Evaluation of Existing Equations for Local Scour at Bridge Piers

Twenty-three of the more recent and commonly used equilibrium local scour equations for cohesionless sediments were evaluated using compiled laboratory and field databases. This investigation assembled 569 laboratory and 928 field data. A method for assessing the quality of the data was developed and applied to the data set. This procedure reduced the laboratory and field data to 441 and 791 values, respectively. Because the maturity of the scour hole at the time of measurement for the field data was unknown, they were only used to evaluate underprediction by the equations. A preliminary quality control screening of the equilibrium scour methods/equations reduced the number of equations from the initial 23 to 17. For this screening procedure the equations were used to compute scour depths for a wide, but practical, range of structure, flow, and sediment parameters. Those methods/equations yielding unreasonable (negative or extremely large) scour depths were eliminated from further consideration. The remaining 17 methods/equations were then analyzed using both laboratory and field data. Plots of underprediction error versus total error for the laboratory data and underprediction error for field data versus total error for laboratory data along with error statistics calculations assisted in the ranking of the equations. Equations from previous publications were melded and slightly modified to provide the best performing equation in that it yields the least total error and close to the least under-prediction error of those tested. The new equation is termed the Sheppard/Melville (S/M) equation in this paper.