Richard J Huizinga, P.E.
Richard (Rick) Huizinga is interested in applying concepts of hydrodynamics and geomorphology to help solve real-world problems such as erosion hazards (scour) near bridges and erosion and deposition in rivers and lakes.
Rick is a project hydrologist at the Central Midwest Water Science Center in Rolla, Missouri. Rick received his bachelor’s degree and master’s degree in civil engineering (focused on Hydrology and Hydraulics) from the Missouri University of Science and Technology (M S&T, formerly UMR). Since joining the USGS in 1991, Rick has devoted his career to studying surface water hydraulics and specializes in bridge scour and applications of multibeam echosounders and motion-compensated and tripod-based lidar technology for geomorphic assessment and change detection. He has participated in applied research focusing on predicting and measuring scour at bridge piers using hydraulic models and field methods. Rick is a recognized expert in the use of multibeam echosounder technology for assessment of bridge scour during floods as well as bathymetric surveying of inland alluvial rivers and streams and lakes.
Professional Experience
1991-present, Hydrologist for U.S. Geological Survey
Education and Certifications
Registered Professional Engineer in Missouri and Kansas
M.S. Civil Engineering (Hydrology/Hydraulics), Missouri S&T, 1993, Rolla, Missouri. Thesis: “An analysis of the two-dimension flow in a vertically rotating flume”
B.S. Civil Engineering, Missouri S&T, 1991, Rolla, Missouri
Affiliations and Memberships*
1991-present, American Society of Civil Engineers, Reston, VA
Science and Products
Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessment Data for Select Bridges in the United States
Bathymetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri, using a multibeam echo sounder, 2010
Bathymetric and Velocimetric Survey and Assessment of Habitat for Pallid Sturgeon on the Mississippi River in the Vicinity of the Proposed Interstate 70 Bridge at St. Louis, Missouri
Examination of Direct Discharge Measurement Data and Historic Daily Data for Selected Gages on the Middle Mississippi River, 1861-2008
Hydrologic Analysis and Two-Dimensional Simulation of Flow at State Highway 17 crossing the Gasconade River near Waynesville, Missouri
Estimated Flood-Inundation Mapping for the Upper Blue River, Indian Creek, and Dyke Branch in Kansas City, Missouri, 2006-08
Two-Dimensional Simulation of Flow and Evaluation of Bridge Scour at Structure A-1700 on Interstate 155 over the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri
Two-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modeling and Analysis of the Proposed Channel Modifications and Grade Control Structure on the Blue River near Byram's Ford Industrial Park, Kansas City, Missouri
Potential-scour assessments and estimates of scour depth using different techniques at selected bridge sites in Missouri
Simulation of flow and evaluation of bridge scour at Horse Island Chute Bridge near Chester, Illinois
Verification of vertically rotating flume using non-newtonian fluids
Methodology for the assessment of scour at bridge sites in Missouri
Laboratory procedures and data reduction techniques to determine rheologic properties of mass flows
Science and Products
- Data
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Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessment Data for Select Bridges in the United States
Scouring of streambed material surrounding bridge structures is a leading cause of bridge failure in the United States. Damages resulting from bridge failure oftentimes lead to financial burdens and loss of life. To date, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the current (2016) effectiveness of the guidance or overall long-term performance of bridge-scour countermeasures provided in the Fe - Maps
- Multimedia
- Publications
Filter Total Items: 36
Bathymetric surveys at highway bridges crossing the Missouri River in Kansas City, Missouri, using a multibeam echo sounder, 2010
Bathymetric surveys were conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, on the Missouri River in the vicinity of nine bridges at seven highway crossings in Kansas City, Missouri, in March 2010. A multibeam echo sounder mapping system was used to obtain channel-bed elevations for river reaches that ranged from 1,640 to 1,800 feet long and extAuthorsRichard J. HuizingaBathymetric and Velocimetric Survey and Assessment of Habitat for Pallid Sturgeon on the Mississippi River in the Vicinity of the Proposed Interstate 70 Bridge at St. Louis, Missouri
A bathymetric and velocimetry survey was conducted on the Mississippi River in the vicinity of a proposed new bridge for Interstate 70 at St. Louis, Missouri. A multibeam echo sounder mapping system and an acoustic Doppler current profiler were used to obtain channel-bed elevations and vertically averaged and near-bed velocities for a 3,545-foot (1,080-meter) long reach of the Mississippi River apAuthorsRichard J. Huizinga, Caroline M. Elliott, Robert B. JacobsonExamination of Direct Discharge Measurement Data and Historic Daily Data for Selected Gages on the Middle Mississippi River, 1861-2008
