Real-time Bridge Scour Monitoring and Evaluation at Selected sited in Idaho, Water Years 2020-2022

Of Idaho's nearly 4,500 bridges, 265 (about 6 percent) are listed as "scour critical" (2017 National Bridge Inventory (NB I) item 113 coded as 0, 1,2, or 3). The plan of action developed for each scour critical bridge requires monitoring and inspection during and after flood events. This study presents a method to directly monitor the streambed elevation at three selected scour critical bridge sites in Idaho (fig I). Monitoring the streambed elevation is the most accurate method for determining whether a bridge is at risk of closure or failure. The streambed elevation will be monitored in 15-minute intervals, and scour depth data will be recorded onsite and transmitted to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Water Information System: Web Interface (NW IS Web). USGS and ITD personnel will select the three sites for this study based on the most suitable hydraulic and geomorphic conditions as they relate to scour susceptibility, logistical access, and overall site safety. Data will be collected over a range of hydraulic and geomorphic conditions to help explain the variability in scour. Combined, the hydrologic, hydraulic, and geomorphic data will provide required site data and parameters to (1) compare against previous scour measurements at the sites, and (2) improve existing scour equations using observed site data in Idaho. The objectives of this project include the following: (a) monitoring the streambed elevation at three selected scour critical bridge sites in Idaho with diverse hydraulic and geomorphic conditions, (b) using the data to assess scour conditions at these sites, and incorporating the data into the USGS’s national data to help improve the scour estimates for bridges in Idaho more generally.

Language

• English

Project

• Status: Active
• Funding: $359000
• Contract Numbers:

  RP 285

• Sponsor Organizations:

  Idaho Transportation Department

  P.O. Box 7129, 3311 West State Street
  Boise, ID  United States  83707-1129
• Managing Organizations:

  Idaho Transportation Department

  P.O. Box 7129, 3311 West State Street
  Boise, ID  United States  83707-1129
• Project Managers:

  Legler, Jake

• Performing Organizations:

  U.S. Geological Survey, Idaho Water Science Center

  230 Collins Road
  Boise, ID  United States  83702
• Principal Investigators:

  Fosness, Ryan

• Start Date: 20191001
• Expected Completion Date: 20230930
• Actual Completion Date: 20220930
• USDOT Program: Research and Development
• Subprogram: Research

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Bridges; Environmental monitoring; Hydraulics; Scour; Streambeds
• Geographic Terms: Idaho
• Subject Areas: Bridges and other structures; Environment; Highways; Hydraulics and Hydrology;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01726735
• Record Type: Research project
• Source Agency: Idaho Transportation Department
• Contract Numbers: RP 285
• Files: RIP, STATEDOT
• Created Date: Dec 27 2019 10:22AM