Sustain12
The School of Natural and Built Environments
Postgraduate Research Colloquium
November 15-16, 2012
University of South Australia, MM1-05, Mawson Lakes Campus
Table of Contents
Organising Committee ....................................................................................................................................................................... 1
Colloquium Program – Day One ........................................................................................................................................................ 2
Colloquium Program – Day Two ........................................................................................................................................................ 3
Welcome from the Head of School ................................................................................................................................................... 4
About the School ............................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Presentation Abstracts ..................................................................................................................................................................... 7
El-Sayed El-Sayed Abd-Elaal Metwally ............................................................................................................................................... 8
M Reza Hosseini ................................................................................................................................................................................ 9
K Yasodinee D Wimalasiri ................................................................................................................................................................ 10
Nilupa Udawatta ............................................................................................................................................................................. 11
Vahid Poorjafari ............................................................................................................................................................................... 12
Reazul Ahsan ................................................................................................................................................................................... 13
Duyen Pham .................................................................................................................................................................................... 14
Asif Iqbal .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 15
Syamsul Hidayat .............................................................................................................................................................................. 16
Arnold Platts .................................................................................................................................................................................... 17
Natasha Cox ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 18
Ahmed Ranesh ................................................................................................................................................................................ 19
Oliver MD Moinul Hosain ................................................................................................................................................................ 20
Anna Leditschke .............................................................................................................................................................................. 21
Subhashini Chathurika Wella Hewage ............................................................................................................................................. 22
Mohamed Mossad........................................................................................................................................................................... 23
Aleisha Brock ................................................................................................................................................................................... 24
Noor Ismah Hashim ......................................................................................................................................................................... 25
Faisal Ahammed .............................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Li Meng ............................................................................................................................................................................................ 27
Mohamad Sufian Hasim .................................................................................................................................................................. 28
Sithara Harshanie Premalal Walpita Gamage .................................................................................................................................. 29
Abu Taher Md. Zillur Rabbi .............................................................................................................................................................. 30
Carmel Chiu Sutcliffe ....................................................................................................................................................................... 31
Abstracts – Students not Presenting at Colloquium ...................................................................................................................... 32
Craig Wightman ............................................................................................................................................................................... 33
Tri Anggraini Prajnawrdhi ................................................................................................................................................................ 34
N P Giri Putri Setyawathi ................................................................................................................................................................. 35
2012 Research Student Commencements ..................................................................................................................................... 36
1 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Organising Committee
Dr Nicholas Chileshe
Dr Donald Cameron
Ms Danielle Gericke
Miss Kirsty Smeaton
Mrs Elizabeth Stevens
Miss Rhiannon Dienelt
Miss Danijela Prso
Miss Claire Tozer
2 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Colloquium Program – Day One
Thursday, 15 November 2012
9.15am Registration Page
9.30am Welcome: Professor Simon Beecham, Head of School 4
9.45am Opening Remarks: Associate Professor Brenton Dansie, Dean of
Teaching and Learning (ITEE)
5
Session 1: Chaired by Dr Rowena Butland
10.00am El-Sayed El-Sayed Abd-Elaal Metwally 9
10.15am
10.30am
M. Reza Hosseini
Yasodinee Wimalasiri
10
11
10.45am Morning Tea
11.00am Nilupa Udawatta 12
11.15am Vahid Poorjafari 13
11.30am Reazul Ahsan 14
11.45am Duyen Pham 15
12.00pm Asif Iqbal 16
12.15pm Syamsul Hidayat 17
12.30pm Lunch
Session 2: Chaired by Dr Gunnar Keppel
1.30pm Arnold Platts 18
1.45pm Natasha Cox 19
2.00pm Ahmed Ranesh 20
2.15pm Oliver MD Moinul Hosain 21
2.30pm Anna Leditschke 22
2.45pm Afternoon Tea
3.00pm Chathuriksa Subhashini Wella Hewage 23
3.15pm Mohamed Mossad 24
3.30pm Closing Remarks for Day One:
Associate Professor Kutluyil Dogancay, Assistant Dean, Research
Education.
3 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Colloquium Program – Day Two
Friday, 16 November 2012
9.00am Registration Page
9.15am Welcome to Day Two: Associate Professor Jim Jago
School of Natural and Built Environments
Session 3: Chaired by Dr Mizanur Rahman
9.30am Aleisha Brock 26
9.45am Noor Ismah Hashim 27
10.00am Faisal Ahammed 28
10.15am Li Meng 29
10.30am Mohamad Sufian Hasim 30
10.45am Morning Tea
11.00am Sithara Harshanie Premalal Walpita Gamage 31
11.15am Abu Taher Md Zillur Rabbi 32
11.30am Carmel Chiu Sutcliffe 33
11.45am Closing Remarks: Head of School, Professor Simon Beecham
12.00pm Lunch
4 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Welcome from the Head of School
Welcome to the 2012 School of Natural and Built Environments Postgraduate Research
Colloquium. The School contains a vibrant mix of four disciplines that cover the diverse aspects
of both the built and natural environments. These disciplines include Civil Engineering,
Construction and Project Management, Environmental and Geospatial Sciences and Urban and
Regional Planning. From this interdisciplinary platform, we aim to educate outstanding
research‐embedded practitioners and leaders and address research questions in key application
areas using multi‐disciplinary teams and strong international networks.
NBE currently has 116 PhD students, investigating a wide range of problems of direct relevance
to the natural and built environments. This is only one measure of how the School of NBE is
becoming highly productive in terms of its research outputs and the School is particularly keen
to support outcome‐related research and development in our areas of demonstrated
excellence. We also aim to support innovation to underpin future economic and social
development in the communities in which NBE operates. To this end we are creating and
supporting new interdisciplinary PhD programs.
