KENNESAW, Ga. | May 18, 2026

A hidden force beneath bridges is one of the leading causes of structural failure, and Kennesaw State researchers are working to stop it. Their latest Georgia Department of Transportation-funded project will improve how engineers predict and prevent dangerous erosion, helping reduce risk during extreme weather and strengthen infrastructure across Georgia. 

Professor of Civil Engineering Tien Yee and Assistant Professor of Civil and Environmental Engineering Jie Zhang have been awarded $200,000 from GDOT to lead the two-year research project. The project focuses on improving how engineers model scour, the erosion of soil around bridge foundations caused by flowing water, and it will result in a set of best practices that engineers across Georgia can use with confidence.

“When you have excessive scour, the bridge loses stiffness and behaves differently than what it was designed for,” Yee said. “Because of that, the structure may be in danger of collapse.” 

The work is part of the Georgia Traffic and Pavement Research Center, housed within the Southern Polytechnic College of Engineering and Engineering Technology. The center brings together faculty from multiple disciplines to improve the safety, mobility, and efficiency of transportation systems through applied research. Since 2013, the Georgia Department of Transportation has funded more than 20 projects at Kennesaw State.

In the newest project, Yee and Zhang will develop clearer, more consistent guidance for two-dimensional modeling. While scour is a three-dimensional phenomenon, engineers often rely on two-dimensional models because they are more affordable for industrial practice purposes, creating inconsistencies in how simulation models should be setup .

“Different modelers may model scour differently, and this is where we come in,” Yee said. “We want to make it more uniform so what one person does matches what another would do.” 

Zhang said the project builds on the industry’s shift from one-dimensional methods while addressing ongoing limitations. By combining one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional modeling, the team will evaluate current practices and develop standardized guidelines to improve accuracy and consistency.

“We are trying to use more advanced modeling to help them better understand the results and improve how they could design bridge foundations with better scour predictions,” Zhang said.

A major outcome will be practical guidance on model setup, parameter selection, and validation. The team will use three-dimensional simulations, along with potential lab and field observations, to validate two-dimensional models and refine techniques.

“This research can help reduce cost of bridge construction and potentially help evaluate the risk of bridge failure,” Zhang said. 

SPCEET Dean Lawrence Whitman says the project highlights the college’s commitment to applied research.

“This work is a great example of our faculty’s practical research, real work that changes lives,” Whitman said. “Addressing bridge scour, it's not just an academic research project —it keeps our communities safe.”

– Story by Raynard Churchwell

A leader in innovative teaching and learning, Kennesaw State University offers undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral degrees to its more than 51,000 students. Kennesaw State is a member of the University System of Georgia with 11 academic colleges. The university's vibrant campus culture, diverse population, strong global ties, and entrepreneurial spirit draw students from throughout the country and the world. Kennesaw State is a Carnegie-designated doctoral research institution (R2), placing it among an elite group of only 8 percent of U.S. colleges and universities with an R1 or R2 status. For more information, visit kennesaw.edu.