Developing a bridge scour warning system : final report.

Final reportPDFTech ReportK-TRAN: KU-14-1C1978BridgesFloodsReal time informationScourStructural health monitoringWarning systemsUnited StatesKansasKansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of ResearchYoung, C. BryanUniversity of Kansas. Dept. of Civil, Environmental and Architectural EngineeringKansas. Dept. of Transportation. Bureau of ResearchUS Transportation CollectionFlooding and scour can be major threats to the integrity of bridges. During flood events, scour at bridge piersand abutments can undermine the foundations of the bridge, causing significant damage or even total structure loss.Because scour occurs below the water level during a large flood event, it can be difficult to detect and may gounnoticed unless a targeted inspection is performed.The Kansas Department of Transportation (KDOT) is required by federal mandate to establish and maintain abridge scour plan of action for all scour-critical bridges in the state. A plan of action can include the implementation ofscour countermeasures to protect and stabilize a bridge and/or scour monitoring. Bridge scour monitoring presentsmultiple challenges for bridge owners, including state Departments of Transportation (DOTs).This research project surveyed in situ and ex situ monitoring options with particular attention on warningsystem options in the public domain. In situ monitoring can include portable and/or fixed devices for detecting bridgescour. Ex situ monitoring implies a statewide system that issues scour alerts to trigger bridge closures and/orinspections based on hydrologic conditions (rainfall and/or streamflow).A systematic statewide system would be preferable for monitoring scour-capable events at bridges across thestate. KDOT could leverage existing United States Geological Survey (USGS) and National Weather Service (NWS)tools to monitor scour-critical bridges or pursue a vendor to offer a turn-key solution. For critical locations, additionalmeasures could be implemented at specific sites to offer more information or a higher level of monitoring