Journal of Water and Land Development

Abstract

A pontoon bridge, also known as a floating bridge, can be used as for pedestrian and vehicle traffic. The buoyancy of the floating bridge limits the maximum load it can carry. This research included experimental runs to study variations of open channel flow characteristics upstream and downstream a floating bridge. Eighty one runs have been carried out using a flume in a hydraulic laboratory. The experimental run program is classified into two main categories; the first investigates the velocity ratios (vds/vus) downstream and upstream the floating bridge. The second category is concerned with the energy head losses (hL) due to the presence of a floating bridge. The experimental runs are carried out using three pontoon lengths, three flow depths, six submerged depths, and three discharges. The results are analysed and graphically presented to help predict hydraulic parameters. The outcomes have shown that the floating bridge upstream, Froude number and submergence of the pontoon are the dominant parameters that affect the studied flow characteristics.