Scour monitoring

Abstract: Monitor apparatus for a bed underlying water comprises at least one sensor for being in alarm signal relationship with said bed, such that sufficient flow of water will enable at least one said sensor to provide at least one alarm signal in response to corresponding errosion of the bed, at least one said sensor being adapted to be in a disabled mode during normal flow conditions; and circuitry for said at least one sensor. A downward array of sensors may be buried in the bed during normal flow conditions so as to be in a disabled mode. The sensor may comprise an oscillatable arm (21) having a first end portion (22) for supporting the arm, and a second end portion (23) comprising a sensor cell (25) e.g. an omni-directional mercury switch. The alarm signal may be indicative of risk of collapse of a hydraulic structure, e.g. the foundation of a bridge pier.

Description: Structures (e.g river bridges) may be in and/or on beds underlying flowing water. Some examples of flowing water are flood flows and/or tidal flows, for instance water flowing in bays, estuaries, inlets, locks, rivers, seas, straits, sounds or weirs. Stability of a structure (e.g a bridge), is threatened when flow of water scours or otherwise erodes the bed in the neigbourhood of the bridge's substructure, e.g at a bridge's pier. The erosion may lead to collapse of a bridge, etc. Inspections of e.g bridges may be made by divers during low flow conditions of rivers. But, inspection of a bridge at a threatening time of flood may amount only to cursory visual examination of the bridge's superstructure, i.e at location(s) above the surface of a river. Thus, it is possible not to detect erosion of a river bed in the neighbourhood of a bridge or other structure, during times of expected flooding or other turbulent conditions. Monitoring of e.g. a bridge during those times may be obscured by air entrainment, debris, sediment load, etc. comprised by a river. Patent specification SU-A-1290029 in the name of Petrol Gas Ind Res discloses a monitor apparatus corresponding to the preamble of claims 1 and 9 for controlling erosion of a bed underlying flowing water, having sensors (8) arranged in said bed such that sufficient flow of water will enable said sensors to provide at least one alarm signal at sufficient flow in response to corresponding erosion of the bed, and said sensors will not provide an alarm signal during normal flow conditions; and circuitry (5,6,10,11) for said sensor. According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided monitor apparatus for monitoring a bed underlying water, comprising: at least one sensor for being arranged in and/or on said bed such that sufficient flow of water will enable each said sensor to provide at least one alarm signal in response to corresponding erosion of the bed, and each said sensor will not provide an alarm signal during normal flow conditons, and circuitry for each said sensor, wherein each said sensor is an electrical sensor comprising an oscillatable arm having first and second end portions, the first end portion (22) being adapted to support the arm, the second end portion comprising at least one sensor cell comprising at least one omni-directional tilt switch (25). A second aspect of the present invention is defined in claim 9, whereby there is provided a method of monitoring a bed underlying water which essentially uses at least one monitor apparatus of the first aspect of the invention, wherein each said sensor is arranged in and/or on said bed such that sufficient flow of water will enable said sensor or at least one of each said sensor to provide at least one alarm signal in response to corresponding erosion of the bed, and each said alarm sensor will not provide an alarm signal during normal flow conditions. The monitor apparatus of the present invention may be utilised such that change in state of a bed, or threat to the state of said bed, underlying flowing water may be detected during threatening time (or other times) of flood flow or other flow of the water. Monitoring the state of the bed before, during, or after flood events may provide valuable information that would assist engineering assessment or other monitoring of the site of a said structure. The present invention may be utilised at any suitable distance(s) and/or depth(s) from the structure, e.g a railway bridge over a river or other flowing water. Any said structure may be termed a "hydraulic structure", the word "hydraulic" being used to mean any suitable structure in and/or on said bed underlying water. A said structure may be artifical (e.g at least partly man and/or machine made), for instance a bridge, dam, lock, wall, or weir. A said structure may be natural, e.g a natural bank or cliff. Any said sensor may be