Protection Works

for Bridges

by
S. K. Bansal
Sr Prof. Projects
IRICEN
 Bridge Examination by
AEN/DEN (IRBM-Para 702)
• 702. Past History of bridges
• The Divisional Engineer and Assistant
Engineer should have details of bridges
and river training works which have past
history. The information can be
conveniently contained in a register, based
upon an examination of bridge inspection
registers and flood damage reports of the
past 10 to 15 years.
 Bridge Examination by AEN/DEN
(IRBM-Para 702) contd.
• The examination may include:
• 1) Wash aways;
• 2) Abnormal high flood levels;
• 3) Heavy afflux;
• 4) Deep scour near piers and abutments;
• 5) Settlement or tilting or shifting or piers and
abutments;
• 6) Overtopping or breaching of approach banks;
 Bridge Examination by AEN/DEN
(IRBM-Para 702) contd.
• 7) Diversion of live channels from one
bridge/ span to another;
• 8) Damage to guide bunds, protective spurs
and flood banks or marginal bunds; and
• 9) Aggradation and degradation of rivers.
In this respect, no distinction should be
made between important, major and minor
bridges.
 703 Danger Levels at Bridges-
Factors
• Nature of soil,
• Depth of foundations,
• Existence of drop and curtain walls,
flooring,
• Depth of maximum permissible scour,
• The highest recorded flood level,
• The level of the bottom of girders,
• The springing level of arch,
 703 Danger Levels at Bridges-
Factors contd.
• Top of the guide bunds, free board to be
allowed,
• Velocity of water observed at
• bridge site,
• Afflux noticed and past history of the
bridge are to be taken into account.
 703 Danger Levels at Bridges-
Factors contd.
• In fixing the danger level, a margin of safety
should be allowed taking into consideration the
characteristics of the river or stream such as,
whether it is subjected to sudden flood or
gradually rising floods and whether it carries
floatsam.
• Fixing of danger level at a higher level than
necessary may result in unnecessary restrictions
to traffic and may lead to non seriousness.
 703 Danger Levels at Bridges-
Factors contd.
• 4. Danger level shall be the level which is lower of the
following:
• a) the level which provides adequate vertical clearances;
• b) the level which provides minimum free board to
approach banks and guide bunds, as stipulated in clause
4.9 of Bridge Substructure Code,
• c) the level of water which is likely to cause an unduly
large afflux, say more than 0.5 m, which may cause
large scour endangering the bridge; and
• d) the water level which if exceeded may cause
excessive scour endangering the bridge.
 Ref. Chapter VII IRBM

• Behaviour of rivers (Para 701)

• Past history of bridges (Para 702)
• Danger Level at Bridges (Para 703)
• Watchmen at Bridges (Para 704)
• Duties and Equipment (Para 705)
• Action to be taken by PWI (Para 706)
• Special Investigation–Monsoon (Para 707)
• Action – Weather Warning (Para 708)
• Monsoon Reserve (Para 709)
 Chapter VII IRBM
• Flood Records (Para 710)
• Flood records – Monsoon (Para 711)
• Flood records – After Monsoon (Para 712)
• Attention to Damages (Para 713)
• River and Flood Register (Para 714)
• Flood Reports (Para 715)
• Rainfall Data (Para 716)
• Provision of Anemometer (Para 717)
 Danger Level at Bridges (Para 703)

• Level at which safety of bridge is likely to

be adversely affected
• Traffic to remain suspended till responsible
official inspects and allows
• DL is lower of the following level, which
– Provides adequate vertical clearances
– Minimum free board to bank and guide bund
– Is likely to cause high afflux say >0.5m
– If exceeded may cause excessive scour
Danger Level at Bridges (Para
703)
• The danger level shall be fixed for each bridge by the
Divisional Engineer with great caution and due regard to
the conditions obtaining at site

• In cases, where there is no past history of damage or

serious threat to the bridge, free boards are adequate for
approach banks and protection works, no excessive
afflux say more than 0.5 m is observed/anticipated and
no excessive scour endangering the bridge has
occurred/been anticipated, the broad guidelines for fixing
Danger Level are given below:
 Danger Level – How to Fix
• Where there has been no past of damages
• In other case Danger level can be reviewed

