Scour and Safe Bridges: Advancing the State of the Practice

Stream instability, long-term stream aggradation or degradation, contraction scour, local scour, and lateral channel migration or erosion cause 60% of all U.S. highway bridge failures. This article provides an overview of scour and summarizes findings from a range of research projects that have improved standards, guidance, and countermeasures for preventing the destabilizing effects of scour.