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ABSTRACT: This paper presents the results of an experimental study on scour around a pile subject to combined
waves and current. Irregular waves were used in the experiments, which were carried out both for codirectional
waves and for waves propagating perpendicular to the current. The measured scour depth is plotted as a function
of Ucw = Uc /(Uc ⫹ Um) for various values of the Keulegan-Carpenter number KC in which Uc is the undisturbed
current velocity and Um is the maximum value of the undisturbed orbital velocity at the sea bottom. In the
experiments, KC ranges from 5 to about 30 and Ucw from 0 to 1. The results show that the scour depth increases
with increasing current component of the flow. The scour depth attains its steady-current value for Ucw > 0.7.
INTRODUCTION When the waves and the current coexist, the presence of the
waves will certainly modify the previously mentioned vortex
Scour around a pile is caused mainly by the following three
structures, presumably resulting in changes in the scour pic-
effects: (1) horseshoe vortex combined with the downflow in
ture. The case of the combined waves and current has been
front of the pile; (2) vortex shedding at the back of the pile;
studied by Wang and Herbich (1983) and Eadie and Herbich
and (3) contraction of streamlines at the side edges.
(1986) [see also Herbich et al. (1984)]. These researchers did
The horseshoe vortex (combined with the downflow) and
not specifically present their scour data as a function of KC,
the contraction of streamlines are the key elements for scour
which was later recognized to be a key parameter for the wave
in the case of a steady current. Scour around a pile in steady
scour (Sumer et al. 1992b; Kobayashi and Oda 1994). In their
currents has been investigated quite extensively (particularly
experiments, KC can be calculated to be in the range 2 ⱗ KC
in the context of scour at bridge piers) [e.g., Hjorth (1975),
ⱗ 25. The range of the other important dimensionless pa-
Melville (1975), Breusers et al. (1977), Ettema (1976, 1980),
rameter
Melville and Raudkivi (1977, 1996), Raudkivi and Ettema
(1977, 1983), Chiew (1984), Raudkivi (1986), Chiew and Uc
Melville (1987), Melville and Sutherland (1988), Melville and Ucw = (2)
Uc⫹ Um
Dongol (1992), Ettema et al. (1998), and Melville and Chiew
(1999)]. Reviews of the subject can be found in the books by was 0.35 < Ucw < 0.7, in which Uc = undisturbed current ve-
Breusers and Raudkivi (1991), Hoffmans and Verheij (1997), locity at the distance y = D/2 from the bed representing the
Whitehouse (1998), and Raudkivi (1998). near-bed current velocity. The results of the studies by Herbich
Although the horseshoe vortex and the contraction of and his coworkers have indicated that the scour depth is es-
streamlines are the key elements for scour in the case of the sentially not radically different from that in the case of the
steady current, the vortex shedding is apparently the major steady current, apparently because of the mainly current-dom-
mechanism to cause scour in the case of waves for small val- inated flow environment in those experiments, as will be dis-
ues of the Keulegan-Carpenter number KC [<O(100)] (Sumer cussed later in this paper.
et al. 1992b, 1993; Kobayashi and Oda 1994). Here, KC is The purpose of this study is to make a systematic investi-
defined by gation of scour around a circular pile, covering the full range
of 0 ⱕ Ucw ⱕ 1, in which the lower bound of the range rep-
UmT resents the waves alone case and the upper bound represents
KC = (1)
D the current-alone case, the two fundamental cases. It turns out
in which Um = maximum value of the undisturbed orbital ve- that the scour depth changes quite substantially in the case of
locity at the sea bottom just above the wave boundary layer; the combined waves and current, depending on the governing
T = wave period; and D = pile diameter. parameters KC and Ucw. For a combination of small values of
The key role of the vortex shedding in the wave scour (Su- the KC number and Ucw, the scour depth can be reduced sig-
mer et al. 1992b) is that each shed vortex sweeps the sediment nificantly with respect to its steady-current value.
grains into its core and carries them away from the pile while
it is convected downstream, thus causing a net scour at the EXPERIMENTAL SETUP AND TEST CONDITIONS
pile in each half-cycle of the wave. The study of Sumer et al. Two kinds of experiments were carried out: (1) flume ex-
(1993) has indicated that the scour practically ceases to exist periments where the waves and current were codirectional and
when the vortex shedding disappears; it is remarkable that the the waves followed the current; and (2) basin experiments
KC number at which the scour ceases to exist coincides with where the direction of wave propagation was perpendicular to
the critical value of KC at which the vortex shedding disap- the current.
pears (this critical value is KC = 3 to 4 for a 45⬚-arrangement
square pile, KC = 6 for a circular pile, and KC = 10 to 11 for Flume Experiments
a 90⬚-arrangement square pile).
