An investigation of water-flow pressure distribution on different pier shapes under different flow conditions

The pier is considered the most important part of the bridge. The pier geometry is influencing all other bridge components. The shape of the geometry affects the forces on the pier due to waterflow characteristics. Therefore, the main goal of this research is to investigate the differences in pressure and water flow characteristics using the different types of pier shapes. This goal was achieved by using the CFD ANSYS software program. The present system compares two actual pier types subjected in Iraq and optimizes the pier shape. The investigation was done based on Al-Muadam Bridge and the Iron Bridge. The aim of choosing these two types is to understand the pressure distribution and water flow behavior relative to different water velocities which enable the researcher to optimize the pier shape design. The study observed that with the increase of pier front face shape, there is a vortex will appear and the pressure will be high. The vortex line produced a score behind the pier which represents a big problem to the pier stability. To avoid this problem, the present study optimizes the pier design by adding a curve in the front face. The pier has been reduced the pressure due to separating the pressures on both sides of the pier. Keywords: Pier shape, CFD, Water flow characteristics