Thesis Type: Doctorate
Institution Of The Thesis: Gazi University, Fen Bilimleri Enstitüsü, -, Turkey
Approval Date: 2018
Thesis Language: Turkish
Student: HÜSEYİN AKAY
Supervisor: MÜSTEYDE BADUNA KOÇYİĞİT
Open Archive Collection: AVESIS Open Access Collection
Abstract:When failures of river bridges or severe damage incidents happened in Turkey are examined, it is seen that these events often occurred during or immediately after flooding. Most of the bridges were found to be damaged due to hydraulic factors such as changes in river bed level due to either natural or human-induced reasons, excessive scouring around bridge piers, increase in the water level at the upstream and opening of the bridge due to contraction in the bridge spans between the piers owing to the accumulation of the sediment carried in the stream flow, hydraulic jump at the bridge opening. In this study, a safety-inspection methodology was developed that could be applied to river bridges taking the hydraulic factors into consideration. The methodology consists of catchment hydrology and flood potential, river and bridge characteristics and structural inspection sections. Within the scope of the study, Kastamonu Region, which is the 15th Region of General Directorate of Highways, was chosen as the pilot region. Observations were made on many river bridges in the region during field studies and the parameters affecting the bridges and scouring conditions were investigated. The safety-inspection methodology which was developed by using the observations made in the field studies and the relevant investigations in the literature has been successfully applied to five river bridges in the region. Furthermore, a system was developed to enable the application of the methodology to river bridges by the General Directorate of Highways and an approach based on the classification proposed in the system was established to enable decision making on the bridges that require maintenance and are under risk of scouring.