Optimizing SEAHIVE® solutions to mitigate bridge scour (TXST)

Bridge scour remains the top cause for bridge failure in the United States. When scour is observed during bridge inspections, a plan of action must be established to ensure the safety of the traveling public. Bridge failure is obviously costly; scour mitigation and monitoring are additional costs for the life cycle of the structure. Scour is additionally challenging to predict and unforeseen changes in the hydraulic load (both in direction and in magnitude from extreme events) can further exacerbate bridge scour. This research is the next phase of Texas State University (TXST)'s effort to implement SEAHIVE® elements for scour mitigation. SEAHIVE® is an engineered protection system composed of concrete hexagonal prisms. Perforations on the side faces of the elements provide passage for water flow, dissipating the energy within the system while also adding structural complexity to improve its potential for habitat creation. SEAHIVE® is under research and development at the University of Miami (UM) for wave energy dissipation. TXST conducted experimental and computational studies on a horizontally stacked three-unit SEAHIVE® system. A three-unit system placed three pile diameters in front of a monopile reduced the scour magnitude by 70.2% and volume by 94.1%. The configuration also reduced tangential velocity by one-third and vertical velocity by 80%, effectively weakening vortex strength and minimizing local scour. A limitation of the first phase is the SEAHIVE® system was continuous in that it extended edge-to-edge across the TXST flume and in the computational model. OBJECTIVE: The objective of this research is to expand the analysis to more realistically simulate field-scale challenges and to establish baseline design parameters towards testing a prototype system in the O.H. Hinsdale Wave Research Laboratory at Oregon State University (OSU). The calibrated coupled hydrodynamic-morphodynamic model in Open FOAM will be used for further analysis to include studying the effects of: soil density, flow height, velocity, and SEAHIVE® length to pier diameter ratios. Additionally, in this phase we will analyze vertical SEAHIVE® systems, including a SEAHIVE® skirt around the monopile and a SEAHIVE® wall. Such data are needed more fully understand the practical boundaries of SEAHIVE® as an effective green-gray scour counter measure and design the prototype scale experiments in the OSU flume.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $81,841.00
• Contract Numbers:

  69A3552348330

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Office of the Assistant Secretary for Research and Technology

  University Transportation Centers Program
  Department of Transportation
  Washington, DC  United States  20590

  Coastal Research and Transportation Education (CREATE) University Transportation Center

  Texas State University
  San Marcos, TX  United States  78666
• Managing Organizations:

  Texas State University, San Marcos

  JCK Building, Suite 489
  San Marcos, TX  United States 
• Project Managers:

  Bruner, Britain

  Kulesza, Stacey

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas State University, San Marcos

  Department of Civil Engineering
  San Marcos, TX  United States  78666
• Principal Investigators:

  Kulesza, Stacey

  Barbarigos, Landolf

• Start Date: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 20261231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge substructures; Concrete structures; Dissipation; Hydraulic equipment; Scour
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01977837
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Coastal Research and Transportation Education (CREATE) University Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348330
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 29 2026 3:52PM