suitably covered in and/or on the bed (preferably buried in the bed) so as to be protected during normal flow conditions, and thereby not provide any alarm signal, i.e. be in a disabled mode. If desired, relative to the general direction of normal flow of water: at least one plurality of said sensors may be laterally disposed to the general direction of normal flow; and/or at least one plurality of said sensors may be disposed in a downstream direction relative to the general direction of normal flow; and/or at least one plurality of said sensors may be disposed in an upstream direction relative to the general direction of normal flow; and/or at least one plurality of sensors may be depth disposed relative to the general direction of normal flow. Separation(s) of said sensors may be tailored to requirements of a structure, e.g a particular bridge. Any plurality of said sensors may be any suitable even or odd number of said sensors. Two or more pluralities of said sensors may have different or the same numbers of sensors. Said sensor(s) may be disposed to sense scour and/or other erosion of the bed, e.g. relative to any artifical and/or natural structure in and/or on the bed. The tilt switches in said sensor(s) may respond to e.g: accelerations or velocities in flows of water; electrical conductivities of water; pressures exerted by flows of water; temperatures of water; turbidities of water; or viscositites of water. Said sensor is oscillatable during sufficient flow of water resulting from formation of a scour hole in the bed, so that the sensor will be enabled to provide at least one alarm signal. The first end portion of said oscillatable arm may allow connection of the arm to a cable conduit through which at least one cable may pass to enter the arm and connect with at least one said sensor comprised by the second end portion. Preferably, before a said sensor is activated, it is buried in the bed or otherwise covered. Said sensor may remain in an alarm mode after the sensor has been activated to provide at least one switch that will be activated to provide at least one alarm signal when suitable current passes through or ceases to pass through the at least one switch. A switch may be embodied in any suitable manner. One example of said sensor cell is an omni-directional mercury tilt switch available from R.S. Components Ltd., PO Box 99, Corby, Northants. NN179 RS England under the stock number 337-289. The monitor apparatus of the first aspect of the invention may further comprise at least one source of electricity, and/or be adapted to be connected to at least one source of electricity, e.g. provided by a portable alarm indicator carried by a bridge inspector. Monitor apparatus of the first aspect of the invention may comprise circuitry comprising at least one component, e.g. a said source of electricity. The circuitry may comprise a plurality of electrical channels (e.g. passing in a cable conduit) corresponding to respective said sensors of any said plurality of sensors, such that the state of any such sensor may be detected by sampling the corresponding channel. If desired, each channel may have a respective output terminal to which may be connected a portable alarm indicator by a bridge inspector. A plurality of output terminals [e.g. coupled to light emitting display(s)] may be housed in a suitable connector or housing above the surface of the water, e.g. on a bridge or on land. The circuitry may be adapted to transmit alarm signals to a remote location, e.g. a control room where, if desired, at least one alarm signal may be processed (e.g. logged), for instance automatically and/or manually to provide useful information, e.g. a display of the profile of a site erosion. In general, any alarm signal may be utilised in any suitable manner(s). The circuitry may comprise at least one processor means for processing at least one said alarm signal. The circuitry may comprise logging means for logging at least one alarm signal. In the accompanying drawings, which are by way of example of the present invention. Fig. 1 schematically shows one embodiment of monitor apparatus disposed relative to the pier of a bridge (e.g. a railway bridge), the apparatus being in a disabled mode not providing any alarm signal. Fig. 2 shows Fig. 1's monitor apparatus after being put into an alarm mode in response to formation of a scour hole. Fig. 3 shows one embodiment of an oscillatable sensor for being utilized in an array of sensors shown in Figs 1 and 2. In Fig. 1, a river bridge pier 1 has fixed to its upstream face a cable conduit 2 descending from a monitor box 3 (on the bridge or on a river bank) to below the river bed. A downward array of three oscillatable sensors 4 project laterally and upwardly from conduit 2. The sensors 4 are buried in