Coastal and river bridge scour mitigation using hybrid solutions (TAMU)

Bridge piers, foundations, and abutments in coastal areas or across rivers often face heightened risk of detrimental scour development under wave and/or current loading. Along coastlines bridges are part of essential evacuation routes, saving lives ahead of predicted storm impacts with life-threatening consequences if compromised. Further inland, many bridges across creeks and rivers that are part of rural transportation systems and low-volume road networks afford equally important transportation connections. When disaster strikes and these structures are compromised – as was painfully demonstrated in the recent Central Texas flash flood disaster – entire communities are cut-off from relief help or means to recover quickly. In most instances, bridge failure is initiated through hydraulically-induced scour formation and growth at the interface of the structural components and the surrounding sediment. If scour issues can be predicted and mitigated early, catastrophic failure can be avoided. The problem is that traditional mitigation techniques are costly or, in the case of rural bridges, may not even be included in the design. Here, the research team plans to test low-cost hybrid mitigation techniques that can help reduce scour impact to bridges caused by wave or current impact by using bio-cementation (such as Microbially-Induced Calcium Carbonate Precipitation - MICP) and/or geosynthetics in combination with the in-situ sediment. Proposed Research: The team plans the following tasks to address the efficacy of these solutions to reduce scour: Task 1: Assess existing technological options for coastal and riverine bridge scour protection. This will be done via an in-depth literature review on scour protection with the goal of identifying various options, their advantages and limitations. Task 2: Conduct physical model wave flume scour tests with wave and/or current loading for different low-cost, hybrid scour protection combinations including MICP and geosynthetics in tandem with the in-situ sediments. Task 3: Develop scour prediction equations based on the conducted physical model tests that can be used to assess the efficacy of the hybrid solutions for use in coastal and riverine bridge systems.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $120,000.00
• 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

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Managing Organizations:

  Coastal Research and Transportation Education (CREATE) University Transportation Center

  Texas State University
  San Marcos, TX  United States  78666
• Project Managers:

  Bruner, Britain

  Kulesza, Stacey

• Performing Organizations:

  Texas A&M Transportation Institute

  Texas A&M University System
  3135 TAMU
  College Station, TX  United States  77843-3135
• Principal Investigators:

  Puppala, Anand J

  Lakshminarayanan, Vinaykrishminarayanan

• Start Date: 20260101
• Expected Completion Date: 20271231
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Coast and river protective works; Geosynthetics; Predictive models; Scour
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Design; Geotechnology; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Maintenance and Preservation;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01978099
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Coastal Research and Transportation Education (CREATE) University Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3552348330
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Jan 31 2026 11:25AM