Geospatial Data for Bridge Scour Countermeasure Assessments at Select Bridges in the United States, 2014–16

Scouring of streambed material surrounding bridge structures is a leading cause of bridge failure in the United States. Damages resulting from bridge failure oftentimes lead to financial burdens and loss of life. To date, there has been no comprehensive evaluation of the current (2016) effectiveness of the guidance or overall long-term performance of bridge-scour countermeasures provided in the Federal Highway Administration, Hydraulic Engineering Circular No. 23, Bridge Scour and Stream Instability Countermeasures. To that end, the U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with the Federal Highway Administration, obtained bathymetric, topographical, and other data at 14 of the surveyed sites across the United States to begin an evaluation [...]