'Estimating erosion rates of soil mixtures through dense turf'

Hassan Ismail, Ph.D., P.E. Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, Pennsylvania State University

Increasing societal emphasis on ecological resilience, restoration, and conservation in natural and engineered systems have challenged engineers and scientists to develop designs which mimic natural conditions. As an example, vegetation – both natural and synthetic – have been shown to increase retention of soils, behave as filters of contaminants, and increase biological health of waterways, wetlands, and terrestrial slopes. With resiliency in mind, an understanding of the complex flow dynamics and sediment transport through vegetation is a necessity for the success of such endeavors. Through experimental testing and careful analysis, and building off of previous studies, an updated formulation to predict sediment flux was developed based on a reduction to the effective bed shear stress and dimensionless parameters relating to the flow, sediment, and vegetation characteristics. The new evidence-based formula significantly outperformed previous equations in terms of matching the experimental results. The experimental strategy, observations, findings, and implications of this work will be presented including the final recommended equation to predict sediment fluxes through dense vegetation. 

Biography

Hassan Ismail worked at Penn State University from 2017 to 2021 as a Postdoctoral Scholar in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering. He obtained his B.S. and M.S. in Civil Engineering from the University of South Carolina before continuing at the same university to obtain his Ph.D. in 2016. His Ph.D. studies primarily focused on numerical and laboratory modeling of density currents and dam-break surges in open channels. While at Penn State, Hassan broadly investigated environmental fluid mechanics phenomena such as river dynamics, sediment transport, density-driven flows, fluid-structure interaction, and improvements to engineering practice through basic fluid mechanics research. His focus areas include nature-based solutions, in-stream structures, immersed bodies, rock-weir hydraulics, and erosion through vegetation. Now, Hassan is putting those findings into practice as a project coordinator with Seamon Whiteside and Associates in Greenville, South Carolina. He has a strong record of publication through peer-reviewed journal articles, community engagement through outreach events and mentorship, and is an award-winning scientific communicator having given several invited talks to researchers with broad backgrounds.