Constriction Effects in Clear-Water Scour at Abutments

The erosion process at a bridge abutment may be affected by the flow constriction when the abutment occupies a significant part of the flume width. The authors devised a specific experimental campaign to investigate the effect of the obstruction ratio (i.e., the ratio between the abutment length and the channel width) on the erosion depth: a homogeneous series of clear-water scour experiments were performed, each of which the obstruction ratio was the only parameter that varied. The experimental results are presented in light of a dimensionless framework. It was found that the effect of the obstruction ratio on the time development of local scour depth may not be large; nevertheless, significant effect can be observed, even for relatively small values of the parameter during the earliest phases. The latter are important, for example, for the step-by-step modeling of the erosion development under unsteady flow conditions. The authors propose a simple equation to quantify the scour enhancement due to the flow constriction in clear-water abutment scour.

• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/oclc/8672558
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission from ASCE
• Authors:
  • Ballio, Francesco
  • Teruzzi, Anna
  • Radice, Alessio
• Publication Date: 2009-2

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Print
• Features: Figures; References; Tables;
• Pagination: pp 140-145
• Serial:
  • Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
  • Volume: 135
  • Issue Number: 2
  • Publisher: American Society of Civil Engineers
  • ISSN: 0733-9429
  • Serial URL: https://ascelibrary.org/journal/jhend8

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridge abutments; Bridge piers; Erosion; Hydraulic properties; Scour; Support piles
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology; I24: Design of Bridges and Retaining Walls; I26: Water Run-off - Freeze-thaw;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01121831
• Record Type: Publication
• Files: TRIS
• Created Date: Feb 17 2009 12:31PM