Sustainability in Engineering Research Group (SERG)

Research Area Leader

Nariman Saeed

Overview
Members
Projects
Meetings and News

CSU Engineering, a prominent engineering discipline in regional Australia, has established itself as a leader in the field of engineering education. Its innovative engineering program has received recognition as the top future engineering program in Australia. In line with CSU's overarching narrative and future research plan, SERG as the research wing of CSU Engineering is strategically focused on sustainable development. The primary goal is to offer promising solutions for both emerging and existing environmental challenges, with a specific emphasis on applied civil engineering. This research area is carefully tailored to address regional concerns and contribute to the advancement of sustainable practices within the local context. The combination of CSU Engineering's reputation, forward-thinking program, and commitment to sustainable development, positions it at the forefront of engineering excellence in Australia.

Areas of research interest

Environmental monitoring
Rapid aging and durability investigation
Developing sustainable construction materials
Tackling Geotechnical and Geo-Environmental issues
CFD and FEA modelling
Water and Wastewater treatment
Tracer level organic pollutants
Structural integrity
Engineering education

Research and testing facilities

Environmental testing

Quantifying different environmental factors including but not limited to the followings in water and soil:

Color, Alkalinity, Fluoride levels, Hardness, Biological Oxygen Demand (BOD), Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD), Total Organic Carbon (TOC), Phosphate concentration, Sulphate content, E. coli presence, Total Coliform count, Iron (Fe) levels, Manganese (Mn) levels, Total Suspended Solids (TSS), Temperature, Conductivity, Turbidity, Dissolved Oxygen (DO), pH value, Oxidation-Reduction Potential (ORP), Ammonium levels, Nitrate levels
Durability testing (Rapid aging)
- Environmental chamber (UV, Humidity, Freeze/Thaw, Rain, and CO2)
- Cyclic Corrosion testing chamber
- Chloride Rapid Penetration
Structural testing
- Tensile, compression, torsion, and flexural testing
- Charpy Impact test
Material testing
- Cement testing
Non-destructive testing
- Ultrasound Pulse
- Schmidt Hammer
Geotechnical testing
Soil Classification (sieves, Atterberg limits)
Soil strength (Direct shear, triaxial and compressive strength tests)
Soil settlement (Odometer)
CBR
Soil Seepage
Soil Density

Members

Name	Position	Email	Research interest
Khaled Altarawneh	Lecturer	kaltarawneh@csu.edu.au	Geothermal Energy and Groundwater Management Advanced Computational Geomechanics and Multi-Scale Modelling Soil Deformation and Soil-Structure Interaction Geo-environmental Engineering and Groundwater Remediation
Zahid Islam	Professor	zislam@csu.edu.au	Data analysis for knowledge discovery and future prediction Intelligent decision support systems Privacy and security of data and IT assets
Miao Li	Senior Lecturer	mli@csu.edu.au	CFD modelling. Renewable energy (wind and geothermal energy). Ground improvement.
Nariman Saeed	Lecturer	nsaeed@csu.edu.au	Development of sustainable construction materials Upcycling wastes into construction materials Durability of coatings and materials AI application in Engineering Finite element modelling and none-linear analysis
Lalantha Senevirathna	Senior Lecturer	lsenevirathna@csu.edu.au	Environmental monitoring CFD modelling Water and Wastewater treatment Tracer level organic pollutants
Saeed Shaeri	Lecturer	sshaeri@csu.edu.au	Engineering education Climate change
Khin Thant	PhD Candidate	kthant@csu.edu.au	Water and wastewater treatment Water and wastewater quality monitoring and management Environmental monitoring and management Sustainability