The purpose of this research colloquium is to celebrate the highly innovative and exciting
postgraduate research occurring within the School today. In addition, this colloquium provides a
significant and important opportunity to develop collaborations between and amongst our
graduate students. The students come together in a congenial atmosphere to learn about the
research of others, receive input from academics and relevant industry leaders, and to observe
and discuss the development of research projects with students at different stages of the
processor candidature.
The organising team is to be congratulated on developing such an exciting program that
demonstrates the way in which NBE embraces cross‐disciplinary research challenges while
leveraging our core strengths. The energy behind this achievement is undoubtedly provided by
the Research Students of NBE!
Professor Simon Beecham
Head of School, School of Natural and Built Environments
5 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
About the School
The School of Natural and Built Environments focuses on the unique relationships and synergies
between natural and built environments, with a particular interest in teaching and research to
support improved environmental and socio-economic sustainability for the future.
The School is located across two campuses – in the heart of Adelaide at the City East Campus
and at the expanding and vibrant new suburb of Mawson Lakes on the northern fringe of the
City. As part of the Division of Information Technology, Engineering and the Environment (ITEE),
the School offers applied and relevant programs that take students out of the classroom and into
the field.
Civil Engineering
Civil Engineering programs place particular emphasis on the application of theory through
focused project and assignment work. By the final year of the degrees, fifty per cent of the
courses are project based including a major industry related research project and a design
project that models industry experience. This strong industry focus ensures that graduates are
already familiar with the industry needs and modes of operation when they commence
employment. The programs are accredited by Engineers Australia. Industry links include
Department of Transport, Energy & Infrastructure (DTEI), SA Water and Hansen Yuncken - all of
whom provide scholarships for students in the program. UniSA coordinate regular industry
lectures as well as industry sponsored student projects.
Construction Management and Economics
Construction Management and Economics at UniSA offers the only construction management
degrees in South Australia and is one of the most accredited construction management and
economics programs in Australia. Students can study a broad range of courses, including the
study of sophisticated construction techniques, building surveying and estimating, design
economics, contract administration, project management, planning and more. All undergraduate
and postgraduate programs provide the education and training required to reach a professional
level and have a number of key industry links. The Bachelor of Construction Management and
Economics program maintains a 100% employment rate.
6 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Environmental Management and Sustainability
Programs offered in the Environmental and Geospatial Sciences discipline provide students with
a broad understanding of environmental issues and a blend of geospatial science fundamentals
with applications in environmental management and modelling. The programs also share a
common first year, allowing the flexibility to move between the awards as career aspirations
become clear.
Our Bachelor of Sustainable Environments (Honours Year) presents excellent research training
for students going on to undertake a research masters or PhD.
Graduates will be qualified to work in a wide variety of positions related to the natural and built
environment and the multi-disciplinary nature of the programs, as well as the strong focus on
practical components of learning and active fieldwork, provides expertise in the natural, spatial
and social sciences. Graduates are employed in the private and government sector in all
Australian states and several overseas countries.
Transport Systems Engineering
The Transport Systems Engineering program is designed to provide Masters level expertise in the
planning, designing and managing of transport systems and continuing education for graduate
students with professional interest in the area of transport systems engineering and transport
planning. The coursework enhances the concepts and theory in different aspects of traffic and
transport engineering and students develop the capacity to undertake independent research and
the ability to analyse and report on research procedures and findings.
Urban and Regional Planning
Urban and Regional Planning at UniSA is home to the longest-established planning program in
Australia and celebrated sixty years of planning education in 2009. Both the undergraduate and
postgraduate programs incorporate a range of teaching techniques focused on providing
students with a broad range of skills and knowledge to prepare them for professional practice.
Students undertake field trips and engage in collaborative problem solving projects based on real
life situations, taught by highly qualified planners. A work placement program is built into the
Bachelor’s degree which provides students with an opportunity to work alongside qualified
planners for an extended period of time. The Planning programs are strongly supported by the
Planning Institute of Australia, the national body that accredits professional planners. In the
recent Excellence in Research Australia (ERA) exercise urban & regional planning research at
UniSA was rated world class. All of the planning staff are research active and several are holders
of prestigious grants which fund their research. All regularly publish in academic journals and
books.
8 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: El-Sayed El-Sayed Abd-Elaal Metwally
Degree: PhD Engineering and Environment
Supervisors: Prof Julie Mills, Dr Xing Ma
Project title: Behaviour of transmission line Systems under Downburst Wind Loads
A newly developed analytical model of transient downburst wind loads Abstract: As the main cause of many past failures, downburst wind events have been proven to be one
of the most serious threats to long span structural systems such as transmission line systems.
Whilst there are many experimental and numerical studies for simulating these types of loads,
there is a need for analytical and empirical models to facilitate the application of these loads to
structural systems. In addition, the previous analytical models have some inconsistencies when
compared with recorded field data and experimental results. In this paper, an analytical model
has been established to match recent data updates. The vertical and horizontal profiles of
downburst wind speed have been adjusted, and the downburst intensity and the parent storm
translation speed have been improved. Thus a full scale transient downburst model in the four
dimensions (x,y,z,t) with high accuracy is presented. Finally, an example is presented to show
the application and accuracy of the new model.
Keywords: Downburst, Analytical model, Shaping functions, Intensity factor, Translation speed
9 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: M. Reza Hosseini
Degree: PhD Construction Management
Supervisors: Dr Nicholas Chileshe, Dr Jian Zuo, Dr Sam Baroudi
Project title: An investigation into Implementation of Global Virtual Engineering Teams within Australian construction industry
An investigation into Implementation of Global Virtual Engineering Teams within Australian construction industry Abstract:
Global Virtual Engineering Teams (GVETs) have been in existence for at least two decades,
however, it would appear that the construction industry is generally behind other industries in
terms of harnessing these arrangements. Nevertheless, GVETs are now receiving increasing
attention within the construction context due to their potential benefit for projects. The
research on GVETs in Australia is still in its embryonic state. Australian scholars seem to have
given limited attention to GVETs in comparison to their colleagues in other developed
countries. This is a concern as a lack of knowledge within this area might deprive the
Australian construction industry from reaping the rewards of GVETs. This research aims at
providing academia and industry with important information concerning the implementation
of GVETs in the Australian construction context. Taking advantage of group decision-making
techniques such as Delphi method combined with Fuzzy AHP along with collecting data based
on quantitative and qualitative approaches will provide a foundation for further research on
the topic. It will also provide practitioners with a current snapshot of GVETs in the Australian
construction industry accompanied by a list of factors influencing their adoption.
