Australia's disabling income support system : tracing the history of the Australian disability income support system 1908 to 2007 : disablism, citizenship and the basic income proposal

The present study examined the historical basis of the Australian disability income support system from 1908 to 2007. Although designed as a safety net for people with a disability, the disability income support system within Australia has been highly targeted. The original eligibility criteria of "permanently incapacitated for work", medical criteria and later "partially capacitated for work" potentially contained ideological inferences that permeated across the time period. This represents an important area for study given the potential consequence for disability income support to marginalise people with a disability. Social policy and disability policy theorists, including Saunders (2007, Social Policy Research Centre [SPRC]) and Gibilisco (2003) have provided valuable insight into some of the effects of disability policy and poverty. Yet while these theorists argued for some form of income support they did not propose a specific form of income security for further exploration. Few studies have undertaken a comprehensive review of the history of disability income support within the Australian context. This thesis sought to redress these gaps by examining disability income support policy within Australia. The research design consisted of an in-depth critical historical-comparative policy analysis methodology. The use of critical historical-comparative policy analysis allowed the researcher to trace the construction of disability within the Australian disability income support policy across four major historical epochs. A framework was developed specifically to guide analysis of the data. The critical discourse analysis method helped to understand the underlying ideological dimensions that led to the predominance of one particular approach over another. Given this, the research purpose of the study centred on: i. Tracing the history of the Australian disability income support system. ii. Examining the historical patterns and ideological assumptions over time. iii. Exploring the historical patterns and ideological assumptions underpinning an alternative model (Basic Income) and the extent to which each model promotes the social citizenship of people with a disability. The research commitment to a social-relational ontology and the quest for social change centred on the idea that "there has to be a better way" in the provision of disability income support. This theme of searching for an alternative reality in disability income support policy resonated throughout the thesis. This thesis found that the Australian disability income support system is disabling in nature and generates categories of disability on the basis of ableness. From the study, ableness became a condition for citizenship. This study acknowledged that, in reality, income support provision reflects only one aspect of the disabling nature of society which requires redressing. Although there are inherent tensions in any redistributive strategy, the Basic Income model potentially provides an alternative to the Australian disability income support system, given its grounding in social citizenship. The thesis findings have implications for academics, policy-makers and practitioners in terms of developing better ways to understand disability constructs in disability income support policy. The thesis also makes a contribution in terms of promoting income support policies based on the rights of all people, not just a few.

A Tale of Two Marinas

A Tale of Two Marinas: Burnett Heads and Port of Bundaberg This exhibition showcases the work of 4th Year undergraduate Landscape Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering students in response to issues of sustainability in Burnett Heads and the Port of Bundaberg. The Burnett Heads & Port of Bundaberg project site, just north of Bargara, is a complex mix of port facilities, urban development, established residential and service areas, coastal conservation and agriculture. The project brief was to prepare a range of strategic planning and environmental management options for future urban and infrastructure development. 4th year undergraduate Landscape Architecture and Civil and Environmental Engineering students worked over one teaching semester with guidance from QUT academics and partner organisations to produce strategic planning, environmental management planning and design options for managing future growth in the area. The project process involved three visits to the site by QUT students and staff. The first visit at the project’s commencement included a formal briefing session with project partners the Burnett Mary Regional Group, Port of Brisbane Corporation, and Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning. Formal and informal community engagement facilitated by the Burnett Heads Progress Association also allowed students to gain some understanding of local values. A second visit mid-project involved a ‘Futures Workshop’ with students and community. This enabled the students to gain the benefit of local knowledge and experience in response to their work-in-progress, and to establish priorities for project completion. It strengthened the relationship between the community and the students. A final exhibition, ‘A Tale of Two Marinas’ was held at the Burnett Progress Hall just prior to completion of the project. The student work exhibited offers a diverse number of alternative options for the future urban development, infrastructure and environmental planning that the partner organisations have used for ongoing consultation.

