Enhancing Erosion Resistance of Rock Shoulder by Considering Hydrodynamics

With the advent of climate change, weather patterns are becoming more unpredictable, and consequently, severe drought and flooding are unavoidable. For highway structures, this new weather pattern created new problems in the pavement system. Particularly during the Winter of 2019, extended heavy rains in Nebraska severely washed out roadbed materials in several places, which is an unexpected challenge for engineers to mitigate. In addition, District Maintenance Operations reported that eroded and dislodged shoulder aggregates often struck the lawnmower blades and caused extended downtime. Consequently, the improved design of erosion resistant aggregate is needed to mitigate the rock shoulder loss and mowing issues. This research proposal combines dedicated testing methods such as UNL ETB(University of Nebraska Lincoln Erosion Testing Bed) and hydrodynamics analysis (Flow3D) to obtain hydrodynamic rock shoulder that provides fast drainage and superior erosion protection at the surface but provide high strength below the surface. This study will achieve the goal by considering the hydrodynamical performance of individual and group aggregates through tests and analysis. Noting that similar studies are hardly found, the findings of this research are expected to provide a solid foundation to bring the new, effective, and economical design of resilient roadbed and shoulder materials.

Language

  • English

Project

  • Status: Completed
  • Funding: $194707
  • Contract Numbers:

    69A3551747107

  • 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 Nebraska, Lincoln

    1400 R Street
    Lincoln, NE  United States  68588
  • Principal Investigators:

    Song, Chung

  • Start Date: 20211101
  • Expected Completion Date: 20230228
  • Actual Completion Date: 20230630
  • USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
  • Source Data: RiP Project 91994-106

Subject/Index Terms

Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 01844245
  • Record Type: Research project
  • Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
  • Contract Numbers: 69A3551747107
  • Files: UTC, RIP
  • Created Date: Apr 27 2022 2:40PM