QUT offers a diverse range of student topics for Honours, Masters and PhD study. Search to find a topic that interests you or propose your own research topic to a prospective QUT supervisor. You may also ask a prospective supervisor to help you identify or refine a research topic.
Found 13 matching student topics
Displaying 1–12 of 13 results
Women returning to construction after career interruptions
The architecture, engineering, and construction (AEC) industry is known to have a fast-paced and demanding working environment. Companies operate in a competitive market with tight project deadlines. The stringent work environment is perceived as one of the main barriers in career progression for women and can be challenging for women to return to work after career interruptions.This project focuses on three big questions:What are the types of career interruption?What motivates women to return to work in the AEC sector?Do these “return-to-work” policies/work practices work?
- Study level
- Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
Addressing Australia's affordable housing demand through industrialised construction
Australia is facing an intense housing crisis. Access to affordable housing has sharply declined. Moreover, the average rental vacancy is at historically low, at around 1% in major cities. The Australian government has unveiled ambitious plans to boost housing supply by building thousands and thousands of new homes within the next 10 years. However, the construction industry's capacity is severely constrained to build and supply such as the local industry relies mostly in traditional in-situ construction methods and techniques.This research …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
Supply chain vulnerabilities and risks in major infrastructure projects: future proofing Australia's construction supply chain
The repercussions of COVID-19 pandemic, Ukraine war and the conflicts in the Middle East has caused global supply chain disruption. Australia is particularly vulnerable to supply chain disruption due to its unique geographic location, construction environment and dwindling manufacturing base.Significant cost overruns, project delays, productivity decline and compromised quality products and facilities have become norm rather than exception. We have a huge demand for major infrastructures including those needed for the Brisbane 2032 Olympic. Future proofing the construction supply chain …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
AI in construction
AI has been impacting businesses and professionals in unprecedented ways. This project will investigate how AI is impacting construction planning, management and execution of construction projects both in positive and negative ways and how Australian construction firms and professionals can better prepare themselves to ride with it.
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
Improving safety behaviours for respirable crystalline silica in construction work
Respirable crystalline silica (RCS) is a major health and safety concern, particularly in construction work processes. This project is aimed at understanding employer compliance implications and employee risk perceptions, attitudes, and safety behaviours towards the control measures used in workplaces to help minimise risk related to RCS. The overall intention of the project is to help ensure effective compliance is maintained when managing RCS in the workplace and to prevent silicosis in workers.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Management
Understanding psychosocial factors for addressing mental health concerns in the construction industry
Construction workers are at an increased risk of suicide and experience higher rates of poor psychological health. This research investigates the many psychosocial factors that can contribute to worker psychological (and general) wellbeing. This includes social support, social capital, personal networks, work-related conditions, and work-life-balance. Managing the psychosocial wellbeing of workers is as critical to addressing physical risks associated with construction work.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Business and Law
- School
- School of Management
Investigating the application of sustainable AI practices in construction
The construction industry plays a vital role in the global economy and there is a growing interest in utilising artificial intelligence (AI) to improve its productivity and efficiency. Despite the industry's significant contribution to the economy, it has faced challenges such as large cost overruns, extended schedules, and quality concerns. Nevertheless, AI is making significant strides to remove these issues by revolutionising various aspects of the construction industry. This is evident from enhancing project planning and design to improving construction …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Architecture and Built Environment
Structural application of green concrete
The need for sustainable construction has prompted researching alternative concrete technologies around the world. In QUT, a project has been developed to investigate structural applications of environmentally friendly (Green) concrete.Project activities can be undertaken by students at various levels, including VRES, final-year undergraduates, and PhD researchers.
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Centre for the Environment
Construction materials in extreme chemical and thermal processing environments
Investigate and identify materials that can be used to construct chemical plants using extreme chemicals and processing conditions.Australia has the potential to lead globally in supplying critical minerals for current and emerging energy technologies, however the extraction and recovery of these minerals are requiring more aggressive chemicals and processing requirements that are not suitable for traditionally used construction materials, such as stainless steel.Thus, this project will perform experimental material testing on a range of construction materials under extreme chemically corrosive …
- Study level
- PhD
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Mechanical, Medical and Process Engineering
Engineering response to climate emergency with zero carbon footprint for building construction by 2030 using circular economy principles
We as engineers can make a contribution to address the current climate emergency.The Australian Sustainable Built Environment Council report (2016) found that if Australia's built environment sector reaches zero carbon emissions for the operation of residential and commercial buildings by 2050, it could contribute 28% to the country's 2030 emissions reduction target and save up to AU$20 billion.In this project we will consider the application of the circular economy, which is based on the principles of designing out waste and …
- Study level
- PhD, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Civil and Environmental Engineering
- Research centre(s)
- Centre for Materials Science
Centre for a Waste-Free World
SLAM inside the human body: camera tracking and 3D reconstruction for medical procedures
Minimally invasive surgery and endoscopic interventions rely heavily on the clinician’s ability to understand and navigate complex internal anatomy using only a narrow and often restrictive field of view. Having access to an accurate and dynamic 3D reconstruction of the endoscopic scene, together with reliable camera pose estimation can significantly improve spatial awareness and navigation during procedures. The generated map can be used alongside the device’s estimated location to help clinicians better orient themselves within the patient, and it also …
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
3D scene reconstruction for medical application
New computer vision methods using machine learning can reconstruct 3D dynamic environments. We are working on medical application to track clinicians, patients body, lesions and tools. Those techniques can be applied for tracking injuries (e.g. wound), providing analytic of operating theatre, and provide guidance for surgical intervention.
- Study level
- PhD, Master of Philosophy, Honours
- Faculty
- Faculty of Engineering
- School
- School of Electrical Engineering and Robotics
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