Hydraulics Research Program
The Hydraulics Research Program manages, coordinates and conducts research to investigate the behavior of water flow through the highway system including stream crossings, bridge foundations, culverts, and urban drainage components.
This includes:
- The Turner Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) Hydraulics Laboratory that consists of a physical modeling component and a numerical modeling component that work in tandem; results are extrapolated from one and verified and calibrated by the other.
- The numerical modeling demands of this laboratory are met at the Argonne National Laboratory (ANL) Transportation Research Analysis Computing Center (TRACC). Located outside Chicago, Illinois, the ANL/TRACC is collaborating with TFHRC to study Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) based simulation techniques.
- Coordinates FHWA Hydraulics research activities with State, local agencies, academia and various partners.
- Provides technical assistance on hydraulic engineering aspects of all FHWA programs.
- Identifies research needs and determines how best to conduct appropriate research.
- Prepares research reports and develops FHWA guidelines, practices and procedures to be followed in the hydraulic design of Federal and Federal-aid projects.
- Serves as FHWA liaison on National Cooperative Highway Research Program (NCHRP) projects
For more information visit: http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/research/tfhrc/labs/hydraulics/