Measurements of Water Surface Profile and Velocity Field at a Circular Pier
Publication: Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 129, Issue 5
Abstract
Flow around a 60-mm-diameter pier on a smooth bed was measured in an open-channel flume. By varying the approach flow velocity and water depth, a wide range of subcritical flow conditions was produced. Water surface elevation was measured at 0, 90, and 180° to the approach flow direction near the surface of the pier; and three-dimensional velocity vector field around the pier was measured in two horizontal planes, one close to the bed and the other near the free surface. The velocity field measurements were obtained using a stereoscopic particle image velocimetry system. It was found that the change in water surface elevation around the pier was related to the Froude number and relative water depth. However, no direct relationship between the Froude number and the measured velocity fields was found. The approach flow conditions affected the pier flow field mainly behind the pier; the flow pattern was related to the pier Reynolds number. It was also found that the direction and magnitude of the ensemble-averaged velocity field was more dependent on the pier Reynolds number near the bed.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
Adrian, R. J.(1991). “Particle imaging techniques for experimental fluid mechanics.” Annu. Rev. Fluid Mech., 23, 261–304.
Ahmed, F., and Rajaratnam, N.(1998). “Flow around bridge piers.” J. Hydraul. Eng., 124(3), 288–300.
Breusers, H. N. C., Nicollet, G., and Shen, H. W.(1977). “Local scour around cylindrical piers.” J. Hydraul. Res., 15(3), 211–252.
Breusers, H. N. C., and Raudkivi, A. J. (1991). Scouring, Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Brunner, G. (2001). “HEC-RAS hydraulic reference manual.” U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Hydrologic Engineering Center, Davis, Calif.
Chow, V. T. (1959). Open-channel hydraulics, McGraw-Hill, New York.
Dargahi, B.(1989). “The turbulent flow field around a circular cylinder.” Exp. Fluids, 8, 1–12.
Johnson, K. R. (2002). “Measurements of velocity field at a circular cylinder in open-channel flows by Particle Image Velocimetry.” MS thesis, Dept. of Civil and Environmental Engineering, South Dakota State Univ., Brookings, S.D.
Landers, M. N., and Mueller, D. S. (1996). “Channel scour at bridges in the United States.” Rep. No. FHWA-RD-95-184, Federal Highway Administration, Washington, D.C.
Melville, B. W., and Coleman, S. E. (1999). Bridge scour, Water Resources Publications, LLC, Highlands Ranch, Colo.
Melville, B. W., and Raudkivi, A. J.(1977). “Flow characteristics in local scour at bridge piers.” J. Hydraul. Res., 15(4), 373–380.
Nezu, I., and Nakagawa, H. (1993). Turbulence in open-channel flows, Balkema, Rotterdam, The Netherlands.
Panton, R. L. (1984). Incompressible flow, Wiley-Interscience, New York.
Shen, H. W., Schneider, V. R., and Karaki, S.(1969). “Local scour around bridge piers.” J. Hydraul. Div., Am. Soc. Civ. Eng., 95(6), 1919–1940.
Yarnell, D. L. (1934). “Bridge piers as channel obstructions.” Tech. Bull. 442, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D.C.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Engineering Mechanics
Volume 129 • Issue 5 • May 2003
Pages: 502 - 513
Copyright
Copyright © 2003 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Received: Apr 10, 2001
Accepted: Sep 19, 2002
Published online: Apr 15, 2003
Published in print: May 2003
Authors
Metrics & Citations
Metrics
Citations
Download citation
If you have the appropriate software installed, you can download article citation data to the citation manager of your choice. Simply select your manager software from the list below and click Download.