Closure Criteria for Coastal Roadways Under Flooding Conditions

Published

This research develops a comprehensive framework for assessing flood impacts on transportation systems and establishing road closure criteria for coastal roads. By integrating Delft3D-FM hydrodynamic modeling with empirical road closure data, geospatial analysis, and vehicle stability assessments, the study evaluates flood hazards under current and future climate scenarios including sea level rise projections.

Key Contributions:

  • Improved hazard characterization: The proposed framework replaces depth-only flood thresholds with a physically grounded assessment that jointly accounts for flood depth and flow velocity, enabling more accurate representation of roadway hazard conditions.
  • Operationally actionable guidance: By translating hydraulic hazard metrics into vehicle-specific roadway closure criteria, the framework supports staged and targeted traffic management decisions that enhance public safety while reducing unnecessary economic disruption.
  • Forward-looking resilience planning: The framework provides a scalable tool for evaluating future coastal flood risk under sea-level rise, allowing agencies to identify emerging vulnerabilities and prioritize infrastructure adaptation investments with greater confidence.
  • Assessed infrastructure resilience under sea level rise scenarios (2050 & 2100)
Supported by:
Coastal Hydrology Lab The University of Alabama National Science Foundation (NSF) CIROH NOAA

Numerical Study of Skirted Foundations of Wind Turbines under Dynamic Load

2021 – 2022 | Completed

This study investigates the performance of skirted foundations for offshore and onshore wind turbines under combined static and dynamic loading conditions. Using advanced numerical modeling, the research evaluates bearing capacity, settlement behavior, and rotational stiffness across varying soil densities and loading scenarios relevant to wind and wave environments.

Key Contributions:

  • Numerical modeling of skirted foundations under combined V–H–M loading
  • Assessment of bearing capacity enhancement and settlement control
  • Evaluation across dense and loose sand conditions
  • Implications for offshore wind turbine foundation design optimization