Port of Bundaberg Futures

This exhibition showcases the work of Postgraduate Landscape Architecture and final year Undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering students in response to issues of sustainability in the Port of Bundaberg. The Port of Bundaberg project site, just north of Bargara, is a complex mix of port facilities, urban development, coastal conservation and agriculture. The project brief was to prepare a range of strategic planning and environmental management options for future urban and infrastructure development in the Port area. Postgraduate Landscape Architecture and final year Undergraduate Civil and Environmental Engineering students worked over one teaching semester with guidance from QUT academics and partner organisations to produce strategic planning, environmental management planning and design options for managing future growth in the area. Specifically, these make recommendations regarding: • Interface between Port lands and residential settlement; • Future residential/urban development; • Transport accessibility and mobility – road, rail, tramway and maritime for personal and freight movement; • Local and regional connectivity - both physical and perceptual- between urban settlements of Port of Bundaberg – Burnett Heads and the surrounding area; • Recreational and tourism development; • Public/private space mix and access; • Ecological conservation assets; • Natural and cultural heritage assets The project process involved three visits to the site by QUT students and staff. The first visit at the project’s commencement included a formal briefing session with project partners the Burnett Mary Regional Group, Port of Brisbane Corporation, and Queensland Department of Local Government and Planning. Formal and informal community engagement facilitated by the Burnett Heads Progress Association also allowed students to gain some understanding of local values. A second visit mid-project involved a ‘Futures Workshop’ with students and community. This enabled the students to gain the benefit of local knowledge and experience in response to their work-in-progress, and to establish priorities for project completion. It strengthened the relationship between the community and the students. A final exhibition, ‘Port of Bundaberg Futures' was held at the Port TAFE Campus upon the completion of the project. The student work exhibited offers a diverse number of alternative options for the future urban development, infrastructure and environmental planning that the partner organisations have used for ongoing consultation.

Resilient Maroochydore 2029 : Urban Design Futures

Resilient Maroochydore 2029 This exhibition showcases the work of 4th year undergraduate Landscape Architecture students in response to issues of sustainability in Maroochydore on the Queensland Sunshine coast. The projects comprising this exhibition all investigate possible design futures for the Maroochydore Centre, in the light of a series of new disturbance scenarios. Specific disturbances upon the landscape have been imagined, and design resolutions developed based on resilience to these disturbances. The proposals investigate how the Maroochydore Centre might respond to these scenarios, and how future components of the Centre might be designed for greater ‘resilience’. The Exhibition Five groups of students (32 in total) produced five strategic planning and design options toward this future: Team Transect: “What happens to a region following a sustained period of economic prosperity, with affordable property and negligible unemployment? This proposal investigates the effects on a community of massive population explosion, land shortages and inadequate planning regulations following an extended boom period.” The Foodfighters: “This proposal considers the scenario of massive food shortages and of escalating prices, and the possibility of government intervention to stabilise food supply. Strategies based upon simplified, collaborative approaches to food production are investigated.” The TTMKG: “This proposal explores the scenario of Peak Oil and the subsequent effects on society of homelessness, large scale unemployment, food shortages and global financial and political instability. Individual opportunities are restricted by the limitations of bicycle transportation.” Team Peak: “Peak Oil has restricted private vehicle transport to only the most wealthy, while public transport systems are under immense pressure. Rising unemployment drives localised trade initiatives, and the global import/export market has collapsed. This proposal considers the transition of a community from its position in a global economy to that of a relocalised economy, where basic needs are secured as close to home as possible.” After the City: “A rapid population decline as a result of the region’s failing economy has resulted in a fragmented urban fabric. This proposal investigates the possibility of new suburbanisation, reinterpretation and reinvention of space through phased processes.”

Design + ethics

The socio-cultural purpose of the university has been de-emphasised in recent decades, however, various community engagement projects that have been undertaken by design schools in higher education institutions are bringing this back into focus. Through the design skills of academic staff and students, a number of projects have been identified and undertaken in partnership with communities as well as the public and private sectors. The 2008 ‘Linking Karumba’ project, among others, shows that academy-based design and education professionals can contribute to social development through making good design accessible to disadvantaged communities.

Community engagement : creating sustainable futures by design

QUT Alumni and Development Office, Engagement and Partnerships Seminar 'Managing Partnerships' As part of a week of engagement/partnership activities, this seminar outlined the engagement practices of 'Sustainable Futures by Design' and the BAC partnership. Presenters of two QUT Engagement Innovation projects discussed how emphasis on how the project benefited their work and the university generally, especially through the partnership, including through enhanced teaching and research. They outlined the principles and practices of good partnership management. Presenters: Shannon Satherley & Les Dawes: Community Engagement: Creating Sustainable Futures by Design Ashantha Goonetilleke & Bernard Murchison: QUT - BAC Partnership Satherley & Dawes: 'Developing and Maintaining the Partnerships: giving and receiving; expecting the unexpected; administration; enjoying the rewards.'C

Changing relationships : Re-activating student and staff engagement in the design studio learning environment

