Housing supply in Australia : the impact of the availability of development finance

Before the Global Financial Crisis many providers of finance had growth mandates and actively pursued development finance deals as a way of gaining higher returns on funds with regular capital turnover and re-investment possible. This was able to be achieved through high gearing and low presales in a strong market. As asset prices fell, loan covenants breached and memories of the 1990’s returned, banks rapidly adjusted their risk appetite via retraction of gearing and expansion of presale requirements. Early signs of loosening in bank credit policy are emerging, however parties seeking development finance are faced with a severely reduced number of institutions from which to source funding. The few institutions that are lending are filtering out only the best credit risks by way of constrictive credit conditions including: low loan to value ratios, the corresponding requirement to contribute high levels of equity, lack of support in non-prime locations and the requirement for only borrowers with well established track records. In this risk averse and capital constrained environment, the ability of developers to proceed with real estate developments is still being constrained by their inability to obtain project finance. This paper will examine the pre and post GFC development finance environment. It will identify the key lending criteria relevant to real estate development finance and will detail the related changes to credit policies over this period. The associated impact to real estate development projects will be presented, highlighting the significant constraint to supply that the inability to obtain finance poses.

Design and evaluation of an MRI compatible axial compression device for 3D assessment of spinal deformity and flexibility

Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) offers a valuable research tool for the assessment of 3D spinal deformity in AIS, however the horizontal patient position imposed by conventional scanners removes the axial compressive loading on the spine which is an important determinant of deformity shape and magnitude in standing scoliosis patients. The objective of this study was to design, construct and test an MRI compatible compression device for research into the effect of axial loading on spinal deformity using supine MRI scans. The compression device was designed and constructed, consisting of a vest worn by the patient, which was attached via straps to a pneumatically actuated footplate. An applied load of 0.5 x bodyweight was remotely controlled by a unit in the scanner operator’s console. The entire device was constructed using non-metallic components for MRI compatibility. The device was evaluated by performing unloaded and loaded supine MRI scans on a series of 10 AIS patients. The study concluded that an MRI compatible compression device had been successfully designed and constructed, providing a research tool for studies into the effect of axial loading on 3D spinal deformity in scoliosis. The 3D axially loaded MR imaging capability developed in this study will allow future research investigations of the effect of axial loading on spinal rotation, and for imaging the response of scoliotic spinal tissues to axial loading.

Building research capacity in the nursing workforce : the design and evaluation of the nurse researcher role

Objectives: The Nurse Researcher Project (NRP) was initiated to support development of a nursing research and evidence based practice culture in Cancer Care Services (CCS) in a large tertiary hospital in Australia. The position was established and evaluated to inform future directions in the organisation.---------- Background: The demand for quality cancer care has been expanding over the past decades. Nurses are well placed to make an impact on improving health outcomes of people affected by cancer. At the same time, there is a robust body of literature documenting the barriers to undertaking and utilising research by and for nurses and nursing. A number of strategies have been implemented to address these barriers including a range of staff researcher positions but there is scant attention to evaluating the outcomes of these strategies. The role of nurse researcher has been documented in the literature with the aim to provide support to nurses in the clinical setting. There is, to date, little information in relation to the design, implementation and evaluation of this role.---------- Design: The Donabedian’s model of program evaluation was used to implement and evaluate this initiative.---------- Methods: The ‘NRP’ outlined the steps needed to implement the nurse researcher role in a clinical setting. The steps involved the design of the role, planning for the support system for the role, and evaluation of outcomes of the role over two years.---------- Discussion: This paper proposes an innovative and feasible model to support clinical nursing research which would be relevant to a range of service areas.---------- Conclusion: Nurse researchers are able to play a crucial role in advancing nursing knowledge and facilitating evidence based practice, especially when placed to support a specialised team of nurses at a service level. This role can be implemented through appropriate planning of the position, building a support system and incorporating an evaluation plan.

