What defines clear-water scour?

Clear-water scour is characterized by its occurrence without the transport of bed material upstream of the bridge. This type of scour typically happens when water flows aggressively over a riverbed that is composed of material that is not easily moved, such as larger stones or bedrock. In clear-water conditions, the flow is strong enough to erode and deepen the channel but not strong enough to mobilize the finer sediments or move material upstream.

This condition is critical in understanding bridge safety and stability since the undermining of structures without sediment transport can lead to sudden failures if the bed material surrounding bridge piers or foundations is eroded while maintaining the bed level, as there is no compensatory deposition upstream. Understanding clear-water scour is essential for engineers when assessing the health and stability of bridges over water bodies, as it helps inform maintenance and design practices that mitigate risks associated with scour.