HYDROLOGICAL ASPECTS OF BRIDGE DESIGN: CASE STUDY

Severe floods can lead to bridge failures. If the reason for failure is not structural deficiency then the likely culprit is excessive local scour around bridge piers and/or abutments. The mechanics of local scour has been studied extensively; however, studies examining the hydrologic design aspects of bridges are limited. Insufficient hydrologic and hydraulic assessments may result in uncertainties in bridge design. The optimum return period for a flood hydrograph may be determined through a hydro-economic analysis for bridge design. Lack of relevant hydrologic data, such as precipitation and runoff, makes obtaining the design parameters difficult. Realistic judgment of the hydrologist on the local hydrologic behavior of the project area becomes necessary. This paper presents a case study on the hydrologic design of a bridge located in a small basin subject to frequent floods. Scour computations of the bridge were performed for various combinations of runoff to confirm the foundation stability.

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  • English

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Filing Info

  • Accession Number: 00715331
  • Record Type: Publication
  • Files: TRIS
  • Created Date: Jan 10 1996 12:00AM