Develop a Risk-Based Framework for Selecting Hydrologic, Hydraulic, and Scour Criteria for Temporary Hydraulic Structures and Encroachments

Temporary hydraulic structures, such as bridges, culverts, and temporary access fills, are widely used during construction and emergency response to maintain transportation access and restore mobility following infrastructure damage. Unlike permanent structures, these installations are often designed for shorter service lives and may not meet the same hydrologic and hydraulic criteria. However, current design practices vary significantly across state departments of transportation, with no consistent national guidance for determining appropriate risk levels or design storm frequencies. Recent studies indicate that many agencies rely on case-by-case assessments, qualitative risk evaluations, or inconsistent application of evaluation criteria for temporary structures. Additionally, there is limited use of quantitative risk models and little integration of factors such as traffic impacts, environmental considerations, and failure consequences. The lack of standardized guidance can result in designs potentially contributing to increased conservatism and lifecycle costs, or to reduced system resilience and increased risk in some scenarios. Research is needed to identify and incorporate factors such as costs, structure lifespan, traffic, scour conditions, environmental impacts, failure risks, and regional variability to help determine how to select hydrologic, hydraulic, and scour criterion for temporary structures and to measure performance. The objectives of this research are to develop (1) a practitioner’s guide and a data-driven risk-based decision-making framework for selecting hydrologic, hydraulic, and scour design criteria for temporary hydraulic structures and encroachments; and (2) a standalone memorandum with language suitable for AASHTO’s consideration in evaluating potential updates to the AASHTO Drainage Manual.

• Record URL:
  • http://apps.trb.org/cmsfeed/TRBNetProjectDisplay.asp?ProjectID=6082
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Contract to a Performing Organization has not yet been awarded.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Proposed
• Funding: $550,000.00
• Contract Numbers:

  Project 24-56

• Sponsor Organizations:

  National Cooperative Highway Research Program

  Transportation Research Board
  500 Fifth Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO)

  444 North Capitol Street, NW
  Washington, DC  United States  20001

  Federal Highway Administration

  1200 New Jersey Avenue, SE
  Washington, DC  United States  20590
• Project Managers:

  Crichton-Sumners, Camille

• Start Date: 20260608
• Expected Completion Date: 0
• Actual Completion Date: 0

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Construction projects; Decision support systems; Hydraulic structures; Risk assessment; Scour; State departments of transportation; Temporary structures
• Subject Areas: Construction; Design; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01992205
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Transportation Research Board
• Contract Numbers: Project 24-56
• Files: TRB, RIP
• Created Date: Jun 9 2026 5:42PM