|
Résumé |
|
|
Contact: |
jbklenz@mail.utexas.edu |
|
Degrees: |
PhD, Civil Engineering, University of Texas at
Austin (in progress |
| |
MS, Environmental and Water Resources
Engineering, University of Texas at Austin
(2007) |
| |
BS, Civil Engineering, University of Texas at
Austin (2005) |
Biography
Born and raised in Texas, Brandon has always been proud
of his ties to the state of Texas. During his undergraduate
studies in Civil Engineering at The University of Texas, he
was also a member of the Longhorn Band and represented the
University at football games, parades, and appearances
around the country. During this time, he met his future
wife, Mollie, who also received her BS in Civil Engineering
from UT. They got married while Brandon was working on his
Masters degree. Mollie also works in the field of
hydraulics and hydrology engineering. Discussions of
hydraulics have become commonplace in their household.
Research
Brandon's Masters research involves the hydraulic
characteristics of bridge rail systems. This research was
conducted for the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT)
and concerns floodplain analysis surrounding bridge
structures. In the event of safety upgrades to crash tested
bridge railing systems on a bridge, the surrounding
floodplain may increase during extreme flood events due to
the greater height and reduced open space of crash tested
bridge rails. Therefore, hydraulic experiments were
conducted at CRWR to develop rating curves for various
bridge rail types in order to determine the backwater
produced as a function of flow rate. In addition,
downstream submergence tests were also conducted.
Submergence causes an additional increase in the upstream
water depth, when compared to the unsubmerged case.
Mathematical models were developed to characterize and
predict both the rating curve and submergence
characteristics of multiple bridge rail types.
Brandon's future PhD research involves the hydraulics of
porous friction course (PFC) for use on roadways. PFC
allows rainfall to fill the pore space in roadway pavement
which results in several benefits including reduction of
splash and spray, reduction in hydroplaning, and increased
traction during rainfall events. This research will attempt
to better characterize the hydraulic properties of PFC
through the use of experimental testing, resulting in the
development of guidelines for the appropriate use of PFC
roadway design. Furthermore, PFC reduces the concentration
of many pollutants in stormwater runoff. This water quality
benefit will also be evaluated through site monitoring in
order to determine the extent to which PFC can be used as a
stormwater treatment process. |
