fuels
for the fuel cell powered stand-alone micro-grid is presented. The different types
of fuels considered during the study include natural gas, methanol, ethanol,
liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and diesel. Both the availability and transport
aspects for different fuels are surveyed. The coverage domain and the stage of
development of the fuel infrastructure vary with its type.
The economic feasibility is determined by following a specified set of algorithm
which consists of a series of calculations for varying system configurations. The
configuration setup varies with the positioning and sizing of the system
components like the fuel cell stack, the fuel reformer and the Combined Heat and
Power (CHP) distribution network. The cost parameters and operating life for
different configurations considered during the analysis are evaluated and then
compared to the benchmark case where the power is bought from the grid and the
heat demands are met by the conventional gas burner setup.
Two different cost approaches have been used; first one where the benefits of
scaling up the system are considered and the latter one where a linear system cost
approach has been used. Examining the two cost approaches, it is observed that it
is important to consider the beneficial scaling factors. The calculated results are
considered for two different supply strategies. In the first strategy, the entire
heating load of the utility is met by the fuel cell system. Whereas in the second
strategy, the heat demand is partly met by the fuel cell system and the gas burner
acts as an auxiliary heat source. A software tool in Visual Basic editor linked to a
Microsoft excel sheet has been developed for calculations with varying heat and
power demands, the three system architectures, and the type of fuel used.
Subsequently an analysis on the effects of economic factors has been carried out
with the help of the Visual Basic tool mentioned earlier.
The results indicate that the different system architectures are suited in various
scenarios and the amount of heat and power loads. The results also show that the
price of power from the grid has to increase considerably where the fuel cell
systems can compete economically with the benchmark case. If a fuel cell system
is to be installed, considerations have to be given to the desired economic
configuration, the actual heat and power load curves for a domestic utility, costs
and availability of the fuel supply infrastructure. The calculated results highlight
significant variation in the fiscal and utilization costs for the different
combinations calculated in the study.
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Aba, Bulgu Mohammed. "Financial crisis management: application to SMEs in Australia." Thesis, 2005. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/15553/.
Full textAbstract:
The small and medium sized business sector plays a significant economic and social role in Australia. A large number of these businesses suffer from abrupt financial crises resulting from manmade or natural disasters such as fire, flood, storm, etc, which affect all business sectors in the Australian economy. There are numerous theoretical and empirical models that have been applied in relation
to corporate crisis management. The approach employed in this thesis is developed using a new theoretical framework
based on the elements of (i) financial management theories and policies such as risk management, financial engineering, portfolio theory, CAPM, capital budgeting and
optimal capital structure; (ii) accounting theories and practices including corporate financial distress and financial ratio analyses; and (iii) corporate management theories and principles with major emphasis on corporate governance, marketing management, business ethics and stakeholders analysis.
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Muhunthan, Bala. "Traffic loads for estimating the endurances and residual strength of highway bridges." Thesis, 1996. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/122492.
Full text
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Robinson, Randall. "Natural recruitment of native forbs in the grassy ecosystems of south-eastern Australia." Thesis, 2003. https://vuir.vu.edu.au/15238/.
Full textAbstract:
As for many lowland grassy ecosystem forbs in South-eastern Australia, the recruitment dynamics of the grassland forbs Podolepis sp. 1 sensu Jeanes 1999 (Basalt Podolepis) and Bulbine semibarbata perennial form (Leek Lily)are unknown. Podolepis sp. 1 and B. semibarbata were used as models of
recruitment for a range of similar forb species.
In vitro trials of P. sp. 1, 6. semibarbata and an additional 16 grassy ecosystem forb species assessed germinability, germination lag time,germination speed and duration of emergence in relation to light and dark
treatments. In vivo trials assessed recruitment from seed as well as field survival of several age classes of transplants, and how there were affected by soil disturbance and invertebrate herbivory over a 50-week period. In vitro germination for most species was unspecialised with germination rates greater than 50 percent. Light was a significant or neutral factor for the
majority of species but negatively affected several. Survival of juvenile and semi-mature plants of P. sp. 1 and B. semibarbata were achieved in the field,along with high levels of recruitment from seed in some instances, overcoming previous lack of success in recruitment and survival of these lowland grassy ecosystem forb species. Both recruitment from seed and survival of juveniles
was markedly higher in soil-disturbed plots compared with undisturbed plots.
Protection from invertebrates generally enhanced survival of seed-recruited seedlings, planted juvenile plants and semi-mature plants, especially in soildisturbed plots.
The possible reasons for high recruitment and survival of Podolepis sp. 1 and Bulbine semibarbata (perennial form) in soil-disturbed and invertebrate protected plots are discussed, along with the implications of these techniques
for recovery and conservation of lowland grassy ecosystem forb species in South-eastern Australia.
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Cooper, David Seth. "Genetics and agronomy of transient salinity in Triticum durum and T. aestivum." 2005. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/59204.
Full textAbstract:
Title page, table of contents and abstract only. The complete thesis in print form is available from the University of Adelaide Library.Transient salinity in soils is characterised by high concentrations of salts in the subsoil. Durum wheat (Triticum turgidum L. Var. durum) is less tolerant of transient salinity than locally developed bread wheat (Triticum aestivum) varieties, and this results in reliable durum production being restricted to relatively unaffected soils. Field trials were conducted to assess the relative impact of transient salinity, boron toxicity and bicarbonate on crop production and highlighted the importance of combining tolerance to all three subsoil constraints into varieties intended for widespread adoption; and if the area of durum production is to be expanded. The Na exclusion locus from the landrace Na49 was found to improve the adaptation of durum to sites affected by transient salinity and is now being intogressed into a wide range of breeding material.
http://proxy.library.adelaide.edu.au/login?url= http://library.adelaide.edu.au/cgi-bin/Pwebrecon.cgi?BBID=1152134
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Agriculture and Wine, 2005
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Bennetts, Helen. "Environmental issues and house design in Australia : images from theory and practice / Helen Bennetts." Thesis, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/2440/19676.
Full textAbstract:
Bibliography: leaves 172-182.viii, 183 leaves, [96] p. : ill. ; 30 cm.
Proposes that there are fundamental and inadequately recognised differences between architectural practice and the basis of much design advice about environmental issues in house design. Concludes by discussing the implications of these differences for understanding how environmental issues are currently addressed in house design in Australia.
Thesis (Ph.D.)--University of Adelaide, Dept. of Architecture, 2000
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Barton, Andrew David. "Performance of steel framed domestic structures subjected to earthquake loads." 1997. http://repository.unimelb.edu.au/10187/2362.
Full textAbstract:
This thesis investigates the performance of cold formed steel framed domestic structures subjected to earthquake loads. These structures generally include one and two storey houses, comprising steel wall framing, exterior veneer cladding and internal lining. The dynamic, non-linear performance of such structures during earthquakes is simplified to static linear behaviour for design purposes using the structural response modification factor, Rµ. This factor is defined as the product of the structural ductility reduction factor, Rµ, and the over-strength of the system, Ω. This thesis develops a rigorous technique for the determination of Rµ and the application of this technique is demonstrated for a proprietary framing system. This is achieved using novel non-linear, transient dynamic finite element models of these structures subjected to earthquake loads. The model parameters are estimated from unique experiments conducted on representative structures using a shaking table. It is shown that the framing system considered is non-ductile (ie Rµ≈1). This result directly contradicts the assumed ductile behaviour of these framing systems as specified in the Australian earthquake loading standard, AS 1170.4. The significance of this is that current design practices are unconservative and therefore underestimate the earthquake loads on these structures.