Erosion of the streambed, known also as scour, around pier 3 of the New York State Thruway bridge over Schoharie Creek caused the pier to fail, which ultimately resulted in bridge failure during the flooding event of April 5, 1987. The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) responded to the need for better guidance on the evaluation of bridge scour and the selection and installation of scour countermeasures with the release of several Hydraulic Engineering Circulars. Although this information has been available, used, and updated over the years, an evaluation of the current conditions of scour countermeasures has not been performed. Therefore, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the FHWA, began a study in 2013 to assess the current conditions of bridge scour countermeasures at selected sites around the country. The bridge scour countermeasure site assessments included reviewing countermeasure design plans, field inspections, traditional surveys, motion-compensated terrestrial light detection and ranging technology (lidar), high-resolution multi-beam bathymetry scanning, underwater video imaging, and a review of the peak and daily streamflow history for the associated river or stream. A total of 34 bridge scour countermeasure sites were selected in 11 states for this study. The types of countermeasures installed at the bridge scour study sites ranged from riprap, the most common countermeasure in the study, to A-Jacks and cabled-concrete mattresses.
The installed countermeasures were generally exposed to hydraulic forces from floods that equaled or exceeded the 1-percent, and even the 0.2-percent, annual exceedance probability at some of the study sites, but not all. The field inspections and countermeasure evaluations identified areas of shifting, slumping, and some scour holes and damage or washouts to the countermeasures, but generally most remained in place. The high-resolution laser scanner data, photo imaging and traditional survey data, and field notes were provided to the FHWA for expert evaluation of the bridge scour countermeasure performance.
Citation Information
| Publication Year | 2020 |
|---|---|
| Title | Assessment of bridge scour countermeasures at selected bridges in the United States, 2014–18 |
| DOI | 10.3133/sir20195080 |
| Authors | Thomas P. Suro, Richard J. Huizinga, Ryan L. Fosness, Taylor Dudunake |
| Publication Type | Report |
| Publication Subtype | USGS Numbered Series |
| Series Title | Scientific Investigations Report |
| Series Number | 2019-5080 |
| Index ID | sir20195080 |
| Record Source | USGS Publications Warehouse |
| USGS Organization | Idaho Water Science Center; New Jersey Water Science Center |
Related Content
Geospatial Data for Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessments at Select Bridges in the United States, 2016-18
Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessment Data for Select Bridges in the United States
Ryan L Fosness
Supervisory Hydrologist - Surface Water Specialist
Related Content
- Data
Geospatial Data for Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessments at Select Bridges in the United States, 2016-18
In 2009, the Federal Highway Administration published Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 23 (HEC-23) to provide specific design and implementation guidelines for bridge scour and stream instability countermeasures. However, the effectiveness of countermeasures implemented over the past decade following those guidelines has not been evaluated. Therefore, in 2013, the U.S. Geological Survey, in coopBridge Scour Countermeasure Assessment Data for Select Bridges in the United States
Scouring of streambed material surrounding bridge structures is a leading cause of bridge failure in the United States. Damages resulting from bridge failure oftentimes lead to financial burdens and loss of life. To date, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the current (2016) effectiveness of the guidance or overall long-term performance of bridge-scour countermeasures provided in the Fe - Connect
Ryan L Fosness
Supervisory Hydrologist - Surface Water SpecialistEmailPhone