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    <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
    <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    <atom:link href="https://rip.trb.org/Record/RSS?s=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" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml" />
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    <language>en-us</language>
    <copyright>Copyright © 2026. National Academy of Sciences. All rights reserved.</copyright>
    <docs>http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss</docs>
    <managingEditor>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</managingEditor>
    <webMaster>tris-trb@nas.edu (Bill McLeod)</webMaster>
    <image>
      <title>Research in Progress (RIP)</title>
      <url>https://rip.trb.org/Images/PageHeader-wTitle-RIP.jpg</url>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/</link>
    </image>
    <item>
      <title>Finding the Bed Shear Stress Using the Logarithmic Law at Channel Roughness Transitions</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672767</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Flow through transition of bed roughness occurs in many situations in highway transportation including culverts, bridge abutments, and roadways in the floodplain, where the bed materials can change abruptly from one type to another. A sudden change in bed roughness also occurs frequently in the laboratory when soil erosion and scour is studied using a sediment recess in an open-channel flume. In all the above, the bed shear stress is a fundamental flow parameter that must be determined accurately.

A research project is proposed to investigate the use of logarithmic law (log law) for finding bed shear stress near a sudden change in bed roughness. Velocity field measurements will be obtained using a Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) system. The measured data will be used to determine the distribution of bed shear stress by control volume analysis using the linear momentum equation to determine whether the log law can be applied to a developing boundary layer downstream of a bed roughness transition and develop procedures to reduce the measurement uncertainty of the method.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 23 Feb 2026 13:58:52 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2672767</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>COLLABORATIVE: Quantifying erosion and load transfer mechanisms of geosynthetic reinforced coastal pavement subgrades and embankments during inundation events (TAMU/TXST)</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663227</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Project Description: Transportation infrastructure in coastal regions is highly susceptible to soil erosion and subgrade degradation under frequent inundation events caused by storm surges. Fines within the subgrade are washed out due to flood-induced subsurface flow, while overflowing water along embankments results in overtopping and eventually leads to surficial erosion and complete collapse. These processes result in embankment and pavement failures; addressing these issues requires novel and innovative infrastructure durability solutions. One approach that combines hydraulic protection of subsoils with reduced soil erosion and provides drainage to recede floodwaters from infrastructure is geosynthetics. Geosynthetics, like geocomposites and turf-reinforced mats (TRMs), are often used to control erosion in slopes and levees from overtopping and rainfall. Also, the use of geosynthetics is increasingly growing for pavement reinforcement applications. These well-established benefits of geosynthetics can be combined and effectively applied for coastal transportation infrastructure that often sees failures following inundation events. Hence, this research study focuses on evaluating geosynthetics to solve both embankment erosion and maintain drainable and resilient subgrade foundations to support coastal transportation infrastructure. 
Geosynthetic Reinforcement of Coastal Embankment Slopes: TRMs and geocomposites will be studied for this application. Texas State University (TXST) will measure the erosion characteristics of the test materials using the erosion function apparatus (EFA). The EFA will quantify the erosion rates of the soil with and without the protection of these geosynthetic layers under varying hydraulic stresses, providing insights into soil erodibility and material performance. Texas A&M (TAMU) will conduct small-scale flume erosion studies on model embankment slopes using a coastal, sandy soil. Flume studies on embankment slopes built with and without geosynthetic reinforcements will be subjected to overtopping and inundation flow conditions for various time periods. Erosion patterns will be studied via laser and digital image scans. These data will also assess the role of geocomposites and TRMs on mitigating soil erosion and enhancing slope stability.  
Geosynthetic Reinforcement of Coastal Pavement Subgrade Foundations: TAMU flume study results will yield erosion patterns, more specifically void patterns, that will be used to create an  “eroded” pavement structure. These artificial voids will be created inside a large box setup, with 12 to 18 in. of subgrade supporting a flexbase aggregate base layer. These box samples will be instrumented with moisture probes, pressure cells, and MEMS deformation sensors. Each model pavement will be subjected to cyclic plate load tests to study and evaluate the load-bearing capacity and load transfer mechanism from repeated loads to the underlying subgrades. The same tests will be performed on the samples after they are inundated. The role of geocomposites both before and after exposure to moisture inundation, as well as load transfer mechanisms on subgrades with erosion-simulated voids, will be evaluated.