QUT Teaching and Learning Support Services 'Revisiting University Teaching’program for mid-career academics. 'Innovations in Teaching at QUT' presentations. Presentations were part of a 2 day program that provides opportunities for experienced academic staff with responsibilities for teaching to review their current teaching practices and explore innovations in teaching that will assist them to enhance student learning and develop their own scholarship of teaching. The presenter responded to the following: 1.What is the innovation you have incorporated into your teaching? - give a brief overview/ description/ demonstration of the innovation 2.What challenges/issues prompted you to make changes in your approach? Were they discipline specific? Operational? Opportunistic? 3.What factors did you need to consider in implementing these changes? Which factors enabled success or hindered? 4.What has this innovation achieved so far? How have learners responded? How have the broader teaching team and academic staff from other units in your course responded? 5.How could this innovation be used by other academics in their teaching? What do you see as the possibilities for further expansion of this innovation? (NB. This question could be answered as part of a final sharing of group discussion). Presenter: Shannon Satherley

Changing relationships : engaging students and staff in the design studio

QUT Learning and Teaching Unit Seminar Making a Real Difference: Learning and Teaching Grants Showcase This event recognised and shared teaching innovations, including those from faculty learning and teaching grants. The Showcase featured four ALTC Grant project leaders (Helen Partridge, Sylvia Edwards, Robyn Nash and Mary Ryan) who had recently completed or were about to complete their grants. Each QUT faculty nominated two 2010 faculty teaching and learning grant recipients to showcase grant outcomes via a poster. Poster: Shannon Satherley & Abbe Winter Changing Relationships: Engaging Students and Staff in the Design Studio 'In the design studio learning environment, traditional student and staff expectations are of close contact teaching and learning. However, in recent years increasing class sizes have meant students experiencing reduced personal staff attention, and increasingly feeling “anonymous” and correspondingly disengaged, to the detriment of quality learning (Carbone 1998: 8; Biggs 2003). Concurrently, there has been a necessary increase in teaching by sessional (casual) teaching staff at QUT, with varied levels of experience and assurance. While teachers primarily regard engagement as “cognitive and conative,” for students it is emotional: “... an essential need to feel that they were engaged with the context of their learning and that it was meaningful in some way” (Solomonides and Martin 2008: 18). As a response to these conditions, the Changing Relationships action-research project was run within a QUT School of Design studio unit in 2009 and 2010, based on the premise that engaged teaching can encourage emotionally engaged learning. The project inverted the structure of the traditional QUT studio unit, empowering both students and sessional staff with a sense of increased autonomy: literally changing the relationships within the studio learning environment.'

Collaborative design learning for traditional crafts industry

Traditional craft industries need assistance with being transformed into creative industries; as such a transformation will support them to face the future competitive global market. Assistance such as advisory programs should serve long-term benefit for crafts industries as well as optimize self-help potential. Advisory programs using participatory methods will enable craftspeople and stakeholders to reveal resources and potencies, such as socio-cultural value, tradition and other kind of heritages, to generate new innovative ideas of craft design in a sustainable way.

