Project Grant 2330069

This federal Project Grant award from the National Science Foundation (NSF) Engineering program (CFDA 47.041) provides $411,496 to Vanderbilt University to conduct research on understanding and predicting the evolution of the backward erosion piping (BEP) phenomenon in geotechnical flood protection infrastructure. The research aims to develop novel modeling and computational capabilities to mechanistically characterize the relationship between hydraulic conditions and the time-dependent evolution of BEP, which has been found in nearly one-third of all recorded failures of water retaining structures. The project will involve creating a stochastic multiphase computational model, leveraging experimental evidence to gain mechanistic insights, and defining fundamental relationships between system properties, soil characteristics, and backward erosion potential. Educational and outreach activities targeting K-12, undergraduate students, and the public in the Pennsylvania and Tennessee regions are also planned, with a focus on using augmented reality-based tools to enhance learning on flood protection and hazard mitigation.