An examination of data from two continuous stage and discharge streamgages and one continuous stage-only gage on the Middle Mississippi River was made to determine stage-discharge relation changes through time and to investigate cause-and-effect mechanisms through evaluation of hydraulic geometry, channel elevation and water-surface elevation data. Data from discrete, direct measurements at the stAuthorsRichard J. HuizingaHydrologic Analysis and Two-Dimensional Simulation of Flow at State Highway 17 crossing the Gasconade River near Waynesville, Missouri
In cooperation with the Missouri Department of Transportation, the U.S. Geological Survey determined hydrologic and hydraulic parameters for the Gasconade River at the site of a proposed bridge replacement and highway realignment of State Highway 17 near Waynesville, Missouri. Information from a discontinued streamflow-gaging station on the Gasconade River near Waynesville was used to determine stAuthorsRichard J. HuizingaEstimated Flood-Inundation Mapping for the Upper Blue River, Indian Creek, and Dyke Branch in Kansas City, Missouri, 2006-08
In the interest of improved public safety during flooding, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the city of Kansas City, Missouri, completed a flood-inundation study of the Blue River in Kansas City, Missouri, from the U.S. Geological Survey streamflow gage at Kenneth Road to 63rd Street, of Indian Creek from the Kansas-Missouri border to its mouth, and of Dyke Branch from the Kansas-MiAuthorsBrian P. Kelly, Richard J. HuizingaTwo-Dimensional Simulation of Flow and Evaluation of Bridge Scour at Structure A-1700 on Interstate 155 over the Mississippi River near Caruthersville, Missouri
The evaluation of scour at bridges throughout the State of Missouri has been ongoing since 1991, and most of these evaluations have used one-dimensional hydraulic analysis and application of conventional scour depth prediction equations. Occasionally, the complex conditions of a site dictate a more thorough assessment of the stream hydraulics beyond a one-dimensional model. This was the case for sAuthorsRichard J. HuizingaTwo-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Modeling and Analysis of the Proposed Channel Modifications and Grade Control Structure on the Blue River near Byram's Ford Industrial Park, Kansas City, Missouri
The Blue River Channel Modification project being implemented by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) is intended to provide flood protection within the Blue River valley in the Kansas City, Mo., metropolitan area. In the latest phase of the project, concerns have arisen about preserving the Civil War historic area of Byram's Ford and the associated Big Blue Battlefield while providing flood pAuthorsRichard J. HuizingaPotential-scour assessments and estimates of scour depth using different techniques at selected bridge sites in Missouri
The evaluation of scour at bridges throughout the state of Missouri has been ongoing since 1991 in a cooperative effort by the U.S. Geological Survey and Missouri Department of Transportation. A variety of assessment methods have been used to identify bridges susceptible to scour and to estimate scour depths. A potential-scour assessment (Level 1) was used at 3,082 bridges to identify bridges thatAuthorsRichard J. Huizinga, Paul H. RydlundSimulation of flow and evaluation of bridge scour at Horse Island Chute Bridge near Chester, Illinois
The evaluation of scour at bridges throughout the State of Missouri has been ongoing since 1991, and most of these evaluations have used one-dimensional hydraulic analysis and application of conventional scour depth equations. Occasionally, the conditions of a site dictate that a more thorough hydraulic assessment is required. To provide the hydraulic parameters required to determine the potentialAuthorsRichard J. Huizinga, Paul H. RydlundVerification of vertically rotating flume using non-newtonian fluids
Three tests on non-Newtonian fluids were used to verify the use of a vertically rotating flume (VRF) for the study of the rheological properties of debris flow. The VRF is described and a procedure for the analysis of results of tests made with the VRF is presented. The major advantages of the VRF are a flow field consistent with that found in nature, a large particle-diameter threshold, inexpensiAuthorsR.J. HuizingaMethodology for the assessment of scour at bridge sites in Missouri
A field inspection methodology, a scour- susceptibility ranking procedure, and a data base management system were developed for the Missouri Highway and Transportation Department to use for scour inspection and assessment at bridges throughout the State. Because scour can cause bridge failure, federal statute mandates that the approximately 4,700 state-owned bridges over water be assessed for scouAuthorsRichard J. Huizinga, Loyd A. WaiteLaboratory procedures and data reduction techniques to determine rheologic properties of mass flows
Determining the rheologic properties of coarse- grained mass flows is an important step to mathematically simulate potential inundation zones. Using the vertically rotating flume designed and built by the U.S. Geological Survey, laboratory procedures and subsequent data reduction have been developed to estimate shear stresses and strain rates of various flow materials. Although direct measurementAuthorsRobert R. Holmes, R.J. Huizinga, S.M. Brown, H.E. Jobson
*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government