These experiments were carried out in the same flume as
1
Tech. Univ. of Denmark, Dept. of Hydrodynamics and Water Resour. that described in Sumer and Fredsøe (1996). The flume was 4
(ISVA), Build. 115, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark. m wide, 1 m deep, and 28 m long. Three kinds of tests were
2
Tech. Univ. of Denmark, Dept. of Hydrodynamics and Water Resour. conducted: (1) waves-alone experiments, (2) current-alone ex-
(ISVA), Build. 115, 2800 Lyngby, Denmark.
Note. Discussion open until October 1, 2001. To extend the closing
periments, and (3) combined-waves-and-current experiments.
date one month, a written request must be filed with the ASCE Manager
of Journals. The manuscript for this paper was submitted for review and Waves-Alone Experiments
possible publication on September 29, 1999; revised November 21, 2000.
This paper is part of the Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, Vol. 127, Irregular waves were used throughout the present study. The
No. 5, May, 2001. 䉷ASCE, ISSN 0733-9429/01/0005-0403–0411/$8.00 reason for this was to avoid large-scale bed undulations, which
⫹ $.50 per page. Paper No. 21967. may occur in regular waves for test durations >O(1 h).
JOURNAL OF HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING / MAY 2001 / 403
The waves were produced by a piston-type wave generator. 4. Superimpose the current corresponding to the smallest
A measured in situ water elevation spectrum for the North Sea design velocity V.
storm conditions was used as the control spectrum to produce 5. Run the combined-waves-and-current test until the scour
a wave-generator displacement signal. This spectrum is well process has reached a new equilibrium. Identify the equi-
described by the JONSWAP wave spectrum, as was shown in librium scour depth.
a study by Kozakiewicz et al. (1994). A wave absorber at the 6. Increase the current velocity to a new value and repeat
downstream end of the flume was used to handle the reflection. Step 5.
The mean water depth was maintained constant at 39 cm. 7. Repeat Step 6 until all the design current velocities are
Velocity measurements were made at different depths by a achieved.
DANTEC laser Doppler anemometer (LDA) using a submers-
ible ‘‘pen-size’’ probe. A typical example of time series of the Test Conditions
bottom orbital velocity and the corresponding spectrum can be
seen in Fig. 1 in Sumer and Fredsøe (1996). The test conditions and the experimental results are given
Two model piles were used with diameters D = 90 and 30 in Table 1. In the table, fp = peak frequency of the wave power
mm. The depth of the sand layer in the flume was 25 cm. The spectrum and Um = orbital velocity calculated from
grain size of the sand was d50 = 0.16 mm. The development Um = 兹2U (3)
of the scour hole was monitored by video in the same fashion
as described in Sumer et al. (1992a,b, 1993). in which U = root-mean-square (RMS) value of the orbital
velocity U at the bottom, defined by
冕
Current-Alone Experiment ⬁
2U = SU(f ) df (4)
The current was achieved by recirculating water in the 0
flume. The velocity profiles in both vertical and transverse
directions were measured using the previously mentioned LDA in which Su(f ) = power spectrum of U corresponding to the
equipment. The transverse velocity profile measurements in- wave component of the flow; and f = frequency. It may be
dicated that the flow was 2D over the center 3.5 m of the noted that Um becomes identical to the maximum value of the
