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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

Effect of Debris on the Local Scour at Bridge Piers

Ana Josefa Dias 1, Cristina Sena Fael 2, Francisco Núñez-González 3

1
Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã, Portugal
2
C-MADE, Faculdade de Engenharia, Universidade da Beira Interior, Covilhã,
Portugal
3
Leichtweiß-Institut für Wasserbau, Technische Universitat Braunschweig,
Braunschweig. Germany

[email protected]

Abstract. Scour is one of the most recurrent causes of failure of bridge structures in alluvial
rivers. There is a variety of formulas for the assessment of bridge scour characteristics and for
the design of suitable protection. Nevertheless, current approaches neglect the effect of debris
carried by natural streams during floods, even when the accumulation of debris can extremely
amplify the action of scouring processes. Until now, very limited efforts have been conducted to
systematically investigate these effects. The present study focuses on the effect of debris on the
maximum clear-water scour depth at cylindrical piers inserted in uniform, fully-developed
turbulent flows in wide rectangular channels with flatbed composed of uniform, non-ripple
forming sand. For these purposes, an experimental campaign was carried out by performing 17
long-duration (td = 7 days) experiments. The experimental tests were performed in the hydraulic
structures channel at the University of Beira Interior. The channel was 0.83 m wide, 12.0 m long
and 1.0 m deep. In the central reach of the flume, a 3.0 m long and 0.30 m deep recess exists
where scour is free to develop. The experiments were carried out with a cylindrical pier with
0.05 m diameter and two boxes, each with debris of different dimensions, either of triangular or
rectangular shape. The tests were carried out with constant approach flow depth, d = 0.15 m, and
average approach flow velocity, U, approximately equal to the average approach flow velocity
for the threshold condition of sediment entrainment, Uc ≈ 0.31 m/s. For this velocity, the scour
depth can be expected to be maximal. The experiments will give a special focus to the
development of scour hole as the accumulated debris increase. Moreover, the experimental
results will be compared with a reference experimental run without debris, so that the increments
on scour depth due to the single debris clusters of different characteristics will be obtained and
discussed. The following conclusions were obtained: i) The shape and position of the debris
accumulation have a strong influence on the final scour depth. Debris placed on the bottom,
upstream of the bridge pier, with a triangular shape, does not induce any increase in scour depths,
the values are practically the same as the one obtained for the reference pier (without debris); ii)
The method suggested by [3], as modified by [6], performed well, replicating the main trends
observed in the experiments; and the influence of the relative submerged ratio of the debris on
the scour depth, followed the trend observed previously by [8], with an increasing scour depth
up to a critical value of the ratio, and then decreasing scour for ratios higher than this critical
value.

1. Introduction
The analysis of the most frequent causes of deterioration and bridges' failures allows to conclude that
the hydraulic issues are among those that lead to more serious situations. Among the most recurrent,

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

and given its importance, are mentioned those associated with local scour next to bridge foundations
(piers and abutments), and the hydrodynamic loading induced by floods or the debris accumulation in
front of the bridge piers and abutments. The large wood debris carried by floods affects the morphology
of the scour hole that develop next to the bridge foundations, increasing the probability of its failure.
The interaction between the flow and the roughness of the debris increases the shear stress, the
turbulence, and, consequently, the scour evolution process at bridge piers [1]. Consequently, the
prediction of the maximum scour depth is a key issue in bridge engineering.
Regarding the impact of the woody debris accumulation on bridge piers, which has been the focus
of several researchers since the 1990s and their interest are continuously growing. The motivations have
been varied and, among them, their effect on the scour processes around single piers, [2], [3], [4], [5],
[6] and [7], [1], among others (as mentioned by [8] and [9]). In spite of the progresses made on this
topic, the effects of debris accumulation at bridge piers scour is still a concern due to lack of knowledge
([10] and [11].
In this scope, the objective of this experimental study was to evaluate the effect of the single debris
clusters on the local scour at bridge piers. Tests were carried out under clear-water conditions, i.e.,
conditions in which the mean velocity of the undisturbed approach flow is below or at the threshold
velocity for the beginning of motion. Two positioning of the debris were considered, in the two extreme
situations, either debris floating on the water surface or debris placed at the sand bed. These situations
are comparable to the extreme cases described on [7], where a photographic archive served to identify
common size and shapes of accumulated debris at bridge piers. Furthermore, the maximum depth of the
local scour developed in the presence of the debris was compared with the maximum depth of the local
scour developed without them.

