Three-Dimensional Simulation of Scour-Inducing Flow at Bridge Piers
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 124, Issue 5
Abstract
Presently available formulas for estimating the maximum depth of scour near bridge piers often lead to unreliable results. A fully three-dimensional hydrodynamic model is therefore used in this study to simulate the flow occurring at the base of a cylindrical bridge pier within a scour hole. The results of the numerical simulation are compared with laboratory observations by Melville and Raudkivi (1977). Quantitative and qualitative agreement between the studies is quite good. Discrepancies between the results of the two studies are of an order that may be attributed to choices in numerical model parameters. The simulations may be supplemented by Lagrangian particle-tracking to estimate the depth of the equilibrium scour condition.
Get full access to this article
View all available purchase options and get full access to this article.
References
1.
Abbot, M., and Basco, D. (1989). Computational fluid dynamics: An introduction for Engineers.
2.
Breusers, H. N. C., Nicollet, G., and Shen, H. W.(1977). “Local scour around cylindrical piers.”J. Hydr. Res., 15(3), 211–252.
3.
Chiew, Y. M. (1984). “Local scour at bridge piers.”Rep. No. 355. Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand.
4.
Chin, C. O., Chiew, Y. M., Lim, S. Y., and Lim, F. H.(1996). “Jet scour around vertical pile.”J. Waterways, Port, Coastal, & Ocean Engrg. ASCE, 122(2), 59–67.
5.
Flow Science. (1993). FLOW-3D: Quick reference manual. Los Alamos, N.M.
6.
Hess, K. W. (1989). “MECCA program document.”Tech. Rep. NESDIS 46. NOAA, Washington, D.C.
7.
Hirt, C. W., and Nichols, B. D.(1981). “Volume of fluid (VOF) method for the dynamics of free boundaries.”J. of Computational Physics, 39, 201–225.
8.
Hirt, C. W., and Sicilian, J. M. (1985). “A porosity technique for the definition of obstacles in rectangular cell meshes. Proc., 4th Int. Conf. Ship Hydrodynamics, Washington, D.C.
9.
Jain, S. C., and Fischer, E. E. (1979). “Scour around circular bridge piers at high Froude numbers.”Rep. No. FHWA-RD-79-104. FHWA, Washington, D.C.
10.
Johnston, J. P.(1960). “On three-dimensional turbulent boundary layers generated by secondary flow.”J. Basic Engrg., 82, 233–248.
11.
Kandasamy, J. K. (1989). “Abutment scour.”Rep. No. 458, Univ. of Auckland, New Zealand.
12.
Koutitas, C. G. (1988). Mathematical models in coastal engineering. Pentech Press, London, U.K.
13.
Landers, M. N., and Mueller, D. S. (1996). “Channel scour at bridges in the United States.”Pub. FHWA-RD-95-184. USDOT, Turner Fairbanks Hwy. Res. Ctr., McLean, Va.
14.
Launder, B. E., and Spaulding, D. B. (1972). Mathematical models of turbulence. Academic Press, New York, N.Y.
15.
Luettich, R. A., Westerink, J. J., and Scheffner, N. W. (1992). “ADCIRC: An advanced three-dimensional circulation model for shelves, coasts, and estuaries. Theory and Methodology of ADCIRC-2DDI and ADCIRC-3DL.”Rep. DRP-92-6, U.S. Army Waterways Experiment Station, Vicksburg, Miss.
16.
Melville, B. W., and Raudkivi, A. J.(1977). “Flow characteristics in local scour at bridge piers.”J. Hydr. Res., 15(4), 373–380.
17.
Mendoza-Cabrales, C. (1993). “Computation of flow past a cylinder mounted on a flat plate.”Proc., Hydr. Engrg. '93, ASCE Reston, Va., 899–904.
18.
Olsen, N. R. B., and Melaaen, M. C.(1993). “Three-dimensional calculation of scour around cylinders.”J. Hydr. Engrg., 119(9), 1048–1054.
19.
Richardson, J. E., and Panchang, V. G. (1996). “Estimation of scour at Maine bridges.”Tech. Services Div. Rep. PIN 6289.00. Maine Dept. of Transp., Augusta, Me.
20.
Richardson, J. R., and Richardson, E. V. (1993). “The fallacy of local abutment scour equations.”Proc., Hydr. Engrg. '93, ASCE, Reston, Va., 749–754.
21.
Richardson, E. V., Harrison, L. J., Richardson, J. R., and Davis, S. R. (1993). “Evaluating scour at bridges.”HI-90-017, HEC-18, Fed. Hwy. Admin., McLean, Va.
22.
Rodi, W. (1980). Turbulence models and their application in hydraulics: A state of the art Review. IAHR.
23.
Shaw, C. T. (1992). Using computational fluid dynamics. Prentice Hall, New York, N.Y.
24.
Sheppard, D. M. (1993). “Bridge scour in tidal waters.”Transp. Res. Rec. No. 1420, 1–6.
25.
Sicilian, J. M., Hirt, C. W., and Harper, R. P. (1987). “FLOW-3D: Computational modeling power for scientists and engineers.”Rep. FSI-87-00-1, Flow Science, Los Alamos, N.M.
26.
Vincent, M., Ross, M., and Ross, B. (1992). Johns Pass bridge scour assessment model. Ctr. for Modeling Hydrologic and Aquatic Sys., Univ. of South Florida, Tampa, Fla.
27.
White, F. M. (1991). Viscous fluid flow, 2nd Ed. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York, N.Y.
28.
Yakhot, V., and Orszag, S. A.(1986). “Renormalization group analysis of turbulence. I: Basic theory.”J. Sci. Computing, 1, 1–51.
29.
Yang, C. T. (1996). Sediment transport theory and practice. McGraw-Hill Inc., New York, N.Y.
Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 124 • Issue 5 • May 1998
Pages: 530 - 540
Copyright
Copyright © 1998 American Society of Civil Engineers.
History
Published online: May 1, 1998
Published in print: May 1998
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.