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Bridge pier scour in cohesive soil: a review

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Abstract

Bridge failure due to local scour has stimulated the enthusiasm of many researchers to study the causes of scouring and to predict the ultimate scour depth at bridge foundation. A brief review of the state of artwork of investigation conducted on local scour at bridge pier in cohesive bed material is presented. Scour process and mechanism at bridge pier in cohesive and noncohesive soil are presented. The effects of parameters influencing local scour around bridge pier is discussed. Empirical equations for predicting ultimate scour depth at bridge pier embedded in cohesive soil are outlined. Comparisons of the equations are made considering two examples: one under laboratory condition and another under field condition.

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Abbreviations

b :

pier width or pier diameter

B :

diameter of scour hole

b ′ :

projected width of pier perpendicular to the flow

b * :

foundation diameter of circular non-dimensional pier

C :

clay content

CEC :

cation-exchange capacity

Comp.:

degree of compaction of clayey soil

C u :

cohesion

d a :

arithmetic mean size of the sediment mixture

d 50 :

mean particle size

d 84 :

sediment size for which 84% of bed material is finer

d 16 :

sediment size for which 16% of bed material is finer

\( \hat{d} \) :

ratio of pier diameter to median sediment size

E :

compaction energy

F r :

flow Froude number

F p :

pier Froude number

g :

gravitational acceleration

h :

flow depth

k sh :

pier or abutment shape factor

k sp :

correction factor for pier spacing effect

k a :

correction factor for pier spacing effect

k b :

correction factor for bed condition

k w :

shallow water effect factor

l :

length of pier

PI :

plasticity index

R p :

pier Reynolds number

t :

time of scour

t * :

dimensionless time

UCS * :

dimensionless unconfined compressive strength of cohesive sediment bed

UCS :

unconfined compressive strength of cohesive sediment bed

V :

approaching flow velocity

V a :

armour velocity

V s :

scour volume

V cs :

critical threshold velocity for sand used in clay–sand mixture

V c :

critical mean velocity at the threshold condition

V * :

shear velocity

V *c :

critical shear velocity

\( \hat{V} \) :

non-dimensional approach velocity

W * :

antecedent moisture content required to saturate the soil sample

W c :

initial moisture content (%)

W copt :

proctor optimum water content

\( \hat{W} \) :

non-dimensional water content

X max :

maximum equilibrium scour hole diameter

\( \hat{X}_{\hbox{max} } \) :

non-dimensional maximum equilibrium scour hole diameter

Y :

depth from bed level to the top of the foundation

y smax :

maximum scour depth

y sms :

maximum scour depth below the bed level in cohesionless sediment

y scw :

depth of scour in wake zone of pier in cohesive soil

y ss :

depth of scour in wake zone of pier in non-cohesive soil

y st :

scour depth as a function of time

y smx :

extrapolated ultimate depth of scour at \( t \to \alpha \)

\( \hat{y}_{s\hbox{max} } \) :

non-dimensional maximum equilibrium scour depth

Z :

side slope of scour hole

α :

flow attack angle

Δγ s :

difference in specific weight of sediment and fluid

γ s :

specific weight of sediment

γ w :

specific weight of water

ρ :

density of water

ϕ c :

angle of repose of cohesive sediments

θ :

kinematic viscosity of water

ϕ s :

angle of repose of sand

σ g :

sediment gradation

τ s :

vane shear strength of bed

τ c :

critical shear stress of bed sediment at threshold condition

τ cs :

shield’s critical shear stress for cohesionless sediments

τ max :

maximum shear stress

\( \hat{\tau }_{s} \) :

non-dimensional bed shears strength

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Acknowledgements

Support provided by MHRD and National Institute of Technology, Silchar, India, for the research is appreciated.

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  1. Department of Civil Engineering, National Institute of Technology, Silchar, 788 010, India

    Y Sonia Devi & A K Barbhuiya

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  1. Y Sonia Devi
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Sonia Devi, Y., Barbhuiya, A.K. Bridge pier scour in cohesive soil: a review. Sādhanā 42, 1803–1819 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12046-017-0698-5

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