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Research on Minimisation of Damage to Residential Structures Due to Ground Movement

Swinburne University of Technology with support from the Building Commission, Office of Housing (OoH), Foundation and Footings Society – Victoria (FFSV), Association of Consulting Engineers Victoria (ACSEV) and Housing Engineering and Design Research Association (HEDRA) has received a research grant from the Australian Research Council. The research aims to quantify damage to domestic structures due to ground movement caused by environmental factors including climate change and provide a performance based framework for the design of footing systems. The research outcomes will benefit designers, builders, owners and related professionals in the Australian housing sector.

To fulfil the aims of the project, the following objectives are to be accomplished:

  • Identify and assess relative significance of factors contributing to damage to houses and examine the effectiveness of common remedial measures for damage rectification.
  • Examine the effects of climate change on the performance of new houses.
  • Quantify likely degree of damage to typical components due to different movement scenarios through the development of fragility models.
  • Develop a framework for performance-based design criteria to provide prospective homeowners and designers with means to assess the expected performance level of a house in a given environment.

The research project has formally commenced in October 2011 and is due for completion in 3 years.

Funding sources

ARC Discovery Grant [LP100200306 (2010-2013)]

Contact

 

Key project team members

Swinburne University of Technology

Project Advisory Panel

  • John Shaw, Building Commission (BC)
  • Fiona Hodges, Office of Housing (OoH)
  • Geoff Snow, ACSEV
  • John McFarlane, FFSV
  • Dominic Lopes, HEDRA
 
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