2. Framework for analysis

In the case of the approach flow being fully developed and uniform in wide rectangular channels, whose
bed is composed of uniform non-ripple forming sand, assuming that the local scour phenomenon around
an isolated cylindrical pier occurs in clear-water conditions in the approach flow and the flow inside the
scour hole is rough turbulent, it can be demonstrated that the scour depth is described by the following
set of non-dimensional parameters [12]:

=∅ ; ; ; (1)

where dS is the scour depth at the instant t; Dp is the pier diameter; d is the approach flow depth; U is the
average velocity of the undisturbed approach flow; Uc is the approach flow velocity for the threshold
condition of the sediment entrainment; D50 is the median grain size; d/Dp is the flow shallowness, U/Uc
is the flow intensity; Dp/D50 is the sediment coarseness and Ut/Dp is the non-dimensional time.

In the case of debris accumulation on bridge piers, the previous equation comes to include new
parameters and can be generalized as follows:

=∅ ; ; ; ; ; ; ; (2)

where T is the thickness of debris; W is the width of debris; L is the stream-wise debris length and hd is
the debris centre distances from the flow surface.

For: i) equilibrium situation, where ds no longer depend on time - taking the maximum value, dsm; ii)
U/Uc are constant (usually U/Uc ≈ 1.0 in laboratory conditions so as to maximize the scour depth); and
iii) for cylindrical piers, with Dp/D50 and d/Dp constant, the equation (2) is simplified as:

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

=∅ ; ; ; (3)

The function φ that describe the influence of the debris variables on the local scour was defined by
[6], for the range of conditions tested in laboratory, through the coefficient Kdb or ad*

𝐾 𝑜𝑟 𝑎∗ = 𝑓 ; ; ; (4)

According to [3], for design purposes, the scour depth with floating debris may be estimated by
assuming an effective diameter, like an equivalent diameter of the pier, which is evaluated from the
dimensions of the pier and debris. They provided the following equation for the calculation of the
equivalent width, be, at bridge piers in the presence of debris accumulation.

𝑏 = (5)

where Kd1 is the dimensional coefficient equal to 0.52 [2].

Reference [7] based on laboratory data, proposed a modification to the equivalent width equation,
since only the width and thickness of debris were considered. As there was no vertical location of the
submerged debris position, it was proposed to modify the equation (5) and is denoted by ad* and is given
by:

/
𝑎∗ = (6)

where Kd1 is the shape factor of debris; and Kd2 is the plunging flow intensity factor. For debris with a
rectangular shape, Kd1 = 0.39 and Kd2 = −0.79, while for triangular-conical shapes, Kd1 = 0.14 and Kd2 =
−0.17.

The recommended design equations for estimating an equivalent pier width for use with the HEC-18
pier scour equation are, therefore:

/
𝑎∗ = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 > 1.0 (7)

𝑎∗ = 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ≤ 1.0 (8)

where, on the equation (7) for debris with a rectangular shape, Kd2 = −0.79 and for triangular-conical
shapes, Kd2 = −0.17 and for the equation (8) and for debris with a rectangular shape, Kd1 = 0.79, while
for triangular-conical shapes, Kd1 = 0.21.