Top of Pier/Abutment
Girder and Slab Bridges
DL

50 mm
Span (M) Danger Level (mm)
<6.10 150 to 300
>6.10 <12.2 450
Balancing Culvert
>12.2 <30.5 600
>30.5 <61.0 750
>61.0 1200
 Danger Level – How to Fix
Springing Level
DL
2/3
DL
Box Culvert
ARCH BRIDGES

Span (M) Danger Level (mm)

<4.0 Springing Level
>4.0 and 2/3 rise below DL
Multiple Span crown

Pipe Culvert
Danger Level at Bridges (Para
703)
• In case where danger to bridge has occurred or
the bridge has been seriously threatened, even
though the water level was less than the danger
level, the revision of danger level should be
considered.
• In case where floods higher than danger level
have occurred several times in the past without
causing any damage to the structure, the
desirability of revising the danger level may be
examined.
Danger Level – How to Mark

Top of Pier/Abutment

50 mm

600 mm 100
mm
 Watchmen at Bridges (Para 704)

• DEN will decide if to deploy

• Intelligent, literate and experienced
• Duties (Para 705)
– Walk over Bridge looking for failures
– Apprehend Danger
• Flood reaches Danger Level
• Danger to bridge, approaches, protection work – disturbed
alignment and/or longitudinal level
• Huge imbalance of water on u/s and d/s side
• Crack on approaches – signs of settlement
• Large scale obstruction to waterway
Duties - Watchmen at Bridges (Para 705)

• If danger apprehended – Protect track and

Stop traffic and intimate gangmate
• If no Danger – Stand on LHS and blow
whistle
• Water level rising reaching DL – Inform
gangmate and PWI
• If gauges are fixed – take measurements
• Watch for floating debris and try to
disentangle them – call gang if required
Equipments of Watchmen (Para 705)

Fish Bolt
Flare Signals Spanner

10 Nos.
Probing Rods
Keying Hammer

Gauge cum Level

Torch
Wooden Staff
 Action by PWI at Bridge Site (Para 706)

• Ensure Protection if not already done

• May allow trains after Satisfying himself
• Intimate AEN
– Flood level w.r.t.DL and whether rising?
– Difference of Water Level u/s and d/s
– Condition of Approach banks & Protection works
– Any special action required
Special Inspections (Para 707)
• Frequently by AEN and SE (P.Way)
 Action - Weather Warnings (Para 708)

• Meteorological Department, AIR or DD

• Action by SE (P. Way)-Para 728 of IRPWM
Monsoon Reserve (Para 709)
• Scale and Location fixed by PCE/CBE
• On ground and in Wagons to be arranged before
Monsoons
• Reserve for Bridges – Stacked above HFL
• Certificate to be submitted by Inspector before
monsoon
• Includes boulders, ballast, quarry dust, girders,
service spans, cribs, trestles, derricks,
compressors, pavement breakers etc.
 Flood Records (Para 710)

• Soundings – Gauge Readings – Afflux

Observations – Cross Section – Survey of River
Flood Records – During Monsoons (Para 711)
• Sounding – btwn. and around piers & structures
– Safe scour depth to be indicated on pier top
– If it exceeds traffic stopped – boulder dumping
• Gauge reading, Afflux and velocity measurement
– Afflux gauges to be fixed about 30m u/s and d/s
– All flood gauges to refer to same datum
• Cross Section of River during floods – Echo
Sounding
 Flood Records after Floods (Para 712)

• Cross Sections at specified locations u/s

and d/s (Same location each year for
comparison) – As per Annexure 7/2.
• Annual survey of scour hole
• Survey of course of river
– 3 km upstream and 1 km downstream – Five
years record. To know behaviour-training wks.
• Cross section of Guide Bund etc.
– At every 30 m for stone and 15m for others
 Attention to Damages (Para 713)
• Damages to be repaired before next Monsoon
Rivers AND Flood Register (Para 714)
• Continuous Records of large Rivers -
– Brief History of Bridge and Protection works
– Details of 10 to 15 years
– Condition of foundation with history of repairs
– Details of Flood Damages and remedial measures
– Survey details and blue prints of Plan and Cross
sections
• Register submitted by AEN to DEN
– Register sent to THOD also
 Flood Reports (Para 715)

