Characterization of horseshoe vortex in a developing scour hole at a cylindrical bridge pier

Since local scour at bridge piers in rivers and estuaries is a major cause of bridge failure, estimation of the maximum local scour depth is of great importance to hydraulic and coastal engineers. Although numerous studies that focus on scour-depth prediction have been done and published, understanding of the flow and turbulence characteristics of the horseshoe vortex that drives the scour mechanism in a developing scour hole still is immature. This study aims to quantify the detailed turbulent flow field in a developing clear-water scour hole at a circular pier using Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV). The distributions of velocity fields, turbulence intensities, and Reynolds shear stresses of the horseshoe vortex that form in front of the pier at different scour stages (t=0, 0.5, 1, 12, 24, and 48 h) are presented in this paper. During scour development, the horseshoe vortex system was found to evolve from one initially small vortex to three vortices. The strength and size of the main vortex are found to increase with increasing scour depth. The regions of both the maximum turbulence intensity and Reynolds shear stress are found to form at a location upstream of the main vortex, where the large turbulent eddies have the highest possibility of occurrence. Results from this study not only provide new insight into the complex flow-sediment interaction at bridge piers, but also provide valuable experimental databases for advanced numerical simulations.     

SCOUR DEPTH AND FLOW PATTERN OF ERODING PLANE JETS

Local scour may occur when a hydraulic structure is positioned in a channel with an erodible bed. Herewith investigated experimentally are the erosion and flow pattern due to a water jet passing over a channel bed at the asymptotic (final) state. The development of the scour hole, its maximum scour depth and length, are recorded and compared with available scour-depth relations. Two sets of experiments (see Table 1) were carded out. Set 1 (3 runs) was concerned with measuring the vertical instantaneous velocity distribution in the scour hole. The scour hole at the asymptotic (final) state, t=100 [h] was investigated. Set 2 (5 runs) was concerned with studying the physics of scouring. Thescour hole at about mid-state, t≈0.5 [h], was investigated; subsequently the scour-hole depth was linearly extended on the semi-log scale to 72 [h]; no velocity measurements were performed. The present data are put in context with some (popular) existing relations; recommended is a modification of some of these relations。     

Temporal evolution of scour at bridge abutments in compound channels

Bridge abutment-induced sediment scour in compound river channels is time-sensitive during floods, and, thus, estimating the scour rate has significance in design. In the current study, large-scale laboratory experiments were done to examine the influence of multiple factors on scour evolution, including channel geometry, bed mobility (clear-water or live-bed), and lateral (embankment intrusion) and vertical (deck submergence) flow contractions. A new method is applied for scour measurement and determination of characteristic scour trends. Results show that the non-dimensional time scale is related to flow intensity and may peak before reaching the clear-water scour threshold; the corresponding equations also are derived. It is found that the use of scour countermeasures has a significant impact on the scour rate, and the existing equations for unprotected abutments have limitations. Under clear-water conditions, the scour rate is closely related to the overall flow contraction, which can be better reflected by the ratio of the approaching unit discharge to that at the bridge section. Specifically, the effect of vertical flow contraction on scour rate is more dominant than other factors. Two scour rate curves are derived to suit different structural and flow contraction types for clear-water scour. In contrast, the live-bed scour rate data are generally consistent and fall in a narrow band, showing less dependence on other factors. Finally, a new design approach is established to estimate the time scale and scour rate using the new equations proposed in this paper.     

The nature of scour development and scour protection at offshore windfarm foundations

Analysis and interpretation of monitoring data for the seabed bathymetry local to offshore windfarm foundations has shown how the scour develops in time and highlighted variations between sites with different seabed sediment characteristics, i.e. sands and clays. Results from European offshore windfarms have generated a unique dataset for comparison with previously published data. Where surficial sediment is underlain by a marine clay the scour (to date) has been limited, whilst those with unconstrained depths of sandy sediments show scour as deep as 1.38 times the monopile diameter. Scour protection has been installed at some sites for structural stability of the foundation or for cable protection. The flow interaction with the protection causes edge scour or secondary scour in the seabed around the protection. In some cases this scour is deeper than the unprotected case. The analysis has resulted in an improved evidence base for scour in the marine environment.     

A comparison between artificial neural network algorithms and empirical equations applied to submerged weir scour evolution prediction

Estimating the time evolution of a local scour hole downstream of submerged weirs can help determine the maximum scour depth and length and is essential to designing submerged weir foundations.In the current study, artificial neural networks with a backpropagation learning algorithm were used to estimate the temporal variation of scour profiles downstream of submerged weirs under clear water conditions. Physical factors, such as the flow condition, weir size, and sediment characteristics, are ge...     

