Fact Sheet
US Army Corps of Engineers
U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center
January 2004
Public Affairs Office
3909 Halls Ferry Road
Vicksburg, MS 39180-6199
(601) 634-2504
http://www.wes.army.mil
Detection and Evaluation of Scour Protection for Navigation Dams
Purpose: To identify the most effective method for assessing the condition of the existing scour
protection and develop a risk-based analysis procedure to predict scour protection performance.
Background: Scour has occurred upstream and
downstream from essentially every navigation dam
constructed. The severity of the scour varies
greatly from project to project. Periodic inspections
have been used in the past to assess the need for
repair. Often times, these inspections do not pro-
vide enough information to adequately assess the
extent of scour and the repair and/or rehabilitation
requirements. Establishing a process to better iden-
tify the extent of scour and assess repair and reha-
bilitation requirements will provide the project
manager with valuable information for planning project needs and costs.
Facts: In FY01, the Navigation Research and Development Field Review Group for the Corps
of Engineers identified that improved scour assessment and repair procedures were needed in
many of the field offices. If severe scour exists, rehabilitation of the dam and appurtenant struc-
tures may be necessary to maintain the structural integrity of the dam. The objectives of this re-
search are to: 1) identify the most effective method(s) for determining the condition of the exist-
ing scour protection and 2) develop a risk based decision process to assist in developing the type
and the timing of the repair and/or rehabilitation requirements needed to insure project perform-
ance. The process will be patterned after a method developed in the Coastal Navigation Re-
search Program for the work unit " Risk Analysis of Coastal Structures" for evaluating rubble
mound breakwaters. The process will be presented in a manner that can be easily used by project
personnel responsible for project planning.
Points of Contact: For additional information, please contact Dr. John E. Hite, Jr. at 601-634-
2402 ( )"> ) or Mr. Don Wilson at 601-634-2813
).
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