the river bed, so as to be protected during normal flow conditions, and thereby be in a disabled mode not providing any alarm signal detectable at monitor box 3, which has three terminals A,B,C, corresponding to three cables 26 (Fig. 3) within conduit 2. These cables communicate with corresponding ones of the sensors 4. Conduit 2 protects the cables, and may be from of any suitable material(s), e.g. steel. Fig. 2 corresponds to Fig. 1 when high flow (e.g. flood and/or tidal flow) of the river has scoured a hole 10 in the river bed so as to reveal the upper two sensors 4, which thereby oscillate and enable corresponding alarm signals to be available at respective terminals A,B,C, (each comprising a respective light emitting diodes display) of monitor box 3, which has terminals A,B,C. The terminals may be sampled by a portable alarm indicator or other means carried by a bridge inspector. The sampling may be carried out in any other suitable manner, e.g. by a remote system. Terminals A and B are shown activated by corresponding sensors (A) and (B). Terminals A,B,C are shown coupled to an optional logger D for logging alarm signal(s), e.g. an optical logger and/or other logger. Fig. 3 shows one example of an oscillatable sensor 4, which has an oscillatable arm 21 having a first end portion 22 that is rigid (e.g. a steel sleeve with a paint or other polymeric (coating), and an opposite second end portion 23 that is flexible (e.g. a rubber or other polymeric sleeve). First end portion 22 couples to conduit 2 via a tee coupling 24. Second end portion 23 includes a sensor cell 25 that has an omni-directional mercury tilt switch available from RS Components Ltd as mentioned above. Cable 26 provides communication between sensor cell 25 and a corresponding terminal of monitor box 3, via the interior of conduit 2. Monitor apparatus, and any components thereof, shown in the accompanying drawings can be modified according to the description given above the first reference to the drawings. In general, the present invention includes equivalents and modifications arising from all the disclosures of the present application. For example, any suitable number of oscillatable sensors 4 and any suitable number of terminals A,B,C, etc. may be used.

Claims: Monitor apparatus for monitoring a bed underlying water, comprising: at least one sensor (4) for being arranged in and/or on said bed such that sufficient flow of water will enable each said sensor(4) to provide at least one alarm signal in response to corresponding erosion of the bed, and each said sensor (4) will not provide an alarm signal during normal flow conditions, and circuitry for each said sensor (4), characterised in that said sensor is an electrical sensor (4) comprising an oscillatable arm (21) having first and second end portions, the first end portion (22) being adapted to support the arm, the second end portion (23) comprising at least one sensor cell (25) comprising at least one omni-directional tilt switch. Monitor apparatus as claimed in claim 1, characterized by said switch is an omni-directional mercury tilt switch. Monitor apparatus as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized by said arm is a lateral arm (21) whose second end portion (23) upwardly supports at least one said sensor cell (25). Monitor apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 3, characterized by said circuitry (3,26) comprises at least one ouput channel (26) for at least one said sensor (4). Monitor apparatus as claimed in any one of claims 1 to 4, characterized by said circuitry (3,26) comprises at least one ouput terminal (A,B,C) for at least one said sensor (4). Monitor apparatus as claimed in claim 5, characterized by at least one said ouput terminal (A,B,C) is adapted to be sampled by a portable alarm indicator. Monitor apparatus as claimed in claim 5 or 6, characterized by said circuitry comprises a monitor box (3) for at least one said output terminal (A,B,C). Monitor apparatus as claimed in claim 7, characterized by said monitor box comprises at least one display (A,B,C) for at least one said alarm signal. A method of monitoring a bed underlying water, characterised by utilizing at least one monitor apparatus of any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein each said sensor (4) is arranged in and/or on said bed such that sufficient flow of water will enable said sensor or at least one of each said sensor to provide at least one alarm signal in response to corresponding erosion of the bed, and each said alarm sensor will not provide an alarm signal during normal flow conditions.

Inventors: WATERS COLIN BRIAN, WATERS, COLIN BRIAN
Applicants: HYDRAULICS RES LTD, HYDRAULICS RESEARCH LIMITED
Application year: 1991
Main classification: E02B3
IPC codes: E02B3, G01P5, E01D19