On November 8, 24, our institute successfully held the 1st Webinar of IAHR Working Group on Scour Research.

This webinar was hosted by Prof. Dawei Guan of our team, and invited two internationally renowned experts in the field of scour, Prof. Robert Ettema, former Vice President of IAHR and Fellow of the American Society of Civil Engineers, and Prof. Scott Draper, Head of the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering of the University of Western Australia, to share the latest research progress on scouring of bridge abutments, and Associate Professor Draper’s comments on scouring under changing water flow conditions. Prof. Ettema shared the latest research on bridge abutment scour and Prof. Draper gave an in-depth presentation on predicting scour around submarine pipelines under changing current conditions. The conference attracted more than 150 experts and scholars from more than 10 countries, including China, the United States, Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, etc., and there was a warm atmosphere of online communication.

Scour is a key factor in the design of stability and protection of hydraulic and coastal structures. Insufficient understanding may lead to structural failure, environmental pollution and huge economic losses. In recent years, climate change trends have further exposed the vulnerability of the human engineering environment. The study of structural scour in complex hydrodynamic environments can provide a scientific basis for infrastructure design and maintenance. The IHE Scour Research Working Group series of online symposiums (planned to be held once every 3-5 months) aims to build an international academic exchange platform, and will invite renowned experts, young scholars and PhD students from around the world to share their latest achievements, discuss the latest advances and technological innovations in scour protection, and promote international academic exchanges and cooperation in the field of scour.