3. Experimental setup and procedure

Seventeen experiments were carried out in a 12.00 m long, 0.83 m wide and 1.00 m high concrete flume
located at the University of Beira Interior. Figure 1 presents the plan view of the experimental setup.
The right lateral wall is made of glass panels that allow the observation of the flow in the central reach
where the local scour develops. The central reach of the flume, starting at 5.15 m from the entrance,
included a 3.00 m long and 0.30 m deep recess box in the channel bed. The recess box was filled with
natural quartz sand of which the median diameter is D50 = 0.86 mm and the gradation coefficient is σ =
1/2(D84.1/D50 + D50/D15.9) = 1.36 (ρs = 2650 kg/m3). The flume includes a hydraulic circuit where the
discharge can be varied continuously between 0.0 m3/s and 0.90 m3/s and the circuit starts at a 100 m3

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

reservoir. At the downstream end of the flume, a tailgate allows the regulation of the water depth, which
was kept equal to 0.15 m. At the entrance of the flume, one honeycomb diffuser aligned with the flow
direction smoothed the flow trajectories and guaranteed the uniform cross-wise flow distribution.

Figure 1. Plan view of the experimental setup

The pier was simulated by a 0.05 m diameter PVC pipe, and the single clusters debris was simulated
by wood inserted in boxes made of wire mesh, i.e., all rough and permeable. Two types of boxes were
used, rectangular prism (rectangular in planform and profile) and triangular prism (triangular in
planform), each one in four sizes, according to table 1, where the associated values of the width of debris
normal to the flow, W, thickness of the debris, T, and the length of the debris upstream from pier face,
L, are summarized. The boxes were inserted upstream of the pier at the beginning of the tests, in two
forms, floating at the water surface or placed at the sand bottom, both at a distance hd measured between
the debris center and the flow surface. It should be noted that when the triangular-shaped debris are
placed on the sand bottom they are placed in their inverted shape (collapsed form), as suggested by [4].

Table 1. Tested debris shapes and dimensions

Debris shape Dimensions Debris position Depth
W(cm) x L(cm) x T(cm) hd (cm)
Retangular (RT)

10 x 5 x 5
10 x 5 x 10 2.5
12.5 x 6.25 x 5 5.0
12.5 x 6.25 x 10

Triangular (TR)

10 x 5 x 5
10 x 5 x 10 10.0
12.5 x 6.25 x 5 12.5
12.5 x 6.25 x 10

Before starting each experimental test, the experimental procedure was performed: i) The pier with
or without the debris was placed and fixed to the recess box floor; ii) The sand bed in the recess box was
carefully leveled with the adjacent flume bed; ii) The area located around the pier or around the pier
with debris was covered with a thin metallic plate; iv) The flume was then filled gradually, imposing a
high water depth and a low flow velocity; v) The discharge corresponding to the approach flow velocity,
measured by an electromagnetic flow meter with an accuracy of ± 0.5% of full scale, was then adjusted
to pass through the flume; vi) The flow depth was manually adjusted operating the downstream tailgate;

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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

vii) Once the discharge and flow depth were established, the metallic plate was removed and the
experiment started; and viii) When a given experiment was stopped, the flume was slowly drained.
0,15
ds(m)

0,10

Test without debris, T1

0,05 Rectangular floating debris, T3
triangular floating debris, T11
Triangular debris in the bottom, T7
Rectangular debris in the bottom, T15
0,00
0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
t(h)

Figure 2. Scour depth time evolution, tests T1, T3, T7, T11, and T15 (td = 7 days)

Figure 3. Typical sand-bed reach of the piers at the end of the tests (test T11)

The scour depth time evolution was monitored by measuring the scour depth with the help of a point
gauge, to the accuracy of ± 1 mm, every 5 minutes during the first half hour, every 10 minutes during
the next half hour, every 15 minutes during the second hour, every 30 minutes during the subsequent
two hours, and then one hourly measurements were taken during four hours. On the following days, 2
to 3 measurements per day were performed. When the seventh day was completed, the experiments were
stopped, in agreement with [13]. Figure 2 shows the scour depth time evolution for the reference test
without debris (test T1) and runs with debris in their four variants: with rectangular and triangular boxes,
either with floating debris at the water surface or debris on the sand bottom (tests T3, T7, T11 and T15),
for a given size of the boxes, being similar to the remaining tests. The sand bed reach upstream of the
experimental pier stayed undisturbed through the entire duration of the experiments; this long term
stability ensured that the scour depth was not supplemented by upstream bed degradation, as
documented in figure 3. It should be noted here, that no ripples developed along the tests since the
practically uniform sand used prevents the development of such bed forms, as referred by [17].