flume width. bottom orbital velocity in the case of small-amplitude sinu-
soidal waves. Also, in the table, KC = Keulegan-Carpenter
Combined-Waves-and-Current Experiments number based on Um and fp
TABLE 1. Test Conditions for Flume Experiments (Waves and Current Are Codirectional, Waves Following Current)
Peak Undisturbed Undisturbed
Pile frequency depth-averaged current velocity Keulegan- Pile R Pile R Nondimensional
diameter of waves Bed orbital current at distance D/2 Carpenter number number equilibrium
D fp velocity Um velocity V from bed Uc number Uc /(Uc ⫹ Um) = based on based on scour depth
Run (mm) (s⫺1) (cm/s) (cm/s) (cm/s) KC Ucw Um Rw Uc Rc S/D
1 90 0.4 15.7 0.0 0.0 4 0.0 1.4 ⫻ 104 — 0.06
2 90 0.4 15.7 8.5 8.3 4 0.34 1.4 ⫻ 104 7.5 ⫻ 103 0.11
3 90 0.4 15.7 15.7 16.0 4 0.5 1.4 ⫻ 104 1.4 ⫻ 104 0.56
4 90 0.4 15.7 29.2 27.0 4 0.63 1.4 ⫻ 104 2.4 ⫻ 104 0.83
5 90 0.32 23.1 0.0 0.0 8 0.0 2.1 ⫻ 104 — 0.11
6 90 0.32 23.1 13.3 13.0 8 0.36 2.1 ⫻ 104 1.2 ⫻ 104 0.50
7 90 0.32 23.1 23.1 22.3 8 0.49 2.1 ⫻ 104 2 ⫻ 104 0.78
8 90 0.32 23.1 45.9 39.0 8 0.63 2.1 ⫻ 104 3.5 ⫻ 104 1.06
9 30 0.31 24.2 0.0 0.0 26 0.0 7.3 ⫻ 103 — 0.83
10 30 0.31 24.2 13.0 10.0 26 0.29 7.3 ⫻ 103 3 ⫻ 103 1.33
11 30 0.31 24.2 24.2 17.5 26 0.42 7.3 ⫻ 103 5.2 ⫻ 103 1.50
12 30 0.31 24.2 44.9 29.5 26 0.55 7.3 ⫻ 103 8.9 ⫻ 103 1.67
13 90 — — 45.9 39.0 — 1.0 — 3.5 ⫻ 104 1.21
14 30 — — 44.9 29.5 — 1.0 — 9 ⫻ 103 2.00
TABLE 2. Test Conditions for Basin Experiments (Waves Are Propagating Perpendicular to Current)
Peak Undisturbed Undisturbed
Pile frequency depth-averaged current velocity Keulegan- Pile R Pile R Nondimensional
diameter of waves Bed orbital current at distance D/2 Carpenter number number equilibrium
D fp velocity Um velocity V from bed Uc number Uc /(Uc ⫹ Um) = based on based on scour depth
Run (mm) (s⫺1) (cm/s) (cm/s) (cm/s) KC Ucw Um Rw Uc Rc S/D
15 55 0.30 17.7 0.0 0.0 10.7 0.0 9.7 ⫻ 103 0 0.10
16 55 0.30 17.7 4.0 3.5 10.7 0.17 9.7 ⫻ 103 1.9 ⫻ 103 0.28
17 55 0.30 17.7 12.0 8.0 10.7 0.31 9.7 ⫻ 103 4.4 ⫻ 103 0.49
18 55 0.30 17.7 23.0 17.0 10.7 0.49 9.7 ⫻ 103 9.4 ⫻ 103 0.65
19 55 0.30 17.7 47.0 36.0 10.7 0.67 9.7 ⫻ 103 2.0 ⫻ 104 1.13
20 55 0.30 17.7 84.0 60.0 10.7 0.77 9.7 ⫻ 103 3.3 ⫻ 104 1.25
21 32 0.30 17.7 0.0 0.0 18 0.0 5.7 ⫻ 103 0 0.36
22 32 0.30 17.7 0.0 0.0 18 0.0 5.7 ⫻ 103 0 0.29
23 32 0.30 17.7 4.0 3.0 18 0.14 5.7 ⫻ 103 1.0 ⫻ 103 0.50
24 32 0.30 17.7 12.0 6.2 18 0.26 5.7 ⫻ 103 2.0 ⫻ 103 0.60
25 32 0.30 17.7 23.0 15.0 18 0.46 5.7 ⫻ 103 4.8 ⫻ 103 1.13
26 32 0.30 17.7 47.0 26.9 18 0.60 5.7 ⫻ 103 8.6 ⫻ 103 1.53
27 32 0.30 17.7 84.0 50.0 18 0.74 5.7 ⫻ 103 1.6 ⫻ 104 1.51
FIG. 3. Testing of Different Definitions of KC Number [Eq. (10)] against Regular-Wave Scour
FIG. 5. Equilibrium Scour Depth, Codirectional Waves and Current, Comparison of Present Data with Data of Others
the case of the previous codirectional waves and current for Ucw as large as 0.5.) Therefore, the direction of the current will
three different classes of the parameter Ucw. Fig. 6 shows that not be a significant factor for the scour depth at this end of
the scour depth seems to be uninfluenced by the direction of the range 0 ⱕ Ucw ⱕ 1. The direction of the current at the
the wave propagation. ‘‘current’’ end (i.e., Ucw → 1) will also not be a significant
Fig. 7 depicts the entire data obtained in the present exper- factor, simply because the horseshoe vortex with the down-
iments (including the data in Fig. 4) plotted in the same format flow, the major element for the scour in this current-dominated
