A crashworthy device for bridge protection under vessel impact and scour

For Bridges spanning navigable waterways, scour can amplify damage in the event of a vessel impact. This work investigates the effectiveness of a designed steel crashworthy device in reducing damage to a bridge already affected by scour when subjected to a vessel impact. The findings reveal that the crashworthy device can diminish the peak impact force compared to the bridge system without a steel fender under the same scour conditions. Moreover, the crashworthy device effectively dampens the dynamic response of the bridge during a vessel impact under the same scour conditions. However, with increased scour depth, the impact displacement increases even if a steel fender is used, which may still affect the normal service of the bridge system after collision at a deeper scour depth. Consequently, it is recommended to implement maintenance measures aimed at strengthening and enhancing the horizontal load-carrying capacity of the scoured pile foundation in such cases.