Shallow River Ice Flow Impacts on Critical Infrastructure

Ice jams cause floods that damage critical infrastructure and threaten lives. Ice flows damage piers and other in-river structures. The present project is intended to provide better predictive models for ice flows and ice jams by incorporating high-accuracy field measurements with detailed hydraulics models. In particular, the focus of this project is on shallow, alluvial streams; streams that are subject to the widespread grounding of floating ice. The goals of the project are to (1) measure critical geometries and motions associated with floating and embedded ice – performed using high accuracy unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)/drone surveys, Structure-from-Motion, and Large-scale Particle Tracking techniques; (2) Map ice jams and upstream ice flows at high spatial resolution – performed using high-accuracy UAS/drone surveys with GNSS/Global Positioning System (GPS) control; and (3) Develop a predictive model for the observed ice jams, a model based on pre-existing hydraulics models and the detailed information collected in the field. The result of the study will be a better predictive model for ice jams in shallow alluvial rivers – a model that will be shared with the Nebraska Department of Transportation and other stakeholders.

• Record URL:
  https://matc.unl.edu/research/research_project.php?researchID=670

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $202316
• 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:

  Wood, Richard

• Start Date: 20211101
• Expected Completion Date: 20230228
• Actual Completion Date: 0
• USDOT Program: University Transportation Centers Program
• Source Data: RiP Project 91994-107

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Drones; Floods; Forecasting; Hydraulics; Ice; Spatial analysis; Streams
• Subject Areas: Environment; Hydraulics and Hydrology; Planning and Forecasting; Safety and Human Factors; Transportation (General);

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01844244
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Mid-America Transportation Center
• Contract Numbers: 69A3551747107
• Files: UTC, RIP
• Created Date: Apr 27 2022 2:37PM