Lecture 3

Flow through bridge piers

FLOW THROUGH BRIDGE PIER

 Constriction in an open channel is defined as sudden reduction of flow area. The effect of

constriction is a complex and often-experimental studies are employed to study this

phenomenon.

 If the flow before constriction is sub-critical it will produce, a pronounced back water

effect and extends to large distance upstream.

 If the flow before constriction is super-critical, it will produce disturbance upstream of

constriction only and will not extend to larger distances upstream.

 Flow constriction caused by the bride abutments and piers leads to energy loss due to

flow contraction at the upstream side and due to expansion at the downstream side of the

bridge.

 The expansion distance depends on the degree of shape of the constriction, the flow rate

and velocity.

 This energy loss is significant and it is to be taken into account. Either energy equation or

momentum equation is used to analyze the flow through bridge pier.

 Bridge has an effect on the water surface profile of the channel and its effect extends far

beyond the bridge section. Therefore, while computing the water surface profile,

additional cross-sections at upstream and downstream of the bridge section as are used.

 At a bridge site, low flow exists when the flow passes through the bridge opening in the

form of open-channel flow.

 During low flow, the water surface is well below the highest point on the low chord of

the bridge opening.

 Low flow can be classified as A where the flow is completely sub-critical; class C when

the flow is completely super-critical and class B when the flow is chocked due to the

bridge constriction. However, when the bridge is properly designed the class B flow will

never occur.

 Hydraulic jump may occur upstream or downstream of the bridge depending on whether

the flow approaching the bridge is subcritical or supercritical.

 For sub-critical flow (class A flow) the flow calculation starts from downstream and

proceeds in the upstream direction.

 For super-critical flow, the flow calculation starts from upstream direction and proceeds

in the downstream direction.

 High flow occurs at a bridge site when the water surface elevation exceeds the maximum

low chord of the bridge deck.

 Figure 5.5: A layout of cross section for a bridge (after US Army Crops of Engineers, 2002)

LOW FLOW CALCULATION

Energy method

 The energy method is similar to standard step method, which is used for gradually varied

flow in natural channels.

 Applying the energy equation between section 1 and BD we have

 xS f BD   z1  y1   1  xS f 1  he
2
VBD 1 V12 1
z BD  y BD   BD
2g 2 2g 2

Where z is the elevation of the channel bottom above the horizontal datum, y is the flow

depth, S f is the friction slope, he is the eddy loss, x is the distance between the

upstream and downstream sections. For a compound channel friction slope is evaluated
 2
 Q 
as S f   i is the ith subsection and K is the conveyance calculated as
K 
 i 

k n Ai5 / 3
Ki  2/3
, The discharge in the ith subsection is given as Qi  K i S 1f / 2 . The energy
ni Pi

V A   A  K 2 2 2
coefficient is computed as   A
i i i i
. The eddy loss is evaluated by
V  A  K 3
i i
2
i
2

2
VBD V2
using he  k e  BD  1 1 where ke is 0.3 for contracting flow and 0.5 for
2g 2g

expanding flow.

 The condition at section 1 is known from the gradually varied flow calculations further

downstream. Then the calculation can be performed sequentially from section 1 to BD;;

from BD to BB; from BB to BU; from BU to section 4 and so on.

Momentum method

 In this method momentum equation is applied between successive sections. On applying

momentum equation between section 1 and BD we get.

Q2 Q2 FbBD F f W x
ABDYBD   BD  A1Y1  1   
gABD gA1   

Y vertical distance from water surface to center of gravity of the flow area,  is the

momentum correction factor, F f is the external force opposing the flow due to friction.

Fb external force in the flow direction due to the force exerted by the obstructed area in
 the section BD, Wx is the force due to the weight of water between section 1 and BD in

the direction of flow.

 The part of the area at section BD is obstructed due to the piers. The flow exerts a force on

the obstructed area, and the obstructed area exerts a force, which is equal and opposite to

the force exerted by the flow. This force is approximate by hydrostatic pressure force and

is expressed per unit weight of water as

  AP YP BD  A plob Y plob  A pmc Y pmc  A prob Y prob BD

FbBD


AP obstructed area due to the piers, abutments, and part of the road embankment at

section BD, YP vertical distance from the water surface and the center of gravity of the

obstructed area. The subscript lob, mc and rob stand for the left overbank, the main

channel and the right overbank.

Friction force between BD and section 1 can be approximated as

x
Ff
 S fBD ABD  S f 1 A1 
 2

Where x is the distance between sections 1 and BD.

The weight component in the flow direction per unit weight of water can be

approximated as

W x x S 0
  ABD  A1 
 2
 Where S 0 is the bottom slope. Substituting all the terms into momentum equation and

arranging we get.

Q2 xS fBD  S 0 ABD Q2 xS f 2  S 0 A2

ABDYBD   BD  A pBDY pBD   A1Y1  1 
gABD 2 gA1 2

The value of momentum coefficient and Y for a compound channel can be computed as

2
Vlob Alob  Vmc2 Amc  Vrob
2
Arob
 2
V A

Ylob Alob  Ymc Amc  Yrob Arob

Y
Alob  Amc  Arob

Where lob is the left over bank, rob is right over bank and the mc is the main channel.

Yarnell's equation for low flow calculation

 Yarnell's equation is an empirical equation based on laboratory experiments. Yarnell

made an extensive study of the related literature and conducted a large number of tests on

different kinds of pier used in American practice.

 Using the water surface elevation just downstream of the bridge (section BD) and the

shape of the piers the water surface elevation at just upstream of the bridge (BU) can be

estimated from Yarnell's equation.

  BDVBD 
 
2 2
4 V BD
hBU  hBD 
 2 K Y  K Y  10 
 0.6  r0  15r0
 2 gy BD  2g
h is the water surface elevation and is given as h  z  y ; z is the bottom elevation, y is

the flow depth; KY is the Yarnell's pier shape coefficient, V is the average cross sectional

velocity; r0 ratio of obstructed area by the piers to the total unobstructed area .