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

4. Results and discussions

4.1. Data characterization
The values of the control variables and non-dimensional parameters characterizing the experiments
carried out in this study are summarized in table 2. Where dsm is the scour depth measured at end of each
experiment and dsm ref is that value obtained to the pier scour depth without debris, considered as a
reference. As mentioned before, the pier diameter is constant with a value of 0.05 m, and the values
considered for high relative flow depth (d = 0.150 m; d/D50 = 174.42) was guaranteed. The average flow
intensity, U/Uc, was kept constant and equal to 0.96, with Uc being calculated through the predictor of
[14] as Uc ≈ 0.31 m/s. The approach flow Froude number, expressed by Fr = U/(gd)0.5 is about ≈ 0.25.
The ratio of channel width to flow depth, B/d, was kept equal to 5.5, this way avoiding significant wall
effects on the flow field. The ratio of channel width to pier diameter, B/Dp, is equal to 16.6. This result
agrees with others reported in [15], who have suggested that contraction scour is negligible for values
of B/Dp as low as 2.0 to 2.5. Also, according to [16], contraction scour is null for B/Dp ≥ 10. Thus, it is
safe to state that contraction effects were not present in the present study. In fact, contraction scour
seemed absent since no bed degradation was observed over the contracted cross sections [17]. From
table 2 it can be concluded that the scour depth is lower for the cases where the debris are on the sand
bottom in comparison to floating debris. Conclusion that goes in line with the one mentioned by [1],
where it refers that the debris accumulation was found to generally increase scour. However, when
placed at the and bottom tends to reduce the scour depth.

Table 2. Characteristics of control variables and non-dimensional parameters carried out in this study
Test Debris Dimensions Scour Parameters
Shape Laying W (cm) L(cm) T (cm) hd (cm) V(cm3) dsm (cm) dsm/dsmref (-) dsm/Dp (-) hd/d (-)
1 - - - - - - - 9.23 1.00 1.85 -
2 RT F 10 5 5 2.5 88.08 12.01 1.30 2.40 0.17
3 RT F 10 5 10 5.0 130.14 13.20 1.43 2.64 0.33
4 RT F 12.5 6.25 5 2.5 140.74 13.16 1.43 2.63 0.17
5 RT F 12.5 6.25 10 5.0 246.87 14.39 1.56 2.88 0.33
6 RT B 10 5 5 12.5 88.08 10.20 1.11 2.04 0.83
7 RT B 10 5 10 10.0 130.14 12.59 1.36 2.52 0.67
8 RT B 12.5 6.25 5 12.5 140.74 8.09 0.88 1.62 0.83
9 RT B 12.5 6.25 10 10.0 246.87 14.20 1.54 2.84 0.67
10 TR F 10 5 5 2.5 17.51 9.43 1.02 1.89 0.17
11 TR F 10 5 10 5.0 28.52 9.95 1.08 1.99 0.33
12 TR F 12.5 6.25 5 2.5 33.87 9.58 1.04 1.92 0.17
13 TR F 12.5 6.25 10 5.0 48.39 10.20 1.11 2.04 0.33
14 TR B 10 5 5 12.5 17.51 7.59 0.82 1.52 0.83
15 TR B 10 5 10 10.0 28.52 9.50 1.03 1.90 0.67
16 TR B 12.5 6.25 5 10.0 33.87 6.83 0.74 1.37 0.67
17 TR B 12.5 6.25 10 12.5 48.39 9.76 1.06 1.95 0.83
RT – Rectangular debris; TR – Triangular debris; F – Floating; B – Bottom