10 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: K Yasodinee D Wimalasiri
Degree: PhD Environmental Science
Supervisors: A/Prof Linda Zour, Prof Dennis Mulcahy
Project title: Novel graphene sheets for capacitive deionisation
High Performance electrodes by chemical reduction of grapheme oxide/ carbon nanotube composite for capactive deionisation Abstract:
Exfoliated graphene oxide (GO) sheets are intercalated with single walled carbon nanotubes
(SWCNT) to effectively prevent the agglomeration of GO sheets during chemical reduction and
thereby to increase their electrical double layer capacitance for enhanced capacitive
deionisation (CDI). The combined architecture was highly porous with SWCNTs sandwiched
between graphene sheets, providing conductive channels for smooth and rapid ion conduction.
The chemically reduced GO-SWCNT composite has a significantly high specific capacitance of
220 F/g and electrosorption capacity of 14.06 mg/g with 100% regeneration, showing a great
promise in application in CDI.
11 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Nilupa Udawatta
Degree: PhD Building
Supervisors: Dr Jian Zuo, Dr Keri Chiveralls, Prof George Zillante
Project title: Encouraging zero waste practices through a cultural
shift in Australian construction project teams.
Encouraging zero waste practices through a cultural shift in Australian construction project teams Abstract:
As one of major consumers of natural resources and energy, the construction industry has
been criticized due to the generation of a huge amount of waste during different stages of the
construction process. However, due to the strong belief that construction waste generation is
unavoidable and zero waste is not achievable, efforts have been made to introduce methods to
minimise the generation of construction waste. Even though the concept of zero waste has
been seen as a visionary concept, nowadays it becomes a real option since it defines an
essential requirement for a sustainable future. Furthermore, construction waste can be
effectively managed by changing attitudes in addition to change techniques. Since culture
governs the behaviour expected and acceptable by project members, it is necessary to identify
the ideal culture for waste elimination and/or minimisation. The primary aim of this study is to
investigate mechanisms to encourage cultural change in construction project teams to
eliminate and/or minimise construction waste generation in construction projects. In order to
achieve this aim, data will be collected by conducting preliminary interviews, questionnaire
surveys and case studies. Findings of this research will help to eliminate and/or minimise
construction waste generation, reduce the impact on the environment, help to enhance the
performance of construction projects in terms of the financial benefits of effective waste
management and finally help to increase the satisfaction of construction stakeholders.
Key words: Waste elimination, Waste minimisation, Project culture, Construction projects
12 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Vahid Poorjafari
Degree: PhD Transport Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Wen Long Yue, Mr Branko Stazic
Project title: Transit Timetable Synchronisation Using Metaheuristic Algorithms
Transit Timetable Synchronisation Using Metaheuristic Algorithms Abstract:
Timetable synchronisation is an important element in public transport planning, as it directly
affects travel time for the passengers whose trips involve taking two or more services. While
lack of coordination amongst transit services imposes long waiting time to this group of
passengers, synchronisation of services reduces passengers’ transfer times and results in more
attractive public transportation. This study aims to develop an efficient and practical method
for transit timetable synchronisation using metaheuristic algorithms. The transit
synchronisation problem, which is a complex optimisation problem, will be formulated in this
research through two different timetabling approaches: timed transfer and transfer
optimisation. These problems will be solved using two selected metaheuristic algorithms
which are Genetic Algorithm and Simulated Annealing. Considering a hypothetical transit
network, these algorithms will be fitted to the problems via performing a number of sensitivity
analyses. Afterwards, the formulated problems and the algorithms will be applied to a real-
world transit network (Adelaide bus system) to validate the models and the algorithms. A
range of comparative analyses will also be conducted to investigate the capability of the
timetabling approaches and the optimisation algorithms. In the end, the most efficient and
practical method will be presented based on the findings.
13 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Reazul Ahsan
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: A/Prof Jon Kellett, Dr Sada Karuppannan
Project title: Climate change changing the urban poverty scenario and housing economy a study on Bangladesh
Climate exodus: an emerging challenge for urban development Abstract: Human understanding of potential climate change impacts has improved enormously.
Environmental impacts and extreme climate events have introduced a new social community
named “climate migrants or displaced communities”. Hurricane Katrina in New Orleans and
Cyclone Sidr and Aila in Bangladesh forced hundreds of thousands of people to migrate from
the exposed coastal regions. Most of such migration took place towards urban areas which are
yet to address such exodus in local urban systems. Climate migration leads to chaotic and
overwhelming levels of urbanization with attendant poor living standard and unsustainable
urban growth. Bangladesh is among the countries most severely affected by climate change
and climate induced migration. Using a case study approach drawing on empirical research on
climate migrants in Bangladesh, this study examines the drivers of migration and the
subsequent effects on the urban systems in Bangladesh.
Key words: Climate change, Migration, Urbanisation, Urban system, Socio-economic impacts.
14 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Duyen Pham
Degree: PhD Civil Engineering
Supervisors: A/Prof. John Van Leeuwen, Prof Christopher Chow
Project title: Development and Modelling of Advanced Coagulation
and Oxidation Processes
Climate exodus: an emerging challenge for urban development Abstract:
Natural organic matter (NOM) in water is an important consideration in many different
reactions and processes that affect water qualities. The most significant reason for NOM
removal in drinking water treatment processes is to reduce disinfection by-product (DBP)
formation. The lower concentration of NOM, the lower DBP will be formed. The conventional
treatment of water using alum as coagulant is the customary practice at Australian water
treatment plants. However, natural organic matter is not completely removed by the
coagulation processes, even at high dosage applications. Hence, other treatment options may
need to be considered and adopted in order to optimize the overall treatment process.
Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) have been considered as powerful and efficient
treatment methods for NOM removal and for minimization of DBP formation. These processes
involve the reaction of the hydroxyl radical (.OH), one of the most powerful oxidants known,
with NOM. The AOP Ozone-UV oxidation has been investigated and found to mineralize NOM
mineralization, with by a decrease in DBP formation potential under strong oxidation process.
This study focuses on the enhancement of conventional treatment systems integrated with
AOP Ozone-UV oxidation to optimize treatment operation to deal with NOM removal for
drinking water supplies.
15 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Asif Iqbal
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: Dr Andrew Allan, Dr Rocco Zito
Project title: Modeling Eco-Efficiency for Vehicular Emissions: A study on Dhaka City of Bangladesh
Modeling Eco-Efficiency for vehicular emmisions: A Study on Dahka City of Bangladesh Abstract:
The contribution of different industry sectors to air pollution and greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions is important to demonstrate the consequence of various activities on the
environment. Development in the transport sector can achieve sustainability when efficiency
in service and emissions reduction is ensured. Thus the objective of this research is to
generate scenarios of pollution and GHG levels at different state of the transport system in
Bangladesh, along with assessing its efficiency level. A detailed emission inventory will be
conducted to support the generation of emission scenarios. The study focuses on developing a
relationship based on the emission scenarios, in order to facilitate assessing transport eco-
efficiency in further cases in Bangladesh or in other similar developing countries. This eco-
efficiency approach can create new opportunities to the motorized cities of the developing
countries (like Dhaka city) to justify their transport system and can try to attain efficiency in
greater extent through modification. The research aims to provide scientifically informed
policy guidelines to decision makers for the proper management of the transport sector, to
maximize the environmental wellbeing of urban environments.
16 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Syamsul Hidayat
Degree: PhD Environmental
Supervisors: Dr Guna Hewa, Mr David Pezzaniti
Project title: Investigation of optimization techniques for multiobjectives operation of stormwater harvesting
Investigation to the impact of timescales on daily run off modelling performance Abstract:
Modeling time scale is a feature of conceptual rainfall-runoff models (Diskin and Simon, 1979).
It is a factor among others which may affect the modeling performance. A rainfall-runoff model
may provide timescales vary from 6 min to daily. In regard to modeling performance, one may
intuitively assume that the shorter the time scale, the better the modeling performance.
Previous studies on the effect of timescales on modeling performance, however, show that
there has not been a clear relationship between the timescales and modeling performance.
The present study was aimed to investigate the impact of timescales on runoff volume
modeling at Parafield Drain Water Harvesting and Reuse Scheme. The sub-daily version of WC
rainfall-runoff model was employed to calculate the output at three timescales: 30min, 1 hour
(1h) and 1 day (1d). Daily runoff data from October 2003 to July 2004 and from August 2004 to
May 2005 were used in calibration and verification, respectively. The modeling performance
was assessed by two statistics, Nash-Sutcliffe Efficiency (NSE) and Volumetric Difference (VD,
%).
Results show that as the timescales become coarser, NSE values were going better whereas VD
were going worse. The efficiencies during calibration were 0.78, 0.88 and 0.91 at 30-m, 1h and
1d, respectively. VD values at the same order of timescales were 3.51, 9.37 and 9.83,
respectively. The trend of these statistics were about the same during the verification with NSE
values being 0.87, 0.91 and 0.93 and VD being 3.04, 5.60 and 3.67 at 30-m, 1h and 1d,
respectively.
17 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Arnold Platts
Degree: PhD Civil Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Don Cameron, Dr James Ward
Project title: Development of a novel subterranean conduction augmentation technique for both vertical and horizontal ground heat exchangers in unsaturated soil
A novel augmentation technique to improve subterranean thermal conduction for ground heat exchangers in unsaturated soil Abstract:
Ground Heat Exchangers (GHE’s) are becoming increasingly more popular in passive heating
and cooling. The top few metres of soil wherein the GHE is installed is significantly influenced
by seasonal fluctuations represented in the subterranean ground wave. The heat flux
emanating from a GHE (in cooling mode) underground pipe has resulted in ‘soils’ in the
immediate vicinity having low moisture content leading to low thermal conductivity being
avoided. Low thermally conductive dry soils are generally found in hot and temperate climates
like Central and South Australia and they require GCHE’s to have long pipe runs resulting in
significant inefficiencies. Current solutions for dry soils bring little real benefit to improving the
underground Overall Heat Transfer along with the saving of water with its associated
embodied energy.
A Membrane Conduction augmentation Technique (MCAT) will bridge the gap between the
high heat flux emanating from the pipe-work carrying the heat transfer fluid to that of the soil
surround having a low capacity to absorb that same heat flux.
The MCAT will promote GCHE installations into the passive heating and cooling of buildings
into areas previously considered unsuitable on the basis of a soils low thermal conductivity.
18 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Natasha Cox
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: Dr Matthew Rofe, Dr Rowena Butland
Project title: Life in a world heritage area balancing stakeholders desire for the future
A novel augmentation technique to improve subterranean thermal conduction for ground heat exchangers in unsaturated soil Abstract:
The ideals of heritage management and planning are that important things of the past, such as
buildings, spaces, and objects, which tell a story about who we are and where we have come
from, should be conserved in their current condition so that future generations are able to
see, experience and feel in touch with the past. Often this protection involves strict and
tedious guidelines regarding their contemporary presence and function. However, there is
more to heritage than it just being something old and ‘important’ to the future. Heritage is the
meanings attached to places. It is the understanding of the past with reference to the present;
or more specifically it is our understanding of the past in relation to our views and beliefs in
the present. Heritage is about the now more so than the past, and its meanings will evolve as
the present does. It is the merging of the past into the present, and how this is captured into
the future, that has captured my attention and is guiding my research and my understanding
of heritage. This presentation will explore the notion of heritage as an ever evolving
phenomenon and the implication this has on the planning and management of them.
