This year, Brennan's blog posts garnered an impressive readership of over 27,000. An analysis of our most searched topics identified the most significant issues in the environmental and marine construction industries, including those most relevant to our company's operations. This leads us to the question: What were our industry's most frequently researched topics?
We've examined Brennan's most popular articles of the year -- let's count them down!
Brennan blog posts were viewed 13,622 times in 2019. Reviewing our most-searched blog topics helps us construct a list of the marine industry's most critical topics and those most pertinent to our company. So, what were the most-searched topics?
Scour poses a large threat to the stability of any structure that is partially or entirely underwater. It may develop slowly over time, or be brought on quickly by an intense rain event or seasonal flooding. In some cases, such as along a shoreline, scour can be very evident. In others, scour can go unnoticed for an extended period of time. Whether it is taking place around the footing of a bridge pier, along the base of a sheet pile wall, or along a tailrace on a dam, scour may not be evident until the structure begins to show signs above the water. At this point, the structure is beginning to fail and repairs must be done soon to avoid a total loss of integrity. Repairing scour and erosion issues that may be going unnoticed in any location is vital as it will save a lot of money in the long run, and extend the life of the structure.
Lock and Dams, bridges, pipeline crossings, and barge terminals are all examples of water-based infrastructure. Ensuring that these structures maintain their integrity is essential to their continued operation, however water-based infrastructure presents an added challenge because a portion of the structure is underwater.
According to the United States Department of Transportation, underwater scour is the leading cause of bridge failure, ahead of collisions and overloading. Scour is the erosion or removal of a streambed or bank material from bridge foundations due to flowing water. As many bridges sit over water, the potential dangers of scour cannot be ignored. There are many solutions to scour problems. However, there are two options that we find the most effective.
