Collaborative Research: Geotechnical Investigation of Bivalve-Sediment Interaction with regard to Bivalve Farms as a Self-sustained Scour Mitigation Method

合作研究：双壳类养殖场双壳类与沉积物相互作用的岩土工程研究作为一种自我持续的冲刷缓解方法

• 批准号: 1820848
• 负责人: Nina Stark
• 金额: $ 19.59万
• 依托单位: Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2018
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2018-08-15 至 2021-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1820848&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Collaborative; Research; Geotechnical; Investigation; Bivalve

Scour is a serious problem throughout the world where structural foundations are in or adjacent to running water. For example, the most common cause for bridge failures in the U.S. is scour around bridge piers. Previous studies have suggested that bivalve colonies reduce local erosion through different processes, and that bivalves feature a high resistivity to strong flow. However, there exists a current gap in knowledge regarding the impact of bivalve colonies on geotechnical seabed parameters. This hampers the assessment and development of bivalve farms as a potentially self-sustained scour mitigation method. This fundamental study will address this gap in knowledge by use of field and laboratory testing. In this way, the study will represent a crucial step towards the use of bivalve farms as a scour mitigation strategy, as well as advance the field of bio-geo-engineering in coastal environments. In the framework of this project, new interdisciplinary, domestic and international collaborations will be initiated, and multiple graduate and undergraduate students will benefit from participation in this creative, interdisciplinary and international project. The project will also seek to increase diversity in the field of geotechnical engineering by emphasizing the recruitment of female students and students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds.The project will test the following working hypotheses: H1) The presence of bivalve colonies reduces local scour and erosion. H2) Bivalve colonies form morphologies applicable to scour protection design. H3) Bivalve adhesive protein increases sediment strength and decreases erodibility. H4) Bivalve dislodgement from soil surfaces occurs as ?block failure? for single bivalves, but becomes irrelevant for erosion issues in the case of bivalve groups. These hypotheses will be tested through an interdisciplinary and multi-method approach featuring: (i) field investigations at two bivalve colony locations in Virginia and North Carolina, (ii) an analytic comparison of bivalve colony morphology and flow resistivity to modern scour protection designs, and laboratory tests investigating (iii) the change of sediment strength and erodibility resulting from mixing bivalve adhesive protein with sediment and (iv) soil failure behavior during bivalve dislodgement. The study may pave the way for a new direction in bio-inspired geotechnical engineering in submerged environments, and scour protection. In a narrower focus, the project will deliver information, and address knowledge gaps relevant for multiple disciplines and research communities (geotechnical engineering, biology, ecology, environmental engineering, aquaculture developers). It will complement existing efforts of characterizing bivalve habitats and their role in coastal protection during storm events by providing a novel geotechnical perspective. It will also enable new insights into the process of bivalve dislodgement. To the best knowledge of the PIs, mussel adhesive proteins will be tested for the first time to evaluate their impact on soil mechanical properties. The results may offer a new direction in temporary soil improvement in a sustainable manner.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.

冲刷是一个严重的问题，在世界各地的结构基础是在或邻近流水。 例如，在美国，桥梁故障最常见的原因是桥墩周围的冲刷。 先前的研究表明，双壳类群体通过不同的过程减少局部侵蚀，并且双壳类具有对强流动的高抵抗力。 然而，目前存在的知识差距，双壳类的殖民地对岩土工程海底参数的影响。这阻碍了评估和发展双壳类养殖场作为一个潜在的自我维持的冲刷缓解方法。 这项基础研究将通过使用现场和实验室测试来解决这一知识差距。 通过这种方式，这项研究将是朝着使用双壳类养殖场作为减轻冲刷战略迈出的关键一步，并将推进沿海环境中的生物地质工程领域。在这个项目的框架内，将启动新的跨学科，国内和国际合作，多个研究生和本科生将受益于参与这个创造性的，跨学科的和国际项目。 该项目还将通过强调招收女性学生和来自不同社会经济背景的学生来寻求增加岩土工程领域的多样性。该项目将测试以下工作假设：H1）双壳类群体的存在减少了局部冲刷和侵蚀。H2）双壳类群体形成适用于冲刷防护设计的形态。H3）双壳贝类粘附蛋白增加沉积物强度并降低可蚀性。H4）双壳类从土壤表面脱落发生在？块故障？对于单个双壳类，但在双壳类群体中与侵蚀问题无关。 这些假设将通过跨学科和多方法的方法进行测试，其特点是：（i）在弗吉尼亚州和北卡罗来纳州的两个双壳类群体地点进行实地调查，（ii）对双壳类群体形态和水流阻力与现代冲刷防护设计进行分析比较，通过室内试验研究了双壳类附着蛋白与沉积物混合后沉积物强度和可蚀性的变化，（4）双壳类动物驱离过程中的土壤破坏行为。 这项研究可能为淹没环境中的生物岩土工程和冲刷防护的新方向铺平道路。 在更窄的范围内，该项目将提供信息，并解决与多学科和研究团体（岩土工程，生物学，生态学，环境工程，水产养殖开发商）相关的知识差距。 它将通过提供一种新的岩土工程视角，补充现有的描述双壳类栖息地及其在风暴事件期间沿海保护中的作用的努力。 它也将使新的见解的过程中双壳类的变位。 据PI的最佳知识，贻贝粘附蛋白将首次测试，以评估其对土壤力学性质的影响。 该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

项目成果

Do Oyster Colonies Influence Sediment Erodibility? A Hydro-Morphodynamic Characterization of Intertidal Estuarine Reefs by Way of the Jet Erosion Test and Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler.

牡蛎菌落会影响沉积物的侵蚀性吗？

• 发表时间: 2021
• 期刊: Proc. 10th International Conference on Scour and Erosion (ICSE
• 作者: Thomas, M.

Subaqueous Sediment Characterization near Oyster Colonies by Means of Side-Scan Sonar Imaging and Portable Free-Fall Penetrometer

通过侧扫描声纳成像和便携式自由落体贯入仪对牡蛎群附近的水下沉积物进行表征

• DOI: 10.1061/9780784482810.074
• 发表时间: 2020
• 期刊: Geo-Congress 2020: Geotechnical Earthquake Engineering and Special Topics
• 作者: Consolvo, Samuel;Stark, Nina;Castro-Bolinaga, Celso;Massey, Grace;Hall, Steven;Campbell, Matthew;Thomas, Melody
• 通讯作者: Thomas, Melody