lang=en, upright=1.3, Mechanism of formation, alt=sketch Hydrodynamic scour is the removal of

sediment Sediment is a solid material that is transported to a new location where it is deposited. It occurs naturally and, through the processes of weathering and erosion, is broken down and subsequently sediment transport, transported by the action of ...

such as

silt Silt is granular material of a size between sand and clay and composed mostly of broken grains of quartz. Silt may occur as a soil (often mixed with sand or clay) or as sediment mixed in suspension (chemistry), suspension with water. Silt usually ...

sand Sand is a granular material composed of finely divided mineral particles. Sand has various compositions but is usually defined by its grain size. Sand grains are smaller than gravel and coarser than silt. Sand can also refer to a textural ...

and

gravel Gravel () is a loose aggregation of rock fragments. Gravel occurs naturally on Earth as a result of sedimentation, sedimentary and erosion, erosive geological processes; it is also produced in large quantities commercially as crushed stone. Gr ...

from around the base of obstructions to the flow in the sea, rivers and canals. Scour, caused by fast flowing water, can carve out scour holes, compromising the integrity of a structure. It is an interaction between the hydrodynamics and the

geotechnical Geotechnical engineering, also known as geotechnics, is the branch of civil engineering concerned with the engineering behavior of earth materials. It uses the principles of soil mechanics and rock mechanics to solve its engineering problems. I ...

properties of the substrate. It is a notable cause of bridge failure and a problem with most marine structures supported by the seabed in areas of significant tidal and

ocean current An ocean current is a continuous, directed movement of seawater generated by a number of forces acting upon the water, including wind, the Coriolis effect, breaking waves, cabbeling, and temperature and salinity differences. Depth contours, sh ...

. It can also affect biological ecosystems and heritage assets.

Mechanism

Any obstruction within flowing water will produce changes in velocity within the water column. The flow changes that occur in the vicinity of the substrate may cause differential movement in the bed materials near the obstruction. The magnitude of these changes varies with stream velocity, feature shape and substrate character. Generally the stream bed is deepened at the upstream end of the obstruction, and the material removed from the substrate is usually deposited in the sheltered areas behind or adjacent to the obstruction where the local velocity is sufficiently reduced. In conditions of high stream velocities, mobile bed materials, and poorly streamlined structures scour depths can be quite deep.

References

Erosion Fluvial geomorphology Hydraulic_engineering {{Erosion-stub

Mechanism

See also

References