FLOW CHARACTERISTICS IN LOCAL

SCOUR AT BRIDGE PIERS

Based on experiment done by Prof. BRUCE

W. MELVILLE and Prof. ARVED J.
RAUDKIVI in 1976.

Abhilash Jana
PG student (2014-16) of Water Resources And Hydraulic Engineering
School Of Water Resources Engineering, Jadavpur University

Introduction
Many bridges are failed due to scour around bridge pier.
So, an accurate measure of the depth of scour is
essential to safe the life and money
The literature review carried out here - summaries the
major results of an investigation of flow patterns in the
scour zone of a circular pier under clear water scour
conditions, which was done by BRUCE W. MELVILLE and
ARVED J. RAUDKIVI (Professors of Civil Engineering,
University of Auckland, New Zealand) in 1976.
The research was confined to uniform cohesion less
material and clear-water flow conditions.

Objective
The principal objective of present
study is to review the experiment
done by Prof. Bruce W. Melville and
Prof. Arved J. Raudkivi in 1976 and
gather knowledge about flow
patterns in the scour zone of a
circular pier under clear water scour
conditions.

Vortex shedding
vortex shedding is an oscillating flow that takes
place when a fluid such as air or water flows
past a bluff (as opposed to streamlined) body at
certain velocities, depending on the size and
shape of the body.
vortices are created at the back of the body and
detach periodically from either side of the body
The fluid flow past the object creates alternating
low pressure vortices on the downstream side of
the object.
The object will tend to move toward the lowpressure zone

Vortex shedding

The experimental set-up used

by Melville and Raudkivi
(1976)
A glass- sided flume 19 m long, 456 mm wide and 440
mm deep was used for the experiments.
The working section was 15 m from the upstream end
and a cylinder of 50.8 mm diameter was used as the pier.
The flume had a fixed flat bed coated with the sand used
at the working section.
The sand used in the experiments had a uniform grading
curve with d35 =0.300 mm, d50 = 0.385 mm, d65 = 0.500
mm and a specific gravity of 2.65.
A flow of 17.12 l/s was used and it yielded on the bed
slope of S0 =0.0001 a uniform flow depth y0 = 0.15 m and
a mean approach velocity V0 = 0.25 m/s.

 The shear velocity for this uniform

flow was

The critical shear velocity for the

threshold of grain movement from
Shields' criterion was

Three stages of scour

The initial flat bed,

The intermediate scour hole after 30
minutes from commencement of erosion
The final equilibrium scour hole

The fixed bed model of the equilibrium

scour

 The upstream part of the scour holes was

approximately conical in shape with slopes of 37 0 to
380
The static angle of repose of the sand under water is
320
The mean directions of flow were recorded with the
aid of a short cotton tuft glued to the end of a thin
rod. In addition the hydrogen-bubble technique was
extensively used to trace the flow pattern.
The velocity magnitudes and turbulence intensities
within the scour hole were measured with the Dansk
Industri SyndikatAnemometer (DISA).

The estimates of bed shear stress were normalized using the

local critical bed shear stress, sc, as given by the Shields'
criterion and adjusted for bed slope. The slope adjustment was
by the relationship derived by Brooks (1963):

Where,
sc = critical shear stress on the slope,
c = critical shear stress on flat bed as given by the Shields'
function,

= slope angle,
= angle between flow direction and slope direction measured
in the plane of the slope, and

Experimental results observed by Melville and

Raudkivi (1976)

Direction (left) and magnitude (right) of mean velocity past a 50.8 mm diameter pier for the initial flat bed condition
(top), the intermediate scour hole and the equilibrium scour hole (bottom). All measurements are at 2 mm
perpendicular distance from the bed. The dotted lines of the flat-bed model are for the potential flow past a

Experimental results observed by Melville and

Raudkivi (1976)

Direction (left) and magnitude

(right) of mean velocity past a 50.8
mm diameter pier in the vertical
plane of symmetry ahead of the
cylinder for the initial flat bed
condition (top), the intermediate
scour hole and the equilibrium
scour hole (bottom).

Conclusion made by Melville and

Raudkivi (1976)
At the bottom of the scour hole a rim, concentric
with the cylinder, was observed for most of the
time upstream of the cylinder.
This rim was formed by the deflection upwards of
the down flow in front of the cylinder where this
up flow meets with the horseshoe vortex.
The erosion occurs below the rim, which collapses
irregularly in sand avalanches, forcing the
material up the slope and into the flow.
The eroded material is carried by the flow into the
wake region.

Future Scope
To observed this experimental result
by using by using ADV(Acoustic
Doppler Velocimetry).
To see the flow pattern in live bed
scour water instead of clear water
scour.
To observe the change of flow and
scour if two pier are place serially
along the flow direction.
To experimental use of scour to

References

MELVILLE B.W. & RAUDKIVI A.J. (1977): Flow Characteristics in Local Scour at Bridge Piers, Journal
of Hydraulic Research, 15:4, 373-380.
Melville B.W. & Coleman S.E. (2000): Bridge Scour, Water Resources Publication, 2000 -
Technology & Engineering, USA.
Kothyari, U. C., Garde, R. J., and Ranga Raju, K. G. (1992). Temporal variation of local scour
around circular bridge piers. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 118:8(1091), 10911106.
BROOKS, N. H. (1963), Discussion of "Boundary Shear Stresses in Curved Trapezoidal Channels",
by A. T. Ippen and P. A. Drinker, Proc. A.S.C.E., Journal Hydraulics Division, Vol. 89, HY3, pp. 327333.
HJORT, P. (1972), Lokal erosion och erosionsverkan vid avloppsledning i kustnaa omroden, Bulletin
Serie B, nr. 21, Institutionen Fr Vattenbyggnad Takniska Hgskolan i Lund.
MAULL, D. J. and T. A. YOUNC; (1973), Vortex Shedding from Bluff Bodies in a Shear Flow, Journal
Fluid Mechanics,Vol. 60, Pt. 2: 401-409.
MELVILLE, B. W. (1975), Local Scour at Bridge Sites, Thesis submitted for the degree of Doctor of
Philosophy at the University of Auckland School of Engineering. Also available as University of
Auckland, School of Engineering,Report No. 117.
Dey, S. (1999). Time-variation of scour in the vicinity of circular piers. J. Wat. Maritime Eng.,
Proc. Inst. Civ. Eng., 136(June), 67-75.
Dey, S., and Raikar, R. V. (2005). Scour in long contractions. J. Hydraul. Eng.,131(12), 1036-1049.
Dey.S. and Barbhuiya. Abdul Karim, (2005), Turbulent flow field in a scour hole at a semicircular
abutment . NRC Research, Can. J. Civ. Eng. 32: 213232.
Dey.S, Mutlu Sumer.B, and Fredsoe.J, (2006) Control of Scour at Vertical Circular Piles under
Waves and Current J. Hydr.Engg. ASCE, 121(12), 869 - 875.
Dey. S ,and Barbhuiya. A.K, (2003) Time Variation of Scour at Abutments J.Hydr. Engg . ASCE,
131(1), 11-23.
Dey .S and Raikar , Rajkumar. V, (2005), Clear-Water Scour at Piers in Sand Beds with an Armor
Layer of Gravels. J. Hydr. Engg . ASCE, 133(6), 703-711.
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