ProfessorFrank Collins

Prior to joining Deakin in July 2015, Frank Collins was awarded the 2014 and
2013 Civil Engineering Award of Excellence for Teaching at Monash University.
In 2010 he received the Engineering Deans Teaching Excellence Award at Monash
University for redesign of several key teaching units, integrating industry
needs into coursework, and improving engagement of large classes (200+
students).
In 2014, the Pro Vice-Chancellor (Learning and Teaching) and Associate Dean
(Teaching) both provided letters of congratulations regarding student surveys
showing overall satisfaction of 4.80 out of 5.0 for Frank Collins'
coordination and teaching of CIV3203 Civil Engineering Construction.
Dr Collins has been an active contributor to approaches that influence,
motivate and inspire students to learn as well as developing curricula and
resources that have provided new life to several weary units. He leads our
undergraduates to embrace emerging engineering technologies while also being
creative and having a sense of the profession of engineering rather than "what
it might be like".
He was an active member of the Civil Engineering Department Education
Committee at Monash. The committee redesigned a new structure for the Level 1
undergraduate course and drafted a new Masters degree by coursework for
implementation in 2016. A key recent initiative by the committee was the
support and resourcing for the Sunway (Malaysia) campus of Monash, including
the establishment of a new civil engineering curriculum for teaching
(commenced in 2014) and supporting laboratory facilities for teaching.
Frank Collins coordinated with the Department of Architecture towards
developing a new BE/Arch double-degree for Monash undergraduates. The first
graduates will complete their double degrees in 2015. Enrolment has been
popular in the new degree, including students from interstate and overseas.

Collins was an Engineering Faculty Representative on MEERG (Monash Educational
Excellence Research Group), an organisation that brought staff from all
faculties to further excellence in teaching and learning. One item that the
committee is currently evaluating is a university-wide review of Student
Evaluation for Teaching Units on behalf of the Office of the Vice-Provost
(Learning and Teaching).

Teaching via International Counterparting - Overseas Aid
As part of an Overseas Development Agency (ODA UK) international aid project,
Dr Collins (Taywood Engineering Ltd) contributed to a major international
teaching initiative: the establishment of a Bridge Testing and Assessment Unit
within the Ministry of Transport, Vietnam. The aim of the project was to allow
the Ministry to become self-sufficient in the management of bridge assets.
Based in Hanoi in 1995, Dr Collins counterparted with teams of engineers,
developing curriculum, producing training manuals in both Vietnamese and
English languages for various types of inspection, non-destructive testing,
load capacity assessment, maintenance, rehabilitation, and strengthening.
Training lectures and 3-week workshops were held within the 4 Regional Road
Units within Vietnam, and field training of engineers was conducted on 134
bridges between Vinh and Dong Ha. A detailed account is provided in:
(Anderson, G. A., Collins, F. G., and Grace, W. R. (1998). Proc. 2nd
RILEM/CSIRO/ACRA International Conference on Rehabilitation of Structures,
Melbourne, 21-23 September, 1998, Ho, D. W. S., Godson, I. and Collins, F. G.
(eds), pp. 577-591. ISBN 0-643-0638-1-1)

Expertise Summary
Cement-based construction materials, durability, and sustainability of built
infrastructure. Director of ACID (Australian Centre for Infrastructure
Durability) Career has been different to most academics, including 19 years as
a Chartered Professional Engineer. His grounding in durability of construction
materials began when working with Harold Roper at the University of Sydney in
the early 1980???s. This led to 13 years work with Taywood Engineering Ltd in
their London, Hong Kong, Sydney and Melbourne offices; involved with diagnosis
and rehabilitation of infrastructure and applications of construction
materials. In 1988, Frank was Lead Materials Engineer in the Sydney Opera
House rehabilitation programme which entailed diagnosis of the roof shell
elements and substructure, and development of remedial and preventative
maintenance works. In 1995, Frank established the Bridge Testing and
Rehabilitation Unit within the Ministry of Transport, Vietnam, allowing the
Ministry to become self-sufficient in the management of bridge assets. During
1997-99, Frank undertook his PhD research at Monash, developing alkali-
activated cements as an alternative to conventional Portland cements ??? it
was the forerunner to what is now termed the ???geopolymer???. He then joined
AECOM (Maunsell) and over 7 years as technical director he established and
managed AECOM's Advanced Materials Group, including technical and commercial
leadership, and providing high-level advice on many international
infrastructure projects. Before joining Deakin in July 2015, he was Head of
Structures, Department of Civil Engineering at Monash University. He has keen
research interest in the areas of durability and ageing of built
infrastructure; utilisation of wastes as alternative construction materials;
and improved construction materials for durable and stronger infrastructure
(e.g. carbon nanotube-cement composities.
- Architecture and building
- Engineering
- Fibres
- Sustainability