This is a collaborative project between Texas A&M University (TAMU) and Texas State University (TXST). Flume and large-scale box studies will be performed at TAMU Galveston campus and Center for Infrastructure Research (CIR) laboratories, respectively. TXST will perform the EFA with geosynthetic layers experiments. EFA studies focus on evaluating the critical shear stresses (i.e., hydraulic shear stresses at which soil erosion initiates) of the reinforced/unreinforced subsoils. Changes in critical shear stress at discontinuities such as gravel/sand interfaces will be of particular interest.  These combined results will generate a comprehensive understanding of the potential improvements of embankment and foundation reinforcement using advanced geosynthetic materials in providing resilient support to transportation infrastructure in coastal corridors. The results of this project will be used to design Phase II with coastal railroad track embankments.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 11:12:55 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2663227</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of new design guidelines for protection against erosion at bridge piers and estimating effects of pressurized flow on erosion potential
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627350</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Addressing flood-induced erosion problems at bridges is critical to maintain the safety of the transportation infrastructure. Better design of scour prevention measures will result in less failure of bridges during natural disasters. A numerically-based approach will be used to propose a new design formula for determining minimum riprap stone size needed for riprap apron protection against erosion at circular, rectangular and oblong bridge piers. The proposed approach was already validated for abutments. The flow fields predicted using fully 3-D RANS simulations will be used to estimate the maximum bed shear stress over the riprap layer and the critical Froude number corresponding to the shear-failure entrainment threshold for the riprap stone. A comprehensive parametric study will be conducted to understand how pier shape and aspect ratio influence the peak shear stress over the riprap region. Results will be compared with those given by present formulas including by those recommended by HEC-18. A new multi-parameter design formula that incorporates the effect of pier shape and aspect ratio will be developed. The research also aims to develop procedures for riprap sizing at bridge piers under pressurized flow conditions due to bridge deck overtopping at high flow conditions. Simulations will be conducted to understand how the critical Froude number varies with increasing flow depth in between open-channel and pressurized flow conditions at the bridge. Recommendations will be made on how to use the design formula developed for open channel flow regime for cases when the flow at the bridge site is pressurized.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:27:06 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627350</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>In-Stream Vegetation as a Nature-Based Approach to Scour Control at Bridge Crossings
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627352</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Scour and erosion are well-established as leading causes of bridge failures in North America. While bridge crossings often include countermeasures for scour control and mitigation, the majority of existing scour countermeasures are considered expensive, impractical, and ineffective. Although routinely commented on in state-of-practice reports and highly beneficial in building and maintaining sustainable communities and ecosystems, nature-based solutions have been overlooked as an approach to scour control. A knowledge base which provides scientific evidence of the efficacy of green infrastructure such as in-stream vegetation for scour control at bridge crossings is not currently available. Evaluation based on detailed bathymetric and flow field measurements is necessary for future development of practical guidelines.
The proposed research will employ extensive physical modelling to explore the efficacy of in-stream vegetation for scour control at bridge crossings. Experiments will be conducted in the laboratory facilities of IIHR – Hydroscience & Engineering, which include a high-gradient sediment-capable tilting flume with a sediment recess. Robust flow measurement techniques, including particle image velocimetry (PIV) and acoustic Doppler velocimetry (ADV), will provide insight into distribution of velocity components, shear and normal stresses, and higher-order turbulence moments in the flow field of interest due to inclusion of vegetated sections in the channel. The results of the physical modelling efforts will enhance the severely limited understanding of the influence of green infrastructure elements on the scour mechanism. The primary anticipated product is the initiation of a knowledge base for the development of a framework of guidelines to be used in practice.