Water Sensitive Urban Design (WSUD) application auditing

Background WSUD implementation in the Gold Coast City Council area commenced more than a decade ago. As a result, Council is expected to be in possession of WSUD assets valued at over tens of million dollars. The Gold Coast City Council is responsible for the maintenance and long-term management of these WSUD assets. Any shortcoming in implementation of best WSUD practices can potentially result in substantial liabilities and ineffective expenditure for the Council in addition to reduced efficiencies and outcomes. This highlights the importance of periodic auditing of WSUD implementation. Project scope The overall study entailed the following tasks: * A state-of-the-art literature review of the conceptual hydraulic and water quality treatment principles, current state of knowledge in relation to industry standards, best practice and identification of knowledge gaps in relation to maintenance and management practices and potential barriers to the implementation of WSUD. * Council stakeholder interviews to understand current practical issues in relation to the implementation of WSUD and the process of WSUD application from development application approval to asset management. * Field auditing of selected WSUD systems for condition assessment and identification of possible strengths and weaknesses in implementation. * Review of the Land Development Guidelines in order to identify any gaps and to propose recommendations for improvement. Conclusions Given below is a consolidated summary of the findings of the study undertaken. State-of-the-art literature review Though the conceptual framework for WSUD implementation is well established, the underlying theoretical knowledge underpinning the treatment processes and maintenance regimes and life cycle costing are still not well understood. Essentially, these are the recurring themes in the literature, namely, the inadequate understanding of treatment processes and lack of guidance to ensure specificity of maintenance regimes and life cycle costing of WSUDs. The fundamental barriers to successful WSUD implementation are: * Lack of knowledge transfer – This essentially relates to the lack of appropriate dissemination of research outcomes and the common absence of protocols for knowledge transfer within the same organisation. * Cultural barriers – These relate to social and institutional factors, including institutional inertia and the lack of clear understanding of the benefits. * Fragmented responsibilities – This results from poor administrative integration within local councils in relation to WSUDs. * Technical barriers – These relate to lack of knowledge on operational and maintenance practices which is compounded by model limitations and the lack of long-term quantitative performance evaluation data. * Lack of engineering standards – Despite the availability of numerous guidelines which are non-enforceable and can sometimes be confusing, there is a need for stringent engineering standards. The knowledge gaps in relation to WSUDs are only closing very slowly. Some of the common knowledge gaps identified in recent publications have been recognised almost a decade ago. The key knowledge gaps identified in the published literature are: * lack of knowledge on operational and maintenance practices; * lack of reliable methodology for identifying life cycle issues including costs; * lack of technical knowledge on system performance; * lack of guidance on retrofitting in existing developments. Based on the review of barriers to WSUD implementation and current knowledge gaps, the following were identified as core areas for further investigation: * performance evaluation of WSUD devices to enhance model development and to assess their viability in the context of environmental, economic and social drivers; establishing realistic life cycle costs to strengthen maintenance and asset management practices; * development of guidelines specific to retrofitting in view of the unique challenges posed by existing urban precincts together with guidance to ensure site specificity; establishment of a process for knowledge translation for enhancing currently available best practice guidelines; * identification of drivers and overcoming of barriers in the areas of institutional fragmentation, knowledge gaps and awareness of WSUD practices. GCCC stakeholder interviews Fourteen staff members involved in WSUD systems management in the Gold Coast City Council, representing four Directorates were interviewed using a standard questionnaire. The primary issues identified by the stakeholders were: * standardisation of WSUD terminology; * clear protocols for safeguarding devices during the construction phase; * engagement of all council stakeholders in the WSUD process from the initial phase; * limitations in the Land Development Guidelines; * ensuring public safety through design; * system siting to avoid conflicts with environmental and public use of open space; * provision of adequate access for maintenance; * integration of social and ecosystem issues to ensure long-term viability of systems in relation to both, vandalism and visual recreation; * lack of performance monitoring and inadequacy of the maintenance budget; * lack of technical training for staff involved in WSUD design approvals and maintenance; incentives for developers for acting responsibly in stormwater management. Field auditing of WSUD systems A representative cross section of WSUD systems in the Gold Coast were audited in the field. The following strengths and weaknesses in WSUD implementation were noted: * The implementation of WSUD systems in the field is not consistent. * The concerns raised by the stakeholders during the interviews in relation to WSUD implementation was validated from the observations from the field auditing, particularly in relation to the following: * safeguarding of devices during the construction phase * public safety * accessibility for maintenance * lack of performance monitoring by Council to assess system performance * inadequate maintenance of existing systems to suit site specific requirements. * A treatment train approach is not being consistently adopted. * Most of the systems audited have satisfactorily catered for public safety. Accessibility for maintenance has been satisfactorily catered for in most of the systems that were audited. * Systems are being commissioned prior to construction activities being substantially completed. * The hydraulic design of most systems appears to be satisfactory. * The design intent of the systems