Scour Scour of of Rock Rock at at Bridge Bridge Piers Piers and and Abutments Abutments

Former Research Engineer Program Manager

Former Research Geologist

Tommy C. Hopkins Tony L. Beckham

Geotechnology Section University of Kentucky Transportation Center College of Engineering Geohazards 2009

http://www.ktc.uky.edu/Reports/KTC_99_57_ SPR_157_94.pdf

I 95 bridge collapse over Schoharie Creek Amsterdam, New York--April 5, 1987 Ten Fatalities

Focused national attendance on bridge scour

I 95 bridge collapse -- Causes Pier 3-- bearing on erodible soil.

Layers of gravel, sand and silt, interbedded with folded and tilted till. High velocity floodwaters penetrated bearing stratum.

Lessons Learned Importance of: Periodic Bridge inspections Erosion protection measures Selecting critical storm Locating design footings deep enough to avoid loss of support Understanding the geology and mechanical properties of bearing stratum

.What else motivated this study? . expansion of I 75 from 4 lanes to 6 lanes in Fayette Co., Ky...

required new bridge over the Ky river..

Place pier foundation deep into bedrock to avoid scour failure?

Place pier foundation on or near top of rock?

Limestone

Depth?

Depth?

..Ky ---1100 miles of navigable streams-2nd only to Alaska..

..and thousands of miles of small streams, or tributaries.

Scourability of Rock? Guidelines?

FHWA MEMORANDUM HNG-31 July 19, 1991 (Last revised 11/22/2005) Hardest of rocks can scour No single index property generally can be used to assess the potential for rock scour
http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/engineering/hydraulics/ policymemo/rscour.cfm

FHWA MEMORANDUM HNG-31 July 19, 1991 (Last revised 11/22/2005)

Method
RQD < 50% > 50% Uc < 250 psi > 250 psi SDI< 90 %

Scourability Potential, Sp
Soil-like Scourable Rock-like Sp Decreasing Soil-Like - Scourable Rock-like - Sp Decreasing Soil-Like -- Sourable

Soundness: 12 % Na Threshold Loss rate < 18% Mg LA Abrasion

Sourable

Loss % < 40 Scourable

Scourability of Rock?
Subsurface Investigation ID rock type/

discontinuties/recovery Geological FormationRock Type Rock Quality Designation (RQD) ASTM D6032-08
Unconfined Compression Test

Slake Durability Index Soundness Abrasion Observation of Past History and Performance

OBJECTIVES
Define the scope of the problem in KY Observe the erosional nature of geological rock units in KY at selected bridge sites General Assessment of the need to locate bridge foundations deep into bedrock Examine the potential relationship between rock scour and Rock Quality Designation (RQD) If necessary, recommend revisions in design practices

Perspective: About 92 % of the KYs roadways are 2-lane roads; low traffic volume

Majority of bridges in KY are small bridges

Ohio R iver

Scour---Large Bridges
Norway: total length = 3314 ft.

Geology and Soils in Kentucky Sedimentary KY Geology Limestone, dolostone, sandstone, siltstone, shale (hard and clayeylike), coal
Soils in Kentucky are residual (90% clays and silty clays) Depth to bedrock is generally shallow --0 to 30 feet (Exception: Along major streams and in far Western KY)

Ice Sheets Pre-Illinoisan Illinoisan Wisconsin

Illinoisan Ice Sheet

No glaciers advanced into KY

Ohio River Kentucky

Older Glaciations

KY

Illinoisan

Generally, ages of bedrock range from 310 to 500 million years

Many streams cut down to a quasi-scour resistant layer ????
Silurian Tertiary (12 thou.) 425 mil. & 12 Quaternary Devonian (10-65 mil.) 405 mil. OrdovicianAlluvium 500 mil. Pennsylvanian 310 mil. Mississippi 345 mil. Cretaceous135 mil.

Permian
Silurian 425 mil.?
Ordovician-500 mil.?

Pennsylvanian Mississipian Devonian Cambrian

Younger Precam. Older Precam.

