J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory Facilities

Space | Tilting Flume | Mini-Flume | Junction Loss | Mini-Culvert
Force Balance Flume | Dynamic Flume | Rocking Foundation | Data Collection

Space

The Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA) Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center (TFHRC) J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory is situated in the Turner building of the TFHRC complex in McLean, Virginia.

The Federal Highway Administration's J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center.

The laboratory is housed in a facility of nearly 4,000 square feet with high overhead clearance. It contains a 70 foot long tilting flume and other experimental setups as well as a mechanical and electronic workshop. Along the back wall there is an overhead door which allows access to outsized equipment, if needed.

Tilting Flume

The TFHRC J. Sterling Jones Hydraulics Research Laboratory has two flumes in which to perform hydraulic experiments.  The laboratory has a total pumping capacity of 6000 gallons per minute with variable-frequency drives capable of simulating inflow hydrographs.

The main flume receives a new, more durable floor.

The carriage collects velocity measurements after the trumpet.

The main flume is a 6-ft-wide by 70-ft-long tilting flume capable of simulating 13 percent longitudinal and cross slopes. The flume has a sediment recess for local scour modeling and has a sediment trap connected to a sediment recirculation pump for limited, live-bed scour studies.  The laboratory-facing wall of the flume is transparent for model and flow visualization during experimental runs.

Mini-Flume

A small flume (“mini flume”) was originally constructed at Colorado State University. The mini flume was upgraded to implement the Hydrogen Bubble Technique and 2-D Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The upstream flow conditioning is achieved using filter mats and honeycomb flow straighteners. The flume is constructed entirely of transparent material to allow the use of flow visualization techniques. Flow and seeding particles are provided using an external variable–speed pump and an external water sump. 

The new Mini-Flume with a trumpet.

Junction Loss test facility with 3-D Particle Image Velocimetry

The Junction Loss test apparatus consists of three water tanks a head tank, main tank, and a tail tank. The purpose of the head tank is to control the pressure head for the experiments and to inject seeding particles. The junction loss model is mounted inside the main tank to be surrounded by still water. This has to be done to minimize distortions for the 3-D PIV recording. The Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL) is measured using Contact Image sensors (CIS). The CIS measure the flow depth in standpipes which are attached to the sides of the in and out flow pipe system. The setup is automated to maintain constant flow depth in the access hole during the test run.

3-D PIV or stereo PIV allows researchers to measure instantaneous 3-dimensional velocity flow fields in the Access Hole (AH) and is used measure the “vena contracta” in the outflow pipe.

Inside the manhole is a superimposed image of the calculated flow using the 3-D PIV system.

Mini Culvert with 3-D Particle Image Velocimetry

The mini culvert is used to study the entrance loss for different inlet geometries and culvert cross-sections. The Hydraulic Grade Line (HGL) is measured using Contact Image sensors (CIS). The CIS measure the flow depth in standpipes, which are attached to the sides of the head box and culvert. 3-D PIV or stereo PIV allows measuring the “vena contracta” in the culvert.

The mini-culvert with the CIS Sensors turned on.

Force Balance Flume

A special designed high tech force balance was constructed for the TFHRC hydraulics lab to derive lift and drag coefficients for inundated bridge decks for a variety of approach flow conditions. An inlet trumpet and honeycombs upstream provide a uniform flow distribution. A gate downstream controls flow depth and flow velocity in the flume. The studies conducted in this flume are related to the “Bridge of the Future” that is likely to be constructed of lighter and more durable high performance materials which will lead to more concern about storm surges sweeping the deck off of the foundations as occurred on I10 during the 2004 Hurricane Ivan in Florida.

Force Balance.

Channel setup with the Force Balance installed.

Multi Hazard Dynamic Flume and Shaker

The flume consists of a 1300 mm long inlet and a 2000 mm straight channel. The upstream flow conditioning is achieved using filter mats, a honeycomb flow straightener, and a carefully designed trumpet-shaped inlet. The recess at the test section is 400 mm x 300 mm (length x width) and 80 mm deep, and can be filled with sand particles of various sizes. A 25 l/s pump provides the flume with water, which is stored under the flume in a water tank. A laser distance meter, which is mounted on a portal robot, can scan scour holes during test runs.

The shaking device is mounted above the flume on a rigid frame at the test section. Two synchronous linear drive motors apply dynamic forces up to 12 Hz. A ridged model bridge pier is fixed to a platform with linear bearings, which is attached to a linear guide system and mounted elastically to the drive platform. The body response displacement is measured with a laser distance meter. Two load cells measure the applied dynamic loading.

The dynamic flume including the shaker.

An overhead shot of the large shaker.

Multi Hazard Rocking Foundation Apparatus

The shaking device is mounted above a water tank on a rigid frame at the test section Three synchronous linear drive motors apply dynamic forces up to 10 Hz. Three lasers provide the feedback signal for the linear drive motors. The driving signals have to be superposed to achieve the rocking movement. Band limited random noise can be used to simulate earthquake loading. The platform is mounted so it can rotate around the directions corresponding to its main bending axis. The angular response displacements are measured with a laser distance meters. Four load cells measure the applied dynamic loading.

The rocking foundation with a yellow bridge deck model installed.

Data Collection

The laboratory has the ability to collect large amounts of data during its experimental runs. It is now adding the ability to manipulate its various data collection sensors automatically under pre-programmed computer control.

The automated flume carriage fitted to the main flume.

From the main flume's automated carriage, data on flow characteristics (velocities, depths, etc.) can be collected across the width of the flume.  In addition, cross sections of the stream bed may be measured optically at any number of points along the flume allowing detailed collection of scour hole geometry. 

The carriage is a node on the laboratory's computer network so its sensors may be programmed and manipulated from any of the laboratory's workstations.