Water Resources Research Act Program

Details for Project ID 2004RI23B

Stream Stability and Scour Potential for Rhode Island Bridges

Institute: Rhode Island
Year Established: 2004 Start Date: 2004-03-01 End Date: 2005-02-28
Total Federal Funds: $13,013 Total Non-Federal Funds: $25,310

Principal Investigators: George Tsiatas

Project Summary: Stream instability is a major cause of bridge failures by scouring bed material from around bridge foundations. The project is the first step towards developing a comprehensive model that looks at the relation between land development and scour potential in Rhode Island bridges. The proposed research will evaluate stream stability in Rhode Island streams and rivers and study how it may be affected by land use and other changes. Results will provide a) tools for decision making and planning in issues related to land development and bridge siting or rehabilitation and b) data for improved modeling of stream system and scour generation.