is not always clear. Review of Land Development Guidelines The Land Development Guidelines (TDG) was extensively reviewed and the following primary issues were noted in relation to WSUD implementation: * the LDG appears to have been prepared primarily to provide guidance to developers. It is not clear to what extent the guidelines are applicable to Council staff involved in WSUD maintenance and management; * Section 13 is very voluminous and appears to be a compilation of a series of individual documents resulting in difficulties in locating specific information, a lack of integration and duplication of information; * the LDG has been developed with a primary focus on new urban precinct development and the retrofitting of systems in existing developments has not been specifically discussed; * WSUDs are discussed in two different sections in the LDG and it is not clear which section takes precedence as there are inconsistencies between the two sections; there is inconsistent terminology being used; * there is a need for consolidation of information provided in different sections in the LDG; * there are inconsistencies in the design criteria provided; * there is a need for regular updating of the LDG to ensure that the information provided encompasses the state-of-the-art; * there is limited guidance provided for the preparation of maintenance plans and life cycle costing to assist developers in asset handover and to assist Council staff in assessment. * Based on these observations, eleven recommendations have been provided which are discussed below. Additionally, the stakeholder provided the following specific comments during the interviews in relation to the LDG: * lack of flexibility to cover the different stages of the life cycle of the systems; * no differentiation in projects undertaken by developers and Council; * inadequate information with regards to safety issues such as maximum standing water depth, fencing and safety barriers and public access; * lack of detailed design criteria in relation to Crime Prevention through Environmental Design, safety, amenity, environment, surrounding uses and impacts on surroundings; * inadequate information regarding maintenance requirements specific to the assessment and compliance phases; * recommendations for plantings are based primarily on landscape requirements rather than pollutant uptake capability. Recommendations With regards to the Land Development Guidelines, the following specific recommendations are provided: 1. the relevant sections and their extent of applicability to Council should be clearly identified; 2. integration of the different subsections within Section 13 and re-formatting the document for easy reference; 3. the maintenance guidelines provided in Section 13 should be translated to a maintenance manual for guidance of Council staff; 4. should consider extending the Guidelines to specifically encompass retrofitting of WSUD systems to existing urban precincts; 5. Section 3 needs to be revised to be made consistent with Section 13, to ensure priority for WSUD practices in urban precincts and to move away from conventional stormwater drainage design such as kerb and channelling; 6. it would also be good to specify as to which Section takes predominance in relation to stormwater drainage. It is expected that Section 13 would take predominance over the other sections in the LDG; 7. terminology needs to be made consistent to avoid confusion among developers and Council staff. Water Sensitive Urban Design is the term commonly used in Australia for stormwater quality treatment, rather than Stormwater Quality Improvement Devices. This once again underlines the need for ensuring consistency between Section 3 and Section 13; 8. it would also be good if there is a glossary of commonly used terms in relation to WSUD for use by all stakeholders and which should also be reflected in the LDG; 9. consolidation of all WSUD information into one section should be considered together with appropriate indicators in other LDG Sections regarding the availability of WSUD information. Ensuring consistency in the information provided is implied; 10. Section 13 should be updated at regular intervals to ensure the incorporation of the latest in research outcomes and incorporating criteria and guidance based on the state-of-the-art knowledge. The updating could be undertaken, say, in five year cycles. This would help to overcome the current lack of knowledge transfer; 11. the Council should consider commissioning specialised studies to extend the current knowledge base in relation to WSUD maintenance and life cycle costing. Additionally, Recommendation 10 is also applicable in this instance. The following additional recommendations are made based on the state-of-the-art literature review, stakeholder interviews and field auditing of WSUD systems: 1. Performance monitoring of existing systems to assess improvements to water quality, identify modifications and enhancements to improve performance; 2. Appropriate and monitored maintenance during different phases of development of built assets over time is needed to investigate the most appropriate time/phase of development to commission the final WSUD asset. 3. Undertake focussed investigations in the areas of WSUD maintenance and asset management in order to establish more realistic life cycle costs of systems and maintenance schedules; 4. the engagement of all relevant Council stakeholders from the initial stage of concept planning through to asset handover, and ongoing monitoring. This close engagement of internal stakeholders will assist in building a greater understanding of responsibilities and contribute to overcoming constraints imposed by fragmented responsibilities; 5. the undertaking of a public education program to inform the community of the benefits and ecosystem functions of WSUD systems; 6. technical training to impart state-of-the-art knowledge to staff involved in the approval of designs and maintenance and management of WSUD projects; 7. during the construction phase, it is important to ensure that appropriate measures to safeguard WSUD devices are implemented; 8. risks associated with potential public access to open water zones should be minimised with the application of appropriate safety measures; 9. system siting should ensure that potential conflicts are avoided with respect to public and ecosystem needs; 10. integration of social and ecosystem issues to ensure long-term viability of systems; provide incentives to developers who are proactive and responsible in the area of stormwater management.

