Preliminary Assessment and Rating of Stream Channel Stability near Bridges
Publication: Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 131, Issue 10
Abstract
The primary cause of bridge failure in the United States is scour and channel instability around the bridge foundations. The ability to assess channel stability in the vicinity of bridges is needed to alert engineers to possible unstable conditions at the bridge foundations, to design stable road crossings, and to mitigate against erosion at those structures. This information is valuable for stream stabilization projects as well, particularly for cases where the reach to be restored includes a bridge. However, a systematic methodology for rapidly assessing channel stability that is applicable at bridges located in the various regions of the country does not currently exist. In this study, an assessment method for the preliminary documentation and rating of channel stability near bridges was developed, based on prior stability assessment methods as well as observations at bridges in 13 physiographic regions of the continental United States. This method provides an assessment of channel stability conditions as they affect bridge foundations. It is intended for a quick assessment of conditions for the purpose of documenting conditions at bridges and for judging whether more extensive geomorphic studies or complete hydraulic and sediment transport analyses are needed to assess the potential for adverse conditions developing at a particular bridge in the future.
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Acknowledgments
This study was funded by the Federal Highway Administration, Grant No. DTFH61-03-P-00353. The writer would like to thank the helpful reviews provided by 2 anonymous reviewers.
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Information & Authors
Information
Published In
Journal of Hydraulic Engineering
Volume 131 • Issue 10 • October 2005
Pages: 845 - 852
Copyright
© 2005 ASCE.
History
Received: Aug 10, 2004
Accepted: Dec 13, 2004
Published online: Oct 1, 2005
Published in print: Oct 2005
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