HEC-RAS

Modeling Bridges
 Module 5: Modeling
Bridges
• Understand how bridges are modeled in
HECRAS
• Input bridge in a HEC-RAS river reach
 Flow is 3-D

We are talking about HEC-RAS as a 1-D model

 Flow is 3-D

We are talking about

HEC-RAS as a 1-D model The old Highway 49 bridge near Independence Trail across the
South Yuba, Nevada Co, CA
Cross-section Locations
•Where do I need cross-sections
around a bridge?
•What is ineffective flow around a
bridge/culvert?
•Why should we care?
Q: How does a bridge affect the hydraulics?
• Contraction
• Through the bridge
– Piers
– Abutments
– Bridge deck
• Expansion

3 2
1
 Ineffective Flow Areas

4 Lcont 3 2 Lexpansion 1

Fully
Fully Expanded
Effective Flow
Flow

4 3 2 1
Lc and Le:computed or observed during high flow
Contraction/expansion ratios

Rule of Thumb:
Con Ratio: 1:1

Rule of Thumb:
Ex Ratio: 2:1
 Ineffective Flows
The ineffective area option is used at bridge sections 2&3 to keep all
the active flow in the area of the bridge opening until the elevations
associated with the left and/or right ineffective flow areas are
exceeded by the computed water surface elevation.

At XS’s 2 & 3
 Ineffective Flow Areas
Enter stations that represent the active flow area at the cross section
(Adjust lateral distance for bounding sections distance from bridge)

Enter elevation that allows overbank areas to become effective when

exceeded

Rule of Thumb:
XS-2 > Use elevation = (low chord + top of road)/2 for first estimate
Assume ER=2:1 if flow can freely transition in out of bridge
Width should normally be as wide or wider than bridge opening
XS-3 > Elevation should be set at top of road or slightly lower (0.1’-0.2’)
Assume a CR of 1:1 in the immediate vicinity of the bridge
 Bridge Data

A word file has

been developed
to assist in
organizing the
data at
bridges/culverts:

Created by Clyde Giaquinto NRCS-NY

 Graphic to assist in visualizing the data at bridges:

Created by Clyde Giaquinto NRCS-NY

 Expansion & Contraction
Coeff @ Bridge/Culvert
Expansion Contraction
Cross-Section 4 (furthest US) 0.5 0.3
Cross-Section 3 0.5 0.3
Cross-Section 2 0.5 0.3
Cross-Section 1(furthest DS) 0.3 0.1
 Bridge Modeling
Approach
What methods does RAS use for
modeling bridges?
 Two Possible Types of
Flow at Bridge
• Low Flow - Flow where
the water surface does not
reach the low beam
• High Flow - Flow where
the water surface reaches
the deck or higher
Q: Low flow or high flow?

Q: Low flow or high flow?

Low Flow

Bridge Deck
Bridge Girder
 RAS Modeling
3 Low
Types of
Flow Type
Low Flow
Method

Energy
1) Class A Low Flow - Momentum
Subcritical Flow Yarnell
WSPRO
2) Class B Low Flow - Flow
Energy
passes through critical
Momentum
depth
3) Class C Low Flow - Energy
Supercritical Flow Momentum
 Low Flow Bridge Modeling
Class A Low Flow - Energy Method
• Physically based.
• Friction losses are computed as length times average friction
slope.
• Energy losses are empirical coefficient times change in
velocity head (expansion and contraction losses).
• Accounts for:
▪ Friction losses through bridge
▪ Geometry changes through bridge
▪ Losses due to flow transition
▪ Losses due to turbulence
• Does not account for pier drag forces.
 Low Flow Bridge Modeling
Class A Low Flow - Momentum Method

