Scour at a Bridge Over the Weldon River, Iowa

by Edward E. Fischer, U.S. Geological Survey, Iowa City, United States,



Document Type: Proceeding Paper

Part of: Hydraulic Engineering

Abstract:

Contraction scour at the State Highway 2 bridge over the Weldon River in south-central Iowa was caused by a flood of record proportions on September 14 and 15, 1992. The peak discharge was 1, 930 cubic meters per second,which was 4 times the probable 100-year flood used to design the bridge, and resulted in road overflow. Contraction scour exposed the pier footings, but a subsurface layer of glacial clay apparently resisted additional vertical scour and caused the scouring process to move laterally. The embankment at the left abutment was eroded away, exposing 3 m of vertical abutment piling.

Subject Headings: Scour | Floods | Welding | Rivers and streams | Highway bridges | Piers | Hydraulic contraction | Iowa | United States

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