4.2. Effect of debris shape

As previously mentioned, in this study two boxes of debris with rectangular and triangular shape,
floating or placed at the sand bottom were tested. In figure 4 the effect of the debris shape on the relative
scour depth, dsm/dsm ref, is presented. As can be seen, the rectangular shape leads to greater scour depths.
A similar conclusion to that is described by [9]. It is still possible to verify that the scour depth is more
sensitive to the shape than to the increase in the size of the debris. Excluding test 8, the same conclusion
may be drawn with respect to its relative submersion, hd/d, presenting an average value of 44% higher
than the value obtained without debris. These results are similar to those obtained by [11]. On the other

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

hand, the triangular configuration does not induce any increase in scour depths, the values are practically
the same as the one obtained for the reference pier (without debris). According to [9], the higher depths
of the scour hole at bridge piers with rectangular debris results from the drastic deflection of the current
lines when they collide with the pier, leading to a greater separation of the flow and the formation of
stronger wake vortexes behind them.

2,0
dsm/dsm ref

RT-F RT-B TR-F TR-B

1,5

1,0

0,5

0,0
10x5x5 10x5x10 12.5x6.25x5 12.5x6.25x10
Debris dimension
Figure 4. Variation of dsm/dsm ref with the debris shape

4.3. Maximum scour depth

Figure 5 shows the variation of the maximum scour depth measured, dsm, with the effective volume of
the debris, V. The figure also includes the curve obtained in the present study, excluding in that
evaluation the tests 8, 14 and 17, given that they have values smaller than the obtained with isolated
pier. From the results, it can be concluded that dsm increases with the effective volume of the debris, as
seen in the obtained equation,
𝑑 = 5.243𝑉 . (9)

whose correlation coefficient is R2 = 0.88.

Then, the dsm measured are compared with the results obtained by [9], for simple piers. The figure 6
a) presents the values of the relative scour depth, dsm/dref, with the relative submerged ratio, hd/d, for 8h
runs and 8 b) for 168h (7 days) runs. It should be noted that [9] only obtained results for 8h runs. The
conclusion is similar to that reported by [9]. Where it was found that the maximum scour depth increased
by increasing the debris relative submerged ratio and reached a maximum value at hd/d = 0.33; for higher
relative submerged ratios, [9] found that the scour depth decreased, and eventually reached a smaller
value than at piers without debris. In other words, [9] found that by increasing the distance between the
debris and the flow surface, the strength of the down flow jet increased, while further increments of hd/d
caused decreasing scour depths [9].

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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

15,0

dsm (cm)
10,0 dsm refence

RT-F
RT-B
TR-F
TR-B
5,0
0 100 200 300
V(cm3)
Figure 5. Variation of dsm measured width debris effective volume

1,6 a) 1,6 b)
dsm/dsm ref
dsm/dsm ref

1,2 1,2

0,8 0,8

0,4 0,4

Tests for 8h Rahimi 2017 Tests for 168h Rahimi (2017)

0,0 0,0
0,0 0,5 1,0 0,0 0,2 0,4 0,6 0,8 1,0
hd/d hd/d

Figure 6. Variation of dsm/dref vs. hd/d: a) for td= 8h; b) for td = 168h

Lastly, the measured dsm values for all runs with debris are compared with those predicted based on
the CSU equation, as suggested in HEC-18 [18]:
.
.
= 2𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐾 𝐹 (9)

where, Dp is the effective pier width with debris, K1 is the correction factor for pier nose shape, K2 is the
correction factor for angle of attack of flow, K3 is the correction factor for bed conditions and K4 is the
correction factor for armouring by bed material size. In the conditions of the present study, K1 = K2 = K4
= 1.0 and K3 = 1.1, and the equation 9 reduces to:
.
.
= 2𝑥1.1 𝐹 (10)

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WMCAUS 2018 IOP Publishing
IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

