Research Plan by Task
The research plan consists of the four tasks specified by MDOT – Literature Review, Evaluate MDOT’s Current Scour Evaluation Procedures, Review Scour Evaluation Methods Utilized by Other States, and Calibrate Level 2 (HEC-18) Scour Prediction Equations for Michigan Specific Conditions. The next four sub-sections provide details of this investigation, which are summarized in the table below.
Summary of task components
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Task
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Topics
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Literature Review
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- Review and summarize existing USGS, FHWA, and ASCE reports (LTU & WSU)
- Perform detailed literature review of electronic databases (LTU & WSU)
- Contact state DOTs to identify non peer reviewed publications (LTU)
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Evaluate MDOT’s Current Scour Evaluation Procedures
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- Review, summarize, and critique existing MDOT methodologies for scour evaluation (LTU & WSU)
- Review and evaluate pre-existing engineering data for bridge scour evaluation (LTU & WSU)
- Review and evaluate existing databases and database management techniques (LTU & WSU)
- Project meetings with MDOT engineers and managers (LTU & WSU)
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Review Scour Evaluation Methods Utilized by Other States
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- Review, summarize, and critique other state DOT methodologies for scour evaluation (LTU)
- Contact appropriate departments within each DOT for bridge scour information (LTU)
- Determine bridge scour information available through public accessible websites (LTU)
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Calibrate Level 2 (HEC-18) Scour Prediction Equations for Michigan Specific Conditions
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- Establish a field data collection personnel safety plan to insure safety of project participants when collecting field data. MDOT safety protocols will be used as a guide (LTU & WSU)
- Visit scour critical bridges throughout the lower peninsula of Michigan as identified through meetings with MDOT (LTU & WSU)
- Select 12 scour critical bridges across the lower peninsula for episodic monitoring (LTU & WSU)
- Select 2 scour critical bridges for continuous monitoring of scour (LTU & WSU)
- Collect field data and soil samples for all 14 selected scour critical bridges (LTU & WSU)
- Perform Level 2 Analysis for 14 selected bridges if necessary. Level 2 Analysis will not be preformed as part of this project if it was recently completed by MDOT (WSU)
- Perform jet device testing at all 14 selected scour critical bridges to determine in-situ soil erodibility (LTU)
- Conduct geotechnical laboratory investigation of soil sample to evaluate geotechnical properties of all 14 selected sites (LTU)
- Conduct HEC-RAS computer simulations for 14 selected sites as necessary (WSU)
- Conduct a parametric evaluation of HEC-18 Scour Prediction Equations for Michigan specific conditions based on existing and project collected scour data (LTU)
- Calibrate the Level 2 (HEC-18) Scour Prediction Equations for Michigan specific conditions based on field monitoring of scour, jet device correlations, and parametric evaluation (LTU & WSU)
- Generate final report (LTU & WSU)
- Copy, bind, and submit final report (LTU)
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