Student Research Projects

Completion Year	Student	Topic	Funder/Industry collaborator	Supervisor	Award (PhD/MEng)
2027	Khin Thant	Project to Mitigate Thermal Pollution at the Oberon Dam		Lalantha Senevirathna, Peter Thew	PhD
2023	Georgina Wills	Investigation of the impact of tree roots on local government infrastructure	Orange Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2023	Alexander Kuhnel	What are the implications of adopting a sinusoidal profile for milled audio-tactile line marking and what safety benefits will this suggest in comparison to a conventionally milled treatment in Australia?	Transport for NSW	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2023	David Ghrayche	The characterisation of curve warning signs through the use of computer vision for use in civil engineering applications.	Western Project Services	Nariman Saeed	MEng
2023	Ethan Carter	Investigation into the improvement of Australian design practices for punching shear in column to flat plate slab connections	GHD	Nariman Saeed	MEng
2023	Todd Pattison	Bridge barrier retrofitting methods and barrier design load increases in an Australian context: a scoping review	MSL Consulting	Nariman Saeed	MEng
2023	Osakpamwan Oviawe	Evaluation of the long-term performance of in-situ stabilised pavements in the mid to north coast region of NSW	Mid-Coast Council and Regional Geotechnical Services	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2023	Logan Robison	An experimental evaluation of common pavement repair methods in a regional context	Wagga Wagga Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2023	Emmeline Rocks	A techno-economic feasibility study on the use of Technology to improve quality assurance and control processes in the Australian construction industry	Zauner Construction	Karthika Krishna Pillai	MEng
2023	Andrew Wallace	An investigation into the shear load transfer into the steel snipe treatment bands used on sniped octagonally sawn timber bridge girders	Transport and Main roads, Queensland	Jim Morgan	MEng
2022	Adrian Hickey	Investigation of water management in regional NSW following extreme climate events	Public Works (NSW)	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Andrew Day	Indirect potable water reuse through artificial groundwater recharge	Bungendore Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Reed Jackson	The influence of recent bushfires on water quality and the operation of water purification systems in regional NSW	Mid-Western Regional Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	Independent research
2022	James Thompson	Revised ARR guidelines - implications on urban drainage network performance.	Eurobodalla Shire Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Mitchell Beasley	Investigation of common failures modes of flexible road pavements and evaluating the success of applied treatments techniques	Orange Council	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Matthew Dole	Standardised treatment method to subterranean spontaneous combustion of emplaced coal-wash	Public Works (NSW)	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Gilbert McInherney-Nash	Investigation of the implications of using crumb rubber polymer modified binder for initial spray sealing treatments on low volume remote regional roads constructed from stabilised marginal materials	Transport for NSW	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2022	Timothy Murphy	Pipe rehabilitation: cost effective and environmentally friendly solutions to increasing pipe hydraulic capacity	Cardno, Wollongong	Lalantha Senevirathna	MEng
2021	Alexander Johnson	Investigation of climate extremes on stiffened raft footings in Central-Western New South Wales	Calare Civil, Bathurst	Reza Mahinroosta	MEng
2021	Ron Lake	What will climate modelling with a GMDH neural network reveal for stormwater structures within the dual context of carbonation and pluvial containment across a spatial subset of the Murray-Darling Basin?	Forbes Shire Council	Lalantha Senevirathna, Saeed Shaeri	MEng
2021	Brandon Roth	Use of GPS assisted automated machinery in the construction of subdivision developments in regional Australia	JCA Land Consultants	Karthika Krishna Pillai	MEng
2021	Callum Cauduro	Concrete bridge design & construction methodology for the replacement of existing bridges in remote and/or rural areas	Bathurst Regional Council	Jim Morgan	MEng
2021	Kevin Win	Scoping review of fatigue prevention methods for an orthotropic steel deck at a bascule span	Transport for New South Wales	Jim Morgan	MEng

Projects

Completion Year	Title of Project	Granting Agency	Funding	Investigators
2025	Oberon Dam Thermal Mitigation Project (a vital element within the revolutionary Next Generation Water Hub initiative)	Department of Education, Skills & Employment
2023	Developing a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) model to elucidate the flow dynamics within the water channels of Snowy Hydro	Snowy Hydro Ltd
2023	Feasibility of utilisation of gold/copper mine tailings in Australian cement/concrete production	Sustainability at Charles Sturt	$10,000	Nariman Saeed
2023	Feasibility of utilisation of coal mining tailings in Australian cement production	Australian Coal Industry’s Research Program.	$277,017 (CSU $35,000)	Hassan Baji (CQU), Zhong Tao (WSU), Nariman Saeed (CSU)
2023	Identifying potential mismatches between students’ perceptions of industry placements and the industry’s perception of work-integrated learning	Australasian Association for Engineering Education	$10,000	Ivan Gratchev, Hugo Spinosa (Griffith University), Saeed Shaeri (CSU)
2022	Long term prediction of PFAS profile in the soil and its possible pathway into groundwater	Bathurst Regional Council	$16,500	Reza Mahinroosta, Lala Senevirathna, Miao Li
2020	Circularity: Wagga Wagga Livestock Marketing Centre - Waste to Energy	Wagga Wagga City Council	$25,000	Simon Wright, Miao Li, Bharat Poudel, Samir Thapa