Reduction of local scour at river conf luences using a collar

River confluences (RCs) are important features within river systems where the three dimensional (3D) flow structures and the downstream mixing of flows can cause deep scour holes. Despite this, few methods have been proposed to control scouring at RCs. In this study, application of a collar was experimentally examined for local scour control at the point where two rivers flow together. In parti-cular, experimental tests were done with and without collar application at three different locations. The results reveal that the scour depth is directly proportional to the discharge ratio, i.e. the ratio of lateral discharge to that in the channel downstream of the confluence, and the densimetric Froude number (Frg). In addition, installation of a collar at RCs can decrease the scour depth up to 100%, thus completely avoiding the scour process. The results also show that by increasing the Frg the optimal installation location for a collar changes and moves towards the river bed level. Using a collar can also reduce the height of the point bar formed downstream of the confluence. The outcomes of the study allow deri-vation of an equation for predicting scour depth when a collar is applied as a countermeasure. The analysis of this equation shows that the estimates are mostly affected by the Frg.     

Experimental investigation on scour topography around high-rise structure foundations

The current study aims to investigate the characteristics of scour topography around High-Rise Structure Foundations(HRSFs)via physical modeling tests.Clear-water scour tests with a uniform non-cohesive bed are modeled under the action of unidirectional steady flows.Time variations of the erosion and deposition topography are measured.The results show that deposition downstream of the first dune behind the HRSF is not located on the centerline of the wake.The deposition pattern indicates that a long steady wake region exists behind the permeable foundation.The scour depth around an HRSF is much less than that around a monopile because of the structural permeability,which gives rise to the bleed flow and a weakened downflow and horseshoe vortex.Additionally,the asymmetry of the HRSF affects the scour rate but not the final equilibrium scour depth.The average scour slope decreases along the direction of the flow.On the contrary,the scour radial distance increases along the direction of the flow,with the average value changing from 1.36De to 2.35De(where De is the equivalent diameter of the foundation).Furthermore,the scour hole around the HRSF is serrated rather than smooth owing to the presence of multiple piles.Empirical formulae are suggested for estimating the evolution of scour depth and volume.These laboratory experiments provide reference information for relevant numerical modeling studies and can be applied to guide engineering designs in an ocean area.     

Collar performance in bridge pier scour with debris accumulation

The mechanism of bridge pier scour becomes more complex in the presence of debris accumulation upstream of the pier. While using countermeasures may be effective in reducing scour, their efficacy could be undermined in such a situation. The current study investigates the effectiveness of using a collar in the presence of different types of floating debris accumulation in reducing scour around a cylindrical bridge pier with non-cohesive bed sediment. The experimental results reveal that using a c...     

Assessment of equilibrium pressure-flow scour depth using jet flow theory

Most models for predicting pressure-flow scour depth are based on use of the continuity and energy equations. The current study presents a model to predict pressure-flow scour depth using the momentum equation considering the jet flow deflected by the bridge deck. When approaching the bridge deck, the upstream flow acts as a jet flow that deviates toward the bed. Below the bridge deck, a combined jet-flow is created as a result of merging the initial jet-flow and the pressure-flow. The continuit...     

Scouring of a granular bed by dam break: Experimental study and numerical simulation by a VOF-LPT coupling

The first part of the research reported here consists of an experimental campaign to study the scouring of a granular bed(glass beads, sand) induced by a dam break in an open channel. Two configurations are considered: with and without cylinders. In the second part of this study, the volume of fluid method coupled with the shear stress transport turbulent model and the lagrangian particle tracking method is used to simulate the local scour processes. The four-way coupling is realized by consider...     

The effect of relative surface roughness on scour dimensions at the edge of horizontal apron

Roughened horizontal aprons are bed covering scour countermeasures constructed downstream of stilling basins and other places where scour hole may develop. In these cases scour occurs at the edge of the apron which can lead to failure of the apron. In the present study, 24 experimental tests were carried out on four different aprons with (2, 5, 10 and 14.28 mm) roughness heights and two different bed material sizes of 0.8 and 1.4 mm under different flow conditions. The results indicated that as the roughness height of apron increases, a significant reduction in the scour depth occurs.     

LOCAL SCOUR DEPTH AROUND SPURS IN THE LOWER YELLOW RIVER

1 INTRODUCTION The Lower Yellow River is a suspended river channel bed much higher than the adjacent ground behind the dikes, well known all over the world. The floods flow east into the sea under the constraints of dikes. The safety of the dikes or embankments mainly relies on the protection provided by the river training works that have been constructed and maintained for several thousand years. There are three types of river training works and they are spurs, guide banks, and reve…     

Experimental study on local scour around single oblong pier fitted with a collar in a 180 degree flume bend

In this work, investigation on the development of local scour around an oblong pier in a 180 degree flume bend is presented. Scour hole can cause failure of the bridge especially during the river floods. In this study, the use of oblong collars for reducing the effects of local scour at a bridge pier is presented together with the time aspect of the scour development. Tests were conducted using one oblong pier in positions of 60degree under one flow conditions. The study was conducted using a physical hydraulic model operated under clear-water conditions in cohesionless bed material. In this study, the time development of the local scour around the oblong pier fitted with and without collar plates was studied. Investigated was the effect of size and elevation collar on the time development of scour and its efficacy at preventing scour at a bridge pier. The time development of the scour hole around the model pier with and without a collar installed was compared with similar studies on bridge piers. The results of the model study indicated that the maximum depth of scour is highly dependent on the experimental duration. It was observed that, as the minimum depth of scour occurs for the square collar at width of 3B placed at elevation of 0.1B below the bed and the size of a collar plate increases, the scour decreases. Measuring depth of scouring based on experimental observation, an empirical relation is developed with regression coefficient 95%.     