19 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Ahmed Ranesh
Degree: Doctor of Project Management
Supervisors: Dr Nicholas Chileshe, Prof George Zillante, Dr Tony Ma
Project title: Integration of Risk Management and Value Management in Public Private Partnership Project Management
Preliminary Findings on the Integration of Risk and Value Management Abstract:
This research is part of an on-going doctoral enquiry into the integration of Risk Management
(RM) and Value Management (VM) in Public Private Partnership projects. RM and VM are
regarded as best practice methodologies in project management and are widely applied in PPP
projects. VM uses facilitation to pursue best value (including value for money) through explicit
identification of desired project functions and subsequently RM sets out to reduce risk.
Fundamental similarities between these methodologies suggest that they are consistent.
Likewise, it is considered that VM also helps pursue the interests of RM and vice versa,
therefore conducting these two activities separately may result in a duplication of effort. Thus,
there is an argument that the wider implementation of an Integrated Risk and Value
Management (IRVM) framework in the procurement and delivery of projects would deliver
added benefits leading to better results.
Following extensive literature review and exploratory pilot interviews, a questionnaire survey
was launched amongst industry practitioners to elicit information on the practice of RM and
VM The questionnaire survey was also designed to explore the prospects for its integration.
The research findings thus far show that it is highly desirable to have an IRVM framework
throughout the lifecycle of any project. Based on the survey findings, the research puts
forward an interface framework for the much desired integration of RM and VM.
20 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Oliver MD Moinul Hosain
Degree: PhD Water Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Guna Hewa, Mr David Pezzaniti
Project title: Dynamics of sub-surface drip emitter clogging in relation to temperature variation
Subsurface drip irrigation: Risks associated with water quality and soil thermal variation Abstract:
Clogging of subsurface drip emitters in reclaimed water irrigation schemes is a very common
problem. Growing evidence suggest that subsurface temperature is strongly correlated with
emitter clogging although the dynamics of how it affects emitter performance is yet to be
understood. This study analyses the thermal variation in rhizosphere including the consequent
changes in recycled water quality and their implications on bio-fouling of emitters. In the
northern horticultural district of Adelaide, seasonal variation of 18 OC at 20 cm below the
ground is very common and the recorded variation in any 10 year period is notably high (25.8 OC). Furthermore, the average diurnal variation is also important for operational purpose as
the minimum and maximum soil temperature in any day would always occur in specific times.
This variation in subsurface temperature affects reclaimed water quality primarily by
regulating microbial growth in the labyrinth flow path of emitters. The ever changing level of
microbial quality of recycled water still poses threat to sustainable practice of drip technology.
The study concludes that future research, design and operation of reclaimed water irrigation
schemes must account for these sustainability issues.
21 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Anna Leditschke
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: Dr Matthew Rofe, Dr Rowena Butland
Project title: A comparison of regulatory versus
performance-based planning systems in
relation to cultural heritage management.
‘Justice for all? The construction and validation of ‘justice’ in planning.
Abstract:
Professionals are often confronted with work situations that both consciously and
subconsciously question their personal ethical standpoints. These dilemmas can be induced
through conflicts with their moral obligations to clients, work colleagues, society as a whole, as
well as to themselves. This presentation will discuss preliminary research into understanding
how planners conceptualise ‘justice’ within their occupation. This includes consideration of the
role of ethics, morals and values within decision-making processes, and how this affects
relationships with stakeholders.
Preliminary investigations have indicated that the role of the planner and how they conduct
themselves is an important and continually evolving area of inquiry within the field of urban
planning. The notion of ‘justice’ is related fundamentally to the rights and equality of both
individuals and the collective within society, and as such, the results of this study have possible
implications for reflection by disciplines other than planning. This presentation will therefore
explore the concept of ‘justice’ in greater detail, while considering the repercussions of its use
in planning and in other fields.
22 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Subhashini Chathurika Wella Hewage
Degree: PhD Water Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Guna Hewa, Mr David Pezzaniti
Project title: Methodologies to assess the performance of Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) measures in maintaining natural status of flow regimes of urbanized catchments.
Catchment scale performances of infiltration-based WSUD measures in greenfield developments Abstract:
Urban sprawl of greenfield catchments is inevitable due to population growth and industrial
expansions. Transforming natural catchments into urban landscapes induces a host of
environmental issues including altered catchment response in terms of increased surface
runoff and velocities, changed baseflow conditions and reduced time of concentration.
Consequently, the concept of sustainable catchment development necessitates
implementation of stormwater source control techniques. These techniques aim to prevent or
minimise detrimental hydrologic impacts associated with catchment development by
mimicking natural flow regimes. In Australia, Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD)
techniques, such as bioretention, infiltration trenches and permeable pavements, are
increasingly used to manage stormwater runoff. With WSUD being an integral part of
stormwater management plans, it is critical to understand the hydrologic performances of
these techniques. Numerous studies have been conducted to evaluate hydrologic performance
of WSUD measures in allotment scale; however, the catchment scale impact of WSUD
measures is not well recognised. This presentation focuses on evaluating the catchment scale
performances of infiltration-based WSUD measures using a calibrated model and flow duration
control as a design strategy. Modelling was undertaken considering various development
scenarios (10%, 20%, 30% imperviousness, etc.) and maintained conditions using WSUD for
Scott Creek catchment. Results from this evaluation suggest that adopted infiltration-based
WSUD measures can effectively reproduce near natural streamflow time-series in developed
catchments.
