A CFD SIMULATION METHOD FOR BRIDGE SCOUR DEVELOPMENT USING DYNAMIC MESH UPDATING TECHNIQUE

A CFD-based simulation methodology using dynamic mesh updating technique is proposed in this study. This method can numerically describe the complicated 3D scour behavior around bridge piers and abutments. By re-developing the commercial CFD program (ANSYS Fluent), the transient shear stress in a k-epsilon turbulence model is calculated; and the stress is regarded as a key parameter to judge the sediment incipient motion in scour. The dynamic mesh updating technique would assure a more practical and accurate scour simulation by individually updating the FE model nodes of riverbed in each time step. Comparisons between the numerical result and experimental measurement confirm that the proposed numerical model successfully estimates the flow field and scour (riverbed) profile.