Lateral distortional buckling design rules for back to back LiteSteel beams

A new cold-formed steel beam, known as the LiteSteel Beam (LSB), has the potential to transform the low-rise building industry. The new beam is effectively a channel section with two rectangular hollow flanges and a slender web, and is manufactured using a simultaneous cold-forming and electric resistance welding process. Research into the flexural behaviour of single LSB members showed that the LSBs are susceptible to lateral distortional buckling effects and their moment capacities are significantly reduced for intermediate spans. Build-up LSB sections are expected to improve their flexural capacity and to enhance their applications. They are also likely to mitigate the detrimental effects of lateral distortional buckling observed with single LSB members of intermediate spans. However, the behaviour of build up beams is not well understood. Currently available design rules were found to be inadequate to predict the member moment capacities of back to back LSBs. Therefore a research project based on both experimental and numerical studies was undertaken to investigate the flexural behaviour of back to back LSBs with various longitudinal connection spacings under a uniform moment. New design rules were developed using the moment capacity data obtained using finite element analyses and experimental tests. This paper presents the details of the development of design rules for the back to back LSB sections.

An examination of the knowledge barriers in participatory design and the prospects for embedded research

Participatory design has the moral and pragmatic tenet of including those who will be most affected by a design into the design process. However, good participation is hard to achieve and results linking project success and degree of participation are inconsistent. Through three case studies examining some of the challenges that different properties of knowledge - novelty, difference, dependence - can impose on the participatory endeavour we examine some of the consequences to the participatory process of failing to bridge across knowledge boundaries - syntactic, semantic, and pragmatic. One pragmatic consequence, disrupting the user's feeling of involvement to the project, has been suggested as a possible explanation for the inconsistent results linking participation and project success. To aid in addressing these issues a new form of participatory research, called embedded research, is proposed and examined within the framework of the case studies and knowledge framework with a call for future research into its possibilities.

Panel discussion and documentary screening to celebrate World Industrial Design Day (WIDD) 2010

This collaborative event was organised to coincide with International celebrations by the International Council of Societies of Industrial Design (ICSID). The panel discussion involved industrial designers from a variety of backgrounds including academics, theorists and practitioners. Each panel member was given time to voice their opinion surrounding the theme of WIDD2010 "Industrial Design: Humane Solutions for a Resilient World". The discussion was then extended to the audience through active question and answer time. The panel included: * Professor Vesna Popovic FDIA - Queensland University of Technology * Adam Doyle, Studio Manager - Infinity Design Development * Scott Cox MDIA, Creative Director - Formwerx * Alexander Lotersztain, Director - Derlot * Philip Whiting FDIA, Design Convenor - QCA * Professor Tony Fry, Director Team D/E/S & QCA After this, the documentary by Gary Hewtsit "Objectified" was then screened (75 min).

Water sensitive urban design : landscape planning and design to improve water quality in Shijiazhaung and Yueyang

Water quality issues are heavily dependent on land development and management decisions within river and lake catchments or watersheds. Economic benefits of urbanisation may be short‐ lived without cleaner environmental outcomes. However, whole‐of‐catchment thinking is not, as yet, as frequent a consideration in urban planning and development in China as it is in many other countries. Water is predominantly seen as a resource to be ‘owned’ by different jurisdictions and allocated to numerous users, both within a catchment and between catchments. An alternative to this approach is to think of water in the same way as other commodities that must be kept moving through a complex transport system. Water must ultimately arrive at particular destinations in the biosphere, although it travels across a broad landscape and may be held up temporarily at certain places along the way. While water extraction can be heavily controlled, water pollution is far more difficult to regulate. Both have significant impacts on water availability and flows both now and in the future. As Chinese cities strive to improve economic conditions for their citizens, new centres are being rebuilt and environmental valued

Design optimisation using advanced artificial intelligent system coupled to hybrid-game strategies

One of the main aims in artificial intelligent system is to develop robust and efficient optimisation methods for Multi-Objective (MO) and Multidisciplinary Design (MDO) design problems. The paper investigates two different optimisation techniques for multi-objective design optimisation problems. The first optimisation method is a Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II). The second method combines the concepts of Nash-equilibrium and Pareto optimality with Multi-Objective Evolutionary Algorithms (MOEAs) which is denoted as Hybrid-Game. Numerical results from the two approaches are compared in terms of the quality of model and computational expense. The benefit of using the distributed hybrid game methodology for multi-objective design problems is demonstrated.

