A Geomorphic Approach to the Design of Pipeline Crossings of Mountain Streams

Several hydrological methods are available to determine flood discharge and scour of streams at pipeline crossings. These methods are appropriate for streams dominated by purely hydrological processes, but fail where other, more hazardous processes occur within the design recurrence interval. Several investigations have shown that scour, impact and aggradation associated with debris flows, outburst floods or related phenomena may fundamentally change the parameters needed for proper pipeline crossing design. Depending on the process type, the peak discharge of the hazardous process can exceed that of the design flood (typically 50 to 200 year return period) by a factor of 2 to 50. Similarly, scour or aggradation by a non-fluvial process can exceed the hydrologically-derived estimates by several factors. It is therefore recommended that a geomorphic approach be taken in recognizing and quantifying the potential for non-fluvial processes and that the findings be integrated in the design of pipeline crossings.Copyright © 2004 by ASME