]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 19 Nov 2025 14:20:41 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2627352</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Scour Critical Shear Stress of Ohio Soils
</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2601291</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Currently, Ohio Department of Transportation (ODOT) assumes all cohesive soils to be granular soil with the same gradation as fine Ottawa sand, which is the most scourable soil material. This is an unreasonable assumption for cohesive soils, and it over-predicts scour to an unrealistic degree, potentially costing Ohio from a few thousand to millions of dollars per bridge foundation at water crossing structures with cohesive foundation soils. According to the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) "NextScour" program, "The result of this assumption can be too conservative when soils other than the uniformly graded granular soils are encountered and can dramatically increase the cost of many bridge foundations."

ODOT needs to develop reasonable scour guidelines and analyses based on soil scour critical shear stress (tc) to provide realistic predictions of scour depth for scour design floods and scour check floods, so that appropriately efficient and economical foundations can be designed for Ohio bridges. ODOT needs an economical and practical way to estimate tc for input into scour analyses, based on common laboratory soil testing index properties, without the need to resort to expensive and time-consuming flume soil testing to measure tc for each project.

ODOT proposes to develop better soil scour guidelines and analyses based on scour critical shear stress (tc), including estimation of tc based on common laboratory soil testing index properties through this study.
                          ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 17 Sep 2025 08:35:07 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2601291</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>SPR-4844:  Analysis of DownDrag Loads Using the Neutral Plan Method</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/2232902</link>
      <description><![CDATA[INDOT developed a preliminary procedure internally to locate the neutral plane. To assess the validity of its procedure, INDOT has identified a construction project on US 31 in Marshall County to instrument and monitor..The research tasks of the project include analyzing the data collected over time from the strain gauges installed on the test pile, performing a few numerical simulations of the test pile under field conditions to help with accurate location of the neutral plane, assessing INDOT’s procedure for location of the neutral considering the data collected in this construction project and the result of the simulations, suggesting modifications to INDOT’s procedure as needed, based on the data analyses, and proposing guidelines for future projects in which downdrag must be considered.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 24 Aug 2023 15:20:58 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/2232902</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of new design guidelines for protection against erosion at bridge abutments - Phase V</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1945932</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The present research proposes the use of a numerically-based approach to quantify and understand the effects of the flow becoming pressurized under high flow conditions on the critical discharge and Froude numbers for stone failure of riprap aprons used to protect spill-through abutments. Moreover, the research aims to develop design formulas to estimate the minimum riprap stone size for protection against erosion of spill-through abutments and wing-wall abutments under pressurized flow conditions due to bridge deck overtopping. The mean flow fields predicted using fully 3-D RANS simulations are used to estimate the maximum bed shear stress over the riprap layer and the critical Froude number corresponding to the shear-failure entrainment threshold for the riprap stone.  During the first four years, the numerically-based approach was validated for the case of wing-wall abutments placed in a straight channel and two new two-parameter formulas were proposed for riprap design at wing-wall abutments and at spill-through abutments placed in straight or curved channels. Moreover, simulations conducted for wing-wall abutments in straight channels allowed understanding how the critical Froude number varies with increasing flow depth in between open-channel flow and pressurized flow (submerged deck) conditions at the bridge site. For the fifth year, the main goal will be to perform a similar study for spill-through abutments. The second goal will be to develop procedures for riprap sizing at wing-wall and spill-through abutments under pressurized flow conditions. Recommendations will be made for inclusion of the new design formulas in future versions of HEC-23.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Sat, 30 Apr 2022 11:42:25 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1945932</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Predicting Critical Shear Stress of Cohesive Sediments/Soils in Riverbeds</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1902211</link>