Rhetoric of landscape architecture and interior design discourses : preparation for cross-disciplinary practice

The rhetoric of the pedagogic discourses of landscape architectural students and interior design students is described as part of a doctoral study undertaken to document practices and orientations prior to cross-disciplinary collaboration. We draw on the theoretical framework of Basil Bernstein, an educational sociologist, and the rhetorical method of Kenneth Burke, a literary dramatist, to study the grammars of ‘landscape’ representation employed within these disciplinary examples. We investigate how prepared final year students are for working in a cross-disciplinary manner. The discursive interactions of their work, as illustrated by four examples of drawn images and written text, are described. Our findings suggest that we need to concern ourselves aspects of our pedagogic discourse that brings uniqueness and value to our disciplines ,as well as that shared discourses between disciplines.

Digital design communication : measuring learner technological prowess and self-efficacy in problem resolution

Currently the Bachelor of Design is the generic degree offered to the four disciplines of Architecture, Landscape Architecture, Industrial Design, and Interior Design within the School of Design at the Queensland University of Technology. Regardless of discipline, Digital Communication is a core unit taken by the 600 first year students entering the Bachelor of Design degree. Within the design disciplines the communication of the designer's intentions is achieved primarily through the use of graphic images, with written information being considered as supportive or secondary. As such, Digital Communication attempts to educate learners in the fundamentals of this graphic design communication, using a generic digital or software tool. Past iterations of the unit have not acknowledged the subtle difference in design communication of the different design disciplines involved, and has used a single generic software tool. Following a review of the unit in 2008, it was decided that a single generic software tool was no longer entirely sufficient. This decision was based on the recognition that there was an increasing emergence of discipline specific digital tools, and an expressed student desire and apparent aptitude to learn these discipline specific tools. As a result the unit was reconstructed in 2009 to offer both discipline specific and generic software instruction, if elected by the student. This paper, apart from offering the general context and pedagogy of the existing and restructured units, will more importantly offer research data that validates the changes made to the unit. Most significant of this new data is the results of surveys that authenticate actual student aptitude versus desire in learning discipline specific tools. This is done through an exposure of student self efficacy in problem resolution and technological prowess - generally and specifically within the unit. More traditional means of validation is also presented that includes the results of the generic university-wide Learning Experience Survey of the unit, as well as a comparison between the assessment results of the restructured unit versus the previous year.

Sustainable futures : the new design landscape

Design talks LOUDLY!!! Is a series of interactive presentations exploring issues and opportunities involving professional design. These seminars are organised by the Industrial Design Network Queensland (IDnetQLD) in coordination with the Design Institute of Australia (DIA). This event was held at the State Library of Queensland (SLQ) with invited public presentations by a panel of industry experts from Brisbane City Council, Sims Recycling Solutions and BEST Futures. The second seminar "Sustainable Futures: The New Design Landscape" highlighted to design professionals the positive effect the design industry can achieve in moving towards a sustainable future. A series of presentations from specialist speakers outlined the new generation of design and how design can surf the sustainable shift. A product’s journey from concept to creation and a life beyond was presented and discussed as a basis of designing for sustainability. The intent of the seminar was to inject a brand new sense of purpose into the design world through inspiring designers to find solutions which move forward into this new sustainable landscape.

Academic rigour in science assessment tasks

The critical problem of student disengagement and underachievement in the middle years of schooling (Years 4 . 9) has focussed attention on the quality of educational programs in schools, in Australia and elsewhere. The loss of enthusiasm for science in the middle years is particularly problematic given the growing demand for science professionals. Reshaping middle years programs has included an emphasis on integrating Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) and improving assessment practices to engage students in higher cognitive processes and enhance academic rigour. Understanding the nature of academic rigour and how to embed it in students. science assessment tasks that incorporate the use of ICTs could enable teachers to optimise the quality of the learning environment. However, academic rigour is not clearly described or defined in the literature and there is little empirical evidence upon which researchers and teachers could draw to enhance understandings. This study used a collective case study design to explore teachers' understandings of academic rigour within science assessment tasks. The research design is based on a conceptual framework that is underpinned by socio-cultural theory. Three methods were used to collect data from six middle years teachers and their students. These methods were a survey, focus group discussion with teachers and a group of students and individual semi-structured interviews with teachers. Findings of the case study revealed six criteria of academic rigour, namely, higher order thinking, alignment, building on prior knowledge, scaffolding, knowledge construction and creativity. Results showed that the middle years teachers held rich understandings of academic rigour that led to effective utilisation of ICTs in science assessment tasks. Findings also indicated that teachers could further enhance their understandings of academic rigour in some aspects of each of the criteria. In particular, this study found that academic rigour could have been further optimised by: promoting more thoughtful discourse and interaction to foster higher order thinking; increasing alignment between curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and students. prior knowledge; placing greater emphasis on identifying, activating and building on prior knowledge; better differentiating the level of scaffolding provided and applying it more judiciously; fostering creativity throughout tasks; enhancing teachers‟ content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge, and providing more in-depth coverage of fewer topics to support knowledge construction. Key contributions of this study are a definition and a model which clarify the nature of academic rigour.