Establishing design thinking : accident, program frameworks and personal practices

Distribution through electronic media provides an avenue for promotion, recognition and an outlet of display for graphic designers. The emergence of available media technologies have enabled graphic designers to extend these boundaries of their practice. In this context the designer is constantly striving for aesthetic success and is strongly influenced by the fashion and trends of contemporary design work. The designer is always in a state of inquiry, finding pathways of discovery that lead to innovation and originality that are highly valued criteria for self-evaluation. This research is based on an analysis of the designer perspective and the processes used within an active graphic design practice specializing entirely within a digital collage domain. Contemporary design methodologies were critically examined, compared and refined to reflect the self-practice of the researcher. The refined methodology may assist designers in maintaining systematic work practices, as well as promote the importance of exploration and experimentation processes. Research findings indicate some differences in the identified methodologies and the design practice of the researcher in the sense that many contemporary designers are not confined to a client-base but are self-generating design images influenced by contemporary practitioners. As well as confirming some aspects of more conventional design processes, the researcher found that accidental discoveries and the designer’s interaction with technology plays a significant part in the design process.

Alternative structural design strategies for bridge decks in low traffic volume roads

This research is part of a major project with a stimulus that rose from the need to manage a large number of ageing bridges in low traffic volume roads (LTVR) in Australia. The project investigated, designed and consequently constructed, involved replacing an ageing super-structure of a 10m span bridge with a disused Flat-bed Rail Wagon (FRW). This research, therefore, is developed on the premises that the FRW can be adopted as the main structural system for the bridges in LTVR network. The main focus of this research is to present two alternate deck wearing systems (DWS) as part of the design of the FRW as road bridge deck conforming to AS5100 (2004). The bare FRW structural components were first examined for their adequacy (ultimate and serviceability) in resisting the critical loads specified in AS5100(2004). Two options of DWSs were evaluated and their effects on the FRW examined. The first option involved usage of timber DWS; the idea of this option was to use all the primary and secondary members of the FRW in load sharing and to provide additional members where weaknesses in the original members arose. The second option involved usage of reinforced concrete DWS with only the primary members of the FRW sharing the AS5100 (2004) loading. This option inherently minimised the risk associated with any uncertainty of the secondary members to their structural adequacy. This thesis reports the design phases of both options with conclusions of the selection of the ideal option for better structural performance, ease of construction and cost. The comparison carried out here focuses on the distribution of the traffic load by the FRW as a superstructure. Advantages and disadvantages highlighting cost comparisons and ease of constructability of the two systems are also included.

Young people, public space and new urbanism

The first of three articles in this issue addressing the public space topic considers public space and young people in the light of a range of papers delivered at the 27th International Conference on 'Making Cities Livable', held in Vienna, Austria, in July 2000. Under the overarching concept of the "liveable city" the conference themes of 'Rediscovery of public space' and 'Cities for the wellbeing of children' attracted a broad mix of those interested in the planning, design and management of urban space. A number of themes percolated through the conference which stimulated the writers to examine the nexus between urban development, young people and public space. There is an ongoing need to examine the meaning of public space in the face of powerful urban development trends. A model of public space practice is required which incorporates a vision of inclusive public spaces, fosters the interactivity of design, planning, social policy and management, and resources for greater communication and strategic action between stake holders from the most local of levels to those at state and international levels. The speed and magnitude of contemporary urban development makes community input and influence difficult, particularly for those impacted on by the exclusionary tendencies of much urban development. It is critical that a range of meaningful and sustainable mechanisms are developed which allow young people’s conceptions of what constitutes youth-friendly space to be directly made and taken account of.

Investigating ways of seeing IT research : a tool for facilitating effective research partnerships?

Effective research partnerships, both intra- and interdisciplinary, as well as academy-industry partnerships, rely on shared understandings of particular aspects of the research endeavour. Research partnerships are essentially learning partnerships, if we accept the argument that research may be seen as learning at the collective level. This paper establishes the need to investigate information technology (IT) researchers' varying ways of seeing certain aspects of their research world, in order to assist the process of forging effective research partnerships. We analyse the importance of facilitating effective partnerships in IT research, discuss our plan for investigating the collective consciousness of IT researchers, and explain some of the strategies to be used in the investigation.

Shear-critical impact response of biaxially loaded reinforced concrete circular columns

A study on the vulnerability of biaxially loaded reinforced concrete (RC) circular columns in multi-story buildings under low- to medium-velocity impacts at shear-critical locations is presented. The study is based on a previously validated nonlinear explicit dynamic finite element (FE) modeling technique developed by the authors. The impact is simulated using force pulses generated from full-scale vehicle impact tests abundantly found in the literature with a view to quantifying the sensitivity of the design parameters of the RC columns under the typical impacts that are representative of the general vehicle population. The design parameters considered include the diameter and height of the column, the vertical steel ratio, the concrete grade, and the confinement effects. From the results of the simulations, empirical equations to quantify the critical impulses for the simplified design of the short, circular RC columns under the risk of shear-critical impacts are developed.