Grand Canyon
Rock Scour

2 Billion Years

ROCK SCOUR HAZARD RATING SYSTEM

(Numerical rating system)

provide a means of evaluating rock scour Identify locations where rock scour may be a hazard establish a priority list for remediation locate sites for detailed rock scour studies

Scour Coding Sheet Exponential Scoring

3 9 27 81 Scour Proximity

County: Rt. # Stream/River: Bridge # Date: Photo #s

Geology Description:

Proximity:
Low, or No Scour 3 points

Low/None
Far From Footer
>3'

3 Point assesment: 9 27 81 notes:

dp (penetration

Near Footer
< 3'

Far F
27 points 81 points 100 points under foter

9 points

Far Near Adjacent

under footer) dc (above footer bottom) ds (depth below footer bottom)

Adjacent to Footer

Penetration, d p : None Up to 2" Up to 6" > 6" Depth, d c : None Exposed Footer Exposed to bottom of Footer Footer Fully Exposed

3 9 27 81

Point assesment: notes:

3 Point assesment: notes: 27 81

ds :

None Up to 2" Up to 6" > 6" 400 800 1,200 1,600

3 9 27 81 3 9 27 81

Point assesment: notes:

AADT (average

AADT:

Point assesment: notes:

annual daily traffic)

Total Score: Rock Scour Catego ry: Comments: Low: Moderate: High: 0-125 126 - 300 301 - 500

ScourRock Scour Proximity Coding Low, or No Scour 3 points Sheet

Far From Footer
>3'

9 points

Near Footer
< 3'

Scour

27 points

Adjacent to Footer

81 points

100 points under Underfoter Footer 100 points

None or slight rock scour

Small hole next to footer

Apparently footer bottom is not exposed

Scour depth at the bottom of footer

Scour depth below bottom of footer

Erosion penetration under footer bottom

http://www.fhwa.dot.gov/BRIDGE/mtguide.pdf

Preliminary visual ratings (A,B, and C) of 394 bridges: 34 bridges high scour --- A or B Detailed numerical rating high: 8 bridges

First pass through by a consultant: 2,877 Bridges all Hwy districts Another survey Hwy D-10 and D-12: 777 Bridges Another 5400 bridges inspected: no ratings received

Perspective-Typical Bridges Viewed

Over 8000 bridges & culverts in KY 92 % of KY roadways are 2-lane roads About 50 % of bridges surveyed initially by UKTC were single span
Exposed footer

Fill Soil Rock

Exposed rock streambed

Two-Span Pier / Abutments on rock

Two-Span Pier on Rock Abutment on Ptbearing Piles

Three-Span Piers on Rock Abutments on Pt-bearing Piles

Unstable Approach Embankment with Toe Erosion

RQD Rock Quality Designation

RQD -- Indicator of: Relative frequency of discontinuities in rock mass Compressibilty of rock mass Indirectly may be used as a measure of scourability of rock mass RQD < 50% Assume soil-like--scour potential RQD > 50% Rock-like

FHWA MEMORANDUM HNG-31 July 19, 1991 (Last revised 11/22/2005)

RQD Rock Quality Designation -- Example Core Run = 60 inches (152.4 cm) Core Recovery (in) Modified Core Recovery (in) 10 -------------------------- 10 1 < 4 in-------------------- 0 Core Recovered = 3 < 4 in-------------------- 0 49/60 = 82 % 5 ---------------------------- 5 6 ----------------------------- 6 4 ----------------------------- 4 2 < 4 in --------------------- 0 3 < 4 in --------------------- 0 4 ----------------------------- 4 7 ----------------------------- 7 RQD = 40/60 = 67 % 4 ----------------------------- 4 40 in. 49 in.

RQD 0 - 25 25 - 50 50 - 75 75 - 90 90 100

Description Very Poor Poor Fair Good Excellent

@ RQD = 67% --- Fair

Lawrence County KY 707 Long Branch Creek

Depth (ft.) 0 0 RQD Conemaugh Shale and Siltstone Shale highly weatheredwith 1" - 3" sltstone layers

..Few Examples.

5 0 Shale highly weathered with siltstone layers

10 Bridge # 64-B00035 Constructed 1930 - 1933? Scour Rating = 401 5 Ft. Penetration Scour 3 Ft. Scour Below Footer

Age = 70 yrs
ds = 36

RQD = 0

dp = 6 0

Bath County US 60 Hurricane Creek

Depth 0 1.5 RQD 0 Limestone, weathered with clay shale seams Limestone with numerous clay shale seams

65

7.5 Bridge # 6-B00023 Constructed 1925 Scour Rating = 458 2 Ft. Penetration Scour Below Footer Bridge Replaced in 1996

Age = 75 yrs

dp

4 2

ds = 24

RQD = 0

Washington County CR 1243 Road Run Branch

Depth RQD 0
Lower Member of Grant Lake Limestone 0.0'- 5.0'Limestone,grey, coarse grained, 2 - 4 inches layers with clay shale seams 2 - 4 inches

