Abstract

Local scour around piers is an important parameter to design a bridge. The reliability on evaluating the maximum scour depth will directly influence the safety of bridge foundations and the local scour will influence stability of river bed near the pier. The piers of Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge are the group piles structure foundation. Local scour experiments of piers have been performed in a tidal current flume, 3m wide and 30m long including 15m long of movable bed. In the flume control system, tidal currents can generate through reversible pump system. The effect factors of local scour around the main pier of Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge in flood, tidal currents and storm tides have been studied. Local scour will occur at the inside spacing of the piers of group piles.

Keywords: Group piles, local scour, estuary, Shanghai Yangtze River Bridge