New Jersey Bridge Scour Evaluation Program
The New Jersey Department of Transportation has undertaken an ambitious scour evaluation program for the existing waterway bridges in the state. The methodology developed and utilized...
Risk Analysis of River Bridge Failure
The proposed procedure to determine the risk of river bridge failure is based on observations and analysis of river bridge failure data of more than 300 U.S. bridges, 180 South African...
Bureau of Reclamation Downstream Hazard Classification
An overview of the downstream hazard classification process used by the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) and other U.S. Department of the Interior (DOI) agencies for the safety of dams...
Using Threat to Life Studies to Guide Dam Safety Decisions
Ensuring that Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) dams do not present unacceptable risks to public safety, prosperity, and welfare serves as a primary objective of Reclamation's Safety...
Economic Aspects of the Bureau of Reclamation Safety of Dams Program
The paper briefly examines economic aspects of the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) Safety of Dams (SOD) program evaluation process. Procedures described include the downstream damage...
Reclamation's Design Process of Early Warning Systems for Dam Safety
This paper discusses the Bureau of Reclamation's process for designing the detection and decision making components of an Early Warning System (EWS) for dams with hydrologic deficiencies....
Emergency Action Plan
Although most dam owners have a high level of confidence in the structures they own and are certain their dams will not fail, the Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) included, history...
U.S. Geological Survey Bedload Sampling Policy
During the late 1960's, the U.S. Geological Survey's (USGS) Water Resources Division (WRD) developed the Helley-Smith bedload sampler. Since then, the USGS and the Technical Committee...
Incipient Motion in Gravel-Bed Rivers
Incipient motion processes are reviewed for bed material in gravel-bed rivers. Prediction difficulties are identified. Research results are reported for field and flume studies to investigate...
The Fallacy of Local Abutment Scour Equations
Existing laboratory model studies for quantifying local abutment scour deviate significantly from conditions typically found in the field. This has resulted in predictive local abutment...
Scour Prediction Model at Bridge Abutments
A model to predict local abutment scour is presented. The model is based on a large number of laboratory experiments over the past half century. The dependent variable, a ratio that includes...
Bridge Abutment Scour in a Floodplain
Recent bridge failures due to pier and abutment scour have reinforced the need for better methods of scour prediction. This paper addresses the problem of prediction of clear-water scour...
Bank Stability Analyses Versus Field Observations
The concept and process of stream bank stabilization design through the development and use of limiting stability curves for the comparison of existing bank height/angle combinations to...
Economics of Floods, Scour, and Bridge Failures
Hydraulic events occur more often and account for more losses than any other natural disaster. The damage inflicted on our nation's highway facilities during these events not only results...
The Control and Monitoring of Local Scour at Bridge Piers
A series of flume experiments revealed a possible method of reducing local river bed scour at bridge piers, thereby, reducing the risk of bridge failure. Three prototype schemes were installed...
Pressure Relief Under Hydraulic Jump Stilling Basins
Gravity drainage cannot be used for any portion of a structure located below tailwater level. Yet, drainage of this area may be required to relieve sub-floor pressures and reduce the risk...
Shape Effect on Bed-Load Transport in Pipes
The nature of part-full flows in pipe sewers produces different channel shapes resulting in non-uniform shear stress distribution on the wetted perimeter. New experimental data were utilized...
Flow Resistance Properties of Flexible Linings
Flow resistance for flexible channel linings is a function of the relative roughness of the lining in accordance with boundary-layer principles. As with vegetation, flexible linings have...
Storm Drainage Channel Rehabilitation
30 km (19 miles) of existing concrete lines storm drainage channels were studied due to repeated failures. Alternate failures causes were hypothesized and evaluated. Physical testing was...
Threats to Bridge Stability from Scour Related Failures of Drop Structures
Catastrophic failure of bridge foundations may occur when channel bed elevations are lowered unexpectedly. Bridges to be constructed in channels that are known to have bed degradation...
Return to search