Mengwei Xuan / High Technology Partners, Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center Geotechnical Laboratory
Soil scour poses a significant risk to infrastructure, particularly bridge foundations, and accurately estimating the onset of erosion is crucial for predicting potential damage and implementing effective mitigation measures. This study investigates the initiation of soil erosion using the Erosion Function Apparatus (EFA). The research focuses on the numerical modeling of scour and erosion processes, specifically targeting cohesive soils, through Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) software. Advanced numerical simulations are employed to model the EFA, a critical tool for evaluating the behavior of cohesive soils under various hydraulic conditions. By integrating CFD techniques with erosion dynamics, the study aims to enhance understanding of how cohesive clays respond to scour phenomena. The numerical models developed simulate the interactions between fluid flow and soil particles, providing insights into erosion mechanisms and the effectiveness of different mitigation strategies. The findings include a comparison of numerical results with observed scour phenomena in Mississippi, highlighting valuable contributions to the design of erosion control measures and the management of sediment transport in engineering applications.