Abstract
In the process of the bridge design, especially the determination of width and length of pier foundations, the scour depth around the bridge could be very important factor for the economic and safe design of the bridge. The Woodrow Wilson bridge across the Potomac River in Washington D.C. is a six lane bridge which is being replaced by a twelve lane bridge due to the rapid growth of traffic. In this study, the scour depths are calculated for the existing bridge by using the SRICOS method, which has been developed to predict the evolution of the local scour depth at a bridge pier founded in soil or soft rock and compared with the measured scour depths. The scour depths of the replacement bridge are also calculated and discussed for the design purposes. The soil samples are taken from the bridge site by using thin wall Shelby tubes and tested in the EFA (Erosion Function Apparatus) to obtain the erosion function. The discharge hydrograph for the entire bridge life is obtained from the USGS website. Using these hydrologic and geotechnical data, the scour analyses were performed for the selected bridge piers. The E-SRICOS method and the S-SRICOS method give reasonable predictions.
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The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review on April 4, 2002.
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Kwak, K.S., Briaud, J.L. Case study: An analysis of pier scour using the SRICOS method. KSCE J Civ Eng 6, 243–253 (2002). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02829148
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02829148