Scour is the removal of sediment, such as gravel and sand, from around wharf and bridge piers and abutments in streambeds or riverbanks. Fast water flow around the base of a bridge causes erosion in the streambed, leading into a topically scoured area. With high-pressure water flow, the scour hole will continue to grow in size.
For bridges that sit over water, scour poses a considerable risk. Once the scour is deeper than the footing of the bridge, there’s a risk the bridge may become unsupported. Did you know underwater scour is the leading cause of bridge failure, before collisions and overloading? Scouring puts the pier at risk of movement and even tipping, leading to structural failure.
Our tailored scour solutions help extend the lifecycle of your bridge to its full potential.
Here at The Commercial Marine Group, we offer effective, bespoke scour solutions to suit the needs of our clients. To ensure the integrity and safety of a bridge structure, it’s best to protect it before a localised scour hole appears. A full inspection underwater is recommended every few years as well to analyse stability.
Our specialist project managers help you weigh up the pros and cons of different scour prevention strategies. We consider the work area, costs as well as the different challenges of each project. From there, we’ll propose a solution on the design, fabrication and installation of custom scour mattresses.
To prevent a scour hole from forming, our ADAS qualified commercial drivers will install grout bags around the risk area. With a team of project managers and divers, a support crew and a fleet of vessels, we have the capacity to undertake even the largest projects.
The subsea grout bags used in our projects are custom-designed mats and bags, made of either synthetic or geofabric material. Typical designs include cavity bags, scour mattresses and scour pile bags.
CMG was also a finalist in the 2019 Queensland Major Contractors Association’s sub-contractor category for grout bag design on the Kingsford Smith Drive Upgrade Project under major contractor Lendlease.
The Commercial Marine Group’s director, Ray Crampton, was a presenter on scour and grout bag innovations at the 2019 Small Bridges Conference on the Gold Coast, Queensland.