Personal statement

Daniel joined Monash University as an academic staff of the Civil Engineering discipline in 2014. He was previously a research fellow at RMIT University and Swinburne University. He was part of a pioneering team to help establish the Civil Engineering discipline in both curriculum and research development.

Daniel coordinated and delivered new units in Civil Engineering programme when it was first introduced in 2014 in Monash Malaysia and also coordinate the accreditation requirements as the programme ‘grows up’. As an established researcher in materials, structures and infrastructure. He have developed a vibrant, industry connected research culture in his research team comprising of postdoctoral research fellows, research assistants, postgraduates and final year students. These research team are hired under various competitive sources of national and international funding.

Between 2015-2018, Daniel has secured research grants valued at RM1.301 million, including international grants with strong industry collaboration from local government, the concrete industry, engineering consulting companies and material developers. His skills in developing and sustaining strong relationships and maintaining credibility, with a diverse range of industry partners, complement his applied research strengths.

Academic degrees

• Doctor of Philosophy in Civil Engineering, Monash University Australia, 2009
• Degree in Civil Engineering, Monash University Australia, 2003

Professional affiliations

Member of National Professional Bodies

• Board of Engineers Malaysia, Member

Research Interests

• Cement and concrete
• Fire engineering
• Infrastructure management
• Vulnerability assessment framework for climate change

Research projects

Title: Low carbon footprint precast concrete products for an energy efficient built environment

Hydrocarbon fire test on reinforced concrete columns

This research aims to develop a ‘cementless concrete’ called LowCoPreCon - a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to Ordinary Portland Cement (OPC). Unfortunately, its production contributes a staggering 8% of global CO₂ emissions. OPC is used in virtually all construction applications. Furthermore, a main component of OPC concrete is river sand, which is quarried from natural sources. The growing scarcity of river sand, leading in turn to increased mining and production costs, poses a serious challenge to the industry.

This project harnesses silica rich ash sources and alkali waste streams - both waste products – to produce an OPC alternative that is stronger, more heat resistant and significantly lower in carbon emissions. The waste products studied in this project include Rice Husk Ash (RHA) and ground glass cullet.

To date, the research team has optimised the synthesis of sodium silicate from these industrial wastes using novel methods. The produced ‘homebrewed’ sodium silicates were used for preparation of cementless concrete and compared with the concretes produced with commercial sodium silicate. These homebrewed derived concretes showed comparable results to the ones derived from commercial silicate at a fraction of the cost.
The next phase of this project involves:

• mass production runs (both in the UK and Malaysia) and conformity testing of precast concrete products.
• development of a ‘typical’ precast concrete dwelling design in collaboration with industrial project partners.
• comparisons of embodied and operational carbon and energy use for a ‘typical’ current dwelling with the new cementless concrete dwelling.
• setting the Socio‐Economic Impact of LowCoPreCon products on stakeholders and user groups.

This project will culminate in the construction of a fully functional residential dwelling and 12-metre long footbridge made with LowCoPreCon that will serve as a platform to raise awareness of the research. LowCoPreCon brings together an international consortium of seven institution and industry partners in a UK-Malaysia Innovation Bridge (Monash University, The Queen’s University of Belfast, Creagh Concrete Products Ltd, Macrete Ireland Ltd, University of Malaya, Sunway Paving Solutions and Ikhmas Jaya Group) and is one of the University’s larger international research grants received.

Education

Units taught

CIV2225 - Design of Steel and Timber Structures

CIV2410 - Project A

CIV3221 - Building Structures and Technology

CIV4211 - Project B

Journal

Pradipta, Ivan; Kong, Daniel; Tan, Joash Ban Lee (2019) Natural organic antioxidants from green tea form a protective layer to inhibit corrosion of steel reinforcing bars embedded in mortar, Construction and Building Materials, (351-362), Volume: 221, Issue Number: 09500618, 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2019.06.006

Low, Hin Foo; Kong, Sih Ying; Kong, Daniel; Paul, Suvash Chandra (2019) Interface slip of post-tensioned concrete beams with stage construction: Experimental and FE study, Computers and Concrete, (173-183), Volume: 24, Issue Number: 15988198, 10.12989/cac.2019.24.2.173

Zeimaran, Ehsan; Pourshahrestani, Sara; Pingguan-Murphy, Belinda; Kong, Daniel; Naveen, Sangeetha Vasudevaraj; Kamarul, Tunku; Kadri, Nahrizul Adib (2017) Development of poly (1, 8-octanediol citrate)/chitosan blend films for tissue engineering applications, Carbohydrate Polymers, (618-627), Volume: 175, Issue Number: 01448617, 10.1016/j.carbpol.2017.08.038

Pan, Zhu; Sanjayan, Jay G.; Kong, Daniel L.Y. (2012) Effect of aggregate size on spalling of geopolymer and Portland cement concretes subjected to elevated temperatures, Construction and Building Materials, (365-372), Volume: 36, Issue Number: 09500618, 10.1016/j.conbuildmat.2012.04.120

Kong, Daniel L Y; Sanjayan, Jay G. (2010) Effect of elevated temperatures on geopolymer paste, mortar and concrete, Cement and Concrete Research, (334-339), Volume: 40, Issue Number: 00088846, 10.1016/j.cemconres.2009.10.017