For that, it will be necessary to evaluate previously the effective pier width with debris. In figure 7
the equivalent diameters proposed by [3] are analyzed and are obtained through the coefficients Kd1 and
Kd2 of [7]. Also included were the results obtained by [7] for the case of floating debris at the water
surface and U/Uc = 1.0. It should be noted that the Melville-Dongol equation does not take into account
the shape of the debris (e.g., rectangular vs. triangular) and nor does it consider the debris length
extending upstream from the pier. The comparison existing in figure 5, is done through the values
considered by [3] (equation (6)) with values proposed by [7] and for be the values considered by [2].
The results obtained from be and ad* are similar for rectangular debris with an average deviation of 6%,
whereas for triangular debris the differences is higher, with an average deviation of 14%.

0,3
be (m)

0,2

0,1
RT-F
TR-F
RT-B
TR-B
RT, Lagasse et al. (2010)
0,0
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3
ad* (m)

Figure 7. Variation of the modified effective width to the effective width

In figure 8 a) and b) the CSU equation was use, in the figure 8 a) considering that the Dp is the pier
width calculated using the modified version of Melville-Dongol equation (equation 6) whereas in the
figure 8 b) the Dp is the pier width calculated using the recommended version of the Melville-Dongol
equation (equation 8). Also included were the results obtained by [7] for the case of the floating debris
at the water surface and U/Uc = 1.0.

0,5 a) 0,5 b)
dsm (m) predictor
dsm (m) predictor

0,4 0,4

0,3 0,3

0,2 RT- F 0,2 RT, F

TR- F TR, F
RT- B RT, B
0,1 TR- B 0,1 TR, B
RT Lagasse et al. (2010) RT, Lagasse et al. (2010)
TR Lagasse et al. (2010) TR, Lagasse at al. (2010)
0,0 0,0
0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5 0,0 0,1 0,2 0,3 0,4 0,5
dsm (m) measured dsm (m) messured

Figure 8. Measured dsm vs. corresponding predictions according to CSU equation; a) Melville-
Dongol modified equation; b) Melville-Dongol recommended equation

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IOP Conf. Series: Materials Science and Engineering 471 (2019) 022024 doi:10.1088/1757-899X/471/2/022024

From the analysis of Figure 8, it can be seen that the prediction made with Melville-Dongol
recommended equation is higher than the measured one and that the Melville-Dongol modified equation
gives a better prediction since it fits better to the experimental results.

5. Conclusions
The present study focus on the effects of debris shape on the maximum scour depth at uniform single
pier. It covers two different debris shapes. Experiments were run for clear-water flatbed uniform flow,
in a rectangular channel whose bed is composed of uniform, non-ripple forming sand. From the previous
discussion, it can be concluded that:
i) The shape and position of the debris accumulation have a strong influence on the final scour
depth. Debris on the bottom, upstream of the bridge pier, with a triangular shape, act as a scour
countermeasure, reducing in our experiments the maximum scour depth up to a 26%;
ii) The method suggested by [3], as modified by [7], performed well, replicating the main trends
observed in the experiments;
iii) In the experiments, the influence of the relative submerged ratio of the debris on the scour depth,
followed the trend observed previously by [9], with an increasing scour depth up to a critical value
of the ratio, and then decreasing scour for ratios higher than this critical value. Nevertheless, such
a trend was only evident when scour depths at the end of 168h were considered, which gives
evidence that scour experiments of this type must be carried out over long time periods.

Acknowledgments
This work is supported with Portuguese national funds by FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology
within the UID/ECI/04082/2013 project.

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of Hydraulic Engineering, 118(9), pp. 1306–1310, 1992.
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World Environmental and Water Resources Congress 2007, 2007.
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on Bridge Pier Scour,” NCHRP Report 653, Transportation Research Board of the National
Academies, Washington, 2010.
[8] P. N. D. Cicco, E. Paris, and L. Solari, “Flume experiments on bridge clogging by woody debris:
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