The ISTD measures the erosion resistance of cohesive soils, like clay that sticks together, in the field. Its ability to be used for field testing minimizes the potential for error, giving it an advantage over other erosion testing devices. Additionally, the ISTD has an innovative erosion head that circulates water to erode a soil surface and adapts its location as the soil erodes. This innovation occurs after a drilled borehole section is created and piping is inserted. The erosion head is then placed down in the soil, and as the soil erodes, an algorithm lowers the erosion head to maintain a constant gap. This process later informs the erosion rate for the soil.

The ESTD measures the resistance of soils to erosion under well-controlled flow conditions in a lab. An underwater laser scanner mounted to an industrial robot measures the soil surface as it erodes while a piston continuously raises the soil sample to maintain a surface flush with the channel bed. The ESTD will be part of a fully automated soil erosion resistance testing laboratory that uses robots to conduct erosion testing.

The soil compaction station reproduces lab soil samples with similar strength to soils found at various sites of interest. The lab's autonomous robot carries soil samples between the compaction station and various testing devices.

The laboratory's autonomous robot features a seven-axis robotic arm that automates the tedious process of soil erosion testing. It is programmed to carry soil samples between various stations and devices within the laboratory while avoiding obstacles by using its sensors and digital mapping system.

The Stream Table is a component of the Federal Highway Administration's Rivers and Roads Connection Program, a program that assists transportation and natural resource professionals as they carefully consider river systems and their processes to plan and design safe and resilient roads and bridges and to preserve or enhance the natural environment. The Stream Table is a centerpiece of hands-on demonstrations that simulate river, floodplain, and infrastructure interactions.

The table uses small-scale models of bridges, culverts, bank protection, and other features to visually demonstrate key concepts, such as the effects of soil erosion on a bridge's foundation.

The laboratory's force balance flume, measuring 36 feet long and 15 inches wide, is used to test the force of flowing water on different objects in highway infrastructure, such as a bridge surface where vehicles travel. A robotic arm generates waves or holds sensors for force and velocity measurements.

The automated robotic arm of the multifunctional flume system performs a variety of tasks, including the sculpting of channel banks within the tiltable platform. It is also used, along with a laser scan, to create three-dimensional representations of scouring—the removal of rock, dirt, and sediment from the base of a bridge. Various instruments are mounted to the robotic arm, such as a force sensor that measures the force of flowing water on an object.

A flume is an indoor structure used to measure the flow of water in open channels (e.g., streams, ditches, and canals). The test section of the MFS includes a flume that examines existing or proposed bridge foundations for the performance of a proposed hydraulic design. Printed three-dimensional and laser-cut parts are used to create a physical representation of the site of interest.

The 90-foot-long by 13-foot-wide MFS is a tiltable platform used for physical experiments to analyze the interactions of water with transportation structures and components. In the MFS, different flow conditions are generated to study the hydraulic response of 3D-printed, scaled models. Movable bed experiments investigate such structural threats as scour (the removal of rock, dirt, and sediment from the base of a bridge) around scaled bridge foundations.

A part of the laboratory's state-of-the-art office, the 3D printer enables researchers to quickly print accurately scaled physical models, molds, and mounts for various experiments. For example, bridge models are created with the printer, providing a visual aid for use in a bridge's actual design and construction.

Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) experiments are conducted here.

CFD is based on how fluid behaves at rest and in motion. CSM is used for the design and analysis of transportation structures and components. Hydraulic research using CFD and CSM experiments has become more common than physical testing in recent years. In these experiments, models are developed, for example, to determine the response of bridge structures to severe weather events, which can lead to bridge flooding.

For another perspective and tour of the J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory as the engineers and researchers initially intended. Filled with videos, this tour provides a more technical explanation of the equipment throughout the laboratory. Click to open tour.