Pier scouring reduction using a Strip Guide Flow Panel device

Abstract

A set of laboratory experiments were conducted to study the effect of using a Strip Guide Flow Panel device to reduce scour process effects around a bridge pier. Three cylindrical piers of different diameter values and three different Strip Guide Flow Panel devices were used. Every Strip Guide Flow Panel device is simulated by two arms connected together at one of their edges at a right angle. The length of every arm is selected in a way to cover the pier diameter. Every Strip Guide Flow Panel was mounted on the upstream face of the corresponding cylindrical pier diameter at elevation adjacent to the flume bed. A uniform sized sediment were used as a bed material. Based on the experimental data, an acceptable range of scour reduction efficiency (35.71-66.67%) and high hydraulic safety factors were obtained when using Strip Guide Flow Panel. Also it is found that the scour depth when using Strip Guide Flow Panel is small comparing with corresponding potential and maximum scour depth values. So it can be concluded that the Strip Guide Flow Panel device can work like a turbulence kinetic energy dissipater to reduce the risk of scour around the pier during the serviceability life of bridge structure.

Keywords

• scour reduction
• bridge piers
• hydraulic structures