• Physically based
• Accounts for:
▪ Friction losses
• Friction losses are external skin friction is equal to
the wetted perimeter times length times shear
stress.
• Requires entering coefficient of drag for piers, CD
 Momentum - Pier CD
Circular 1.20
Semi-circular ends 1.33
2:1 L:W 0.60
Elliptical 4:1 L:W 0.32
8:1 L:W 0.29
Square nose 2.00
30o angle 1.00
Triangular 60o angle 1.39
nose 90o angle 1.60
120o angle 1.72
 Low Flow Bridge Modeling
Class A Low Flow - Yarnell Equation
• Empirical method
▪ 2,600 experiments on different pier shapes
• Model effects of bridge piers
• Requires entering pier shape coefficient, K (or
CD)
• Used where piers head loss predominates
 Pier K - Yarnell
Semi-circular ends 0.90
Twin cylinder w/ connecting 0.95
diaphragm
Twin cylinder w/o diaphragm 1.05
90o nose and tail 1.05
Square nose & tail 1.25
Ten-pile trestle bent 2.50
 Low Flow Bridge Modeling
Class A Low Flow - WSPRO
• Federal Highway Administrations method of
analyzing bridges
• Energy-based method
• Some empirical attributes
• Iteratively uses energy equation
• Based on:
▪ Narrow bridges
▪ Wide floodplains
▪ Heavily vegetated overbank areas
 Class B and C Low-flow
Methods
Two methods available:
1) Momentum
Irregular cross-section & rapidly varying water
surface → erratic bed slope estimate
Therefore, weight component automatically turned
off for Class B flow
2) Energy
For Class B flow, large depth changes are possible
and results large changes in velocity head.
Contraction and Expansion energy losses may be
overestimated with traditional contraction and
expansion coefficients.
Which Low Flow method do I use?
•Energy
Friction losses - major •Momentum
Bridge piers: small flow obstruction - minor
•WSPRO
Pier & friction losses - equal •Momentum

Pier losses - major •Yarnell

•Energy
Flow passes thru critical depth
•Momentum
•Energy
Supercritical flow without piers
•Momentum
Supercritical flow with piers •Momentum
 High Flow Definition
• Flow contacting
bridge girders
• High flow can
also submerge
deck
 High Flow

RAS Modeling Method

1) Energy Method

2) Pressure and Weir Flow

Method
 High Flow
1) Energy Method
▪ Deck area subtracted from flow area
▪ Deck wetted perimeter added
▪ Water surface elevation ~ hydraulic grade line

▪ Entrance shape – no effect

▪ Piers – no effect
▪ Conveyance - bridge treated as a cross section
▪ Includes flow over roadway
 High Flow
2) Pressure & Weir Method
I. Pressure Flow – flow thru bridge opening
▪ Sluice gate equation
OR
▪ Full pressure (Orifice) equation

II. Weir Flow - flow over roadway

▪ Corrected for submergence

Note: HECRAS selects appropriate pressure flow equation.

 Pressure & Weir Method –
Schematic

Downstream flow
not submerged

Downstream
Possible evidence flow is
Orifice flow submerged
Pressure & Weir Method –
Pressure (Sluice) Flow Eqn
1

Q = Cd  Abu  Y3 - Z +
 3V 3
2 2

 2 2 g 

Q = Total discharge through the bridge opening
Cd = Coefficient of discharge for pressure flow
Abu = Net area of the bridge opening at section BU
Y3 = Hydraulic depth at section 3
Z = Vertical distance from maximum bridge low chord
to mean river bed elevation at section BU
 Pressure & Weir Method -
Pressure (Orifice) Flow Eqn
Upstream & downstream sides of bridge fully submerged

Q = C A 2gH
Q = Total discharge from full flowing orifice
C = Cd for fully submerged pressure flow
H = Difference between upstream energy gradient
elevation & downstream water surface
elevation
A = Net area of bridge opening
 Pressure & Weir Method
Weir Flow Schematic

Q = CLH(3/2)
Qw = Total flow over weir
Cw = Cd for weir flow (~2.5 to 3.1 for free flow)
Lw = Effective weir length
Hw = Difference between upstream energy elev &
road crest
 Weir Flow Submergence
Qsubmerged = Qfree x Reduction Factor
Submergence Factor = H2/H1
 Which High Flow method
do I use?
• Bridge deck is small obstruction to
flow
Energy
• Bridge opening not a
pressurized orifice
• Flow overtops bridge deck Pressure
• Tailwater does not submerge flow & weir

