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Bridges can impede the passage of river ice during the breakup event and promote formation of ice jams, with adverse socioeconomic and ecological impacts. Design for ice passage at bridges has largely been empirical and qualitative so that avoidance of ice-jam instigation is often uncertain. It is thus important to develop rational design criteria, based on a thorough understanding of the factors governing the interaction between bridges and ice. This concern is quantified by utilizing recent advances on breakup initiation and comparing driving and resisting forces when the sheet ice cover is about to be set in motion. Retention of ice sheets by in-stream piers can lead to jamming via accumulation of ice rubble that may be arriving from upriver. The resulting methodology is applied to two case studies and yields results that are in full accord with local experience. Though the present findings pertain to the obstruction created by in-stream piers, similar reasoning can be applied to constrictions that may be caused by protruding bridge abutments. CE Database subject headings: Bridge design: Ice forces; Ice formation: Bridge piers; Ice jams: Ice sheets: Rivers.

The behavior of a round jet penetrating into a counterflowing stream was studied to construct a model for predicting the penetration distance within the whole wide range of velocity ratios. The results suggested that axial velocity profiles are geometrically similar. Moreover, the results seemed to justify the 'contracting coordinates' hypothesis, as it applies to centerline velocities. Lastly, the results contributed to the construction of a refined model which predicts the centerline velocity decay in a counterflowing jet.

Lack of field data on the thickness and roughness of river ice jams inhibits reliable calibration of ice jam models and can result in erroneous evaluation of important physical parameters. Detailed thickness data that have been obtained on several ice jams by means of a remote profiling technique reveal a highly irregular underside. Statistical analysis points to a normal probability distribution of the irregularities and allows direct assessment of the absolute roughness of each jam. The latter varies linearly with the average jam thickness, at least to a thickness value of 3 m, and is shown to be consistent with previously reported roughness values deduced from purely hydraulic considerations. Using the present findings in conjunction with past data and modelling experience, simple equations are developed to compute composite-flow resistance characteristics in terms of jam thickness and flow depth.