23 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Mohamed Mossad
Degree: PhD Civil Engineering
Supervisors: A/Prof Linda Zou, Prof Dennis Mulcahy
Project title: Using capacitive deionization for inland brackish groundwater desalination
Electrosorptive behavior under various operational conditions in the capacitive deionization process Abstract:
In this work, fouling, scaling and cleaning of the capacitive deionisation (CDI) with activated
carbon electrodes were systematically investigated for the first time. Electrode fouling caused
by different total organic carbon (TOC) and inorganic salt levels in the CDI feed solutions was
investigated in a series of controlled fouling experiments. After each CDI experiment, a series
of cleaning steps was performed to understand the reversibility of fouling accumulated on
the electrode surface by analysing the cleaning solutions. It was found that the higher the
TOC concentration in the CDI feed solution, the more the reduction of salt removal efficiency,
declination in the production rate and energy consumption (kWh per m3). Dissolved organic
matter (humic acid) is the main cause of electrode fouling, as it blocks the activated carbon
pores and reduces their electrosorption capacitance. Ca and Mg have no noticeable effect on
the CDI treatment performance. However, Fe seemed to have a greater effect on CDI
electrode fouling. Alkaline and acid cleaning solutions were able to restore the recovery of
the CDI performance from fouling caused by dissolved organic and inorganic salts,
respectively. Pre-treatment aiming at reducing the TOC levels is recommended to achieve
sustainable operation performance for CDI.
24 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Aleisha Brock
Degree: PhD Environmental
Supervisor: Prof Phil Weinstein, A/Prof David Bruce, A/Prof David Slaney
Project title: A risk assessment tool for antimalarial resistance: the importance of drug misuse
A Risk Assessment Tool for Antimalarial Resistance: The Importance of Drug Misuse. Abstract:
The emergence and spread of antimalarial resistance is hampering global malaria treatment
and eradication efforts. Resistance in areas of Southeast Asia is an important aspect of
malaria control and the reduction of malaria-associated mortality, as there are only a small
number of treatments currently available that are as efficient as ACTs and a limited number
currently under development. The misuse of antimalarial drugs has been identified as a
contributing factor by the World Health Organisation, where substandard treatments and
counterfeited medicines have facilitated the spread of resistant strains. Other associated
factors include: actions of aid agencies and government health services during disasters; land
use; mosquito and parasite biology; and community demographics. I hypothesise that drug
misuse and associated factors contribute to the emergence and spread of antimalarial
resistance in Plasmodium falciparum.
Preliminary analysis will inform model building stages, where mathematical modelling will be
used to describe the dynamics between and within hosts and parasites. These models will
then be combined to create a risk analysis tool using aspects of systems modelling. The tool is
timely as it will enable stakeholders to choose the most effective malaria treatment strategy in
the face of global ACT and multidrug resistance.
25 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Noor Ismah Hashim
Degree: Doctor of Project Management
Supervisors: Dr Nicholas Chileshe, Dr Sam Baroudi
Project title: An investigation into multiple projects
environments within the Australian Construction
industry
An investigation into multiple projects environments within the Australian construction industry Abstract:
Multiple Project Environments (MPEs) create challenges within management complexity and
capacity. MPEs have developed within the construction industry due to economic and
business imperatives. Unfortunately, the existing evidence supporting this problem is rather
weak within the context of the Australian construction industry. As such, management
performance within MPEs and their effectiveness or otherwise is running unchecked. In order
to be effective, contingency theory states that organisations should be apt to characteristics
such as task interdependency and uncertainty as pertaining to their environment. Therefore,
this study investigates the challenges and the characteristics of MPEs with the aim of
improving project management effectiveness. This involves the construction of a theoretical
framework relating challenges to characteristics of MPEs and then testing this framework
against empirical data.
26 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Faisal Ahammed
Degree: PhD Water Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Guna Hewa, A/Prof John Argue
Project title: Stormwater management using water sensitive urban design principles in Dhaka, Bangladesh.
Applying WSUD principles to manage stormwater in Dhaka, Bangladesh Abstract
Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) principles were investigated for Dhaka’s stormwater
drainage network and three practical alternatives including leaky-wells, soak-aways and
infiltration trenches were identified. Rainfall intensity-frequency-duration relationships
required in the design process were developed using 57 years (1953–2009) daily rainfall data.
We evaluated 100 years average recurrence interval storm using ‘Regime in Balance’ strategy
and the hydraulic designs show that a 13–15 m3 WSUD technology in 500 m2 residential
allotment may improve Dhaka’s unsatisfactory stormwater management option into one
which is sustainable. Multi-criteria decision analysis technique using Analytic Hierarchy
Process model was also evaluated to select the most appropriate WSUD technology. Eleven
criteria under three categories (technical, economical and social) were considered to quantify
relative priorities of alternatives and after the analysis, it was found that leaky-well
(percentage priority 43%) followed by soak-away (38%) was the most appropriate WSUD
technology for Dhaka City. A modeling equation was also developed to determine optimal
numbering and sizing of leaky-wells required to manage stormwater. The key highlights of this
presentation include:
Development of WSUD design specifications required in the design process,
Hydraulic designs of WSUD technologies,
Applying multi-criteria decision analysis technique to select the most appropriate
WSUD technology,
Hydrologic modeling of leaky-wells to manage stormwater in Dhaka City.
27 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Li Meng
Degree: PhD Transport Systems Engineering
Supervisors: Prof Michael Taylor, Prof Steven Hamnett, Dr Nicholas Holyoak
Project title: Choice models for analysing station access mode choice and residential location choice in Adelaide’s Northern Rail Corridor
Choice models for analysing station access mode choice and residential location choice in Adelaide’s Northern Rail Corridor Abstract:
Transit-oriented development (TOD) has become a topic of great interest in recent times as a
method of coping with the current energy crisis epoch and climate change phenomenon. In
some successful international TOD cases, relatively high density residential areas and public
transport patronage are generally demonstrated, however in low density cities, such as
Adelaide, can a TOD be created to form a sustainable urban development?
