Field monitoring of bridge scour at four bridge sites in Georgia

Abstract

Erosion of the streambed near bridge foundations is often referred to as “bridge scour.” Bridge scour is caused by the interaction between tur-bulent flows induced by bridge structures and the streambed. These turbulent flows erode the streambed and cause scour holes. The Georgia Institute of Tech-nology (Georgia Tech) and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Georgia Department of Transportation (GDOT) and the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), are conducting an investiga-tion to improve bridge scour predictions by combining field monitoring, physical modeling in the laboratory, and three-dimensional numerical modeling of bridge scour. Bridge scour field data are being collected at four sites located in different regions of Georgia. These field data will be used to calibrate the physical and three-dimensional numerical models.