ARC Indigenous funding success

Tuesday, 18 November 2014

Research Associate Dr Brett Turner from the School of Engineering has received $570,000 in funding under the Australian Research Council's Discovery Indigenous scheme commencing in 2015 for his research project The effect of climate change on the biogeochemistry of estuarine soft soils.

Australian Research Council (ARC)

Only eight universities across the country were awarded funding for 2015 under the scheme, which aims to support research programs led by an Indigenous Australian researcher.

Under the aegis of the Australian Research Council Centre of Excellence in Geotechnical Science and Engineering, Dr Turner's research will explore the potential impact of climate change and rising sea levels on the geotechnical behaviour of Australia's coastal soft soils, a problem that is becoming increasingly concerning not just in Australia but internationally.

The research project will examine the settling of soft clay deposits embedded in the Australian coastline that affect transport infrastructure. It will examine the impact of climate change on the biogeochemical processes of estuarine sediments in relation to geotechnical properties, soft soil stability under sea level change, and soil carbon sequestration.

With an estimated $67 billion in transport infrastructure at risk, Dr Turner's research aims to bridge the gap between current engineering knowledge and practice and what will be required to preserve that vital infrastructure for the future.

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