ESTIMATION OF SCOUR HOLE PROPERTIES AROUND VERTICAL PILE USING ANNs

Correct estimation of the scour around vertical piles in the field exposed to oscillatory waves is very important for many offshore structures and coastal engineering projects. Conventional predictive formulas for the geometric properties of scour hole, however, are not able to provide sufficiently accurate results. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are simplified mathematical representation of the human brain. Three-layer normal feed-forward ANN is a powerful tool for input-output mapping and has been widely used in civil engineering problems. In this article the ANNs approach is used to predict the geometric properties of the scour around vertical pile. Two different ANNs including multilayer perceptron (with four different learning rules) and radial basis functions neural networks are used for this purpose. The results show that a three-layer normal feed-forward multilayer perceptron with quick propagation (QP) learning rule can predict the scour hole properties successfully.     

Incompressible SPH scour model for movable bed dam break flows

In this study an incompressible smoothed particle hydrodynamics (ISPH) approach coupled with the sediment erosion model is developed to investigate the sediment bed scour and grain movement under the dam break flows. Two-phase formulations are used in the ISPH numerical algorithms to examine the free surface and bed evolution profiles, in which the entrained sediments are treated as a different fluid component as compared with the water. The sediment bed erosion model is based on the concept of pick-up flow velocity and the sediment is initiated when the local flow velocity exceeds a critical value. The proposed model is used to reproduce the sediment erosion and follow-on entrainment process under an instantaneous dam break flow and the results are compared with those from the weakly compressible moving particle semi-implicit (WCMPS) method as well as the experimental data. It has been demonstrated that the two-phase ISPH model performed well with the experimental data. The study shows that the ISPH modelling approach can accurately predict the dynamic sediment scouring process without the need to use empirical sediment transport formulas.     

SCOUR HOLE CHARACTERISTICS BELOW FREE OVERFALL SPILLWAY

1 INTRODUCTION Flow through hydraulic structures often issues in the form of jets. The jet velocities are usually high enough to produce sizable, even dangerous scour hole. The extent of the resulting scour depends on the nature of bed material and flow characteristics. The erosion process is quite complex and depends upon the interaction of hydraulic and morphological factors. Scouring may lead to: endangering the stability of the structure by structural failure or increased seepage, end…     

Particle image velocimetry evaluation of flow-altering countermeasures for local scour around a submerged circular cylinder

The effect of scour countermeasures on the mechanism of local scour around a cylinder requires clarification in order to develop design methodology for use in practice. Previous investigations on countermeasure performance, though useful, have not provided adequate measurements to support this understanding. In the present investigation, particle image velocimetry(PIV) measurements were acquired at several streamwise-vertical planes in the flow field surrounding a submerged circular cylinder wit...     

SCOUR RATE FORMULA

I.INTRODUCTIONhiverchannelsaresubjecttocontinuouschangeingeometryduetoillteraCtionbetWeentheflowanderodibleboundaries.Ofconcerntothedesignersofoilpipelinesacrossariver,bridgesandhydraulicworksistheproblemofscourwhichcanunderminetheStructures.Scouratsiteofbridgesandhydraulicworksoccursduetoconstrictedflowandexistenceofbridgepiers.SuchatabOfscouroccursonlyinashortsection,usuallyillthesameorderofthelengthofthehydraulicworksorbridges.Therefore,thispatternofscouriscalledlocalscour.Man}rresea…     

AN INTEGRATED APPROACH FOR SIMULATING AND PREDICTING SCOUR AROUND ABUTMENTS

1 INTRODUCTION The local scour around bridge piers and abutments has always had heightened interest to hydraulic engineers. An accurate and efficient method to estimate the local scour is greatly desired. However, the behavior of flows passing through bri…     

Evolution of scouring process downstream of grade‐control structures under steady and unsteady flows

For many incised channels, one of the most common strategies is to install some hard structures, such as grade‐control structures (GCSs), in the riverbed to resist further incision. In this study, a series of experiments, including both steady and unsteady flow conditions, were conducted to investigate the scouring process downstream of a GCS. Three distinct phases, including the initial, developing and equilibrium phases, during the evolution of scour holes were identified. In addition, a semi‐empirical method was proposed to predict the equilibrium scour‐hole profile for the scour countermeasure design. In general, the comparisons between the experimental and simulated results are reasonably consistent. As the studies on temporal variation of the scour depth at GCSs caused by floods are limited, the effect of flood hydrograph shapes on the scour downstream of GCSs without upstream sediment supply was also investigated experimentally in this study. Based on the dimensional analysis and the concept of superposition, a methodology is proposed to simulate the time evolution of the maximum scour depth downstream of a GCS for steady flows. Moreover, the proposed scheme predicts reasonably well the temporal variations of the maximum scour depth for unsteady flows with both single and multiple peak. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.