      <description><![CDATA[In 2019 K-State completed a successful two-year study on creating a new equation for predicting the critical shear stress of cohesive soils around bridge abutments (KSU 18-5 / 21-01). Prior to this study, Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) either had to make overly conservative assumptions or send samples for erosion testing, which are costly. Critical shear stress is a soil parameter needed to estimate bridge scour and erosion countermeasures for design. KSU 18-5 / 21-01 focused on samples in the overbank (floodplain) because erosion/scour around the abutments was a priority to KDOT, difficult to predict, and because sampling in the overbanks was a priority in developing the shear stress prediction equation. However, now that KDOT has a new critical shear stress equation, it should be validated for sediments in the riverbeds. Alternatively, another design equation may be required for riverbed sediments. The bridge scour estimating methods in HEC-18 include different design equations for abutment, contraction, and pier scour so it would not be unreasonable to have a different equation for riverbed sediments.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Fri, 07 Jan 2022 12:17:19 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1902211</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of New Design Guidelines for Protection Against Erosion at Bridge Abutments - Phase IV</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1867086</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Reliable and safe transportation infrastructure design for flooding events is of great economical importance for state and federal agencies in charge of maintaining our roads operational. The US Midwest has experienced increasingly catastrophic flood events. Severe erosion problems were reported at many bridge sites. Two of the most encountered types of abutments used at such bridges are spill-through and wing-wall abutments.  Placing riprap stone around the base of a bridge abutment, where the highest stresses generally occur, and over its erodible faces is one of the most common way to protect abutments against erosion. 
The present research proposes the use of a numerically-based approach to develop improved design formulas for minimum riprap stone size for protection against erosion of spill-through abutments (open channel flow conditions) and wing-wall abutments (pressurized flow due to bridge deck overtopping).]]></description>
      <pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2021 22:43:22 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1867086</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Design of Stud Shear Connectors in Composite Steel Bridges</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854195</link>
      <description><![CDATA[For composite steel girder bridges, stud shear connectors are provided along the length of a bridge at the interface between the concrete deck and the steel girder to resist the interface shear and prevent slip of the concrete deck on the top flange of the girder. Currently, bridge engineers use the AASHTO LRFD Bridge Design Specifications (BDS) to determine the size and spacing of the stud shear connectors to satisfy the fatigue and strength limit states. Section 6 of the AASHTO LRFD BDS only allows the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and steel girder to be transferred through the shear connectors. However, field studies on steel girder bridges designed as noncomposite have indicated that some level of unintended composite action is present despite having no stud shear connectors. Quantifying a reliable contribution of friction and cohesion in transferring the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and the top flange of a steel member could result in a dramatic improvement on the calculation of the demand and resistance of stud shear connectors at the strength and fatigue limit states. Reducing the number of required stud shear connectors without compromising the performance of composite steel girder bridges will also increase the efficiency of fabrication and erection as well as decrease the number of tripping hazards during construction. Bridge engineers need guidance on updating the current AASHTO LRFD BDS design of stud shear connectors in composite steel girder bridges.
The objectives of this research are to provide (1) guidance on calculating the demand and resistance on stud shear connectors for steel girder bridges (including straight, skewed, and horizontally curved) at the fatigue and strength limit states and (2) design examples.
