They also recommended that hydrodynamic bridge 

pier and deck systems be developed, as well as 

structures that can adapt optimally to flow conditions through the use of adaptive materials based on 

nanotechnology and biomimetic concepts. 

For the near term, two areas of high-risk, highpayoff research were identified: development of 

smart particles for monitoring of hydraulic hazards 

and the development of scour countermeasures using advanced materials based on nanotechnology.

EAR Support for Hydraulics Research

Two EAR-sponsored investigations are underway 

that address hydraulics research needs. A joint study 

is exploring new ways to measure and understand 

the complex flow fields and boundary pressure fields 

that are associated with bridge pier scour. Led by 

FHWA’s Hydraulics Research Laboratory in collaboration with experts from the National Aeronautics 

and Space Administration’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory, this project is pursuing an integrated, flexible, 

sensing system that can measure changes in shear 

stress and pressure when a scour hole forms. Such 

a system would significantly aid small-scale experiments in bridge scour problems. 

A second project is working toward an advanced 

optical system to allow three-dimensional measurement of the entire instantaneous flow field around 

bridge pier models. The high-resolution volumetric 

The Exploratory Advanced Research Program Fact Sheet: Scanning and Convening Activities

Collaborating on a Hydraulics Research 

Roadmap

The Hydraulics Research Forum, held in June 2007, 

drew experts from government transportation agencies, universities, and industry, who reported on a 

broad spectrum of ongoing investigations and specific 

research needs. Discussion centered around three 

major areas of hydraulics research—coastal, inland, 

and environmental—and the need to establish communication, partnerships, and future direction. Two 

topics warranted special attention: advanced modeling capabilities (physical, numerical, and super-computing) and the implications of climate change for the 

field. 

According to Kornel Kerenyi of FHWA’s Office of 

Infrastructure Research and Development, “The participants emphasized the importance of collaboration 

to maximize scarce funding and data sharing to accelerate the progress of research. They recommended 

that annual or biennial hydraulics research forums be 

organized, a Web site be created for reporting and 

peer-reviewing hydraulics research, and a steering 

committee, working groups, and collaborative relationships be formed for planning and conducting research.”

Among the high-risk topics with long-term potential raised at the forum, participants called for research into potential applications of “smart” materials, such as in integrated scour-monitoring systems. 

Mapping the Future of Hydraulics Research

A Strategic Plan to Protect Highway Infrastructure

Breakthrough Ideas for 

Highway Research

EXPLORATORY ADVANCEDR E S E A R C H

NEARLY 60 PERCENT of failed bridges in recent years have succumbed to hydraulic forces. As our highway infrastructure ages and the risk of bridge and 

culvert failures rises, the need to predict, detect, and prevent water-related damage grows more urgent. To stimulate advanced research in this area, the Federal 

Highway Administration’s (FHWA’s) Exploratory Advanced Research (EAR) Program convened the First International Hydraulics Research Forum, gathering 

researchers and other stakeholders to identify research priorities.
particle image velocimetry system will be able to capture and quantify complex, unsteady flow fields in 

experimental bridge scour research. Also led by the 

Hydraulics Research Laboratory at Turner–Fairbank 

Highway Research Center, this joint study with the 

U.S. Department of Energy’s Argonne National Laboratory will enable hydraulic researchers to develop 

more precise models for predicting scour. 

At the Cutting Edge—Smart Sensor 

Networks 

Following on the Hydraulics Research Forum’s recommendation for the development of intelligent piers, 

the EAR Program convened a market research meeting in June 2009 to explore the potential of wireless, 

“smart particle” sensor networks for hydraulics research and monitoring. Such sensors would be capable of transmitting data on position, velocity, pressure, and other variables under a wide range of 

environmental conditions. At the 1-day conference, 

five research laboratories presented their ideas, and a 

government review panel developed recommendations for moving forward. The panel comprised experts from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, National Institute of Standards and Technology, U.S. 

Geological Survey, U.S. Naval Academy, and Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory. 

The panel recommended that a problem statement and a performance standard be developed as 

the basis for a full feasibility analysis. They identified 

a number of challenges—concept validation, data accuracy, cost–benefit considerations, reproducibility, 

scope of application, and potential environmental 

impacts—and suggested that a research roadmap be 

developed as well. The panel also called for a followup meeting that would include a broader array of university and industry researchers. 

Future Efforts

The EAR Program continues to seek promising, highrisk, high-payoff projects in transportation-related 

hydraulics research, guided by the multiyear strategic 

plan formulated at the Hydraulics Research Forum. 

“Future research,” Kerenyi predicts, “will lead to 

progress in many areas: computational fluid dynamics modeling, environmental highway hydraulics, 

hydrodynamic bridge structures, and shear stress 

and turbulence measurement. Many researchers 

will also focus on how climate change will impact 

hydrology and hydraulics.” 

Learn More

For more information or to discuss potential advanced hydraulics research topics, contact Kornel 

Kerenyi, FHWA Office of Infrastructure Research 

and Development, at 202-493-3142 (email: 

kornel.kerenyi@dot.gov).

Publication No. 

FHWA-HRT-10-034

HRTM-04/01-10(1M)E

Mapping the Future of Hydraulics Research 

A Strategic Plan to Protect Highway Infrastructure

What Is the Exploratory Advanced 

Research Program?

FHWA’s Exploratory Advanced Research 

(EAR) Program focuses on long-term, 

high-risk research with a high payoff potential. The program addresses underlying 

gaps faced by applied highway research 

programs, anticipates emerging issues 

with national implications, and reflects 

broad transportation industry goals and 

objectives. 

To learn more about the EAR Program, 

visit the Exploratory Advanced Research 

Web site at www.fhwa.dot.gov/advancedresearch. The site features information on 

research solicitations, updates on ongoing 

research, links to published materials, 

summaries of past EAR Program events, 

and details on upcoming events. For additional information, contact David Kuehn at 

FHWA, 202-493-3414 (email: david.

kuehn@fhwa.dot.gov), or Terry Halkyard 

at FHWA, 202-493-3467 (email: terry.

halkyard@fhwa.dot.gov).