as in Fig. 4. Figs. 6 and 7 show that the influence of the current regime, will be practically uninfluenced by the presence of the
on the results in the case of the waves propagating perpendic- waves.
ular to the current is as important as in the case of the codi-
rectional waves and current. Remarks Regarding Practical Applications
The behavior of the scour process at the two ends of the
range 0 ⱕ Ucw ⱕ 1 in Fig. 7 is as follows. The near-bed video Remark 1: It may be mentioned that there may exist various
recording made in this study showed that the vortex shedding scale effects. Those in the case of the steady current have
(the key element in the scour process in the case of small KC already been mentioned in the ‘‘Current-Alone Case’’ section.
numbers) is not influenced very much by the presence of the In the case of waves, and waves and current, there are other
current for the wave-dominated regime (i.e., at the lower end parameters such as KC, Ucw, and the corresponding parameters
of the range 0 ⱕ Ucw ⱕ 1). (The near-bed vortex shedding in referred to in the previously mentioned section (where the ve-
the direction of wave propagation was clearly identified from locity should be replaced by Um). Incidentally, the scour depth
the present video recordings for KC = 8, even for values of in the wave-alone experiments of Sumer et al. (1992) was
JOURNAL OF HYDRAULIC ENGINEERING / MAY 2001 / 409
FIG. 7. Equilibrium Scour Depth, Overall Data from Present Experiments; Filled Symbols = Codirectional Waves and Current, Open Symbols =
Waves Propagating Perpendicular to Current
uninfluenced by the change in the ratio of ripple length to pile • The scour depth is practically uninfluenced by the direc-
diameter; the data points collapsed on the same curve, al- tion of wave propagation.
though the ripple length varied from about half a pile diameter • The effect of the current on the scour depth is as important
to several pile diameters, indicating that the ripples were not in the case of waves propagating perpendicular to the cur-
an essential factor in the scour process. It was pointed out that rent as in the case of the codirectional waves and current.
one reason for this may be the absence of ripples in the im-
mediate neighborhood of the pile. [Note that, in the latter ex- ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
periments, the undisturbed Shields parameter was mostly in
the range = O(=0.1 to 0.2).] This study is partially supported by the Commission of the European
Communities, Directorate-General XII for Science, Research and Devel-
Remark 2: The current velocity Uc should also be discussed
opment Program Marine Science and Technology (MAST III) Contract
with regard to practical applications. The quantity Uc in the No. MAS3-CT97-0097, Scour Around Coastal Structures. The tests re-
parameter Ucw is the undisturbed current velocity at the dis- ported in the study were conducted by J. G. Hansen, E. Ø. Madsen, S.
tance y = D/2 from the bed representing the near-bed current L. Hansen, J. Dietz, S. W. Andersen, and J. D. Petersen. Also Dr. N.
velocity, as mentioned in conjunction with (2). Although it is Christiansen was involved at some stages of the study.
a matter of convention, it was believed that the depth-averaged
current velocity would not be a proper choice to represent the REFERENCES
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