Kong, Daniel L.Y.; Sanjayan, Jay G. (2008) Damage behavior of geopolymer composites exposed to elevated temperatures, Cement and Concrete Composites, (986-991), Volume: 30, Issue Number: 09589465, 10.1016/j.cemconcomp.2008.08.001

Kong, Daniel L.Y.; Sanjayan, Jay G.; Sagoe-Crentsil, Kwesi (2008) Factors affecting the performance of metakaolin geopolymers exposed to elevated temperatures, Journal of Materials Science, (824-831), Volume: 43, Issue Number: 00222461, 10.1007/s10853-007-2205-6

Kong, Daniel L.Y.; Sanjayan, Jay G.; Sagoe-Crentsil, Kwesi (2007) Comparative performance of geopolymers made with metakaolin and fly ash after exposure to elevated temperatures, Cement and Concrete Research, (1583-1589), Volume: 37, Issue Number: 00088846, 10.1016/j.cemconres.2007.08.021

Book

Hunting, Andrew; Setunge, Sujeeva; Kong, Daniel (2013) The effects of ocean salinity variance due to climate change on Australian seaport infrastructure, Applied Mechanics and Materials, (157-165), Volume: 438-439, Issue Number: 16609336, 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.438-439.157

Kong, Daniel; Setunge, Sujeeva; Molyneaux, Tom; Zhang, Guomin; Law, David (2012) Australian seaport infrastructure resilience to climate change, Applied Mechanics and Materials, (350-357), Volume: 238, Issue Number: 16609336, 10.4028/www.scientific.net/AMM.238.350

Conference

Pradipta, Ivan; Kong, Daniel; Ban Lee, Joash Tan (2018) Corrosion inhibition of green tea extract on steel reinforcing bar embedded in mortar, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Volume: 431, Issue Number: 17578981, 10.1088/1757-899X/431/4/042013

McGrath, T. E.; Cox, S.; Soutsos, M.; Kong, D.; Mee, L. P.; Alengaram, J. U.J. (2018) Life cycle assessment of geopolymer concrete: A Malaysian context, IOP Conference Series: Materials Science and Engineering, Volume: 431, Issue Number: 17578981, 10.1088/1757-899X/431/9/092001

Low, Hin Foo; Kong, Sih Ying; Kong, Daniel (2018) A review on prestressed transfer plate analysis and design, IABSE Conference, Kuala Lumpur 2018: Engineering the Developing World - Report, (1037-1044), https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-85050021990&origin=resultslist

Dirgantara, R.; Law, D. W.; Molyneaux, T. K.; Kong, D. (2013) Brown coal fly ash geopolymer mortar, From Materials to Structures: Advancement Through Innovation - Proceedings of the 22nd Australasian Conference on the Mechanics of Structures and Materials, ACMSM 2012, (1119-1122), https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84881164601&origin=resultslist

Kong, Daniel; Setunge, Sujeeva; Molyneaux, Tom; Zhang, Kevin; Law, David (2011) Climate change on structural resilience of core seaport infrastructure, 20th Australasian Coastal and Ocean Engineering Conference 2011 and the 13th Australasian Port and Harbour Conference 2011, COASTS and PORTS 2011, (358-363), https://www.scopus.com/record/display.uri?eid=2-s2.0-84874122364&origin=resultslist

Local grants

• Thermo active building cooling systems, Daniel Kong & Foo Ji Jinn, 2018 - 2019, Advanced Engineering Platform, RM22.9k
• Development and implementation studies on interlocking solar concrete paver (ISCP) systems, Daniel Kong, Teh Pei Lee, Ahmad Mousa, Chang Wei Sea & Arreshvhina Narayan, 2018 - 2019, Monash University Sustainable Community Grant Scheme, RM250k
• Development of a sustainable permeable geopolymer pavement system using fine industrial waste, Ahmad Mousa, Daniel Kong, Arash Behnia, 2018 - 2019, Monash University-Sunway Group of Companies Grant Scheme, RM150k
• Thermo active building cooling systems, Daniel Kong & Foo Ji Jinn, 2018 - 2019, Advanced Engineering Platform, RM35.8k
• Prestress transfer plate, Daniel Kong & Kong Sih Ying, 2015, OSD (M) Consultants Sdn Bhd, Nehemiah Reinforced Soil Sdn Bhd, Monash University, RM65k
• Stormwater management model for environmental design of pervious pavement based on mechanical deterioration and media infiltration, Daniel Kong, 2015, Monash University, RM25k

International grants

• Low carbon footprint precast concrete products for an energy efficient built environment, Daniel Kong, 2016 - 2019, Innovate UK, Research Councils UK, Malaysian Industry-Government Group for High Technology, RM752k

Current supervision

Ivan Pradipta

Inhibition on corrosion of steel reinforcing bar embedded in mortar by green tea extract as a source of natural antioxidants

2014

Hin Foo Low

Prestressed concrete slab at transfer floor to support shear walls of a multi-storey building

2015

Mohammadhossein Zamani

Synthesis polyurea capsules to encapsulate bacteria for self-healing of concrete

2017

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