• Written report by DEN to CBE within 3 days of

flood damges – Proforma as per Annexure 7/5
• Followed by Descriptive Report with action
taken/proposed to be taken
Rainfall Data (Para 716)
• List of Rain Gauge Stations – DEN Office
– Rainfall recorded at 8:00 am everyday
– If >75mm reported to AEN, DEN & CBE
– Very Heavy Rainfall – Hourly Readings
– Monthly rainfall details submitted Annexure 7/6
 Anemometer for Bridges (Para 717)

• Provided at station nearest to selected

bridges
• If Wind Speed exceed the specified limit –
Traffic is stopped by Master–Working rules
• Limiting Wind Velocity specified by PCE
• Previous experience and past accidents to
be the guiding factor.
• ACTION-IN CASE OF WEATHER
WARNING

– MESSAGES FROM METEOROLOGICAL

DEPT. AIR, N.T.V.ABOUT CYCLONE
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL.
(AS PER PARA 728
OF IRPWM)
THE SATELLITE
LISS CAMERA USED IN THE SATELLITE
TYPES OF INDIAN SATELLITES
 PATH
ROWS
PIXELS

# Point by point obs of the intensity

of light in digital form like a scanner;
source of light travels over a
document
# Digital data is is converted and
printed on photographic paper
PATH OF
SATELLITE
 Advantages of Remote Sensing

Synoptic Coverage
Depending upon the requirement, large to
very large areas may be covered
Advantages of Remote Sensing

Repetitive Coverage

Comparable to
Different Year River Courses
 Year
1991

Year
1987
Advantages of Remote Sensing

Inaccessible Area Coverage

(Special and Additional Advantage)

 Inaccessible
area coverage
Inaccessible area
coverage
 RIVER TRAINING &
PROTECTION WORKS
• Various Types of River/River
Phases (Para 801)
– Upper Reaches (Mountainous)
– Submontane Reaches (Foot Hills)
– Quasi-Alluvial Reaches (Trough)
– Alluvial Reaches
– Tidal Reaches
 Types of rivers

• Hilly, sub-mountain, alluvial, coastal

• Meandering, straight, braided
• Aggrading, degrading, stable
• Flashy, virgin
River channel
in hills
 UPPER REACHES (Para 802)
(Mountainous Rivers)
• Narrow, Deep Cross Section, Steep Slope
• Bed Material – Rock, Boulders, Gravel
• Rise – Sudden and Flashy
• Suggested Protective Measures
– Protection to Piers by RSJ, fenders or Rails
– Soil Erosion Control, arresting bed load
– Debris Basin, Contour Bunding, Breast Walls
– Chutes with paved apron at the entrance
Sub-mountain river channel
 Submontane Reaches (Para 803)
(Foot Hills)
• Bed slopes 1 in 50 to 1 in 500
• Bed Material –Boulders, Gravel and sand
• Floods – Sudden and Flashy : All these channels
normally overflow during high floods and the river
acquires very wide and shallow cross section. The rivers
in this reach are prone to progressively raise their beds
by sediment deposition. Such rivers are known as
"Aggrading" type.
• Suggested Protective Measures
• It is not desirable to locate bridge in such reaches.
However, if a bridge is to be provided, training measures
in the form of marginal bunds, extending right up to the
high ground in the hills are required to shift the point of
aggradation downstream
 Submontane Reaches (Para
803) (Foot Hills)
• To reduce the erosive action on the marginal
bund
• a) Suitable slope protection with boulders or
concrete slabs,
• b) adequate toe protection in the form of two
rows of in-situ concrete blocks or boulders in
wire crates and
• c) boulders in wire crates forming flexible type
apron may be provided.
Quasi Alluvial Reaches (Para 804)
(Trough)
• Bed slopes 1 in 500 to 1 in 2500
• Bed Material –Small size gravel and
Medium Side
• Channel–Generally well defined course
• Suggested Protective Measures
– Bridging such rivers normally involves
constriction of River – Guide Bunds
– Hydraulic Model studies desirable
 Alluvial Reaches (Para 805)
• Bed slopes 1 in 2500 to 1 in 25000
• Flat Bed of Material Alluvium
• River Meanders in its Khadir
• River Bed is normally stable
• Suggested Protective Measures
– Guide Bunds – main objective being to
guide the river near the bridge to its course
Tidal Reaches
• Waterway should not be constricted
 Types of rivers