This study uses Adelaide’s Northern Rail Corridor as a case study area to apply discrete choice
models for an analysis of possible policies for TOD development, especially in regards to
Mawson Lakes. The study produced a 24 page survey questionnaire which was distributed to
residents both by paper mail and an online survey, with over 600 respondents in the corridor
providing answers and comments. Different models have been developed in this study with
regard to station access mode choice and residential location choice. The results show that
the travel distance from home to the railway station as well as house type are important
factors for the decision making of corridor travellers. The factors of daily activity, age, house
affordability, car park availability, and personal safety are strongly influenced by individual
heterogeneity preferences. Modelling results will be further plotted in GIS modelling for
state-of-practice policy suggestions.
28 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Mohamad Sufian Hasim
Degree: PhD Building
Supervisors: A/Prof Stephen Pullen, Dr Alpana Sivam
Project title: A Framework for the Adoption of Sustainable Asset
Management In Universities in Developing
Countries
Sustainability Practices in Facilities Management: Analysis of Drivers and Barriers for Australian Universities Abstract:
Sustainability practices in FM are important for organizations as they have a significant
influence on organizational success. However, to enhance sustainability implementation,
organizations need to have drivers which can facilitate the effective integration of
sustainability into organizations. In addition, the number of possible barriers should be
reduced to a minimal level. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to identify drivers and
barriers that influences and obstruct university organizations to perform sustainable practice.
As a public sector, universities have great leadership role in achieving a sustainable
development goal. The survey was carried out across 32 Australian universities and directed to
128 managerial positions in facilities management departments through online self-
administered questionnaires. The survey achieved a total response rate of 40%. The analysis of
results highlighted that universities in Australia have various significant drivers that influence
sustainability performance such as the high commitment in the future vision and mission;
pressures from stakeholders; policy and strategy in place; availability of knowledge-enhanced
programs; collaborations; and reporting. From fourteen listed barriers, among the most
important was financial constraints, organizational engagement, and organizational culture.
Even though the study concludes that there is a significant level of factors that influences the
performance of sustainability practices in Australian universities, the asset management team
needs to seriously consider improving strategies to overcome the key barriers identified in this
research that potentially slow down achieving future target.
KEYWORDS
Sustainability Practices, Facilities Management, Australian Universities, Organization
Sustainability, Questionnaire Survey
29 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Sithara Harshanie Premalal Walpita Gamage
Degree: PhD Water Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Guna Hewa, Prof Simon Beecham
Project title: Probalistic Nature of Hydrologic Losses in South
Australian Catchments
Distribution of hydrological losses for varying rainfall and antecedent wetness conditions Abstract:
Hydrological loss is a vital component in many hydrological models, which are used in
forecasting floods and evaluating water resources for both surface and subsurface flows. Due
to the complex and random nature of the rainfall runoff process, hydrological losses are not
yet fully understood. Consequently, practitioners often use representative values of the losses
for design applications such as rainfall-runoff modelling which has led to inaccurate
quantification of water quantities in the resulting applications. The existing hydrological loss
models must be revisited and modellers should be encouraged to utilise other available data
sets.
This study is based on three unregulated catchments situated in Mt. Lofty Ranges of South
Australia (SA). The study focuses on conceptual models for: initial loss (IL), continuing loss (CL)
and proportional loss (PL) with rainfall characteristics (total rainfall (TR) and storm duration
(D)), and antecedent wetness (AW) conditions. The study introduces two methods that can be
implemented to estimate IL as a function of TR, D and AW. The IL distribution patterns and
parameters for the study catchments are determined using multivariate analysis and
descriptive statistics. The possibility of generalising the methods and the limitations of this will
be also discussed. This study will yield improvements to existing loss models and will
encourage practitioners to utilise multiple data sets to estimate losses, instead of using
hypothetical or representative values to generalise real situations.
30 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Abu Taher Md. Zillur Rabbi
Degree: PhD Civil Engineering
Supervisors: Dr Don Cameron, Dr Mizanur Rahman
Project title: Experimental and Computational Modelling of Instabilitiy of Natural Slope.
Engineering Behavious of Silty Glacial Sand
Abstract:
The instability of sandy soil can result in catastrophic failure of geotechnical structures.
Instability arises when rapid pore water pressure is generated in loose to medium dense soil
and the stress state reaches the failure criterion for the soil. Large plastic deformations are
triggered. Some silty sands exhibit excessive settlement, when inundated, which is termed soil
collapse. Collapse settlement may lead to the failure of soil structures like failure of an earth
dam during reservoir filling, instability of slopes and landslide phenomena due to heavy
rainfall or water table rise.
This study investigates the mechanical behaviour as well as the collapse behaviour of sandy
soil with some fines from the hilly region of Mount Compass of South Australia. Three bulk
samples were collected and stored for testing. In order to understand the conditions for
instability to occur, a series of isotropically consolidated undrained (CIU) triaxial compression
tests was performed under different soil preparations and confining pressures. It was found
that instability increased with decrease in density, which is compatible with the findings of
Chu and Leong (2002).
One dimensional collapse settlement testing of the soils indicated that collapse potential (CP)
depends on the nature of the fines, initial density and pressure applied before wetting. The
collapse potential is the difference between the settlement when the soil is loaded dry and
that when the soil is flooded. An increase of CP was observed with decreasing initial density,
while CP increased with increase in wetting pressure. The modification of an existing empirical
prediction model for collapse potential is being investigated.
