Strategy Room and Beyond

Australia continues to invest in new infrastructure—but are we paying enough attention to the assets already ageing beneath our cities?

In this episode, Mason speaks with Professor Bijan Samali, Professor of Structural Engineering at Western Sydney University, about the future of infrastructure resilience. They explore structural health monitoring, sensors, digital twins and AI; the limitations of traditional inspections; and how climate change and increasing demand are reshaping the risks facing bridges and other critical assets.

Professor Samali also explains why industry remains cautious about adopting new technology, how stronger collaboration between academia, government and industry could accelerate change, and why investing in people may be just as important as investing in physical infrastructure.

Episode chapters:

00:00 Episode Highlights

01:51 Welcome & Meet Professor Bijan Samali

04:48 Australia’s Ageing Infrastructure Challenge

06:45 Are Current Maintenance Methods Effective?

08:54 Why Infrastructure Is Slow to Adopt New Technology

11:15 Changing Climate, Traffic & Infrastructure Demands

17:10 Hidden Risks: Beyond Visual Inspections

19:03 Structural Health Monitoring & Sensors

20:13 Why Every Structure Needs a “Birth Certificate”

22:16 What to Measure & How to Prioritise Inspections

24:30 Digital Twins: More Than a Virtual Model

28:01 Digital Twin Accuracy & Monitoring Frequency

31:14 Earthquake Risks: Preparing Before It Is Too Late

33:18 Resilience: Being Ready for the Unknown

35:55 Bridging the Gap Between Research & Industry

40:17 Is Industry Ready for New Technology?

42:32 Are Digital Twins Worth the Investment?

44:13 Decisions Today for Better Infrastructure Tomorrow

48:38 People: An Organisation’s Most Valuable Asset

51:44 Closing & Thanks