Maximum scour depth around bridge pier in gravel bed streams

Abstract

Precise prediction of scour near the circular uniform pier may lead to the economic design of piers and avoid disastrous instances. Present study mainly deals with cohesionless sediment with gravel particles. Authors checked the three latest bridge pier scour models in this study. Three new relationships are proposed by authors for computing maximum scour depth, maximum scoured length and maximum effected scoured width in cohesionless sediment at equilibrium scour condition. Maximum scour depth equation is validated by the available literature data, and this relationship is applicable for both gravel as well as the sand bed. Graphically and statistically the new maximum scour depth relationship gives better agreements between observed and computed values of maximum scour depth. Relationships for maximum scoured length and maximum effected scoured width are only applicable for gravel and coarse sand bed and also gives better agreement with computed values.