31 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Carmel Chiu Sutcliffe
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: A/Prof Ian Clark, Dr Lou Wilson, A/Prof Alastair Greig
Project title: Narratives from the urban Roma ghetto, Fakulteta, Bulgaria
Narratives from the urban Roma ghetto, Fakulteta, Bulgaria Abstract:
This will be a virtual presentation from Sofia, Bulgaria, where I am currently conducting
fieldwork for this research, which examines the phenomenon of urban marginality for ethnic
Roma living in Fakulteta, one of Europe’s largest urban ghettos. Post-socialism, the isolated
ghetto has come to be characteristic of the urban and social fabric of Bulgaria. Lacking from
the discourse on the issues of socio-spatial seclusion are the lived experiences from within
these urban spaces. Using participatory photography and video and in-depth interviews, this
research attempts to capture the life-worlds of the research participants. The ways in which
digital imagery has allowed for rich, polyphonic narratives to be revealed and in which the
process of examination of one’s world through images and action induces self-conscious
reflexivity, will be discussed.
32 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Abstracts – Students not Presenting at Colloquium
33 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Craig Wightman
Degree: PhD Planning
Supervisors: Dr Andrew Allan, Dr Sadasivam Karuppannan
Project title: Attitudes and Preferences to bicycling by location: The Self-Completion Questionnaire (SCQ) and it’s Development
Attitudes and Preferences to bicycling by location: The Self-Completion Questionnaire (SCQ) and it’s Development Abstract: This presentation addresses the different stages of development that a self-completion
questionnaire (SCQ) takes from obtaining ethics clearance through to results from the pilot
study. The SCQ is about attitudes to bicycling and bicycling preferences by location, the two
locations to be targeted by the SCQ are Adelaide, South Australia and Atlanta, Georgia, United
States. There are two locations within each City that are targeted, one which has been
determined to have bicycling infrastructure, such as on-street and off-street bicycle lanes,
while the other area is to have no nearby bicycling infrastructure.
Response rates and how to maximise them in both Cities are discussed, as well as describing
the logistics of carrying out a pilot survey in a foreign Country. Turning negative feedback into
positive changes to the SCQ will be addressed, citing some examples collected from the pilot
study. From those results, it is clear that young people are not responding at the same levels
as their parents/grandparents, efforts to increase younger people to respond using social
media and other new technologies are discussed.
34 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: Tri Anggraini Prajnawrdhi
Degree: PhD Planning and Building
Supervisors: Dr. Alpana Sivam Dr. Sadasivam Karuppannan
Project title: An approach to sustainable development and preservation of cultural heritage in developing countries: An investigation of Denpasar
An approach to sustainable development and preservation of cultural heritage in developing countries: An investigation of Denpasar Abstract: Urbanisation is a major trend all over the world especially in the developing countries.
Denpasar, the capital city of Bali has the highest population growth amongst other regencies
in Bali, and this growth is based on rapid urbanisation from other regency and especially from
outside Bali Island. With growing population and influx of tourists, this culturally rich city is
undergoing a transformation to cope with the demand for infrastructure and services for
growing population and tourism. This transformation is disturbing the original plan for
Denpasar which is built on the architectural traditions of Hindu city and building code and
affecting the urban heritage of the city. As heritage places are scarce and valuable to the
community, it is important to conserve them as they are not renewable. Conservation is very
important in the management of heritage sites as once the site is destroyed, it cannot be
regenerated, reintroduced or duplicated. The aim of the research is to develop an approach
to sustainable planning based on Urban Design Principles (UDPs) to protect the cultural
heritage simultaneously accommodating growing population and promote tourism.
35 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
Name: N P Giri Putri Setyawathi
Degree: Masters by Research
Supervisors: Dr Rowena Butland
Project title: Integrated approach to improve healthy living
environment in the cities
Designing Healthy Communities: An investigation into the impacts of place-making on physical activity as an interface between design and aesthetic quality Abstract:
This study is concerned with approaching an understanding of the impacts urban planning
and built environment can have on populations’ health. The purpose of this research lies in
contributing to understanding the contemporary nature of urban design on the
development of healthy living within the urban environment. Such an understanding may
offer an opportunity to reconsider the ways in which professionals (planners, urban
designers and architects) approach the offering of assistance in city planning with
consideration to structuring the living environment that helps to create a sustained healthy
community.
This study takes place around two related enquiries. The first emerges from an idea that the
health of the individual is linked to the health of the wider community and, indeed to the
health of the supporting environment (Moughtin et al., 2009, p.21, Jackson and Sinclair,
2012). Following such idea, this thesis seeks to analyse the ways in which discourses on
environmental condition might influence people’s lifestyle and their health outcomes.
Secondly, as a foray into methodologies of health study, this research is developed based on
the idea that an appealing landscape contributes to people health (Abraham et al., 2010,
p.59). This approach are explored as means of bringing further insight into more specific
links between the aesthetic quality of landscapes and health that concerns on the way
human environmental perception is perceived and experienced as a resources for healthy
behaviour. Building on these two starting interests, the research seeks to explore the
possibility of designing environmental landscape through approaching an understanding on
the impacts of aesthetic appreciation has upon people’s health.
Keyword: Aesthetic quality, physical activities, human experience
36 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
2012 Research Student Commencements –
School of Natural and Built Environments
Mr Reza Hassanli
Mr Md Mamunur Rashid
Miss Nilupa (Dona) Thushari Udawatta
Miss Natasha Cox
Miss Anna Marie Leditschke
Mr Mohammad Reza Hosseini
Miss Emma Wannell
Mr Osama Elsaid Abdelmonem Youssef
Mr Sherif Mostafa
Miss Ni Putu Giri Putri Setyawathi
Mr Peter Slay
Mr Vahid Poorjafarijavazm
Mrs Maria Baby
37 Sustain 12 School of Natural and Built Environments November 2012
2012 Research Student Commencements continued
School of Natural and Built Environments
Mr Alaa Abdel Hamid Ismail
Miss Kelly Hill
Miss Beth Louise Keogh
Mrs Aleisha Brock
Mr Mohammad Reza Hosseini
Mr Bjorn Dueholm
Ms Shirini Afroze
Mr Choon Hua Goh
Mr Javad Sadoghi Yazdi
Mrs Niranjani Semananda