7 5.0
Bridge # 115-C00026 Constructed 1935 Scour Rating = 327 1 Ft. Vertical Scour, 3 Ft. Penetration Scour at Pier

Washington Co. CR 1243

Age = 65 yrs

ds = 12

dp = 36

RQD = 7

Harrison County CR 1006 Mouth of Cedar Creek

Depth 0 RQD
Tanglewood Member of Lexington Limestone

17

0.0'- 5.0'Limestone,grey, coarse grained, 2 - 4 inches layers with clay shale seams 2 - 6 inches

5.0
Bridge # 49-C00006 Constructed 1981 Scour Rating = 403

Age = 19 yrs

2 1 = ds

RQD = 17

=1 2

Jessamine County Elm Fork Road Hickman Creek

Depth 0 17 RQD Lexington Limestone Limestone with numerous clay shale partings

5 25

10 Built 1987? Deck Only 1987? Scour Rating = 377

Bridge # 57-C00029

New

Deck

0.5 Feet Scour below Abutment Footer 2 Ft. Penetration Scour

ge

>6
dp =24 ds = 6 RQD = 17

yr

s?

Cumberland County KY 704 Pine Branch

Depth 0 1.5 RQD 22 Leipers Limestone Limestone with clay shale seams @ 0.2, 0.4, 0.7, 1.0, 1.1, 1.5 - 1.7, 2.0,2.2, 2.6, 2.7, 3.9,and 4.4 ft.

67 6.5

eck D w e N

Bridge # 29-B00055 Constructed 1987? Deck Only? Scour Rating = 307 2 Ft. Penetration Scour > 0.5 Ft. Scour below Footer

Age = 77 yrs

ds = 8-10

RQD = 22

=2

Owen Co. Ky 607

rs y 2 2 = e Ag

dp = ds = 0 ?

RQD = 44

Adair County KY 704 Burns Creek

Depth

RQD 63

Chattanooga Shale Black Shale with fractures @ 1.9, 3.1, 3.5, 5.0, 5.7, 6.2, 6.6, 7.0,7.3, 8.7, and 9.0 ft. Mud seams @ 3.2, 5.1, and 9.2 ft.

5 50 10

Pyrite 1.9 - 3.1, and 4.9 ft. Bridge # 1-B00028

Constructed 1952 Scour Rating = 106 Small (1 in.) Penetration Scour at Corner of Pier Footer 2 in. Scour Below Footer

e g A

4 =

s r 8y

dp = 1

ds = 2

RQD = 63-50

Bullitt County US 31E Hough Run Creek

Depth 0 RQD 0-1.0 Limestone, weathered with clay shale seams 1.0 - 5.0 Limestone 67 with clay shale seams@ 2.0,2.2,3.2,3.3,4.0 5.0 4.7-4.8 Grey Clay shale 4.8-5.0Grey Limestone

Age = 76 yrs

Bridge # 15-B00007 Constructed 1924 Scour Rating = 365 1 Ft. Vertical Scour at Pier Route being reconstructed in 1996, 1997

RQD = 67

Age = 76 yrs

ds = 12

RQD = 67

Age = 62 yrs . o C n o s k c Ja

c o R

r u o c S k

Ds= dc = 14 RQD = 68

Scour Score,Ss

500 400 300 200 100 0 0 20

Ss = 422 - 4.9(RQD) +0.0277(RQD)2

40

60

80

10

RQD

Depth of Rock Scour, ds

ds = 20.46 (2.94) Ln(RQD)

40 30 20 10 0
0

0.01 RQD 92

KY*

FHWA

10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
RQD

KY* Modified RQD 4-in pieces not included if it can be broken by hand

Penetration Scour, dp (in.)

70 60 50 40 30 20 10 0 0

dp = 53.855e
2

-0.069RQD

R = 0.61

20

40

60

80

100

Rock Quality Designation (RQD) %

CONCLUSIONS
Hundreds of bridge foundations are located on exposed rock in KY Very Approximate relationships between RQD and rock scour depth and horizontal penetration were obtained FHWA guidelineRQDappears reasonable

CONCLUSIONS
Generally, rock scour around bridge piers and abutment footings is not a serious problem in KY Current practices concerning locating depths of footers in bedrock appear sound following current guidelines of the KTC and FHWA Periodic inspections of all KY bridges and their foundations should continue