At the minimum, the research shall investigate:
(1) The contribution of friction and cohesion in transferring the horizontal shear force between a concrete deck and the top flange of a steel member (include I-girder, tub girder, stringers, and floor beams) and 
(2) The validity of the shear flow equation.   ]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 27 May 2021 19:26:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1854195</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of New Design Guidelines for Protection Against Erosion at Bridge Abutments - Phase III</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685056</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The present research proposes the use of a numerically-based approach to develop improved design formulas for minimum riprap stone size for protection against erosion of spill-through abutments. Spill-through abutments are very common at small bridges where abutments are placed on the floodplain. The mean flow fields predicted using fully 3-D RANS simulations are used to estimate the maximum bed shear stress over the riprap layer and the critical Froude number corresponding to the shear-failure entrainment threshold for the riprap stone. During the first year, the numerically-based approach was validated for the case of wing-wall abutments placed in a straight channel. During the second year, a new two-parameter formula was proposed for riprap design at wing-wall abutments. The new formula accounts for the influence of the nondimensional floodplain width and radius of curvature of the channel on the critical Froude number at which riprap shear failure occurs. During the third year, a comprehensive parametric study will be conducted that will provide the data needed to understand how channel curvature, floodplain width and relative length of the spill-through abutment influence the peak bed shear stress over the riprap regions. The main goal will be to develop a multi-parameter formula for riprap design at spill-through abutments placed in straight and curved channels as a function of the nondimensional floodplain width, ratio of abutment length to floodplain width, nondimensional riprap stone size and radius of curvature of the channel. These series of simulations will also allow better understanding the limitations of presently available riprap design formulas proposed for spill-through abutments placed in straight channels and the performance of the Set Back Ratio formula used to estimate the velocity in the critical Froude number. Recommendations will be made for inclusion of the new design formula in future versions of HEC-23.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 16 Apr 2020 16:03:32 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1685056</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Effects of Downdrag on Pile Performance</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1697662</link>
      <description><![CDATA[The primary objective of the proposed study is to instrument, monitor and collect data from piles behind embankments that are anticipated to have measurable amounts of downdrag force and settlement (new construction) with the motivation of determining under what circumstances downdrag is a critical load and when it is not. A secondary objective focuses on refining the Florida Department of Transportation (FDOT) design criteria for the inclusion of downdrag computations.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Tue, 14 Apr 2020 14:19:13 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1697662</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Development of New Design Guidelines for Protection Against Erosion at Bridge Abutments and Embankments – Phase II</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1581040</link>
      <description><![CDATA[This research proposes a numerically-based approach to develop improved methodologies to design riprap protection measures at wing-wall and spill-through abutments. Such abutments are very common at small bridges where abutments are placed on the floodplain and no piers are present. The mean flow fields and the bed shear stress distributions predicted using high-resolution, fully 3-D Reynolds Averaged Rainer-Stokes (RANS) simulations are used to estimate the maximum bed shear stress over the riprap layer, the shear-failure entrainment threshold for the riprap stone and the other variables in the design formulas recommended in Hydraulic Engineering Circular (HEC)-23 (Lagasse et al., 2001). During the first year, the numerically-based approach was validated for the case of wing-wall abutments placed in a straight channel, for which detailed laboratory experiments are available. A limited number of simulations were also conducted for spill-through abutments. In the second year, a more comprehensive parametric study with varying floodplain width, ratio of abutment length to floodplain width and riprap stone size will be conducted for spill-through abutments placed in a straight channel. The goal is to fully evaluate the performance of Lagasse et al. (2001) formula and to propose modifications that will ensure the (modified) design formula is conservative enough when applied for a wide range of flow and geometrical parameters. In the second part of the study, the effect of bank curvature on erosion potential at wing-wall abutments will be investigated. The aim is to quantitatively understand how channel curvature amplifies the maximum bed shear stress over the riprap layer and then to propose a procedure based on the design formula of Lagasse et al. (2001) that will allow estimating the required size of the riprap stone needed to protect an abutment situated at the outer bank of a curved channel. Recommendations will be made for inclusion of these modifications in future versions of HEC-23.

]]></description>
      <pubDate>Thu, 31 Jan 2019 10:22:37 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1581040</guid>
    </item>
    <item>
      <title>Creep and Shrinkage Effects On Columns</title>
      <link>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441771</link>
      <description><![CDATA[Creep (CR) and Shrinkage (SH) forces due to long term prestress shortening produce imposed deformations on bridge columns at the bents.  These deformations, in turn, produce column moments and shears which must be considered as part of the design process.  The magnitude of the imposed deformations on the columns is in question and should be investigated by looking at various frame configurations and foundation types.  Phenomena such as relaxation and foundation flexibility can reduce the effects of these forces and should be quantified.]]></description>
      <pubDate>Wed, 04 Jan 2017 10:51:59 GMT</pubDate>
      <guid>https://rip.trb.org/View/1441771</guid>
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