Structural behaviour and design of cold-formed steel beams at elevated temperatures

Cold-formed steel members are extensively used in the building construction industry, especially in residential, commercial and industrial buildings. In recent times, fire safety has become important in structural design due to increased fire damage to properties and loss of lives. However, past research into the fire performance of cold-formed steel members has been limited, and was confined to compression members. Therefore a research project was undertaken to investigate the structural behaviour of compact cold-formed steel lipped channel beams subject to inelastic local buckling and yielding, and lateral-torsional buckling effects under simulated fire conditions and associated section and member moment capacities. In the first phase of this research, an experimental study based on tensile coupon tests was undertaken to obtain the mechanical properties of elastic modulus and yield strength and the stress-strain relationship of cold-formed steels at uniform ambient and elevated temperatures up to 700oC. The mechanical properties deteriorated with increasing temperature and are likely to reduce the strength of cold-formed beams under fire conditions. Predictive equations were developed for yield strength and elastic modulus reduction factors while a modification was proposed for the stressstrain model at elevated temperatures. These results were used in the numerical modelling phases investigating the section and member moment capacities. The second phase of this research involved the development and validation of two finite element models to simulate the behaviour of compact cold-formed steel lipped channel beams subject to local buckling and yielding, and lateral-torsional buckling effects. Both models were first validated for elastic buckling. Lateral-torsional buckling tests of compact lipped channel beams were conducted at ambient temperature in order to validate the finite element model in predicting the non-linear ultimate strength behaviour. The results from this experimental study did not agree well with those from the developed experimental finite element model due to some unavoidable problems with testing. However, it highlighted the importance of magnitude and direction of initial geometric imperfection as well as the failure direction, and thus led to further enhancement of the finite element model. The finite element model for lateral-torsional buckling was then validated using the available experimental and numerical ultimate moment capacity results from past research. The third phase based on the validated finite element models included detailed parametric studies of section and member moment capacities of compact lipped channel beams at ambient temperature, and provided the basis for similar studies at elevated temperatures. The results showed the existence of inelastic reserve capacity for compact cold-formed steel beams at ambient temperature. However, full plastic capacity was not achieved by the mono-symmetric cold-formed steel beams. Suitable recommendations were made in relation to the accuracy and suitability of current design rules for section moment capacity. Comparison of member capacity results from finite element analyses with current design rules showed that they do not give accurate predictions of lateral-torsional buckling capacities at ambient temperature and hence new design rules were developed. The fourth phase of this research investigated the section and member moment capacities of compact lipped channel beams at uniform elevated temperatures based on detailed parametric studies using the validated finite element models. The results showed the existence of inelastic reserve capacity at elevated temperatures. Suitable recommendations were made in relation to the accuracy and suitability of current design rules for section moment capacity in fire design codes, ambient temperature design codes as well as those proposed by other researchers. The results showed that lateral-torsional buckling capacities are dependent on the ratio of yield strength and elasticity modulus reduction factors and the level of non-linearity in the stress-strain curves at elevated temperatures in addition to the temperature. Current design rules do not include the effects of non-linear stress-strain relationship and therefore their predictions were found to be inaccurate. Therefore a new design rule that uses a nonlinearity factor, which is defined as the ratio of the limit of proportionality to the yield stress at a given temperature, was developed for cold-formed steel beams subject to lateral-torsional buckling at elevated temperatures. This thesis presents the details and results of the experimental and numerical studies conducted in this research including a comparison of results with predictions using available design rules. It also presents the recommendations made regarding the accuracy of current design rules as well as the new developed design rules for coldformed steel beams both at ambient and elevated temperatures.