Experimental Study on the Interaction Between Bridge Pier and Abutment Concerning Clear-Water Local Scour

Abstract

Estimation of scour depth around bridge piers and abutments is essential for safety and economic design in alluvial rivers. Although local scour around bridge piers and abutments has been studied separately by a large number of investigators, there is limited research on the literature related to the interaction between these two structures. Hence, in this study, the aim is to investigate the interaction between bridge abutments and pier scours in detail. For this reason, bridge abutments of different lengths of La = 0.05, 0.10, and 0.15 m and a pier with diameter of D = 0.1 m were placed at various distances from each other in a long sediment channel and tested under clear-water flow conditions with constant flow intensity. All the important dimensionless parameters involved in the interaction phenomenon were derived from theoretical analysis, and the relationships between them were investigated. Analysis of the data showed that the presence of a pier in the flow medium in addition to an abutment has a certain amount of influence on the formation of scour holes around the structures. The influence of the abutment on the pier was more noticeable in the current study, particularly for longer abutments, leading to average increases of up to 20% in scour depth around the pier. The study’s findings revealed that the presence of both a pier and an abutment in the flow medium exerted a discernible, unfavorable influence on the development of scour holes, particularly around piers.