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Advances in Bridge Scour Mechanics, Monitoring, Prediction, and Mitigation Across Hydraulic, Coastal, and Ocean Engineering

A special issue of Water (ISSN 2073-4441). This special issue belongs to the section "Oceans and Coastal Zones".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 28 February 2026 | Viewed by 368

Special Issue Editors

College of Civil Engineering, Hunan University, Changsha, China
Interests: fluid mechanics; bridge hydraulics; wave hydrodynamics; sediment scour; CFD modeling; flow field mechanism; computer-vision measurement; intelligent computation; AI for science/engineering; flood hazard
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Guest Editor Assistant
School of Civil Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
Interests: bridge hydraulics; wave hydrodynamics; sediment transport; scour protection; fluid-structure interaction; CFD modeling
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Bridge scour—the erosion of sediment around bridge foundations—remains a leading cause of hydraulic, coastal, and ocean structure failures worldwide. Rapid advances in experimental techniques (e.g., computer-vision, mul-ti-modal sensing) and high-fidelity numerical methods (e.g., RANS, LES, coupled CFD–DEM, AI-enhanced models) now allow unprecedented insight into the multiphase, multiscale processes that govern scour initiation, evolution and countermeasure performance. 

This Special Issue invites original research and critical reviews that integrate laboratory, field and numerical investigations of bridge scour across fluvial, estuarine, and offshore environments. Contributions are expected to cover: (i) innovative measurement technologies; (ii) physics-based and data-driven modeling frameworks; (iii) real-time monitoring and early-warning systems; (iv) eco-friendly scour countermeas-ures; and (v) climate-resilient bridge design under extreme events. The Issue aims to foster interdisciplinary dialog among hydraulic, coastal and ocean engineers, geomorphologists and data scientists, accelerating the translation of cutting-edge research into safer, smarter and more sustainable infrastructure.

Dr. Jinzhao Li
Guest Editor

Dr. Yilin Yang
Guest Editor Assistant

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Keywords

  • bridge scour
  • sediment erosion
  • scour protection
  • flood resilience
  • CFD modeling
  • experimental hydraulics
  • AI-driven prediction
  • computer-vision measurement
  • coastal engineering
  • real-time monitoring

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

19 pages, 15681 KB  
Article
Optimization of Combined Scour Protection for Bridge Piers Using Computational Fluid Dynamics
by Xiangdong Wang, Wentao Li, Zhiwen Peng, Qianmi Yu, Yilin Yang and Jinzhao Li
Water 2025, 17(18), 2742; https://doi.org/10.3390/w17182742 - 16 Sep 2025
Viewed by 247
Abstract
This study presents a high-fidelity CFD-based optimization of a combined sacrificial-pile and collar (SPC) system designed to suppress local scour at circular bridge piers. Following rigorous validation against benchmark flume experiments (scour depth error < 3%), a systematic parametric study was conducted to [...] Read more.
This study presents a high-fidelity CFD-based optimization of a combined sacrificial-pile and collar (SPC) system designed to suppress local scour at circular bridge piers. Following rigorous validation against benchmark flume experiments (scour depth error < 3%), a systematic parametric study was conducted to quantify the influence of pile-to-pier spacing (dp/D = 4–6) and collar elevation (hc/D = 0–0.3). The optimal layout is found to be a sacrificial pile at dp/D = 5 and a collar at hc/D, which yields a 51.2% scour reduction relative to the unprotected case. Flow field analysis reveals that the pile wake deflects the lower approach flow, while the collar vertically displaces the horseshoe vortex; together, these mechanisms redistribute bed shear stress and prevent secondary undermining. Consequently, the upstream conical pit is virtually eliminated, lateral scour is broadened but markedly shallower, and the downstream dune tail bifurcates into two symmetrical ridges. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study presents the first high-fidelity CFD-based optimization of a combined sacrificial-pile and collar (SPC) system with a fully coupled hydrodynamic-morphodynamic model. The optimized layout yields a 51.2% scour reduction relative to the unprotected case and, more importantly, demonstrates a positive non-linear synergy that exceeds the linear sum of individual device efficiencies by 7.5%. The findings offer practical design guidance for enhancing bridge foundation resilience against scour-induced hydraulic failure. Full article
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