• Hilly, sub-mountain, alluvial, coastal

• Meandering, straight, braided
• Aggrading, degrading, stable
• Flashy, virgin
Meandering River
Channel
Meandering river
ACCENTUATED
MEANDERS
 FLAT
MEANDERS
Braided River Channel
Island Type
Island type braided channel
Straight Channel
STRAIGHT
COURSE
RIVERS AND FLOODS
 Due to

scouring of Bed / Banks

Damage to bridge piers
(Local scour)
One pier
and span
lost

Local scour pit

Damage to Abutment
 Types of Rivers

• Hilly, Sub-mountain, Alluvial, Coastal

• Meandering, Straight, Braided
• Aggrading, Degrading, Stable
• Flashy, Virgin
Aggrading river
Degrading river
Sinking of pier
Stable river
Flashy Rivers in the hills
VIRGIN RIVER
Khari – II river, Kutchh, arid region
 PROTECTION AND RIVER
TRAINING WORKS
• Following are type of protection and river
training works
1)Flooring
2) Flooring with curtain wall (U/S side) and drop
wall (D/S side)
3)Pitching and toe wall
4) Guide bunds
5) Apron
6) Spurs/gryones
7) marginal bunds
 Flooring
• Provided to prevent scour around the
substructure to avoid undermining of
foundations
• Stone or cement concrete flooring used
for minor bridges
• Some times apron around the pier with
filter bed is provided in place of
complete flooring
• Flooring should be inspected and
maintained properly
 Flooring with curtain wall
and drop wall
• Complete flooring with curtain wall and drop
wall provided if apron around piers overlaps
• Curtain wall and drop walls provided to
protect flooring from high velocity and scour
• If necessary a sloping apron be provided
beyond drop wall to lead water way
• Inspected and maintained properly
particularly D/S of drop wall for any
excessive scour to avoid wash away of entire
protection work
 Flooring with curtain wall
and drop wall
• Depth of drop wall will be 1.25 times the
normal scour depth. Floor should cover
the entire width and length of abutment
including wing wall
• Lacey’s scour depth; D=0.47 (Q/f)1/3,
where D is depth of scour below HFL, Q is
discharges in m3/sec and f is silt factor.
 Drop wall

Flow

Curtain Wall
DROP WALL
Scouring on downstream

Flow
SCOURING NEAR ABUTMENT
Scouring near Abutment
Sloping apron beyond drop wall
 Pitching and toe wall
• Provided on approach banks, guide bunds
and spur to prevent erosion during flood
• Toe wall an important component of
pitching provided at toe of bank
• If toe wall gets damaged, pitching is likely
to slip down
• Periodical inspections and proper
maintenance is essential to safeguard
banks and guide bunds
 PITCHING OF BANK

TOE WALL AND PITCHING

Typical Slope pitching and aprons
Slope pitching & aprons (
with loose stones)
Slope pitching & aprons (
with stones in crates)
Good protection works
Slope Dressing & Toe
wall of stone crates
Pitching on granular filter
Geo-fabric laid below stone pitching
Use of undue large stones
Bad crate for slope pitching
 Scour at bridge piers
Eddy structure around the piers

– Horse–shoe vortex
– Wake – vortex
– Trailing vortex
Scour around
piers
Trailing vortices d/s of pier
 Design HFL

B D=0.47 (Q/f)1/3,

= double the Lacey’s

Scour; DL

SCOUR AROUND PIER and

GRIP LENTH
PROTECTION OF APPROACH
BANKS
• Approach banks of bridges are subjected to
severe attack under following conditions
- When flood level at Bridge is very high and
there is spill beyond the normal flow channel
– When stream meets major river D/S of bridge.
Bridge spanning across a valley with insufficient
waterway; sudden rush of water during flood
– If deep borrow pits are dug at toe of approach
bank
 Side slopes need protection on
following counts

• Wave action on the upstream side

• Water current along the slopes
• Wind action
• Rain cuts/Rain Water
 Guide Bunds
• Are required to be provided to guide flow
smoothly through the bridge opening
when constriction of waterway at bridge
site is adopted.
• For large alluvial rivers, guide bunds are
provided when shifting of river course are
noticed in vicinity of bridge (U/S)
• Are provided with suitable shapes,
adequate length and added with curved
heads to give protection to exposed faces
against river attack
GUIDE BUND
 GUIDE BUND
• Shape may be divergent, parallel (straight)
or elliptical depending upon site condition.
• Usual length adopted in 0.9L to 1.1L on
U/S and 0.2L to 0.25L on D/S
• The material used is river sand, clay is not
suitable
• River face of bund needs to be pitched
with stone laid on filter bed
• Rear fare of bund can be provided with
clay blanket and turf over it
 GUIDE BUND
 Minimum 6m top width (adequate for machinery)

