In-Stream Vegetation as a Nature-Based Approach to Scour Control at Bridge Crossings

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.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $147,786.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348307

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Managing Organizations:

  Mid-America Transportation Center

  University of Nebraska-Lincoln
  2200 Vine Street, PO Box 830851
  Lincoln, NE  United States  68583-0851
• Project Managers:

  Stearns, Amy

• Performing Organizations:

  University of Iowa, Iowa City

  National Advanced Driving Simulator, 2401 Oakdale Blvd
  Iowa City, IA  United States  52242-5003
• Principal Investigators:

  Williams, Priscilla

• Start Date: 20240601
• Expected Completion Date: 20260630
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Aquatic life; Bathymetry; Bridge design; Erosion; Flow fields; Scour; Shear stress; Vegetation
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Materials; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01971744
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348307
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Nov 19 2025 2:20PM