• Flow overtops bridge deck

Energy
• Flow is highly submerged
Adding the Bridge in HECRAS
Select the Brdg/Culv button from the geometry data
window:
 Adding the Bridge
• This brings up the
Bridge Culvert Data
window
• From the options
menu, select “Add a
Bridge and/or Culvert”
• Enter the river station
of the location
 Adding the Bridge
This brings up a window with the adjacent upstream
and downstream cross-sections plotted:
 Deck/Roadway
Next, select the Deck/Roadway button from the Bridge
data window:
 Deck/Roadway Inputs
Distance Distance from us xsec to roadway
Width Deck/roadway width in direction of flow
Weir Coef Weir coefficient of flow over bridge deck
Upstream Relative to upstream cross-section
Downstream Relative to downstream cross-section
High Chord Top of bridge deck/roadway
Low Chord Bottom of bridge
Emb SS Embankment side slope (H:V)
Max Submerg Max allowable submergence ratio
Min Weir Elevation to start checking weir flow
Copy US to DS If US and DS cross-sections are identical –
copies US station/high chord/low chord to DS

• Default values are Weir coefficient and Max submergence

• U.S. and D.S. sideslopes are for cosmetic purposes only unless using the
WSPRO method for low flow
 Distance – Width
Plan View
Upstream XS

Distance

Road Width Roadway

Flow
Downstream XS
 When copying an old
HECRAS file…

You may get this odd looking

error when you run the model

But it is an easy fix

 High & Low Chord
Bridge
High
Sta1

Sta2

Sta3

Sta4
Sta5
Sta6
Chord

Bridge Girder

Bridge
Opening
Low
Chord
 Deck/Roadway
Use the “Copy Up
to Down” button to
repeat the station-
high chord-low
chord data from
the upstream to the
downstream side, if
applicable:
 Deck/Roadway
After selecting OK
from the bridge
deck window, it
replots the U.S.
and D.S. x-
sections showing
the bridge deck:
 Piers
Piers can be added by selecting the Pier button from
the bridge data window:

This brings up the Pier

Data Editor
Where you can add the
data for the pier(s) :

Use the “Copy Up

to Down” button, if
applicable:
 Piers
The pier is then
shown graphically
on the plot:
 Bridge Modeling Approach
The modeling options, including low flow and high flow
modeling methods, are available by selecting the Bridge
Modeling Approach button:
 Bridge Modeling Approach
This brings up Bridge
Modeling Approach
Editor window. Notice
the option to compute
each type of low flow
method and the option
to select which one
you use:

Q: Is using highest energy always a good idea?

 Bridge Modeling Approach
Note the:

Click on it to get a
table of values
Unique Bridge Problems

•Debris
•Parallel Bridges
•Bridges on a Skew
 Debris
What about debris?
•Check “Floating Debris”on pier
data editor
•Enter rectangular dimensions
Debris

•On pier
•Solid
•Floats
 Parallel Bridges

• If very close could be

modeled as one, OR two
linked with 1 Cross Section
• If flow expands between,
add sections to model
transition.

Two bridges do not necessarily have twice the loss

 Bridges on a Skew
Flow
WB

Wp


• Skew increases pier width & decreases bridge opening

• Bridge skew up to 20o show no additional flow problems
• Projected width of bridge based on cosine of skew angle
 RAS Bridge
Modeling Discussion

How do I model this bridge

situation?
 Bridge or Box Culvert?
• Should this be modeled as a bridge?
• Should this be modeled as box culvert?
 High Bridges
• How should these bridges be modeled?

Royal Gorge Bridge, CO New River Gorge Bridge, WV

Q: How would
the flow expand
below these
bridges?
 Large Piers
• How many piers?
• What bridge method is good for piers?
 Pier Head Loss
• How much head loss is the center pier
creating?
 Ineffective Flow
• Locate ineffective flow areas
 Pier(s) & High Chord
• How many piers? 1 or 5
• Where’s high chord?
 High, Low Chord, Piers
• Where would the high chord be?
• Where is the low chord?
• Would you include bridge piers?
 High Chord
1. Locate high chord for this bridge
2. Is this bridge stable in flowing water 10’
higher than road surface?
 High Chord
• Where would you set high chord?
 Low Chord
• Where is low chord?
 Guard Rail

• Include guard rail in high chord?

• Is debris accumulation likely?
 Guard Rail
• Include guard rail in high chord?
 Perched Bridge
• Are these
perched
bridges?

Salado, TX
Deck/Roadway
Q:What is the
extent of the
bridge deck
here?
 Internal Bridge Section
• How would an internal bridge cross
section improve modeling this bridge?
 Changes

Performance varies during high flow

Structures are fixed…
The End