 Side slope minimum 2:1

 Top level, minimum; design discharge level+free

board

 Slope protection, 75cm to 120cm pitching over 15cm

ballast used as filter

 Pitching be laid in wire crates to avoid slippage of

individual stone. Individual stone should to 35 to
50Kg

 RADIUS OF CURVED HEAD, R=0.45L

 GUIDE BUND
• Should be inspected properly for any
damage of pitching and cross section be
taken and compared for any settlement etc.

•Any damage or slips be attended

immediately to avoid further damage during
next flood
 GuIde Bund Apron

• Provided beyond the toe of guide bunds

• Width of apron beyond guide bund is 1.5

times the depth of deepest known scour
• Thickness is 1.5 times more than pitching
thickness at slope of guide bund
 Apron Pitching
• Apron pitching with successive floods,
goes on sinking (launching) starting from
the front. At final position it is expected to
to lie in same slope of guide bunds (above
the low water level) upto the maximum
depth of scour.
• This action is known as launching apron
• To inspect the guide bund pitching
thoroughly and any weak spot be attainted
immediately.
Guide Bund – Apron

L
LW
at
a id
L
ron
Ap
Guide Bund – Apron
Guide bund at a bridge
 Spurs

• Are structures constructed in rivers

transverse to the bank and U/S of the bridge

• In absence of guide bund they help to

protect bank and stabilize river regime

• They are of three types

– Repelling spur
– Attracting spur
– Holding spur
 Spurs or Gryones
• Preamble spurs are temporary measures
built by driving wooden bullies filled in with
brush wood and weighted down by stone

• Solid spurs are built of sand core

protected by stone pitching

• Spurs should be spaced at 2 to 2.5 times

their length so as to effectively protect the
length of bank between them
 TYPE OF SPURS
flow

ATTRACTING
 SPURS
• More common and safe are normal spurs. Other
two types should not be provided without proper
model study. They can do more harm than relief
if not properly selected designed and
constructed. Length of spur should not be
less than 2.5 times local scour depth. Local
scour can be taken as 2 to 2.5 times the
normal scour depth calculated by Lacey’s
formula D=0.47 (Q/f)1/3, where Q is discharge
in cumecs and f is silt factor.
 SPURS
• If the depth is taken from model study, it
need not be multiplied by 2 or 2.5 factor to
find local scour. This is to keep scour hole
away from the bank. Location of spur is
most important. If the purpose is to deflect
the flow away from the bank, it would be
advantageous to provide on convex
portion/curvilinear.
Location of SPUR to divert the flow
Repelling Spurs
Spur with flank
protection
NORMAL SPURS
Spur nose damage
PERMEABLE SPUR -
PORCUPINE
Single Porcupine

Central
Stone box
Laying during floods
 Porcupine screen
under construction
Siltation by porcupines
Curing of large RCC poles for porcupines
RCC Porcupines
in row
RCC porcupines laid across the river
 Marginal bunds

• Earthen bunds laid along the width of course

of river on banks so as to contain the spill of
flood beyond the normal firm bank
• Constructed and maintained by Civil
Authorities
• Should be watched by railway engineers as
they are “Railway Affecting” works.
Marginal bunds
 Some useful actions for protection
works
• History of flow/channel to be kept.
• Any important addition of hydraulic structure on the
regime of the flow should be taken note of, both on
upstream as well as on downstream. On downstream
side, effects are rarely beyond 5 kms.
• Such changes may be in the form of additional
spans/works provided by highways on upstream side.
This may be also due to construction of
barrage/dam/waterstorage structures.
• These are considered as Railway affecting works and
any change may cause serious implication on the
Railway bridge and protection works
 Some useful actions for protection
works
• Shift in flow channel because of meander
• Any large scale deforestation on upstream
will cause heavy sediment load leading to
change in flow pattern.
• It is important to have a plane table survey of
the floor so that any serious change can be
taken note of. Nowadays, satellite pictures
taken by Remote Sensing Agencies also give
very accurate picture for over all appreciation of
flow pattern.